Guiding Light's Mriam Coln (ex-Maria Santos) has died. The renowned Latina actress was 80.
The soap opera world must say goodbye to yet another veteran performer, this time to The Edge of Night and Guiding Light's Mriam Coln (ex-Dr. Santos; ex-Maria Santos). The renowned Latina actress' husband, Fred Valle, informed the press that she died over the weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, following medical complications from a pulmonary infection.
Born in Puerto Rico, Coln was an impressive theater student who eventually landed scholarships to the Dramatic Workshop and Technical Institute and the Lee Strasburg Acting Studio in New York City. From there, she went on star in a variety of American films, television shows, and theater productions.
Though she is arguably best known for her performance as Al Pacino's mother in the 1983 film Scarface, soap fans will remember Coln from her 1980 role as Dr. Santos on The Edge of Night and her 1999-2002 recurring role as Guiding Light's Maria Santos, evil Mafia member and grandmother to Tony Santos' (Jordi Vilasuso).
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Following the news of Coln's passing, Vilasuso (who now plays Days of our Lives' Dario Hernandez) took to Instagram to share his thoughts about his former on-screen family member.
"RIP #MiriamColon my Guiding Light abuela who was an amazing force on screen and off," he wrote. "Thank you for your example, generosity, and inspiration!"
In her three decade career, Coln appeared on shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza. She also had several Broadway credits under her belt and founded the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in Manhattan in the late 1960s.
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In 2014, Coln received a National Medal of the Arts from then-President Barack Obama for being a "trailblazer" who "helped open doors for generations of Hispanic actors."
Do you remember GL's Maria Santos or The Edge of Night's Dr. Santos? What do you think about the contributions Coln made for Hispanics in the entertainment industry? What do you think about the contributions Coln made for Hispanics in the entertainment industry? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
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