Andrea Evans, Star of 'One Life to Live' and 'The Young and the Restless', Dead at 66

The actress, who rose to fame playing teenager Tina Lord on 'One Life to Live', died of cancer on Sunday

Andrea Evans has died at age 66.

Don Carroll, Evans' former manager, confirmed to PEOPLE that the daytime star died on Sunday from cancer. Her current manager Nick Leicht also confirmed her death, telling PEOPLE: "I've been working with Andrea for the past 7 years. She was such a tremendous talent and an absolute joy to work with."

Evans was best known for starring as troubled teenager Tina Lord on One Life to Live and later as Patty Williams on The Young and the Restless. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding ingenue in a drama series in 1988 for her performance as Tina.

Carroll told PEOPLE Evans kept a close circle of friends, treating those close to her as if they were family.

"People often think she must be very like the characters she played on television," Carroll said. "In reality, her greatest days were spent with no makeup, her hair in pigtails, and a ballcap on her head at Disneyland with her daughter Kylie."

Evan's death was mourned by actors and family alike.

Melissa Archer, who starred on OLTL, called it "heartbreaking news."

"Andrea was a kind woman, fun to work with, and such a pro," Archer wrote on Facebook. "I feel so fortunate that I was able to play with her on OLTL and The Bay the Series."

Kassie DePaiva, who worked alongside Evans on OLTL, also posted to the social media site.

"So sadden to hear of this talented actress’s passing," DePaiva said. "She helped put OLTL in the spotlight. Cancer sucks!"

Frank Valentini, the former executive producer of One Life to Live and current EP of General Hospital, paid tribute to the late star on Twitter, writing, "I am so sorry to learn of Andrea Evans’ passing. Andrea was already a huge star when my career began at OLTL."

He continued: "She was always kind, gracious, and so fun to work with. A daytime legend who will be missed very much. My sympathies to her friends and family."

Her Passions co-star, Eric Martsolf, described Evans as "wildly responsible" for showing the actor "that working in Daytime doesn't have to feel like work at all" in a Facebook post on Monday.

"We lost Andrea Evans," the post began. "I will miss the sparkle in her eyes when she smiled, which was seemingly all the time. Rest in peace Andrea, and thank you for all you gave."

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For her work as Vivian Price in the web series DeVanity, Evans earned another Daytime Emmy Nomination in 2015 for outstanding performer in a new approaches drama series.

Her other prominent television roles included Rebecca Hotchkiss on Passions and Patty Walker on The Bay. She also appeared in films such as A Low Down Dirty Shame, Ice Cream Man, and Hit List, as well as several TV movies.

The actress abruptly left One Life to Live in the 1990s to take a career break, after which she largely stayed out of the public eye.

Evans told PEOPLE in 2008 that her decision had been influenced by her experience with a stalker. “It’s forever changed me,” she said. “There’s no way it could not.”

Related: Soap Star Andrea Evans Surviving a Stalker

That same year, the actress reprised her role as Tina with a guest appearance on One Life to Live. Executive producer Valentini told TV Guide in April 2008 that her return had been among fans' top demands for a while before it came to fruition.

“Even though Andrea has not appeared on OLTL since 1990, she has remained among the most requested characters to return to the show,” Valentini said at the time. "I welcome her home to OLTL and to the role where she made an indelible mark on our audience."

The actress also released her own statement about her return. “For many years, both fans of mine and One Life to Live have wanted me to return,” she said. “Now that the timing is right, I'm thrilled to be returning to the role of Tina, which I've always held near and dear to my heart.”

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Evans is survived by her husband Stephen Rodriguez, whom she married in 1998, and their daughter Kylie. She was previously married to her One Life to Live costar Wayne Massey from 1981 to 1983.

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