Soap Opera Star Andrea Evans dies at 66 after battle with breast cancer
Soap opera star Andrea Evans, known for her iconic roles on ABC’s “One Life to Live” and NBC/DirecTV’s “Passions,” has passed away at the age of 66. Evans died on Sunday at her home in Pasadena after a long battle with breast cancer, according to casting director Don Carroll.
Evans rose to fame for her portrayal of Tina Lord on “One Life to Live” from 1979-1981 and 1985-1990. However, her time on the show was cut short when she had to quit abruptly due to a stalker incident in 1987. The stalker accosted her in the lobby of the show’s Manhattan studio and later sent death threats, some of which were written in blood. This traumatic event forever changed her, as she revealed in an interview with People magazine in 2008.
After taking a break from the soap opera world, Evans returned as Tawny Moore on CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” from 1999-2000 and then spent eight years playing Rebecca on “Passions” until its conclusion in 2008. She also made brief comebacks as Tina on “One Life to Live” in 2008 and 2011, where her character remarried Cord Roberts, and appeared as Tawny again on “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 2010.
In addition to her soap opera roles, Evans also had a stint on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” as Patty Williams in 1983-1984 and made a guest appearance as Tawny in 2010. She received Daytime Emmy nominations for her work on “One Life to Live” in 1988 and for her role as Vivian Price on the internet show “DeVanity” in 2015.
Her last acting credit was on the Prime Video series “The Bay,” where she appeared from 2017-2020. Evans had a diverse career and appeared in films such as “A Low Down Dirty Shame” (1994), “Ice Cream Man” (1995), and “Hit List” (2012). She also made appearances on game shows like “The $10,000 Pyramid” and “Hollywood Squares.”
Outside of her acting career, Evans was passionate about charity work. She supported the City of Hope and various animal rescue organizations. She recently completed a memoir titled “My One Life to Live.”
Evans is survived by her husband, Steve, and their daughter, Kylie. Her death is a loss felt deeply by the soap opera community, where she left an indelible mark on the genre. May she rest in peace.