Beloved Actress Passed Away At 96

American actress Joan Benedict passed away in the last few hours at the age of 96. This was confirmed by a family spokesperson to the U.S. media.

After being admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles, California, the cause of death was reported to be a stroke, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Her most significant role on the small screen was her portrayal of Edith Fairchild in the famous tv show ‘General Hospital.’

However, the actress was also involved in other notable projects, such as the soap operas ‘Capitol’ and ‘Days of Our Lives.’

Additionally, throughout her television career, she appeared on shows like ‘The Steve Allen Show.’

Joan Benedict married John Mayer in 1962. The couple remained together for 30 years until Mayer’s death in 1992.

Later, the actress married Rod Steiger, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in ‘In the Heat of the Night.’

Steiger passed away two years later, in 2002. Her last partner was Jeremy Slate, another well-known actor.

Surprisingly, the actress admitted years later that she met all her partners when “I was still a teenager, just starting my career in New York.”

“They were wonderful men who respected me as an actress,” she added.

Joan Benedict was born on July 21, 1927, in Brooklyn. She took her first steps in the acting world as a child.

At seven years old, she participated in a television program as a dancer. Later, she studied dance at the Paris Opera Ballet School.

She trained to be an actress at The Actors Studio in New York, where she studied with Robert Lewis and Stella Adler.