‘All My Children’ Actress Esta TerBlanche Passes Away

Esta TerBlanche, widely recognized for her portrayal of Gillian Andrassy on the popular soap opera “All My Children,” has passed away at the age of 51.

Her death was confirmed by her publicist, although the cause of death has not been disclosed. Her manager, Annie Spoliansky, described TerBlanche as a kind and generous individual, saying, “Esta was never anything but generous and lovely to me. I’m grateful to have known her for the time that I did, and I’m devastated to learn of her passing.”

Spoliansky also noted, “She cared so deeply for all people and animals.”

TerBlanche’s career in the soap opera world began in 1997 when she was cast as Gillian Andrassy, a Hungarian princess sent to live with her cousin. She played this role until 2001.

Born in Rustenburg, South Africa, in 1973, her early career started at just 16 years old, hosting children’s shows like “K-T.V.” and a math show titled “Math No Problem.” TerBlanche also held the title of Miss Teen South Africa.

Before making her move to the United States at the age of 23, she was a familiar face on South Africa’s longest-running soap opera, “Egoli: Place of Gold.” Initially deemed too young for her role in “All My Children,” she nevertheless received a callback a month after her initial audition.

Learning her lines was initially a challenge for TerBlanche, whose first language was Afrikaans. She often misspoke, and these unintentional mistakes were eventually incorporated into her character’s dialogue, adding a unique charm to her role. “I messed up the lines so often and said the wrong things, and they thought it was funny, and then they started to write it on purpose,” TerBlanche said.

Fellow actor Cameron Mathison, who played her on-screen love interest, paid tribute to her on Instagram, writing, “RIP my sweet princess.”

TerBlanche’s character was written off the show in 2001 after she decided to return to South Africa. She later made a brief return for a single episode as a ghost.

Post-“All My Children,” TerBlanche dedicated much of her time to charity work and ran her own spa.

She is survived by her father and sister, as reported by The New York Times.

Source: The New York Times, CNN, Soap Opera Digest