RYAN’S HOPE Star Michael Levin Dead at 90
The daytime community has lost another iconic performer. Michael Levin has died at the age of 90 on Jan. 6. His son, Jason Levin, told The Hollywood Reporter that his father passed away of natural causes at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, NY.
Levin is best known to soap fans for playing the role of reporter Jack Fenelli on the beloved ABC sudser RYAN’S HOPE. He was with the show for its entire run from 1975-89, earning three Daytime Emmy Award nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actor category for his work. His pairing with Kate Mulgrew’s Mary Ryan created one of the soap’s most popular supercouples.
Following his lengthy run on RYAN’S HOPE, Levin also played a recast of John Eldridge (one of Lisa’s many ex-husbands) on AS THE WORLD TURNS and then appeared on ALL MY CHILDREN for a brief stint as Dr. Tim Gould.
Outside of daytime, Levin could be seen in episodes of primetime series like N.Y.P.D., THE EQUALIZER, LAW & ORDER, and NEW YORK NEWS. The actor also hit the Broadway stage multiple times during his career, in The Royal Hunt of the Sun with David Carradine, Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real with Al Pacino, Sam Shepard’s Operation Sidewinder with Garrett Morris, and in Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Woman of Setzuan with Colleen Dewhurst.
Levin is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, sons Jason and Aaron, and grandchildren Veronica and Nico. Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
