Veteran actor Ray MacDonnell, who played Dr. Joe Martin on the daytime TV soap opera, “All My Children,” for more than 40 years, has died. He was 93.
Sarah MacDonnell, his daughter, confirmed to Michael Fairman TV on Monday that the actor passed of natural causes at his home in Chappaqua, MA.
His commitment to the role was impressive. After receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Daytime Emmys, Martin retired from acting in 2009, but briefly returned to his role as the patriarch of the Martin family as the series wound down to its much-hyped final episode in 2011.
But as was often the case in classic daytime soaps, nothing is ever final, and MacDonnell soon reprised Dr. Martin one last time in 2013 for the short-lived online reboot of “All My Children.”
The Massachusetts native attended Amherst College and the Royal Academy in London as a Fulbright scholar. His acting career began in 1953 as a bit player during the “golden age” of live TV broadcasts where he got to appear with such legends as Jack Benny and Robert Montgomery.
That experience translated perfectly to live daily soaps. He first joined the genre as businessman Philip Capice on CBS’ “The Edge of Night” from 1961 to 1969.
During that time, he also starred as Dick Tracy in a 1967 pilot, while working on Broadway too, most notably opposite Angela Lansbury and Ann Miller in the Tony-winning musical “Mame” at the legendary Winter Garden Theatre between 1966 and 1970. He joined “All My Children” in 1970 for his defining role.
It's always particularly melancholy when a longtime soap opera star passes. Soaps retain a campy reputation, but the fact is the genre allowed for actors to hone their craft live, on a daily basis.
MacDonnell is survived by his wife Patricia and his three children: Daniel, Sarah, and Kyle.
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