The Tragic Death Of Guiding Light Actor Lisa Brown
Soap opera star Lisa Brown died on November 24 at the age of 67, Soap Opera Digest reports. Brown's cause of death was "a brief illness," but no further details were given. Brown became famous for her role as Iva Snyder on the TV series "As the World Turns," according to her IMDb credits — a character she played for a whopping two decades, from 1985 to 2006.
Brown also took her talent to the role of Nola Reardon on the beloved soap opera "Guiding Light," from 1980 to 2009. While she didn't have many TV credits, she had long-lasting ones that made her an iconic part of the soap opera community. As such, a Facebook fan page commemorated Brown's life. "Lisa Brown who portrayed Iva Snyder has passed away," they wrote. "She was first on Guiding Light as Nola Reardon. Then later she created the role of Iva Snyder on ATWT. She was a tremendous actress and she will be sorely missed. My condolences to her family and loved ones." Brown was clearly an important part of that community.
Lisa Brown also served as an acting coach
Lisa Brown didn't just star in soap operas; she also worked as an acting coach behind the scenes. Per her IMDb credits, Brown worked as an acting coach on "Guiding Light," working on 1,419 episodes total. She also performed that role on the TV series "One Life to Live." Brown was married twice. She shared two children, James "Buddy" Nielsen and Victoria Nielsen, with her former husband, Tom Nielsen, according to Soap Opera Digest. She also had two grandchildren, Penelope Ruiz-Nielsen and Brayden Hopf. Brown later married Brian Neary.
Brown's co-star from "As the World Turns," Martha Byrne (pictured left), who played Brown's daughter Lily on the soap, commemorated her friend. "How blessed were we all are to have Lisa share her immense talent with us for decades," Byrne told Soap Opera Digest. "She was my friend since I was 15 years old... Lisa was my mentor, mother, sister and so much more for my entire life. As a scene partner she was always present and full of creativity. As a writer and director her instincts were second to none."
Byrne added that she will miss "our daily calls about our families, our careers and everything in between." She concluded, "For the fans, she loved and respected you all more than you will ever know. She loved entertaining you and her appreciation for your support was immeasurable. We are devastated at the loss of an incredible woman."