‘All My Children’ Star Jeffrey Carlson Dies at 48

All My Children star Jeffrey Carlson has died at age 48. Carlson died on Thursday (July 6), according to People.

Known for his revolutionary role on the soap as Zoe, one of the first transgender characters on daytime television, Carlson was described as groundbreaking by many, including Time Out New York theater editor Adam Feldman, who was one of the first to share the news of his death.

Feldman tweeted Saturday (July 8): “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.”

All My Children ran for 22 seasons over the course of 43 years, during which Carlson came on in 2006 as a rocker named Zarf, who ultimately came out as Zoe and starred in 59 episodes. In 2013, Carlson told Windy City Times that he “had a meeting with the producer and they explained that they wanted to do the first coming out story of a transgender from male to female on daytime television.”

“I asked, ‘How are you going to do it?'” he continued. “She said, ‘With dignity.'”

Carlson studied at the prestigious Juilliard School and is also a graduate of University of California, Davis. Aside from All My Children, he mainly acted in stage productions, which included his theatrical debut in The Goat or Who is Sylvia? and a starring role in Boy George‘s musical Taboo. Carlson also appeared as Egon in the 2005 rom-com Hitch. His role as Zoe was his last on-screen role.

Those who knew and admired Carlson have taken to social media to express their condolences. Playwright Jenny Lyn Bader tweeted, “Devastated to hear of the loss of Jeffrey Carson, luminous talent, brilliant and kind person… May his memory be a blessing. #jeffreycarlson #RIPJeffreyCarlson.”

Journalist and author Mark Harris retweeted Feldman’s tribute, writing, “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.”