‘All My Children’ Actor Dies at 51

©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection

Esta TerBlanche, best remembered for her portrayal of Gillian Andrassy on “All My Children,” has passed away at the age of 51.

TerBlanche died on Thursday at her residence, as reported by the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner. The cause of her death remains under investigation.

Her talent manager, Annie Spolianky, also confirmed the tragic news, characterizing TerBlanche as a “wonderful, kind, and loving person.”

In the soap opera “All My Children,” TerBlanche played Gillian, a troublesome Hungarian princess, from 1997 to 2001. Her character had a tumultuous life and marriage to Ryan Lavery (Cameron Mathison), ultimately being removed from life support after being mistakenly shot by an assassin. TerBlanche made a brief return as Gillian’s ghost in 2011, appearing in one episode as the series drew to a close after a remarkable four-decade run on ABC.

Reflecting on her return, TerBlanche said in a July 13 interview with Soap Opera Digest, “When I came back, it was really emotional for me and Cameron. When we saw each other, we both started bawling. We hadn’t seen each other for years, so it was such a touching moment for us.”

TerBlanche was born on January 7, 1973, in Rustenberg, located in the North West province of South Africa. Her early life saw her winning the title of Miss Teen South Africa in 1991.

Early in her acting career, TerBlanche was cast as Beatrice “Bienkie” Naudé Hartman in “Egoli: Place of Gold,” South Africa’s first soap opera, which she was part of from 1992 to 1995. She eventually moved to the United States, where she secured her iconic role on “All My Children” two years later.

Following Gillian’s departure from “All My Children” in 2001, TerBlanche returned to South Africa. She pursued various ventures, including opening a spa and working on documentaries with filmmaker Michael Kastenbaum, according to Soap Opera Digest. Up until her death, she had been dividing her time between South Africa and California.

Source: Variety