There is sad news to report for Days of our Lives fans, the legendary actress Peggy McCay passed away Sunday, October 7, 2018, at the age of 90. McCay played matriarch Caroline Brady on the NBC sudser from 1983 until 2016.
According to Soap Hub, McCay had been in ill health for a long period of time prior to her death, which reportedly was due to natural causes.
Her friend Denise Keil Smith announced the news of McCay’s passing on Twitter, posting that, “Peggy passed peacefully in her sleep of natural causes Sunday morning at 1:00 am. She always appreciated you, her loyal fans, for all of the love and support that you gave her throughout the years. Peggy enjoyed a lifelong career of acting in television and movies. She loved working at Days of Our Lives nearly to the end.” McCay is survived by innumerable family members and friends.
The iconic daytime and primetime star was born November 2, 1927. Prior to becoming a professional actress in 1949, McCay attended Barnard College and Columbia University and studied acting with the legendary Lee Strasburg. Throughout her career, the talented thespian starred in theater and film as well as television. Including three daytime dramas, McCay appeared in over 100 television shows.
The New York native starred in some of the most iconic American tv series including Gunsmoke, The Andy Griffith Show, Lou Grant, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Perry Mason.
Soap viewers will remember the daytime icon for her roles on General Hospital and Days of our Lives. On GH she played Iris Fairchild from 1967-1970. She debuted on DOOL as Caroline Brady in 1983. But before gaining legions of fans on GH and DOOL, she first starred on the sudser, Love of Life. She debuted on that early soap in 1951, and play Vanessa Dale for four years.
But, the warm and gracious lady was best known for her decades-long role on NBC’s DOOL. After her debut, she was an instant sensation as well as a fan favorite. During her stint on DOOL McCay was nominated four times for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.
The hugely talented and popular star was not without plenty of awards to show for her wide range of work across mediums. She earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a drama series for The Trials of Rosie O’Neill, as well as an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for her work in Uncle Vanya.
DOOL fans last saw the inimitable force of nature known as Caroline Brady in the summer of 2016. She had been suffering from what was thought to be Alzheimer’s, but instead, a miracle treatment apparently cured her ailment.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on NBC.