Meg Bennett's soap legacy from Young and the Restless to General Hospital

The Young and the Restless has lost a shining star in Meg Bennett. The actress, whose professional work would turn to a behind-the-scenes flourish for writing, was best known on-screen as Julia Newman. Victor's first wife wasn't his greatest love affair or romance, he shares that soap history with Nikki, the two just celebrated 40 years of love together on the CBS daytime program. But the role opened the door for Bennett to exercise her talents with the written word.

As she portrayed the tug-of-war that went hand-in-hand with Victor's vengeful nature and fits of jealousy despite his own romantic dalliances, she also doctored scripts. Her deft hand at storytelling landed her a position as a script writer. The foothold grew into writing positions on Y&R's sister show The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, the short-lived series Generations and General Hospital: Night Shift along with Santa Barbara and Sunset Beach.

Bennett was nominated six times for a Daytime Emmy but it was her work on General Hospital that won her the Best Writing award in 1995, 14 years after she'd gotten her start. Her last nomination was in 2003, when she was working on The Bold and the Beautiful. Bennett was also honored with 8 nominations for a Writers Guild of America Award. She nearly swept the '90s having won in 1991 and 1992 for Santa Barbara and in 1994, 1995, and 1997 for General Hospital.

Given her career as a soap scribe, Bennett didn't flex her acting abilities much after the '80s but she's remembered for playing the General Hospital villain Allegra Montenegro in 2005. She reprised the role of Julian Newman over the years as well most notably in 2018 when The Young and the Restless celebrated its 45th anniversary and in 2020 for Eric Braeden's 40th anniversary on the soap.

Bennett passed at 75 years old on April 11, 2024. She'd been battling cancer. According to her obituary (via People), she'd still been writing:

"Meg lost her battle with cancer. Until nearly the end she was devotedly working with children, writing and engaging with her far-flung family and friends."

She is survived by her husband Robert Guza, jr., a fellow soap writer who has made a name for himself in the industry as well. The two had married in 2004 and had worked closely together on General Hospital. They shared Head Writer duties on the soap in 2007. The couple would have celebrated 20 years of marriage this year.

Aside from her soap family, Meg Bennett is survived by her stepdaughters, four grandchildren, her brother, sister, and beloved nieces and nephews. We, at Hidden Remote, send our condolences to her loved ones.