‘Another World’ Actress Nancy Frangione Dies at 70

Daytime soap actress Nancy Frangione, best known for her role in NBC‘s Another World as the scheming villainess Cecile DePoulignac, has died in Barnstable, Massachusetts, at the age of 70. Her cause of death has yet to be reported.

Beginning her daytime career on ABC‘s All My Children playing Tara Martin from 1977 to 1979, Frangione began to take off when she joined NBC’s Another World in June 1981. She played Cecile until November 1984, winning the 1st Soap Opera Digest Awards as Outstanding Villainess that same year. However, she ended up reprising the role four times, in 1986, 1989, 1993, and from October 1995 to June 1996.

Cecile’s biggest storyline on Another World was her love quadrangle with Rachel Cory’s rich kid, Jamie Frame, stepson Sandy Cory, a hustler, and his true love, Blaine Ewing. Check out a suspenseful commercial about the affair in the video above.

Frangione also appeared on ABC’s One Life to Live, where she filled in as a temporary recast for Tina Lord. She is also known for playing Fran Fine’s (Fran Drescher) cousin Marsha in the 1993 sitcom The Nanny and guest starring on series such as Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century, Matlock, and Highway to Heaven.

She was also featured in two TV films, one of which saw her teaming up with fellow soap stars Eileen Davidson (Young & Restless) and Hillary B. Smith (One Life to Live) in the 1988’s Sharing Richard, with Ed Marino as the titular character. Other credits include In The Line of Duty: A Cop for the Killing, alongside a gig on Broadway in Equus as Jill Mason.

Frangione married her Another World co-star Christopher Rich from 1982 to 1996 and had a daughter named Mariel Rich.