 |
| Jeanne Cooper |
For more than 39 years she played Katherine Chancellor on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.
Born in Taft, Calif., in 1928, Cooper attended College of the Pacific before graduating from Pasadena Playhouse School.
Her professional career began with the film The Redhead from Wyoming with Maureen O'Hara in 1953, followed by The Man From Alamo with Glenn Ford, There Was a Crooked Man, The Boston Strangler with Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda and George Kennedy, Tony Rome with Frank Sinatra, The All-American Boy with Jon Voight, "The Glory Guys," House of Women with Constance Ford, Kansas City Bomber and Let No Man Write My Epitaph with Shelley Winters.
Cooper's career included television guest spots on THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PERRY MASON, L.A. LAW, MAVERICK, TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, THE NANNY and BEN CASEY.
Her most notable stage credits include starring roles in "On the Town," "The Miracle Worker," "Plain and Fancy," and the touring production of "Plaza Suite." She also starred in "Love Letters" at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills.
In 1984 Cooper had a facelift and Y&R put it in the storyline showing footage from Cooper's actual surgery as Katherine had her facelift.
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993 and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys in 2004. She finally won the Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actress in 2008, and was nominated nine other times. She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards during her career, one in 1961 for her work on BEN CASEY, and the other in 1987 for her recurring role on L.A. Law, playing the mother to her real-life son, Corbin Bernsen. Bernsen subsequently joined his mother on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, making several guest appearances as the priest Father Todd. Cooper won the First American in the Arts Award twice as a Lead Actress. In 2009 she was given the coveted AMEE Award from the AFTRA Foundation.
 |
| Jeanne Cooper with her children Collin Bernsen, Corbin Bernsen and Caren Bernsen. |
In 2010 Cooper was voted #7 by a We Love Soaps panel of industry experts in the 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actresses list. In 2012 Katherine's longtime rival with Jill on Y&R earned the pair the #1 spot on the We Love Soaps 30 Dynamic Duos of Daytime list.
Cooper is survived by her three children: Corbin, Collin and Caren; and eight grandchildren: Oliver, Weston, Henry, Angus, Harrison, Grace, Finley and Sarah.
Corbin made a vow on Facebook shortly after announcing his mother's death: "I will certainly dedicate what remains of my life to continue her purpose of honesty, equality, humility, empathy and love."
RELATED:
- Stars & Industry React To Jeanne Cooper's Death
- Watch Jeanne Cooper's Final Scene on Y&R
- CLASSIC CLIPS: Jeanne Cooper
DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS
