Jeffrey Carlson, the soap star known for his groundbreaking part in All My Children, has passed away.
Actress Susan Hart broke the news on Facebook that Jeffrey died on July 6. He was only 48. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his death in a statement to People on Sunday, noting the cause and manner of death was still pending. Discussing the loss, Susan mourned:
“For those of you that don’t know, I’m very sorry to share the news that Jeffrey passed away yesterday. I have been respectful of his family’s privacy in not sharing the news sooner… also could not breathe or function… still can’t… love to all… just devastated.”
So, so sad.
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Jeffery is best known for his role on the long-running daytime series All My Children. He was first introduced on the show in August 2006 as the British rock star Zarf. He then returned in a prescient storyline where his character came out as a transgender lesbian named Zoe. Per Broadway World at the time, Zoe’s inclusion in the show marked the “first time any daytime drama has chronicled a transgender coming out story.”
In 2007, he told People the role was meant to “cause a conversation,” and he was already receiving great feedback from viewers. He shared at the time:
“Members of the transgender community are talking with the regular posters on the All My Children chat rooms. I got a letter from an 11-year-old girl. It said, ‘It’s cool you’re going to become a girl. Then we will have stuff in common.'”
He added:
“I met several people in the transgender community, and one became someone I can talk to on a regular basis. Talking to her started to enlighten me. She was so open about telling her story.”
You can see a clip from the show (below):
Such an impactful role to have played. Jeffrey’s other credits included Will Smith‘s Hitch, Edward Albee‘s The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, the Boy George musical Taboo, and productions of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. He was also a Juilliard School graduate.
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Many people have now taken to social media to pay tribute to the actor, including Time Out New York theater editor Adam Feldman, who wrote:
“RIP Jeffrey Carlson, 48, exposed-nerve star of Broadway (Billy in The Goat, Marilyn in Taboo) and TV (the groundbreaking trans character Zoe on All My Children). A powerful actor and a painful loss. […] I first saw him in a Lee Blessing play called Thief River when he was still in Juilliard and it was clear he was something special.”
Eden Riegel, who played Zoe’s love interest Bianca Montgomery on the show, also expressed:
“Devastated beyond measure to hear of the passing of the beautiful and gifted Jeffrey Carlson. I feel fortunate to have called this kind soul a friend and see his brilliant work up close. Gone far too soon — an unimaginable loss. Love you, Jeffrey. Rest friend.
“
We are thinking of all Jeffrey’s friends and family at this time. He was so young… R.I.P.
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