Meg Bennett, a prolific soap opera actress and screenwriter, passed away at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. Born in 1948, she began her acting career in the original Broadway run of ‘Grease’ as Marty Maraschino.
Bennett’s soap opera journey started with her role in ‘Search for Tomorrow,’ launching a decades-long career in the genre. In 1980, she joined ‘The Young and the Restless’ as Julia Newman, wife to Eric Braeden’s Victor Newman. After her character was written off, she was asked to remain on the show as a writer, a role she held from 1983 to 2020.
Beyond her time on ‘The Young and the Restless,’ Bennett appeared in ‘The Paper Chase’ and ‘Santa Barbara.’ She also made a guest appearance on ‘General Hospital’ in 2005, while having previously served as a writer for the show from 1993 to 2011. It was during her time on ‘General Hospital’ that she met her husband, former head writer Robert Guza Jr.
Bennett’s writing credits also included ‘Generations’ and ‘Sunset Beach.’ She received a Daytime Emmy in 1995 as part of the writing team for ‘General Hospital’ and won four Writers Guild of America awards for her work on both ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Santa Barbara.’
Bennett’s talent extended beyond acting, as she expressed in a 1985 interview. ‘I’ll admit, acting makes me a little crazy sometimes: You wait to audition. You wait for the part,’ she said. ‘When you’re writing, you’re in control. I can initiate things on my own when I’m writing.’
Meg Bennett is survived by her husband, two stepdaughters, and four grandchildren. She will be remembered as a versatile and accomplished artist who made significant contributions to the world of daytime television.
