In the wake of Andrea Evans’ death, many of the people she worked with on countless star-studded soap operas are coming forward to praise her hard work and the legacy she leaves behind. In particular, One Life to Live star John Loprieno, who played the sometimes-rocky love interest of Andrea’s Tina, has expressed his grief in the wake of her death. In an official statement following the news, Loprieno shared some of his favorite memories with his one-time co-star, reflecting on how she brought a certain kind of “magic” to the set they shared.
Among Andrea Evans’ many daytime TV roles, one of her best-known is her role as Tina Lord in One Life to Live. Evans would play Tina from 1979 to 1981, then again from 1985-1990 before being forced off the show by a dangerous stalker. Between 1986 and 1990, Tina Lord would be entangled in an on-again, off-again romance with Cord Roberts, played by John Loprieno (Star Trek: Voyager). The characters’ relationship was incredibly complicated, eventually culminating in a marriage and then a divorce. Still, according to John, there wasn’t an ounce of bad blood between Andrea Evans and Loprieno.
John Loprieno Reflects on Co-Star Andrea Evans After Her Death
“Working with Andrea Evans was one of the highlights of my acting career,” Loprieno told PEOPLE Magazine in an interview. The former soap opera star, currently an acting professor at Moorpark College in Southern California, also said that he “[references] Andrea many times in [his] classes” and often shares memories from their time on the set of One Life to Live. In the same interview, John Loprieno recalls Andrea Evans being “a generous, blissfully comedic and insightful scene partner.” He recalls some of his favorite memories of his late co-star:
“I think my finest memory of performing with Andrea was not standing in our bathing suits in the Iguazu Falls in Brazil but working on the Banner newspaper office set on rolling chairs in a playfully choreographed love scene that was directed by legend David Pressman,” Loprieno told PEOPLE. “It was one of my earliest appearances on the show. The magic in the room was palpable, and it offered promises of the great fun that was to be created and enjoyed in the years that followed.”
Andrea Evans passed away Sunday, age 66, due to breast cancer. Her manager who confirmed her death, Nick Leicht, called Evans “a tremendous talent and an absolute joy to work with.” Andrea Evans is survived not only by her husband and daughter but also by the memories kept by her co-stars, admirers, and everyone whose lives she’s touched through the screen.
