Jacklyn Zeman

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Jacklyn Zeman
Zeman in 2010
Born
Jacklyn Lee Zeman

(1953-03-06)March 6, 1953
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMay 9, 2023(2023-05-09) (aged 70)
Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.
Alma materNew York University
OccupationActress
Years active1973–2023
Children2

Jacklyn Lee Zeman (March 6, 1953 – May 9, 2023) was an American actress who portrayed Bobbie Spencer on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital for 45 years.

Early life and education[edit]

Zeman was born in Englewood, New Jersey, to a family of Jewish descent.[1] Her parents are Rita Zeman-Rohlman, a magazine supervisor, and Richard S. Zeman, a systems engineer.[2] She grew up in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and completed her high school studies at age 15, at Bergenfield High School, after which she studied dance on a scholarship at New York University.[3] She was a Playboy Bunny at the Playboy Club in 1972.[4]

Career[edit]

Zeman had several small parts before landing a regular role in the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live playing Lana McClain from 1976 to 1977. Later that year, she was cast as Bobbie Spencer on the sister-soap General Hospital, a role she played on a regular basis until 2010. Zeman received three Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nominations and one Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nomination for her role.[5] Since 2013, Zeman appeared on General Hospital on a recurring basis.[6] ABC Broadcasting Network paid respect and homage to Zeman, whose character Bobbie Spencer was also killed off on the show. The soap "killed off" Zeman's character in 2023, and honored both the character and actress during the week of January 10, 2024 when they aired Bobbie's funeral and memorial service.

Outside soap operas, Zeman appeared in the 1982 comedy film National Lampoon's Class Reunion and had a cameo in the spoof comedy film Young Doctors in Love. She starred in the made-for-television movies Jury Duty: The Comedy (1990) opposite Heather Locklear and Montana Crossroads (1993) opposite Kellie Martin. She performed in off-Broadway and other productions including Come Blow Your Horn, Barefoot in the Park, and The Boy Friend.[5] Zeman received another Daytime Emmy Award nomination for her regular role as Sofia Madison in the streaming series The Bay in 2021.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Zeman was married three times and had two daughters, Cassidy and Lacey, from third husband Glenn Gorden. Her first husband was Murray Kaufman, known professionally as Murray the K, a DJ. Her second husband was Steve Gribbin.[8]

Zeman was a close friend of GH co-star Shell Kepler (nurse Amy Vining). Zeman delivered a eulogy at Kepler's funeral.[9]

Zeman was also close to GH co-star Anna Lee (wealthy matriarch Lila Quartermaine), to whom Zeman paid tribute in 2004, prior to Lee's death. She stated that Lee had been like a "surrogate grandmother" to her, both on and off the camera: "I have great respect and admiration for Anna Lee personally and professionally. She was always a pleasure to spend time with both on and off the set. I still think of her often and I feel blessed to have experienced her friendship and her amazing sense of humor. I miss her beautiful smiling face."[10]

Zeman died at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California, on May 9, 2023, at age 70, after a short battle with cancer.[8]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1976 The Edge of Night[11] Bobbi 1 episode
1977 The Day the Music Died[11] Samantha
1976–1977 One Life to Live[11] Lana McClain Series regular
1977–2010, 2013–2023[12] General Hospital[13] Bobbie Spencer Series regular
Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1998)[14]
Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1981, 1995, 1997)[15]
1982 Young Doctors in Love[13] Cameo
1982 National Lampoon's Class Reunion[16] Jane Washbur
1987 Mike Hammer[16] Amy Miller Episode: "Kill John Doe"
1987 Sledge Hammer![11] Brianne O'Brian Episode: "The Color of Hammer"
1990 Jury Duty: The Comedy[13] Samantha Television film
1993 Montana Crossroads[11] Julia Morrow Wheeler Television film
1994 Chicago Hope[13] Soap Nurse Episode: "Death Be Proud"
2005 The Mission[11] Kathryn Short film
2009 Deep in the Valley[17] Sonja Monia
2010–2023 The Bay[13] Sofia Madison Series regular
Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program (2021)
Nominated—Indie Series Award for Best Supporting Actress—Drama (2022)
2017–2019 Misguided[18] Mo 7 episodes
Nominated—Indie Series Award for Best Supporting Actress—Comedy (2018)
Nominated—Indie Series Award for Best Supporting Actress—Drama (2020)[19][20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Celebrity Jews". JWeekly. November 14, 2003.
  2. ^ "Jacklyn Zeman". filmreference.com.
  3. ^ Staff (September 15, 2010). "Jackie Zeman; Malibu, California], FabOverFifty.com. Accessed September 11, 2012. "When did you start acting? In high school. We had a great drama department at Bergenfield High School. I got cast in all of the plays and loved it. I played Peggy Evans in Come Blow Your Horn and Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream". faboverfifty.com.
  4. ^ "FAQ: The Playboy Clubs". Playboy.com.
  5. ^ a b "Jacklyn Zeman Archives".
  6. ^ "Jacklyn Zeman Returns To GH!". October 24, 2013.
  7. ^ Papadatos, Markos (July 1, 2021). "Jackie Zeman opens up about her 2021 Daytime Emmy nomination for 'The Bay'". Digital Journal.
  8. ^ a b Hauser, Christine (May 11, 2023). "Jacklyn Zeman, Nurse Bobbie on 'General Hospital,' Dies at 70". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "General Hospital News & Gossip". SoapZone.
  10. ^ "Jacklyn Zeman Interviews". starsqa.com.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Traueranzeigen von Jacklyn Zeman | Mittelbayerische Trauer". www.trauer.de.
  12. ^ Suliman, Adela (May 14, 2023). "Jacklyn Zeman, 'General Hospital' actress, dies at 70". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Jacklyn Zeman". TVGuide.com.
  14. ^ Rahman, Abid (May 11, 2023). "Jacklyn Zeman, Actress Who Played Bobbie Spencer on 'General Hospital,' Dies at 70". The Hollywood Reporter.
  15. ^ Lewis, Errol (May 11, 2023). "R.I.P. Jacklyn Zeman – Actress Best Known for Her Role as Bobbie Spencer on 'General Hospital' Dies at 70".
  16. ^ a b "Jacklyn Zeman – Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
  17. ^ Kerr, Luke (March 17, 2015). "Jackie Zeman in "Deep In the Valley"". Daytime Confidential.
  18. ^ "'General Hospital' actress Jacklyn Zeman dies at 70". May 11, 2023.
  19. ^ "9th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations". INDIE SERIES AWARDS. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  20. ^ "11th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations". INDIE SERIES AWARDS. Retrieved April 29, 2020.

External links[edit]

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