Meg Bennett, a veteran soap opera actor who also won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work as a writer, died April 11 from cancer, her family said. She was 75.
A native of Pasadena, California, Bennett was a Miss America contestant before appearing as Marty Maraschino in “Grease” during the show's original Broadway run that began in 1972, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1974, Bennett made her soap opera debut, playing Liza Walton on “Search for Tomorrow.” In 1980, she began a stint playing Julia Newman on “The Young and the Restless” for six years and made multiple cameos on the show after that. Her last appearance was in 2020.
Bennett also moved behind the scenes, working as a writer on “The Young and the Restless.” She also wrote for “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “General Hospital,” “Generations,” “Santa Barbara” and “Sunset Beach.”
Her work earned her five Daytime Emmy nominations and a win for “General Hospital” in 1995. She also won a pair of Writers Guild of America awards, for "Sunset Beach" and "General Hospital."
Bennett also remained active in front of the camera, memorably starring as the villainess Allegra Montenegro on “General Hospital,” the show where she met her husband, Robert Guza Jr., who created “Sunset Beach.” They married in 2004.
In addition to Guza, Bennett is survived by two step-daughters, four grandchildren, a brother and a sister.
TODAY reached out to her representatives for comment but did not hear back as of this posting.