Marla Adams, Who Played Dina on The Young and the Restless, Dead at 85
Emmy-winning actress Marla Adams, who played Dina on The Young and the Restless for more than three decades, has died at the age of 85, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Beginning her career on Broadway and in films like Splendor in the Grass, Adams played villain Belle Clemens on the CBS daytime soap The Secret Storm before joining the cast of The Young and the Restless in 1983. She originated the role of Dina Abbott Mergeron, a cosmetics mogul whose arrival in Genoa City upended the lives of her ex-husband John Abbott and their children.
Adams was a Y&R series regular as Dina from 1983 to 1986 and returned to the series every few years throughout the ’90s and 2000s, appearing in more than 200 episodes in total. She returned in 2017, earning her first Daytime Emmy nomination for best supporting actress the following year. Dina was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and “the Abbotts made peace with their past and provided their mother with love and support” in her final episodes, per the official synopsis. Adams’ final episode of Y&R aired in October 2020, and she won an Emmy the following year.
Her other TV credits include The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, The Love Boat, Happy Days, Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger.
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