Veteran actress and Y&R alum Sharon Farrell has passed away at the age of 82. The actress passed away in May due to unknown causes, but it was only recently discovered by relatives who posted the news on social media.
Sharon Farrell: A Long And Diverse Legacy
Rituals co-star and friend, Jon Lindstrom (Kevin Collins, GH), was deeply saddened to learn of the news. Lindstrom posted his reaction on X, formerly Twitter, “Just learned #SharonFarrell passed last May. Wish I’d known,” he shared. “Much of her life was difficult, but she was indomitable. Funny, warm, talented and smart. I loved her. And the world is less colorful already. Think I’ll watch her terrific work in The Stuntman tonight. R.I.P.”
Actress Kelli Maroney (ex-Tina Clayton, OLTL; Kimberley Harris, Ryan’s Hope), who played her daughter in the cult classic, Night of the Comet, was shocked by the news. “We just heard today: Sharon Farrell, ‘It’s Alive,’ ‘Night of the Comet‘ Actress, Dead at 82.”
Elizabeth Karr (ex-Mary Yeaker, Y&R; Mrs. Croft, Passions) reflected on her career. “For me, both Sharon Farrell, and Linda Manz performances in Dennis Hopper’s Out of the Blue are mesmerizing. Haunting. News of Sharon’s death hits hard. Both Actors may be gone, but never forgotten.”
Born Sharon Forsmoe on December 24, 1940, in Sioux City, Iowa, Farrell dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She studied ballet throughout her youth before discovering theatre in her high school years. It was a dance that lead her to tour and land in New York City.
The young ingenue began her acting career at the tender age of 18 when she made her debut as Emily in Kiss Her Goodbye. Farrell went on to build her resume on primetime in such shows as Naked City, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Empire, Saints and Sinners, My Favorite Martian, Death Valley Days, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Burke’s Law, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Fugitive, Ben Casey, and Rawhide.
She continued adding film credits to her repertoire such as 40 Pounds of Trouble, The Movie Maker, The Spy with My Face, Not With My Wife, You Don’t, A Lovely Way to Die, Marlowe, The Reivers, and The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang.
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In the 70s, Farrell appeared on such TV classics as Medical Center, Banyan, Marcus Welby M.D., The New Perry Mason, Love American Style, Petrocelli, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Police Story, McCloud, Police Woman, and Mrs. Columbo.
Farrell also built up a cult fan following for such horror movie classics and dramas as It’s Alive, The Underground Man, Premonition, Out of the Blue, Sweet Sixteen, and Night of the Comet.
The 80s found her just as busy adding independent features that caused a buzz such as The Stunt Man opposite Peter O’Toole and Barbara Hershey, Lone Wolf McQuade opposite Chuck Norris and David Carradine, and Lonely Hearts opposite Eric Roberts and Beverly D’Angelo. Not afraid to shake things up, Farrell tackled the role of Cindy Mancini’s (Amanda Peterson) mom in the romantic comedy, Can’t Buy Me Love, starring Patrick Dempsey in 1987.
In 1991, Farrell landed the coveted role of Nina Webster’s (Tricia Cast) troubled mom, Florence “Flo” Webster, on the daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Flo came from the wrong side of the tracks and worked as a part-time prostitute.
The evil David Kimble (Michael Corbett) conned and romanced both Nina and her mother, eventually marrying Flo to get his hands on Nina’s inheritance. Fortunately, the schemer fell into a garbage compactor before he could execute his evil plan. Both Webster women started off as the women viewers love to hate and became fan favorites. Farrell left the show in 1997 when her character decided to move to Los Angeles.
The busy actress continued working in theater, television, and film up until 2014 when she appeared in the TV series, Broken at Love. Her off-screen life was as colorful and as lively as her on-screen life with 5 husbands, 6 marriages, and one child, Chance Boyer, with her third husband, John Boyer.
Her career spanned more than five decades and Sharon Farrell was able to leave behind a lovely variety of wonderful works for fans from all walks of life. Soap Hub sends its sincere condolences to family, friends, and fans everywhere during this difficult time.
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