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Soap and Broadway actress Jennifer Harmon dies at 82
The actress earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1978
Jennifer Harmon, best known for her work in classic daytime dramas How to Survive a Marriage and One Life to Live, has died at the age of 82.
Her family confirmed that the actress passed away on Saturday, May 9, in New York City.
Harmon built a respected career across television and theatre, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1978 for her performance as Cathy Craig Lord in One Life to Live.
She portrayed the character during a pivotal period in the long-running soap, which helped cement her place in daytime television history.
She first appeared on How to Survive a Marriage from 1974 to 1975, playing Chris Kirby in the series’ full run.
She later joined One Life to Live as the fifth actress to take on the role of Cathy Craig Lord, portraying the character from 1976 to 1978.
Born on December 3, 1943, in Pasadena, California, Harmon was raised in New Orleans and studied at the University of Mississippi and the University of Michigan before moving to New York City to pursue acting.
There, she joined the APA-Phoenix Repertory Company, which launched her long association with the stage.
Alongside her television success, Harmon also built an extensive Broadway résumé spanning nearly five decades.
She appeared in 21 Broadway productions, beginning with You Can’t Take It With You in 1965.
Her stage credits included acclaimed productions such as The Cherry Orchard, The Glass Menagerie, Blithe Spirit, The Little Foxes, Barefoot in the Park, Seascape, and Other Desert Cities.
She also returned decades later for another run in The School for Scandal, highlighting the longevity of her theatre career.
Harmon was also widely respected backstage, frequently working as an understudy for major stage stars including Judi Dench, Jessica Lange, Blythe Danner, Stockard Channing and Marian Seldes.
Throughout her career, she was remembered as a steady and versatile performer who moved between television and theatre with ease, leaving a lasting mark on both industries.
