We have some sad TV news to report this morning as it has been revealed that one of daytime TV’s most familiar faces has died.
Nicolas Coster, best known for his work on Santa Barbara as Lionel Lockridge, passed away on Monday.
He was 89.
The news broke early Tuesday morning via a social media post by the actor’s daughter Dinneen Coster.
“There is great sadness in my heart this evening, my father actor Nicolas Coster has passed on in Florida at 9:01 pm in the hospital,” the Facebook post reads.
“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.”
Coster was well known for his work on Santa Barbara, a role he held off and on from 1984-93.
Lionel struck a chord with viewers for being a part of some of the daytime soap’s most iconic storylines.
“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,” Coster’s Santa Barbara costar A Martinez said on Facebook on Tuesday morning.
“Unsolicited one day, he gave me this profoundly useful advice: ‘What you choose to do with a scene doesn’t have to be the probable thing. You can choose any course imaginable –– no matter how unlikely –– as long as it’s possible.'”
While Coster’s work on Santa Barbara earned him acclaim, he also appeared in soaps Young Doctor Malone, The Secret Storm, Somerset, Another World, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, and All My Children.
We think it’s fair to say he was a daytime TV veteran.
In addition to the aforementioned daytime series, Nicolas Coster made his presence felt in primetime, with roles on Wonder Woman, Charlie’s Angels, Buck Rogers, Magnum P.I., T.J. Hooker, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and The Facts of Life.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the beloved actor’s family during this difficult time.
May Nicolas Coster rest in peace.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.