Who was Kathryn Hays? Tributes pour in as Star Trek and As The World Turns actress dies aged 88

Kathryn Hays recently passed away at the age of 88.

The actress died on March 25 in Fairfield, Connecticut. The cause of death was not revealed.

Kathryn’s husband, Don Hastings, paid tribute to his wife in a statement and said:

“Our relationship as Bob and Kim was as close as Kathryn and my relationship, except we were not married. We were more like brother and sister and we were great friends. Our biggest squabble was that she always wanted to rehearse and I wanted to take a nap. This is a huge loss to all who knew her.”

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Everything known about Kathryn Hays

Born on July 26, 1933, Kathryn Hays gained recognition for her appearance as Kim Hughes on the CBS soap opera, As the World Turns from 1972 to 2010.

Speaking about the show on a 2020 episode of the YouTube talk show, The Locher Room, she said:

“I always say … it was the longest job I ever had. Actors never have long jobs like that. I mean, they would play on Broadway a certain amount of times or whatever. But it was the longest job and the best partner I ever had.”

Kathryn Hays was mostly known for her appearance on As the World Turns (Image via Brian Ach/Getty Images)

Hays played the role of Elizabeth Reynolds Pride in the NBC western series The Road West from 1966-67, alongside Barry Sullivan, Andrew Prine, Kelly Corcoran, and Glenn Corbett.

She appeared on Star Trek in 1967 in the episode The Empath. She played Gem, a mute alien capable of assuming the pain and injuries of others and healing them.

Hays made guest appearances on multiple sitcoms and drama series throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She also appeared in films like Ride Beyond Vengeance and Counterpoint. She made a guest appearance as hotel owner Julie Williams in the 1971 TV film Yuma.

Hays was then cast as Kim Sullivan Hughes on CBS’s As the World Turns in 1972. Her character remained an important part of the show for around 30 years. She was featured on the 50th-anniversary episode of the show in April 2006.

Before As the World Turns, Hays played the role of Leslie Bauer on the CBS soap opera, Guiding Light.

Hays was famous for her performances in TV series like Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Marcus Welby, M.D. Bonanza, and Branded.

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Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Many of Kathryn Hays' fans have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to her after her demise:

Hays is survived by her daughter Sherri, son-in-law Bob Mancusi, grandchildren Kate, Cameron, and Garrett Wells, as well as her great-grandson Jack.