Jeffrey Carlson, ‘All My Children’ Soap Actor, Dead at 48
Jeffrey Carlson, talented stage actor and All My Children soap opera alum, has passed away at the age of 48.
Time Out New York theater editor Adam Feldman first shared the devastating news on Twitter, writing, "RIP Jeffrey Carlson, 48, exposed-nerve star of Broadway (Billy in The Goat, Marilyn in Taboo) and TV (the groundbreaking trans character Zoe on All My Children). A powerful actor and a painful loss."
The Shakespeare Theatre Company also shared a tribute to the late actor on its Facebook page, saying, "STC is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jeffrey Carlson. Jeffrey gave beautiful and nuanced performances during is career which took him from television and film to Broadway and, fortunately for us, to STC...We send our love to Jeffrey's friends, family, and colleagues, those who knew and loved him dearest."
Carlson acted in many Shakespeare Theatre Company productions, including Lorenzaccio (2005), Hamlet (2007), Romeo and Juliet (2016), and both 2008 and 2017’s versions of Free For All.
Details regarding his cause of death, survivors, or a memorial service were not immediately made public.
After hearing about Carlson's passing, writer Mark Harris said on Twitter, "This is truly sad. Jeffrey Carlson blazed through NYC theater in the '00s, and anyone fortunate enough to see him back then or in the regional work that followed knew they were witnessing not just a wonderful actor, but an honest and original one. RIP."
Many friends and fans are sharing their condolences after Carlson's death and praising him online, and he clearly touched many people.
While Carlson had a rich acting career, he was arguably most known for his performance as Zoe in All My Children. He first joined the show in 2006 as a character who went by Zarf. Over the course of their storyline, the character comes out as a transgender woman, then goes by their chosen name, Zoe.
While it's unclear if Zoe was the first transgender character on daytime television, she was likely the first out transgender woman and the first depiction of a male-to-female transition.
In an interview that took place while Carlson was on All My Children via Today.com, he spoke about the pressure he felt upon taking the role of Zoe: “I worry about missing something, but I guess that would be the same with any character. I want the All My Children audience to go along. It’s not for shock value. It’s just another person whose story is being told in Pine Valley.”
Along with his work on All My Children, Carlson appeared in the films Hitch, Backseat, and The Killing Floor. After his time on the soap opera, he focused on stage and theater productions.