Sonya Eddy, best known for her role as Epiphany Johnson on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital,” has died at the age of 55, Variety has confirmed.
“I am heartbroken by the loss of the incredible Sonya Eddy. I really loved her not only as an actress but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse’s station will dim a bit now, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set. On behalf of the entire GH cast and crew, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans. She will be greatly missed. Frank Valentini, executive producer of “General Hospital,” said in a statement.
Eddy joined the long-running hospital drama in 2006 as Frank, a no-nonsense nurse, and played the role for 543 episodes, as recently as this October. The character served as head nurse, and was the mother of Stan Johnson (played by Kiko Ellsworth), who was killed from the show in 2007 after a mob hit. In real life, Eddy was also a licensed vocational nurse.
“He left an indelible mark on everyone he touched through the screen and off,” Tyler Ford, his production partner at Eddy Ford Entertainment, said in a statement.
He was born on June 17, 1967, in Concord, California, and began acting in college, studying theater and dance at the University of California, Davis. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992, but began his acting career in 1990 with Ruby Dee’s play “Zora Is My Name”. Eddy’s additional stage credits include “The Comedy of Errors”, portraying The Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”. and playing Bloody Mary in “South Pacific.”
Her career in television has led to roles on shows such as “Married… With Children,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Murphy Brown,” “Seinfeld,” “Home Improvement” and a recurring role in “Joan of Arcadia.” In addition to her tenured role as Epiphany Johnson on “General Hospital”, Eddy also guest starred on the show’s primetime spinoff series, “General Hospital: Night Shift”, and was cast as a main cast member in the short-lived series.
“The world has lost another creative angel,” Eddy’s friend and fellow actor Octavia Spencer wrote on Instagram. “His fans of ‘General Hospital’ will miss him.”
In honor of Eddy’s memory, donations can be made to The Foundation of the National Student Nurses’ Association Inc.