Andrea Evans, the soap opera star who shot to fame in the 1970s and '80s as the troublemaking teen Tina Lord on the ABC soap "One Life To Live", died on Sunday following a battle with breast cancer. She was 66. Evans died at her Pasadena, California, home, her representatives Nick Leicht confirmed on Monday.
"I've been working with Andrea for the past seven years. She was such a tremendous talent and an absolute joy to work with," Leicht said on Monday. The actress, who received two Daytime Emmy nominations, also played Patti Weaver in the CBS series "The Young and the Restless," Tawny Moore in "The Bold and the Beautiful," and Rebecca Hotchkiss in "Passions."
Death of a Soap Icon
In her most recent television role, the actress portrayed Patty Walker in 12 episodes of the drama series "The Bay," which was available on Amazon Prime. Her involvement in the show spanned from 2017 to 2020.
Evans' husband Stephen Rodriguez said in a statement to USA TODAY that the actress was a "remarkable individual, cherished by all who knew her. Her unwavering strength, positivity and indomitable spirit inspired us every step of the way throughout her fearless fight against this relentless disease."
Her daughter, Kylie Rodriguez, also paid tribute to her mother in a statement saying, "at just 19 years old, my world has been forever changed, and words cannot adequately convey the depth of my sadness."
"Her vibrant spirit, infectious laughter, and boundless love for life left a mark on all who were fortunate enough to know her," she continued. "Throughout her fight with cancer, my mom displayed awe-inspiring strength ... Despite the pain and uncertainty, she taught me the invaluable lesson of finding joy, even in the darkest of times. We held hands until the very end."
Evans shot to fame after playing the seductive character Tina Lord on ABC's One Life to Live. She played the character from 1979 to 1981 and returned to reprise the role from 1985 to 1990. PEOPLE Magazine even labeled her character as "Daytime's Diva of Dirt" due to her captivating performance.
During the break between her appearances on One Life to Live, the actress took on the role of Patty Williams on The Young and the Restless, which she portrayed from 1983 to 1984.
She received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1987 upon her return to One Life to Live. However, her career took an unexpected turn when she abruptly quit the show.
This decision came after she had a distressing encounter with a stalker inside the lobby of the soap opera's studio in Manhattan. Following this incident, she made the difficult choice to step away from her acting career.
Life Changed Forever
The relentless stalker subjected the actress to a prolonged period of terror, with his threats escalating into violence. In a disturbing attempt to gain her attention, the stalker even resorted to self-harm on the front steps of the studio where she worked.
Matters worsened when the stalker, upon being taken to a psychiatric hospital, listed the actress as his next of kin and sent her death threats written in blood.
While the actress did resume accepting acting roles at a later point, she made a conscious decision to avoid participating in any public events thereafter. This was likely a measure to prioritize her safety and privacy, given the traumatic experiences she had endured.
"All of a sudden, I went from a happy-go-lucky life to having regular conversations with the police," she told the Associated Press, per ABC. "This was before people were that aware. There was a great disbelief that here this man was trying to harm me, and the police could do nothing about it."
Despite the challenges and fear she faced, the actress later expressed that "some good" emerged from the experience.
"I was able to help by publicizing it, to help get better stalking laws enforced. I think that's another reason I was thrilled to be at 'One Life To Live,' to kind of bring the whole situation ... full circle," she explained
The same year, the actress made a guest appearance, reprising her role on One Life to Live. She returned to the show once again in 2011, further revisiting her iconic character.
"No matter what show I went to, no matter what other work I did or even in my own personal life, people want me to come back to 'One Life To Live,'" Evans told ABC News Radio. "And at some point, I had to honor their wishes."
In April, the actress celebrated the 50th anniversary of "The Young and the Restless" on Instagram. "Took me a week to find this!" she captioned a photo of herself as her character. "Happy 50th anniversary to Y&R. So proud to have been a part of this show."
Additionally, apart from her daytime soap opera work, she also has numerous primetime credits. These include appearances on shows such as "Circus of the Stars" and "Hollywood Squares," showcasing her versatility in both daytime and primetime television.
