Nancy Frangione, Soap Star Known for Her Role on Another World, Dies at 70 – Nancy Frangione, best known for her starring role as Cecile de Poulignac on the soap opera Another World, has died. She was 70.
Frangione died on August 18 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The cause of her death is unknown.
Frangione began her career on Another World in 1981 and played the role of Cecile for four years. She won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in 1984 for her portrayal of the scheming Cecile, who was involved in a love triangle with Blaine and Sandy. Sandy and Cecile eventually married and had a daughter before splitting up.
Frangione also appeared on other soap operas, including One Life to Live, Highway to Heaven, Matlock, and The Nanny. She also starred in the TV movies Sharing Richard and In the Line of Duty: A Cop for the Killing.
Off-screen, Frangione was married to her Another World co-star Christopher Rich from 1982 to 1996. They had one daughter together, Mariel.
Another World, which followed the lives of the residents of the fictional Midwestern town Bay City, ran for 35 seasons from 1964 to 1999. The series received an Emmy nomination in 1972 for Outstanding Achievement by Individuals in a Daytime Drama.
Another World became the first daytime soap to inspire a spinoff series when Somerset premiered in 1970. Somerset ran through 1976. In 1980, a second Another World spinoff, Texas, debuted and ran for two seasons through 1982.
Frangione’s death is a loss to the soap opera community and to her fans. She was a talented actress who brought her characters to life with passion and conviction. She will be remembered for her work on Another World and for her many other roles on television.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Heart Association.