Marla Adams, who captivated audiences for over three decades as Dina Abbott Mergeron on “The Young and the Restless”, has reportedly passed away at the age of 85. The celebrated daytime soap opera actress died in Los Angeles last Thursday according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We send our deepest sympathies to Marla Adams’ family,” read a post by X, the official Twitter account for “The Young and the Restless”. “We’re so grateful and in awe of Marla’s incredible performance as Dina Abbott Mergeron as both Marla and Dina made an unforgettable mark on Y&R.”
Prior to her illustrious career in daytime television, Adams first appeared on Broadway in “The Visit” in 1958 before starring alongside Natalie Wood in the movie ‘Splendor In The Grass’ a few years later. It was in 1968 that she made her debut as Belle Clemens on CBS’ “The Secret Storm”, and then went onto play Dina Abbott Mergeron, beginning in 1982 for “The Young And The Restless”.
Adams played the character both regularly from its inception to 1985, and subsequently over brief intervals between 1991-1996, as well as 2008 until her final portrayal spanning between September 2017 till October last year. The character suffered with Alzheimer’s disease towards the end of Adams’ time on set which culminated in Dina Abbott Mergeron passing away during an episode that aired in October 2020.
In a tribute to her beloved role, Marla stated: “Of all the characters I’ve played, from ‘The Secret Storm’ to Broadway, this has been the most astonishing, amazing part I have ever had the privilege to play.” In an interview with Ocean City Daily News Source in 2016 she added: “I was the b—- of daytime. I played a good b—.”
Marla Adams remembered her incredible life fondly as “the most wonderful life, this little gal from Ocean City,” prior to passing away at age eighty-five on April twenty fifth 2021.”
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