Marj Dusay Dies: Soap Opera Star Was 83

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Veteran soap opera actress Marj Dusay has died. 

She was 83. 

Dusay has a television career that included stints on All My Children, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light, and Santa Barbara. 

Her career on the small screen spanned decades, and the actress well-known for taking over roles left behind by exiting actresses. 

Marj Dusay Attends Broadway Auction

The actress made her TV soap debut in 1983, when she replaced Carolyn Jones as Myrna Clegg on the CBS soap, Capitol. 

She was a part of the cast right up until the show was canceled. 

Dusay followed up that role with one on NBC's Santa Barbara, where she took over the role of Pamela from actress Shirley Ann Field. 

Pamela was Mason Capwell's mentally unstable mother, and TV fans lapped up all of the excellent storylines Dusay got to work with. 

Dusay went on to work on Days of Our Lives in 1993, temporarily replacing actress Louise Sorel as Vivian Alamain. 

Marj Dusay Attends Charity Event

Then, the actress replaced Beverlee McKinsey as Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light, playing the role off and on from 1993 to 2009. 

That particular role garnered Dusay a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress. 

Dusay returned for the show's series finale, with Alexandra getting a happy ending when her old lover Fletcher Reed returned to take her on a round-the-world cruise to help her cope with the death of her brother, Alan. 

It was the perfect send-off for a character who made a huge impact on viewers. 

Dusay landed her first original soap role in 1999 when she joined the cast of ABC's All My Children.

Marj Dusay Attends Whoopi Premiere

She played the wicked Vanessa Bennett on the ABC sudser until 2002. 

Away from the soap world, Dusay also had appearances on the original Star Trek, The Facts of Life, Dallas, Murder She Wrote, Hawaii Five-0, and much more. 

Dusay was also nominated for various Soap Opera Digest Awards, including Outstanding Villainess for Guiding Light, and Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role for Capital in both 1986 and 1988. 

Dusay married John Murray Dussay in 1955, but the relationship ended in divorce in 1961. 

Marj Dusay Attends Daytime Emmy Awards

She later married Thomas Perine in 1967.

Perine died in 1988. 

We extend our thoughts and prayers to Marj Dusay's friends and family during this difficult time. 

Share your favorite memories of this talented actress below in the comments.

And we sure would appreciate a follow of our new Twitter account as we work to rebuild our audience! 

@TVFanatic

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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