Daytime Emmys 2024 In Memoriam Honors Johnny Wactor, Robyn Bernard, Bill Hayes and More

Amid triumphant wins and glittering red carpet looks, the 51th annual Daytime Emmy Awards took time to honor many of the friends, colleagues and icons the community has lost over the past year.

Johnny Wactor, Robyn Bernard and Bill Hayes were among the stars highlighted in the awards show's annual “In Memoriam” tribute, which pays homage to luminaries who have left an impact on the industry.

Other stars who were honored during the tribute included Alec Musser, Barbara Rush, Leslie Shreve, Camden Toy, Ronald A. Weiner, Amanda Davies, Kamar de los Reyes, David Gail, Louis Gossett Jr., Bridget Dobson, William Kidston, Meg Bennett and Marla Adams.

Wactor, best known for his General Hospital role as Brando Corbin, was shot and killed on Saturday, May 25, in Los Angeles.

Shortly after the news went public, the actor's agent, David Shaul, confirmed his death to PEOPLE and remembered his late client as being "a spectacular human being."

"Not just a talented actor who was committed to his craft but a real moral example to everyone who knew him. Standing for hard work, tenacity and a never give up attitude. In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be," Shaul said. "Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever."

Wactor’s acting credits date back to 2007, when he appeared in three episodes of Army Wives. He went on to have roles in NCIS, The OA, Westworld, The Passenger, Station 19, Barbee Rehab, Siberia, Agent X, Vantastic, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Girl, Training Day, Criminal Minds and more.

Bernard was best known for her role as Terry Brock in General Hospital. She became a household name after she made her debut on the legendary soap in 1984 and went on to appear in 145 episodes before leaving the series in 1990.

On March 12, the soap actress was found dead in an "open field behind [a] business" in San Jacinto, California on Tuesday at 4:08 a.m, according to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

The actress was born in Gladewater, Texas on May 26, 1959 and began her Hollywood career with her role in 1981's Diva. She went on to appear in 1983's Whiz Kids and The Facts of Life in 1984. Her final on-screen performance was in 2002's Voices From The High School where she took on the role of a psychologist. She later retired from the limelight and was believed to have lived a quiet life in San Jacinto.

Hayes was a longtime cast member on Days of Our Lives as Doug Williams. In 2018, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys for his role in the famous soap opera. Hayes died at the age of 98 in January 2024 .

Days of Our Lives meant more to Hayes than the series that made him a star — it was where he met his wife, Susan. The two shared an on-screen kiss in July 1970, which eventually led them to become a real-life couple. They tied the knot in October 1974 and had a second wedding two years later at the same time their television characters wed.

When he passed, Susan wrote a heartfelt message on Instagram.

“To all of you who honored my Billy with a word of remembrance, a sense of personal loss, or even a tear- I thank you,” she wrote alongside a series of photo booth snapshots of the pair. “You touched my heart by seeing in him the goodness and joy I experienced every moment of our wonderful marriage."

Musser was well known for his role as Del Henry on All My Children from 2005 to 2007. He also appeared on Rita Rocks and the TV movie Road to the Altar in 2009, and on ABC's Desperate Housewives in 2011.

In January 2024, he died at the age of 50 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in San Diego, Calif.

Rush was a famed Hollywood actress known for roles in Peyton Place and It Came from Outer Space, for which she was awarded a Golden Globe the following year as she was named the most promising female newcomer.

Among the actress' other notable roles are When Worlds Collide (1951), Magnificent Obsession (1954) and The Young Philadelphians (1959).

She died at 97 years old on Easter Sunday in April 2024.

Toy was known for playing monsters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other characters with prosthetics.

He died in December 2023 at the age of 68 following a two-year journey with pancreatic cancer.

Just days before his death, his longtime partner, Bethany Henderson, shared the diagnosis on Facebook.

"He was diagnosed in February last year after months of mysterious pain. For many reasons we were very hopeful for, at least, a longer and more fruitful time on planet Earth. Even the more recent challenges felt more like a hiccup in progress. Unfortunately, it looks like we've reached the end of the road with the doctor's treatments," a Dec. 8 post from Henderson read.

Davies, the daughter of beloved One Life to Live actress Erika Slezak was 42 when she passed away suddenly.

She took after her mother, playing the teenage version of her real-life mother’s character, Victoria “Viki” Lord, on ABC’s One Life to Live. She also made appearances in flashback scenes in 2003 on the long-running program. 

Reyes was know for his character Antonio Vega in One Life to Live from 1995 to 2009.

He died at 56 after being diagnosed with cancer, and had costar and friend Michael Easton by his side.

Easton, 57, paid tribute to de los Reyes at the Daytime Stands Up: A Benefit for Stand Up to Cancer - We All Have a Story live stream event in May.

“There hasn’t been a day gone by that I haven’t thought of him and his family and what he brought to this world, and the contributions he made, not only to this acting community," Easton said.

Gail could be seen in Growing Pains, Doogie Howser, M.D. and Murder, She Wrote in the early 1990s. The actor also played Stuart Carson, the fiancé of Shannen Doherty’s Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Dean Collins in the WB drama Savannah.

His claim to fame was Dr. Joe Scanlon in more than 200 episodes of Port Charles.

He died at 58 from drug-induced cardiac arrest in January 2024.

Gossett Jr. was best known for in Roots and An Officer and a Gentleman. He was also the first Black performer to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1982, making history.

He died at the age of 87 in March 2024.

"It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning," Gossett Jr.'s family said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family's privacy during this difficult time."

Meg Bennett an award-winning actress and writer for The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, Santa Barbara and other daytime series. She won a Daytime Emmy for Best Writing for General Hospital in 1995, and she also earned three Writers Guild of America Awards for the same show in 1994, 1995 and 1997, along with two wins for Santa Barbara in 1991 and 1992.

She died in April 2024 at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer.

Adams starred as Dina Abbott Mergeron on The Young and the Restless starting in 1982. Before her days of acting, she was in pageants, holding the titles of Miss Ocean City and Miss Cape May.

Adams died at 85 years old in April 2024. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Josh Griffith, the executive producer and head writer for The Young and the Restless, said Adams was the type of person who left an "unforgettable mark" on the soap opera.

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The 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards aired live on CBS and Paramount+.