Marla Adams dead at 85: The Young And The Restless star and Natalie Wood’s gal pal in Splendor In The Grass passes away in Los Angeles
Young And the Restless star Marla Adams, who appeared on and off on the soap opera for almost forty years, has died at the age of 85.
Over the course of 235 episodes, Marla became beloved by fans of the show as the conniving high society matron, Dina Abbott Mergeron.
After a long absence, she returned to the show in 2017 for a yearlong arc that saw her character heartbreakingly decline from Alzheimer’s disease.
Her character was eventually killed off in 2021, and that year Marla earned a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance as Dina.
Matt Kane, director of media and talent for The Young And The Restless, shared The Hollywood Reporter that Marla died Thursday in Los Angeles.
Young And the Restless star Marla Adams, who appeared on and off on the soap opera for almost four decades, has died at the age of 85; pictured at the 2018 Daytime Emmys
Over the course of 235 episodes, Marla became beloved by fans of the show as the conniving high-society matron Dina Abbott Mergeron (pictured)
Marla was born and raised in New Jersey and studied at the America in Academy Of Dramatic Arts in New York before pursuing a career on Broadway.
When she was just 19 years old, she starred opposite two legends of the American stage, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
The Lunts, who became theatrical royalty by appearing together in several plays, made their final appearance together in The Visit – with Marla in a supporting role.
Three years later, she acted with Hollywood’s rising stars, appearing in Elia Kazan’s film Splendor In The Grass with Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.