Kathryn Hays, who starred in the soap opera As the World Turns for nearly four decades, passed away on March 25, 2021, at the age of 87. Her daughter, Sherri Mancusi, confirmed her death to NBC News, but did not reveal the cause of death. Hays was a beloved actress who played the role of Kim Sullivan Hughes, the matriarch of the Hughes family, from 1972 to 2010, when the show ended its 54-year run.
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A Versatile and Talented Actress
Hays was born as Kay Piper in Princeton, Illinois, in 1933. She began her acting career in 1952, when she appeared in the TV series The Guiding Light. She went on to star in several other shows, such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Road West, Law & Order, and more. She also had a memorable role as Gem, an empathic alien, in the original Star Trek series, in the episode The Empath.
In addition to her TV work, Hays also performed on Broadway, in shows such as Ladybug, Ladybug, The Irregular Verb to Love, and Hot September. She also starred in the off-Broadway production of A Little Night Music, according to Broadway World.
A Long and Successful Run on As the World Turns
Hays joined the cast of As the World Turns in 1972, as Kim, a former prostitute who married Dr. Bob Hughes, played by Don Hastings. The couple became one of the most popular and enduring pairs on the show, and Hays and Hastings developed a close friendship off-screen as well.
“Our relationship as Bob and Kim was as close as Kathryn and my relationship, except we were not married,” Hastings said in a statement. “We were more like brother and sister and we were great friends. Our biggest squabble was that she always wanted to rehearse and I wanted to take a nap. This is a huge loss to all who knew her.”
Hays said in an interview with We Love Soaps in 2010 that she loved playing Kim because she was a complex and evolving character. “I was playing a character who had had a rough patch in her life but she made the choice to be a better person and to not be selfish,” she said. “It was wonderful to not have to play one certain type of character.”
Hays received two Daytime Emmy nominations for her role as Kim, in 1975 and 2001. She also won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1990.
A Loving Mother and Grandmother
Hays was married twice, first to Wolfgang G Lieschke, and then to Glenn Ford, both of whom preceded her in death. She had one daughter, Sherri, and two grandchildren, Ryan and Taylor. She also had a passion for music, church, and dogs, according to her family.
“Kathryn was an actor’s actor, who always knew her lines and hit her marks,” her family said in a statement. “A consummate artist, she was never happier than when involved in the creative process, whether it was rehearsal, learning lines, cooking for friends, decorating a house or creating a garden. Especially gardens. She created beauty wherever she went.”
Hays’ fans and colleagues have expressed their condolences and tributes on social media, remembering her as a talented and gracious actress who touched many lives. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Private funeral arrangements are pending.
