Jacklyn Zeman was a great American actress who passed away on May 10, 2023. She was most known for her depiction of Barbara “Bobbie” Spencer on the classic ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. Jacklyn Zeman was born on March 6, 1953, and she passed away on May 10, 2023.
Jacklyn Zeman Bio / Wiki
Zeman hails from the town of Bergenfield in New Jersey, where she attended Bergenfield High School until the age of 15, when she graduated with her high school diploma. After that, she attended New York University on a scholarship to pursue her interest in dance and ultimately became a professional dancer. Before beginning her career in acting, Zeman began her professional life in the entertainment industry in 1972 by working at the Playboy Club as a Playboy Bunny.
Before gaining a prominent position in the ABC daytime soap series One Life to Live, where she portrayed Lana McClain from 1976 through 1977, Jacklyn Zeman began her acting career by appearing in a variety of bit parts in other productions. In the latter part of that year, she was cast as Barbara “Bobbie” Spencer on General Hospital, where she subsequently became a series regular.
Zeman remained committed to playing this character until the year 2010, during which time she received critical acclaim as well as four nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and one nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Beginning in 2013, Zeman began making recurrent appearances on the ABC soap opera General Hospital.
In addition to the success she had with her soap opera roles, Zeman has demonstrated her talent in a variety of other areas of the entertainment business. She had a cameo role in the satirical comedy film Young Doctors in Love and appeared in the comedy film National Lampoon’s Class Reunion, both of which were released in 1982. In addition, Zeman appeared in other movies that were produced specifically for television, including Jury Duty: The Comedy (1990) and Montana Crossroads (1993), both of which starred Kellie Martin and Heather Locklear.
Her enthusiasm for acting led her to participate in a number of off-Broadway and other theatrical works, some of which are well-known such as Come Blow Your Horn, Barefoot in the Park, and The Boy Friend. In 2021, she was recognized with one more nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance as Sofia Madison in the streaming series The Bay.
During her time on General Hospital, Zeman developed good friendships with her fellow cast members. At the funeral of Shell Kepler, who played Nurse Amy Vining on the program, she gave a moving eulogy to pay tribute to her life and career.
In addition, Zeman had a unique relationship with the actress Anna Lee, who is best known for playing the character of the affluent matriarch Lila Quartermaine. Zeman referred to Anna Lee as her “surrogate grandmother.” In 2004, Zeman showed Lee her appreciation by paying tribute to her and expressing how much she admired her both on and off the set.
In 2012, it was reported that Zeman’s home in Malibu, California, was on the verge of foreclosure, which indicated that she was going through a difficult time in her personal life.
Jacklyn Zeman Husband / Spouse
Throughout her entire life, Jacklyn Zeman had the opportunity to experience both the positive and negative aspects of being married. She married three different people, and each ceremony marked a new beginning in her life’s story as she made her way down the aisle.
Her first husband was Murray Kaufman, a well-known DJ who was better known by his stage name, Murray the K. On September 16, 1979, they participated in a ceremony to exchange vows, marking the beginning of a journey that was full of promise and optimism. Despite this, they remained married until the year 1981, at which point they made the decision to divorce and move on to other stages of their lives.
In 1985, Zeman struck the knot for the second time, this time with Steve Gribbin. This was Zeman’s second marriage. They started a new chapter together, one that was brimming with hopes and ambitions for the future. However, in 1986, they took the tough decision to end their union and go their separate ways, which resulted in the dissolution of their union.
The actress tied the knot for the third time with Glenn Gorden on February 14, 1988, marking the occasion of her third marriage. This marriage lasted for a considerable time, encompassing approximately twenty years’ worth of time together. Zeman and Gorden went through the ups and downs of married life together, sharing in the joys as well as the struggles of their union. On June 21, 2007, they reached the end of their voyage as husband and wife, bringing an end to their adventure together.
