Soap Star Nicolas Coster Dead at 89
The daytime community is mourning the loss of a legend. Veteran actor Nicolas Coster died at the age of 89 on June 26. “There is great sadness in my heart this evening,” his daughter, Dinneen Coster, shared on Facebook. “My father, actor Nicolas Coster, has passed on in Florida at 9:01 p.m. in the hospital. Please be inspired by his artistic achievements and know he was a real actor’s actor! I will remember him as always doing his best and being a great father. Rest in Peace.”
Born in London, Coster was raised in the United States but returned to England to study at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Art. During his storied career, the actor appeared in numerous primetime series like WONDER WOMAN, BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, DALLAS, MAGNUM P.I., HART TO HART, and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION as well as films like All the Presidents Men, The Electric Horseman, Stir Crazy, and Reds.
But Coster is probably best known for his work in daytime, appearing on multiple soaps throughout his career. Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, he was on THE SECRET STORM and YOUNG DR. MALONE, the played John Eldridge on OUR PRIVATE WORLD, the primetime spinoff of AS THE WORLD TURNS. In the ‘70s, he joined the cast of SOMERSET as Robert Delaney and in the ‘80s moved that character over to ANOTHER WORLD. After a brief run on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Coster moved on to the role that he would be best known for, playing Lionel Lockridge on SANTA BARBARA.
“It was an honor to work in a company with him, and I’ll always hold his friendship and his sterling strengths as a professional close to heart,” A Martinez, who played Cruz Castillo on SANTA BARBARA, shared on Facebook. “For 70 years, Mr. Coster practiced the art of acting with great vigor and distinction. There aren’t many people in the history of the world who can match him in that regard.”
Following SANTA BARBARA’s cancellation in 1993, Coster moved on to play Eduardo Grimaldi on ATWT and in more recent years, portrayed Mayor Jack Madison on the streaming soap THE BAY. Nominated four times for his work on SANTA BARBARA, he finally took home a Daytime Emmy Award in 2017 for Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for THE BAY. Coster’s final role was in an episode of THE ROOKIE: FEDS, which aired in March 2023.
Our thoughts are with Coster’s family and friends during this difficult time.
