One Life to Live star Jennifer Harmon dies aged 82 as fans pay tribute

Soap opera icon Jennifer Harmon passed away in her home in New York City on Saturday, May 9, following a long and illustrious career on the stage and screen. The actress’s family announced her passing via an online obituary and shared that she was 82 years old at the time of her death.

Jennifer, who was born in Pasadena, California, and raised in New Orleans, came to New York as a young woman after studying at the University of Mississippi and the University of Michigan.

She then joined the APA-Phoenix Repertory Company and landed her Broadway debut in 1965 with You Can’t Take It With You. 

After making her mark on the stage, Jennifer pivoted to screen work and starred in How to Survive A Marriage from 1974 to 1975. She then landed the role of the villainous Cathy Craig Lord on the soap opera One Life to Live in 1976. 

The part had been played by four actresses before her, including Catherine Burns, Amy Levitt, Jane Alice Brandon and Dorrie Kavanaugh. She received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1978 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, before exiting the show that same year. 

Jennifer surprised fans by returning to the soap in 1991 as an attorney representing Viki Lord, referencing the fact that Cathy had kidnapped Viki’s baby on the show decades earlier. 

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She also acted in soap operas like Guiding Light, Another World and Loving. Her last onscreen role was in The Good Wife in 2010, and her final Broadway performance was in 2012’s Other Desert Cities. 

She was an acclaimed Broadway star and acted in over 20 productions during her career, including The School for Scandal, The Little Foxes, The Deep Blue Sea, The Dinner Party, The Glass Menagerie, and Barefoot in the Park. 

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Jennifer also worked as an understudy to some of Broadway’s biggest names, including Judi Dench, Stockard Channing, Jessica Lange and Blythe Danner. 

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The soap star’s fans paid tribute in the wake of her death, with one writing: “Wonderful childhood memories of watching her on [One Life To Live]. My condolences to all who loved her,” while another added: “Rest in peace beautiful lady.” 

“Sorry for her loss…I remember her on One Life To Live,” said a third, while another fan on X chimed in: “That’s sad news. Losing longtime actors from classic TV shows always hits fans hard because they’ve been part of people’s lives for so many years.”