General Hospital fans learned Sonya Eddy, who played the beloved and stern nurse Epiphany Johnson on the hit ABC soap, passed away at just 55.
She joined the cast in 2006 and has been on and off as the fierce but loving nurse since. 16 years is a lot in terms of soaps, and she made plenty of friends along the way.
Her last appearance as Epiphany was back in October, and it’s unclear whether she will be seen again, as General Hospital tapes several weeks in advance.
Sonya and her character Epiphany have been a part of some of the most grueling scenes set in the hospital over the years, including deaths, births, and loss in general.
Octavia Spencer was the one who broke the news to the world that her friend, Sonya Eddy, had passed away on December 19.
She wrote, “My friend @sonyaeddy passed away last night. The world lost another creative angel. Her legions of @generalhospitalabc fans will miss her ??️ My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones, friends, and fans!”
How did Sonya Eddy die?
Octavia Spencer’s announcement did not include any details about what happened to the beloved soap actress.
TMZ found out some more information, and it appears Sonya Eddy passed away following surgery earlier this month. Everything seemed to be fine until it wasn’t.
Her close friend and production partner, Tyler Ford, revealed that just six days after her surgery, she returned to the hospital, where it was discovered she had a serious infection that could not be contained. He was told she’d be placed on life support Monday morning, and by that night, she had passed away.
General Hospital stars react to news of Sonya Eddy’s passing
Immediately, several of Sonya Eddy’s current and former costars from General Hospital took to social media to express their shock and sadness and remember times spent with the larger-than-life personality.
Jon Lindstrom shared a tribute on Twitter. He’s held the role of Kevin Collins and his crazy homicidal twin brother, Ryan Chamberlain, since debuting on the soap in the early 90s.
He shared, “Her smile could power a reactor. I loved the few times we worked together, but I REALLY loved the times we would talk about life, meditation, acting. She was a gift & she is missed already. Condolences to her loved ones. #RIP#SonyaEddy@GeneralHospital.”
Nancy Lee Grahn, who plays Alexis Davis on General Hospital, shared a much longer tribute to her long-time friend and colleague.
She wrote, in part, “Sonya was compassionate, generous and wickedly wry. She got it. She got me. Sonya was a fellow lib and a seeker of justice for others. But she did it quietly and with dignity, while egging me on from the sidelines. ‘Go get em, Nance.’ she’d say.”
Kin Shriner, known for his role as Scotty Baldwin since the 80s, also took to Twitter to remember his colleague and friend.
He wrote, “R.I.P. Sonya u will be so missed . What a sense of humor she had . So sad .@GeneralHospital will never be the same .”
Maurice Benard, Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap, remembered his friend by sharing, “I always loved whenSonya looked at me like this, we had a very sweet connection and she always made me laugh. [peace sign emoji]”
As of now, there has been no word on whether General Hospital will put together a tribute episode for the actress. However, it is likely they will, given the amount of love poured out from her costars.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.
She had a great personality and a beautiful voice, it’s sad to be taken away at a early age. Her smiling face and personality will be missed.
Sonya will be so missed. She seemed to bring life to GH whenever she had screen time. Her beautiful personality and her extraordinary wonderful voice will never be forgotten. R.I.P. Sonya. Heaven has gained a beautiful new Angel.