A beloved soap opera legend has passed away suddenly at the age of 89 on Monday night.

Nicolas Coster was a legendary TV star who appeared in a variety of soap operas including the NBC daytime Santa Barbara.

In the popular daytime soap which ran in the 1980s and 90s, Coster appeared as womanizer and adventurer Lionel Lockridge for 599 episodes.

The actor’s other major roles included 252 episodes on Another World, 15 episodes on The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, 22 episodes on Our Private World, and most recently, 63 episodes on The Bay.

Coster remained active in the entertainment industry for six decades and went on to add a total of 175 acting credits to his name.

The soap legend’s death was announced by his grieving daughter who wrote:

“There is great sadness in my heart this evening, my father actor Nicolas Coster has passed on in Florida at 9:01 pm in the hospital.

“Please be inspired by his artistic achievements and know he was a real actor’s actor! I will remember him as always doing his best and being a great father. Rest In Peace.”

Coster previously admitted that his iconic appearance in Santa Barbara helped him gain fans from all over the globe.

Recalling one particular interaction with a fan that left him “very touched,” he once said: “When I went to Croatia last year, a woman came up to me on the streets of Dubrovnik, with tears in her eyes and said: ‘We watched you on Santa Barbara during the bombing. We found comfort doing that as we lay huddled in the basement in the cold.’ I was very touched that she remembered.”

For his iconic role in the NBC show, Coster previously received four Daytime Emmy nominations. It wasn’t until 2017, however, that he finally won his first Emmy for his performance in The Bay.

Our thoughts remain with Nicolas’ loved ones, including his daughter, during this challenging time.