Broadway and TV star Joan Copeland has died at the age of 99.
The veteran actress’ son Eric told the Hollywood Reporter that she died in her sleep in her Manhattan apartment.
Joan, who was the sister of playwright Arthur Miller and sister-in-law of Marilyn Monroe, worked on a number of daytime soap operas, including Love of Life from 1960-1963.
She also starred as villainess Andrea Whiting on CBS’ Search for Tomorrow between 1967 and 1972, before she featured on The Edge of Night, How to Survive a Marriage, As the World Turns and One Life to Live.
Later on in her career she spent a decade as Judge Rebecca Stein on Law & Order between 1991-2001 and also had credits on hit drama series such as ER, Chicago Hope and Cagney & Lacey.
She made her broadway debut in 1948 and went on to star in several productions throughout her career, including Detective Story, Sundown Beach, Not For Children and Two by Two.
She was also the standby for Katharine Hepburn’s portrayal of Coco Chanel in the musical Coco, which spanned 320 shows between 1969 and 1970.
On the big screen, credits included The Peacemaker, The Object Of My Affection, The Last Request and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.
Her first film was The Goddess, starring Kim Stanley, and was reported to be based on the life of sister-in-law Marilyn Monroe.
She was married to George Kupchik from 1943 until he died in July 1989. Survivors include her niece, actress Rebecca Miller.
As the news of her death broke, fans and famous faces took to social media to send their condolences.
One user on Twitter wrote: “I met Joan Copeland, who has died at 99, five or six years ago when I was working on a radio show about her brother, Arthur Miller. I said I was sorry never to have seen her do “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” in “Pal Joey.” So she performed it for me.”
Another commented: “I had the great honour of sitting with Joan Copeland at the @PublicTheaterNY for a reading of ‘No Villain’, the play her brother Arthur Miller wrote about their childhood together. She was a delight and so excited by the play’s rediscovery. A sad loss.”
And a third said: “#JoanCopeland #RIP. So many #Hollywood legends passing away these days We just lost #BettyWhite too. God must be mightily entertained in heaven right now!”
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