Soap veteran Nick Benedict, Phil on ‘All My Children,’ dies at age 77

Actor Nick Benedict, who had roles in the daytime dramas “All My Children,” “The Young and the Restless” and “Days of Our Lives,” died Friday, his 77th birthday, according to Soap Opera Digest.

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Ginger Benedict, Benedict’s wife, works at Jake’s Steakhouse in Tehachapi, California, and the restaurant shared the news of Benedict’s death on Facebook, writing, “Nick Benedict’s birthday was July 14. He went to be with the Lord this day. Please pray for Ginger.”

According to a GoFundMe post, Benedict had undergone “emergency spinal cord surgery” the week before, after which he was left paralyzed from the neck down.

“They live in Arizona and Ginger travels back and forth,” the post read. “To say this is a stressful situation is not saying enough. Ginger is in town today and wanted to tend bar. This would be a great opportunity to stop by and say hi. Life can change in an instance.”

Benedict got his break in daytime dramas when he played Phil Brent on “All My Children” from 1973 to 1978.

According to Soap Opera Digest, Benedict continued to act throughout the 1980s, appearing on such shows as “The Dukes of Hazard,” “Knot’s Landing” and “Santa Barbara” before landing a role on “Days of Our Lives.”

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