Actress in Dozens of Classic Shows and Movies Dies After Cancer Recurrence: Gwen Van Dam Has Died

Another Hollywood legend has died. Actress Gwen Van Dam, known for dozens of appearances across the big and small screens, died at 96, her son, Dirk Smillie, told The Hollywood Reporter. Van Dam died on Dec. 19 at her West Los Angeles home after a recurrence of cancer. Born on Nov. 5, 1928 in San Francisco, Van Dam’s love of acting came while studying at San Jose State. After graduating in 1950, she wrote a letter to English actress Gertrude Lawrence for advice on landing roles in New York. Lawrence suggested she contact her husband and producer Richard Aldrich, who later cast her in his touring stage show The Guardsman.

While in New York, Van Dam studied under acting teacher Mira Rostova at the Herbert Berghof Studio. She was offered to screen test for a role in the 1953 film From Here to Eternity as well as a Columbia Pictures contract. She wound up turning down the offer after a fellow student made her change her mind after saying moving to Hollywood “could destroy” her and Van Dam would go on to admit that it was “the worst mistake of her career.”

Van Dam’s break eventually came in the mid-‘60s, playing an uncredited nurse in 1964’s Lilith and appearing in an episode of Dark Shadows in 1966. Other credits include Husbands, The Brady Bunch, Nakia, the original S.W.A.T., Coming Home, Lassie: A New Beginning, True Confessions, Hart to Hart, A Touch of Scandal, A.J. Hooker, and Stillwatch. In 1983, she joined long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives, playing Jeanie and Imelda from 1983 to 1987, appearing in 11 episodes total.

Gwen Van Dam also appeared on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Our House, Moonlighting, Who’s the Boss?, Knots Landing, Doogie Howser, M.D., Star Trek: Generations, ER, Without a Trace, Gilmore Girls, the original Charmed, Joey, Along the Way, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, The League, New Girl, Criminal Minds, Workaholics, The Orville, Grace and Frankie, Shameless, and many more.

The late actress most recently appeared in the 2024 films You Shall Not Sleep Tonight and Blood Star, as well as the Hulu mini-series Interior Chinatown. Aside from television and film, Van Dam also actually appeared in some music videos for U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Panic! at the Disco, and Mastodon. In 2011, she starred in a Los Angeles Group Rep production of Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful, also appearing in productions for almost 15 theater companies in LA.

Van Dam met her husband, Scottish actor Bill Smillie, on The Guardsman. The two tied the knot in October 1959 and remained together until his death in 2003 at age 81. She’s survived by her children, Dirk and Claudia, and her grandchildren, Lorelei, Amanda, and Crystal. Van Dam’s sister, Jeanie, died a week later at 94.