Lynn Benesch
Lynn Benesch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lynn Benish August 9, 1940 Westchester, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 4, 2023 (aged 82) Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1969–1987 |
Lynn Benesch (born Lynn Benish; August 9, 1940 – July 4, 2023) was an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Meredith Lord on the daytime drama One Life to Live from 1969 to 1973.[1][2] In 1972 she won praise for her portrayal as a mother who had twins and one was stillborn; this led to addressing the issues around postpartum depression which was still struggling to be understood as a legitimate medical concern.[3] She briefly reprised the role in 1987, when her character's sister Victoria Lord, having an out of body experience, took a trip to Heaven and reunited her with deceased loved ones.[4] As Lynn Chester her theatrical credits include "Wait Until Dark" with Shirley Jones and "Star-Spangled Girl" with Anthony Perkins as well as the television series "General Hospital".
A gifted singer and songwriter, she appeared with Skitch Henderson, and Wayland Pickard, with whom she co-wrote original songs which she performs in BBC-5's American import, radio soap opera "Milford-Haven" music episodes.[5] She was a kindergarten teacher before going into acting and when younger she put on shows for Vietnam vets who were confined to a VA hospital in the late 1960s and early 1970s along with a childhood friend.
Benesch died on July 4, 2023, at the age of 82. Her death was not announced publicly until January 2026.[6]
Filmography
According to All Media Guide/New York Times:
- The Doctors as Bonnie Evans (March 1968)
- One Life to Live (1969–1973, 1987) – as Meredith "Merrie" Lord[7][8]
- Comedy Tonight (1970)[9]
- Planet of the Apes (1974)[10][11][12]
- Gunsmoke (1975) – as Zoe[13]
- Happy Days (1976) – as Miss Franklin[14]
- The Next Step Beyond (1978) (sequel series to One Step Beyond)[15][16]
- How the West Was Won (1978) – as Mina[17]
- Rhoda (1978)[18]
- The Great Brain (1978)[19]
- Starsky and Hutch (1979) – as Candy Reese
- Hanging In (1979) – as Mona
- Hunter's Moon (1979)[20]
- Little House on the Prairie: What Ever Happened to the Class of '56? (1980) – as Amy Phillips Sawyer[21]
- The Sophisticated Gents (1981) – as Renee Marcus[22]
- Command 5 (1985) – as Ann Bryan[23]
- The Young and the Restless (1986) – as Beverly Stark
- Daytimes' Greatest Weddings (2004) – as Meredeth Lord Wolek
References
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials: 1974–1984 Vincent Terrace
- ↑ Daytime TV August 1987 interview.
- ↑ The One Life to Live Gerry Waggett
- ↑ The soap opera encyclopedia Christopher Schemering
- ↑ Judith Robinson, "Whatever Happened To Lynn Benesch?", Soap Opera Digest, February 12, 1985.
- ↑ Mason, Charlie (2026-01-20). "Erika Slezak Pays Tribute to a Beloved Former Co-Star: Her 'Kindness Will Always Be Remembered'". Soaps.com. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ The complete encyclopedia of television programs, 1947–1979, Volume 2 Vincent Terrace
- ↑ Total television: the comprehensive guide to programming from 1948 to the present Alex McNeil
- ↑ Experimental television, test films, pilots, and trial series, 1925 through 1995 Vincent Terrace
- ↑ Planet of the apes as American myth: race, politics, and popular culture Eric Greene
- ↑ Planet of the apes: an unofficial companion David Hofstede
- ↑ Science fiction television series: episode guides, histories, and casts and credits for 62 prime time shows, 1959 through 1989 Mark Phillips, Frank Garcia
- ↑ Television westerns episode guide: all United States series, 1949–1996 Harris M. Lentz
- ↑ John Willis' Screen world 1979
- ↑ An Analytical Guide to Television's One Step Beyond, 1959–1961 John Kenneth Muir
- ↑ Science fiction, horror and fantasy film and television credits Harris M. Lentz
- ↑ Television drama series programming: a comprehensive chronicle, 1975–1980 Larry James Gianakos
- ↑ Television, 1970–1980 Vincemt Terrace
- ↑ The motion picture guide, Volume 3 Jay Robert Nash, Stanley Ralph Ross
- ↑ Motion picture players' credits: worldwide performers of 1967 through 1980 with filmographies of their entire careers, 1905–1983 Jeffrey Oliviero
- ↑ "TV guide", Volume 28, 1979
- ↑ Variety international show business reference, 1983 Mike Kaplan
- ↑ Movies made for television: the telefeature and the mini-series, 1964–1986 Alvin H. Marill