The Saddest Bold And The Beautiful Actor Deaths Of All Time

When actors who have appeared as one of your favorite soap opera characters pass away, it's like losing a family member, as these performers come into your living rooms day in and day out, often for years at a time. "The Bold and the Beautiful" has had its share of performers who became beloved on screen and then died off-screen. Some have been on the show at the time of their death, sometimes forcing the show to kill off the character, while others have been gone from your soap screens for years but still hold a special place in your heart. When you read of their death, you remember them fondly from their time in the soap's fictional version of Los Angeles.

From a flamboyant redhead to a beloved performer who lit up television screens on both primetime and daytime for decades, these are the saddest "B&B" actor deaths of all time.

Once upon a time, the original Sally Spectra waltzed into the Forresters' lives and wouldn't let go. She was determined to get the respect the fashion world gave Forrester Creations, even if House of Spectra did knock-off designs. Sally was going to make sure her gowns also made it into a Forrester fashion show no matter what she had to do (via Soaps In Depth).

Sally was also a woman with heart and it shined through in scenes with her daughter, Macy; her husband, Clarke (Dan McVicar); and her son, C.J., and that was thanks to the talents of Darlene Conley who played Sally from 1989 until 2006. When Sally was finally written off the soap, it was because Conley was suffering from cancer. In November of 2006, Sally was sent away to Europe and we eventually heard she was happily traveling the world ever since. 

Conley, who had also played Rose DeVille on "The Young and the Restless," and Trixie on "General Hospital," died on January 14, 2007. She was 72 years old.

From 1989 to 1996, Michael Fox's Saul Feinberg was always by Sally Spectra's side with a tape measure around his neck as her trusted tailor. Fiercely defensive of his boss, he acted as a support system to her through her various romances, often warning her against certain men. He was also a mentor for her son, C.J. Garrison (Mick Cain). Saul even tried his hand at designing at one time, but by 1996 he became ill and was only seen a handful more times as actor Fox was also ill (via Soap Central).

Fox, who worked with such legends as Mae West, Joan Crawford, and Zsa Zsa Gabor, during his long career, died from pneumonia on June 11, 1996, according to The Tampa Bay Times. A few months after Fox's death, Clarke learned via a phone call that Saul had died. His last airdate was June 18 of that year.

While Joseph Mascolo is best known for playing Stefano DiMera on "Days of Our Lives" off and on from 1981 until 2016, he also made quite a splash on "The Bold and the Beautiful" as Stephanie Forrester's (Susan Flannery) ex, Massimo Marone. Mascolo definitely made his mark on the "B&B" scene from 2001-2005, as he was revealed to be Ridge Forrester's (then played by Ronn Moss) biological father, pitting Ridge against a half-brother he never knew he had, Nick Marone (Jack Wagner). Massimo hasn't been seen in years, but we're frequently reminded he is still around out there somewhere when someone wants to take a potshot at Ridge and remind him that Eric Forrester is not really his dad — Massimo was (via Soaps In Depth).

After his stint on "The Bold and the Beautiful," Mascolo returned to playing "DOOL's" Phoenix, Stefano DiMera, who always seemed to rise from the dead. He was last seen in the fictional town of Salem in January of 2016 and Mascolo died on December 12, 2016 at the age of 87.

When Betty White died at the age of 99 on December 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday on January 17, much was made of her long and storied career as a comedic actress, but many who knew her from her time on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls" didn't realize she also took quite a dramatic turn as Ann Douglas on "The Bold and the Beautiful" from 2006-2009.

As Ann, White finally introduced us to Stephanie Forrester's long-talked-about but never-before-seen mother. Stephanie went to visit Ann when she remembered her father had abused her. While Ann originally denied it, she eventually traveled to "B&B's" fictional version of LA to make amends with her daughter and admit the truth about her late husband. Ann later died from cancer with Stephanie and her other daughter, Pam (Alley Mills) around her (via Soaps In Depth).