Young & Restless’ Michelle Stafford: ‘Rest in Peace to My Favorite, Favorite, *Favorite* Actress’

On August 14, Hollywood said goodbye to one of its beloved actresses when Gena Rowlands passed away at the age of 94 while battling Alzheimer’s, the disease her iconic character, Allie, in The Notebook succumbed to. With over 100 credits to her name, she worked with many and touched the lives of many more, including The Young and the Restless’ Michelle Stafford (Phyllis).

“Rest in Peace Gena Rowlands my favorite, favorite, favorite actress forever. My very favorite,” the CBS soap vet expressed. “When I saw her in A Woman Under the Influence I thought, ‘I wanna do that.’ My acting inspiration, she was.”

She went on to say just how “consistently beyond spectacular” Rowlands was, “a true original, understated yet sublime.” And in her opinion, Stafford added, “Head and shoulders above her contemporaries. Beautiful depth, personified.

Two of her past and present castmates agreed, as Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren) stated, “Loved her,” while General Hospital’s Finola Hughes (Anna) replied to her good friend, “Beautiful, Michelle.”

Though Rowlands didn’t appear in any daytime soaps, she did play Adrienne Van Leyden for 39 episodes in the primetime soap Peyton Place and turned up in numerous films and late-night shows, including The Skeleton Key, Hope Floats, Best Friends for Life and Unfortunate Circumstances, to name a small few.

Soaps.com sends Rowlands’ family, friends and all who loved her our deepest condolences.