Andrea Evans, an actress best remembered for playing Patty Williams in The Young and the Restless, has tragically passed away at the age of 66.
On Monday, July 10, Nick Leicht, Evans’ manager, confirmed the heartbreaking news to PEOPLE, saying: “I’ve been working with Andrea for the past 7 years. She had such amazing talent, and working with her was an incredible delight.
Evans’ former manager Don Carroll, who also confirmed the news, said she had gone away on Sunday, July 9, following a protracted fight with cancer.
From the late 1970s through 2018, Evans had a distinguished career as an actor, starring in adored NBC and ABC soap operas.
Evans, who was born in Illinois in 1957, was used to the spotlight after competing in a number of pageants as a young child. She gained notoriety as an actress, though, because to her portrayal of the disturbed adolescent Tina Lord in the 1978 television series One Life to Live, which she continued to play intermittently until 2011.
I am so sorry to learn of Andrea Evans’ passing. Andrea was already a huge star when my career began at OLTL. She was always kind, gracious, and so fun to work with. A daytime legend who will be missed very much. My sympathies to her friends and family. pic.twitter.com/Y6EbGc3t38
— Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) July 10, 2023
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Evans was in One Life to Live as well as The Young and the Restless’ Patty Williams from 1983 to 1984 and Passions’ Rebecca Hotchkiss from 2000 to 2008.
Evans and her second husband, Los Angeles attorney Stephen Rodriguez, adopted a child they named Kylie on Mother’s Day in 2004.
According to Evans’ former manager, who spoke to People, she was a kind and compassionate person who loved those in her life as family.
Evans maintained a small network of acquaintances and treated those close to her as though they were family, according to Carroll, who spoke to PEOPLE. “Many people assume that she must be very similar to the television personalities that she has portrayed. She actually had the best days at Disneyland with her daughter Kylie, wearing a ballcap, no makeup, and her hair in pigtails.
Frank Valentini, the former executive producer of One Life to Live and the present executive producer of General Hospital, was among many who paid the star emotional tributes on social media. He tweeted: “I am so sorry to learn of Andrea Evans’ loss. When I started working at OLTL, Andrea had already become a tremendous star.
She was always kind, kind, and a lot of pleasure to work with, he continued. A true midday legend that will be sorely missed. I’m sorry for her friends and family.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Evans’ former Passions co-star Eric Martsolf referred to the late actress as “wildly responsible” for convincing the actor “that working in Daytime doesn’t have to feel like work at all.”
“We lost Andrea Evans,” the post’s first line said. The twinkle she had in her eyes when she smiled—which seemed to be always—is something I’ll miss. Andrea, may you rest in peace and be thanked for all that you did.
At this tragic time, our hearts go out to Andrea Evans’ family, friends, coworkers, and supporters.