Actress Sonya Eddy has tragically passed away at the age of 55. The news was confirmed by her friend Octavia Spencer via Instagram on Tuesday. Eddy was well-known for her roles on various television shows and films, including General Hospital, Those Who Can’t, Coach Carter, and more.

Eddy was a native of Concord, California and began her acting career with the West Coast premiere of “Zora, Is My Name!”, which aired on the PBS anthology series American Playhouse. She went on to have recurring roles on popular television shows such as ER, Joan of Arcadia, Seinfeld, and The Drew Carey Show. In addition to her recurring roles, Eddy also made numerous guest appearances on hit shows such as Everybody Hates Chris, Martin, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, and A Black Lady Sketch Show.

Eddy’s most notable role came in 2006 when she was cast as Epiphany Johnson, a nurse and mother to Stan Johnson, on General Hospital. She remained a series regular on the show until her final episode aired on October 20th of this year. In addition to her work on television, Eddy also appeared in films such as Seven Pounds and Coach Carter, and could often be seen in national commercials.

Executive producer of General Hospital, Frank Valentini, issued a statement expressing his condolences for the loss of Eddy. “I am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible Sonya Eddy,” Valentini said. “I truly loved her not only as an actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse’s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set. On behalf of the entire GH cast and crew, we send our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and fans. She will be very missed.”

The cause of Eddy’s death has not been revealed at this time. VIBE extends its condolences to Eddy’s family and all those affected by this loss.