Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Carolyn Conwell Dead at 82

Actress Carolyn Conwell, who played Mary Williams on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS for many years, has died at age 82.

Doug Davidson, who played her son on the soap, announced the news on his Facebook page.

"She was the finest actor I have ever known and such a giving soul," Davidson wrote. "Her progeny are fabulous people. A credit to a life well lived. I truly can't say enough about her. I love her and miss her presence. God bless her and her family."

Carolyn Conwell and Tony Curtis in The Boston Strangler
Conwell starred in numerous theater productions and appeared in numerous primetime television series such as KNOTS LANDING, LOU GRANT, THE MONROES and THE BIG VALLEY.

Her film roles included Torn Curtain (opposite Paul Newman), The Boston Strangler (with Tony Curtis) and The Magnificent Seven Ride!

Conwell's funeral was held on Sunday.

She is survived by her daughter and two sons.

6 comments:

  1. Sad news. Excellent actress and brought a lot to a minor role. Hearing news like this makes me wish soaps honored their longtime actors and audiences with better storytelling for older characters/actors.

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  2. It would be wonderful if Y&R would honor her with a flashback scene.

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  3. RIP Carolyn Conwell.

    Doug Davidson is right. Conwell was definitely one of the finest actresses on the show. Her presence in the last few Williams-centric stories has been greatly missed. Everything just seemed a little 'off' without Mary being around to give her two cents.

    A little bit of Y&R trivia: About three years prior to Bill Bell hiring Conwell to play Mary, the matriarch of The Williams Family, he'd cast her in the pivotal role of "Marion Reeves," the mother of rapist Ron Becker (Dick DeCoit) during Ron's trauma-filled redemption phase.

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  4. I agree with everyone above. Rest In Peace, Dear Carolyn!

    Brian

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  5. So sorry to learn about this! Wasn't Mary Williams a person we would have all liked to have in our families? I remember one very special scene when Paul's fiance died. I cannot remember her name on the show,(Mindy?) but she had been a former hooker and had lived a very difficult life. This was in about 1983 or 1984 before Lauren. Anyway, Paul was inconsolable, and Mary comforted him by saying "Paul, she is only a breath away." The words comforted Paul and also me and I am sure other viewers too, because we had seen this young woman overcome such obstacles, and then only to die. It was so sad I cannot tell you. But there was Mary with her faith- and life goes on. We long time Y and R viewers will all miss Carolyn Conwell.

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  6. Update on my post above. The name of Paul's fiance was Cindy Lake, portrayed by DeAnna Robbins. Of course Mary (Carolyn Conwell) did not approve of Cindy because of her past but she allowed Paul to let her stay at the family's home near the end. And that is where she died.
    We soap watchers have memories that go back 20, 30 or more years.

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