FLORIDA, UNITED STATES: Nicolas Coster, a British-American actor best known for his roles as zany businessman Lionel Lockridge in 'Santa Barbara,' a deceptive lawyer in 'All the President's Men,' a cruel kidnapper in 'All My Children,' and Blair Warner's father in 'The Facts of Life,' died on Monday, June 26, at a hospital in Florida. He was 89.
His daughter Dinneen Coster shared a message on social media announcing his death. Dinneen Coster commented, "It’s with great sadness that I am posting this to my father’s book page. Nicolas Coster passed on this evening in a hospital in Florida. Please remember him as a great artist. He was an actor’s actor! I will always be inspired by him and know how lucky I am to have such a great father!! Rest In Peace," as reported by CNN.
How did Nicolas Coster die?
Coster's agent Chrystal Ayers told CNN that the actor died as a result of consequences following a long battle with cancer. The actor battled myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) as a result of the cancer. As per Fox News, Yelena "Elena" Coster, his wife, stood by his side throughout his health problems.
'Sad day for the soap opera world'
Fans immediately took to social media to express their tribute to the late veteran actor. One fan wrote on Twitter, "Sad day for the soap opera world of this tv legend." A second fan wrote, "Aaw Loved him on Santa Barbara. RIP Nicolas. My deepest condolences to his family and friends." Another fan wrote, "He will be sorely missed RIP SENDING LOVE AND PRAYERS TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS."
Another fan tweeted, "#NicolasCoster was a dynamic and diverse actor that truly loved his craft. I loved his work in daytime, on @TheBaytheSeries & his episodic work as well. Prayers to his family, friends, and fans. RIP, Mr. Coster."
Someone else shared a picture of Nicolas with the user and wrote, "Rest in peace, Nicolas Coster #RIP #NicolasCoster" One more fan wrote, "Fabulous actor. He did much daytime-serial work, and he's fantastic early in "All the President's Men" as a lawyer who doesn't want to deal with reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) during a hearing for the Watergate burglars. Rest in peace, Daytime Emmy winner #NicolasCoster."
One more fan paid tribute and wrote, "So sad to learn of the death of British born American actor #NicolasCoster at 89. I will always remember him fondly playing the mischievous #LionelLockridge in NBCs daytime American soap opera " Santa Barbara" on & off from 1984 - 1993. #RIP@NicolasCoster"
TV & radio host Rob Simone tweeted, "It's with a full heart that we say farewell & Thank You to Actor, Writer, #NicolasCoster. His career and time at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Art with #LaurenceOlivier made him a great guest, and we will replay our 1 hour biography show July 5th 9-10am 104.4FM London. #RSTS" The tributes came pouring in, with another fan writing, "Once a legend, always a soap legend. He was my favorite actor, loved him in soaps and few movie. I'm without words and heartbroken he passed away. My heart goes out to his family, friends and colleagues. #ATWT #NicolasCoster"
'Nick was a brilliant talent'
Coster is an accomplished actor with over 100 TV and movie credits, and his career in theater, film, and television spans decades. Coster devoted a lot of his time to several long-running daytime soap operas, among many other projects. Coster rose to fame as Robert Delaney on the NBC television series 'Somerset,' where he first appeared in 1970 and then reprised the role on 'Another World' until 1980. During his stint on the show, he appeared in over 250 episodes. He later came back in 1989 for the show's 25th anniversary. Coster's agent Ayers told Fox News Digital, "Nick was a brilliant talent. He was caring, compassionate and outspoken."
His most recent credits include 'The Last Exorcist' (2020) and an episode of 'American Crime Story' from 2021. But Coster is likely to be best remembered for his memorable roles on various daytime soap operas. Coster had regular or recurring roles in series like 'All My Children,' 'Another World,' 'As the World Turns,' 'One Life to Live,' and, perhaps most notably, 'Santa Barbara,' in which he intermittently played the wealthy patriarch Lionel Lockridge from 1984 to 1993 and received four Daytime Emmy nominations.
