85-year-old actress Leila Hayes, best known for her role as Beryl Palmer in the soap opera Songs and Daughters, passed away due to health issues. This Australian actress died peacefully on Sunday, January 19 at Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney.
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Beloved Australian Actress Leila Hayes Passes Away
The Leila Hayes Drama Studio left behind a heartwarming message in memory of the Penguin Award-winning actress. After "an extended period of health challenges," as their
Facebook post revealed, Hayes has left behind "a rich legacy spanning television, radio, theatre, and education."During her final days, she had a lovely celebration of her birthday. Hayes was "surrounded by family and was lovingly attended by her only daughter Melissa throughout her last week."
The Australian actress began her career as a singer on The Don Lane Show and the Bert Newton Show. She soon regularly appeared on national telethons such as Melbourne's Channel 7 Good Friday Appeal.
Hayes eventually turned to acting in dramas, garnering critical acclaim in productions such as The Sullivans, Power Without Glory, and Twenty Good Years, amongst other notable credits.
If you know of Hayes, you most likely know of her biggest role in Sons and Daughters. This soap opera ran for five seasons from 1982 to 1987 and earned many awards.
After her rise in television, she started trying out radio shows. Hayes hosted New Day Australia with Leila Hayes, the show becoming the highest-rated midnight-to-dawn program.
She created The Leila Hayes Drama Studio — all due to the actress' desire to cultivate fresh talent. Hayes
"mentored thousands of aspiring performers," as the post read.
Hayes spent her final years with her family and mostly away from the public eye. Her final creative work was writing and publishing a children's book called Streak, which she dedicated to her grandsons Liam and Lucian. They're the children of Hayes's daughter, Melissa Hayes.
From her monumental success in television to her insightful radio hosting programs, and her commitment to this voluntary drama program, Leila Hayes will be sorely missed by fans in Australia and across the globe. During this difficult time, the family asked for "their privacy to be respected."
