Soap opera star Jacklyn Zeman has died at the age of 70.
The announcement of Zeman's passing was made Wednesday on Twitter by Frank Valentini, the executive producer of "General Hospital."
Valentini wrote:
On behalf of our @GeneralHospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved @JackieZeman. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work.
"Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew," he added in a follow-up tweet.
The New York Times reports that Zeman's passing occurred at the Los Robles Regional Medical Center located in Thousand Oaks, California.
The outlet also indicates that Zeman's passing followed a "short battle" with cancer. But, further details are not provided.
Zeman will be most remembered by the public for her long run with the ABC daytime soap opera "General Hospital," which focuses on the lives of characters - who, among other things, work in the hospital - in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York.
In this series, Zeman portrayed the character Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer for some 45 years. That's nearly 900 episodes.
The Times details Bibbie's role:
Bobbie was a student nurse who had moved on from her past life as a prostitute who gave up a baby for adoption in Florida; vied for the affections of a law student named Scotty Baldwin; and was the younger sister of Luke Spencer, played by Anthony Geary. [Zeman] portrayed her character as a loving but tough nurse who had emerged from a difficult past.
Zeman was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards, over the years, for her performance as Bobbie.
The "General Hospital" Twitter account posted its own statement in tribute to Zeman following the news of her passing.
The statement reads:
Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the ‘General Hospital’ and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago. She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit.
According to the Associated Press, Zeman is now the third "General Hospital" member to pass in the past six months.
The outlet reports:
Zeman's death is the third death to hit the “General Hospital” cast and crew in six months. Cast member Sonya Eddy died in December from complications of an emergency surgery and beloved producer Nneka Garland died suddenly in April.
