Esta TerBlanche, 'All My Children' actress, dies at 51

(NEXSTAR) – Esta TerBlanche, an actress who appeared on “All My Children,” died on Friday at the age of 51.

“Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my dear friend and client Esta TerBlanche,” wrote Annie Spoliansky, a talent manager with Key Management. “She was a beautiful and gentle soul who will be incredibly missed. Her long running role on 'All My Children' will live on.”

TerBlanche played Gillian Andrassy on the daytime soap opera between 1997 and 2001, but returned for an episode in 2011, according to IMDb. She also portrayed a version of the same character in a 1997 episode of “Spin City.”

She had formerly starred in “Egoli: Place of Gold,” a drama series from her native South Africa, Soap Opera Digest reported in a recent interview.

After her initial run on “All My Children” ended in 2001 (her character was killed off by an assassin, according to Gillian Andrassy’s Fandom entry), TerBlanche spent some of her time back in South Africa, where she opened a spa, worked with a cancer foundation and helped produce documentaries, the outlet reported.

TerBlanche’s cause of death was not listed on the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s website as of Monday morning, though she is said to have died at her residence. Her cause of death is under investigation, with an exam scheduled for a future date.