The Heartbreaking Death Of General Hospital Actor Sonya Eddy
She may not have been one of the main characters at the forefront of the drama, but "General Hospital" viewers had immense respect and adoration for her. Today, fans of daytime television are grappling with the unexpected loss of Sonya Eddy, known for her time on "GH" as the boisterous and no-nonsense nurse Epiphany Johnson. Eddy has passed away at the age of 55 (via TMZ), news confirmed by her close friend and confidant, actress Octavia Spencer.
The Oscar-winning actress reported Eddy's death in an Instagram post, writing, "My friend [Sonya Eddy] passed away last night. The world lost another creative angel. Her legions of [General Hospital] fans will miss her. My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones, friends, and fans!"
Several celebrities commented their condolences on Spencer's Instagram post, including Holly Robinson Peete, Eric Stonestreet, and ABC news correspondent Deborah Roberts. Many of Eddy's costars commented as well, with mother/daughter duo Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) and Eden McCoy (Joselyn Jacks) posting several broken heart emojis.
Eddy's acting credits went beyond General Hospital
Sonya Eddy originated the role of Nurse Johnson on "General Hospital" in 2006, and she has played the character in the ABC soap opera ever since. Her character commanded the respect of everyone in her path, whether it was the mayor of Port Charles, Laura Collins (Genie Francis), organized crime boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), or anyone on the spectrum of ethics that fell in between (via Soaps In Depth).
However, despite her longevity on the daytime drama, Eddy dipped her toes into several other acting projects as well. Eddy recently had a recurring role on the ABC sitcom "Fresh Off The Boat" and a three-year run on the TruTV series "Those Who Can't," along with many other roles throughout her career (via IMDb).
Also in addition to the Instagram comments, fellow comedian and actress, Yvette Nicole Brown took to Twitter to express her thoughts on the announcement, tweeting, "The official announcement makes it real. [Eddy] was my friend & I am heart-broken by this news."