‘Young And The Restless’ Star Meg Bennett Passes Away At 75

Meg Bennett, well known for her six-year run on “The Young and the Restless,” passed away earlier this month at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer.

The Daily Caller located an obituary by the actress’s family that announced her passing on April 11th. Bennett, whose given name was Helen Margaret Bennett, “was devotedly working with children, writing, and engaging with her far-flung family and friends,” until nearly the end, they add.

A native of Pasadena, California, Bennett attended Northwestern University as an undergraduate where she majored in drama while also winning her class’s Homecoming Queen award and competing in the Miss America contest. After college she moved to New York City to pursue her acting career, landing an early role in the off-Broadway musical “Godspell.”

Bennett seamlessly transitioned from the stage to the TV studio in 1974 when she earned the role of Liza on the soap opera “Search for Tomorrow.” Later she returned to Los Angeles to assume her most famous role as Julia Newman, the ravishing young wife of a titan of industry who carried on her own romantic affairs and eventually had a child with a minor character on the show.

The Hollywood Reporter cited Bennett’s ability to multitask, grabbing parts on “General Hospital” and “Santa Barbara” in addition to her work on “Young and the Restless.” After being written out of the show in 1986, creator Bill Bell asked Bennett to join the Y&R writing team.

‘Young And The Restless,’ ‘General Hospital’ Actress Meg Bennett Dies At 75 https://t.co/BzHOQfMJAO

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 22, 2024

“I’d been acting on the show for almost two years when this happened, so I knew the characters,” Bennett said in a 1985 interview. Still, she continued to show up as Julia on and off throughout the years, the last time in 2020.

Writing for all three shows earned Bennett multiple Emmy nominations, and in 1995 she won the award for Best Writing for that year’s “General Hospital” season. She also won the Writers Guild Award for writing that year and repeated the feat in 1997.

In 2004 Bennett tied the knot with Robert Guza Jr., head writer for “General Hospital,” and died just short of their 20th wedding anniversary according to her obituary. The couple had no children of their own, but Bennett is survived by two step-daughters and four adored grandchildren, along with a brother and sister and a bevy of nieces and nephews.

“Young and the Restless,” now in its 55th season, began in 1973 and featured earlier stars like Jennifer Leak, who played a prostitute-turned-nun and who passed away at age 76 last month.