Emmy Winning Soap Opera Writer Hogan Sheffer Dead at 61

Emmy-winning soap opera writer Hogan Sheffer has died at the age of 61. Originally a script writer and analyst, he was hired as Director of Screenplay Development at DreamWorks before being hired by Procter & Gamble to become the new headwriter of AS THE WORLD TURNS in 2000. His tenure on the CBS sudser reinvigorated the show, earning it Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005.

“What a loss,” Martha Byrne (Lily, ATWT) shared on Instagram. “Hogan Sheffer was the headwriter of ATWT in the early 2000s. He doe into the show’s rich history to give every story roots out of respect for our audience. He valued the writers, actors, and crew. He was always up for a cocktail and his sense of humor was deliciously devilish. His heart was full of love for both his TV family and his PA relatives. Those years in Brooklyn were perfection under Hogan’s leadership. The writers room door was always open for conversation. Phone calls after he watched one of your scenes that moved him… flowers and stuffed animals would come after a particularly challenging storyline where he felt the same loss as I did. He called it as he saw it. Loved that honesty. He was beyond talented. He trusted me and our cast with our words and the audience went along for the ride. I’ll be forever grateful for having him come into my life. He lived life for the moment. His stories are left behind for us to share.”

Byrne with Sheffer during his time on ATWT. (Photo Credit: Instagram)

In 2006, Sheffer joined DAYS OF OUR LIVES as its new headwriter, working with Meg Kelly. During this time, he also made an appearance alongside DAYS star Mary Beth Evans on the SOAPnet reality competition series I WANNA BE A SOAP STAR. Then, in May of 2008, Sheffer was hired as co-headwriter on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, working alongside with Maria Arena Bell and Scott Hamner until 2012. He and the Y&R writing team took home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in 2011.

Our thoughts are with Sheffer’s friends and loved ones during this difficult time. For more ATWT news, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.