In Print
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Above: On the cover of the June 26, 2007 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
Main Section
AMC Honors Eileen Herlie -- And Myrtle
Soap Opera Digest
Published December 23, 2008
This week, AMC airs a special episode memorializing Myrtle Fargate, whose portrayer, Eileen Herlie, a cast member since 1976, died on October 8 due to complications from pneumonia.
"We are giving it due diligence," assures Head Writer Charles
Pratt,
Jr. On December 18, Erica phones Zach with the news that
Myrtle has
passed away, and many current Pine Valley residents, along with two
former
ones, will gather to commemorate her life on December 19. The episode,
promises Pratt, features "some of the best looks back on the highlights
of her long and illustrious career on the show. I doubt there
will
be a dry eye in the house, nor should there be," he adds.
"Especially with some of our younger characters, like Zach, who had
special
relationships with her, each taking time for Myrtle, [who] will have
sent
them all or given them all something, knowing that she was going to
pass.
It will bring the past to the forefront, including even Opal with her
crystal
ball being able to look back into the earliest days of the
show.
I think it is a wonder romp down memory lane."
In addition to Zach, Opal and Erica, Bianca, Angie, Jesse, Greenlee, Ryan and Amanda will be central to the memorial. Agnes Nixon, AMC's creator, will reprise the role of Pine Valley founding figure Aggie for the show (Aggie appeared on AMC's 10,000th episode in November) and Francesca James's Kelly Tyler will also return to honor her late friend. James, a former AMC executive, played two roles on the show, the now-deceased Kitty (Myrtle's surrogate daughter) and Kitty's twin, Kelly, who lived in the boardinghouse with Myrtle. "Eileen played my mother on AMC and became one of my dearest friends in life," said James, shortly after Herlie's passing.
Thorsten Kaye (Zach), who was also close to the portrayer of his character's confidante, and met with Pratt about properly commemorating the loss of Herlie, says, "She was so lucky to have Francesca. Francesca was there for that woman [the whole time she was ill], and hats off to her. [Herlie] grabbed people's hearts -- and she loved life all the way to the end."