The Young and the Restless
BREAKING NEWS: Ellen Weston, Beloved Daytime Actress, Has Passed Away at 87
Ellen Weston, the actress who chilled Genoa City as Suzanne on Y&R, has passed away at 87. We remember her remarkable life.
REMEMBERING ELLEN WESTON, A BELOVED Y&R AND DAYTIME ORIGINAL
TL;DR: Ellen Weston, the actress and songwriter who chilled Genoa City as the scheming Suzanne on Young and the Restless, has passed away at 87. We look back on a remarkable life across daytime, primetime, music, and the writers’ room.
The Y&R Role That Fans Never Forgot
The daytime community is mourning the loss of a true multi-hyphenate talent. Ellen Weston, the actress and songwriter whose Young and the Restless chapter made her a familiar face to longtime fans, has passed away at the age of 87. Per a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Weston died on May 28 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Hers was a life that refused to sit still, moving from the stage to the screen to the recording studio and back again. For the genre faithful, though, Weston will always be tied to the soap canvases she graced across three different decades. The body of work she leaves behind spans performing, writing, and music, a rare reach for any one career.
Ellen Weston arrived in Genoa City between 1978 and 1980 in a handful of appearances that left a real mark. She played Suzanne, the vengeful ex-wife of hairdresser Derek Thurston, a man caught between two formidable women. Jill Foster and Katherine Chancellor were both vying for Derek’s affection at the time, and Suzanne walked into the middle of that triangle with sharpened claws.
She did not come to play nice. In 1978, Suzanne infamously poisoned Katherine into a harrowing state of psychosis, a storyline that has stayed lodged in the memories of fans who watched it unfold. It was the kind of deliciously wicked turn that made viewers sit up, and Weston played it to the hilt. You can revisit that era of the show and the legacy it left behind through coverage that keeps these classic stories alive.
Have a favorite memory of Ellen Weston’s work, or a classic Y&R moment you’d love to see us spotlight? Send it our way at amber@soapoperamagazine.com. We read every note.
A Daytime Journey That Began Long Before Genoa City
Long before she set foot in Genoa City, Weston was already a daytime fixture. Her soap debut came on Guiding Light, where she played Robin Fletcher from 1963 to 1964, one of several actresses to take on the role. During her run, Robin secretly wed Alex Fletcher in a classic bit of soap intrigue.
She moved next to Another World, taking on two roles between 1964 and 1965: Carol Pearson and nurse Karen Gregory. By the time she reached Y&R years later, Weston was a seasoned hand at daytime drama, and it showed in every frame she shared with the genre’s biggest names.
From the Writers’ Room to the Recording Booth
Ellen Weston’s gifts extended far past performing. She returned to Guiding Light decades later in an entirely new capacity, stepping in as head writer in 2003 after executive producer John Conboy tapped her for the top job. During that tenure she earned a Writers Guild of America Award, a crowning honor for her work on the show where her career first took root.
Born in New York, she trained at the Performing Arts High School before studying at Hofstra University, New York University, and Hunter College. She was also an accomplished lyricist who co-wrote songs with singer Lesley Gore. Beyond daytime, her long resume included a memorable primetime run on Get Smart along with roles across film and Broadway, a testament to how wide her talents truly ran.
A Life Surrounded by Love
Behind the scenes, Ellen Weston built a full and loving life away from the cameras. She was previously married to music engineer Ami Hadani and composer Marvin Laird. She is survived by her son, sound designer Jon Weston, who carries her creative legacy forward into a new generation.
Our hearts at Soap Opera Magazine go out to Weston’s family, friends, and the countless fans who will remember her vivid, fearless work on screen for many years to come.
Were you watching when Suzanne turned Genoa City upside down? Scroll down and leave a comment to share what Ellen Weston’s work meant to you.
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