Jacklyn Zeman

A fixture on soap opera General Hospital for more than four decades, Zeman died after a “short battle” with cancer on May 9 at age 70. Zeman played the role of nurse Bobbie Spencer for 45 years on the show and received four Daytime Emmy nominations, as well as a fifth in 2021 for her role on The Bay. She was one of General Hospital’s longest-running cast members and has appeared in more than 900 episodes. Executive producer Frank Valentini announced her death on Twitter, calling her “a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work.” In an interview with TV Insider in December, reflecting on her almost half century on the show, Zeman called her character, who came from a troubled background, “never evil but she was naughty” and did not know how to trust others. She credited her long tenure on the show and General Hopsital’s enduring popularity to the show’s fans. “Fans sent me baby blankets for when my daughters were born,” Zeman said. “People will show me photos of when they met me 25 years ago.”