Several decades ago, in 1977, actress Jacklyn Zeman, 70, made her soap opera debut on the popular show General Hospital. During her appearance on the soap opera, she starred as the character named Bobbie Spencer. Although she never retired from the show, Zeman worked at General Hospital until her death in 2023, acting on some 894 episodes of the soap opera during her time with the program.
Now, it has been revealed that Zeman has passed away. The executive producer of General Hospital, Frank Valentini, shared a social media update confirming that the actress had passed away on May 10, 2023.
In the post, Valentini wrote:
“On behalf of our @GeneralHospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Jackie Zeman. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work.”
Although Valentini shared a good post about the deceased actress, he created a follow-up post after his first tweet, writing another update about the actress who was gone too soon.
“Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends, and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey,” General Hospital executive producer Valentini wrote on May 11, 2023, in a tweet.
Although the executive producer did not list Zeman’s cause of death, a cause of death is listed for the actress on IMDb. On that film’s website, her cause of death is listed as cancer.
Prior to her time at General Hospital, Zeman trained as a ballerina during her childhood. She first began dancing when she was five years old and dreamed of becoming a ballerina. When she turned fifteen years old, she was awarded a scholarship to major in dance by New York University. After her time in dance, she decided to give acting a try and never looked back.
Back in March 2023, Zeman created a social media post with a throwback picture from her first days at General Hospital. She wrote, “I was looking for a photo of years past, and this one popped up from 1979. I started as Bobbie in 1978, so this is so old it’s in black and white.”
In response to her throwback picture, General Hospital tweeted a response to the actress, writing: “Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the ‘General Hospital’ and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago. She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit.”
In response to the soap opera actress’ death, fans wrote tributes.
“I’m so very shocked and heartbroken. This is so very sad,” wrote one fan.
Zeman passed away when she was seventy years old and is survived by her daughters and two grandchildren.