Jennifer Harmon, ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘How to Survive a Marriage’ Actress, Dies at 82

Jennifer Harmon, the lead actress of the NBC soap opera “How to Survive a Marriage,” who also appeared on “One Live to Live,” died May 9 in New York City. She was 82.

Harmon originally began her career onstage with the Broadway production of “You Can’t Take It With You” in 1965, and later landed the lead actress role in “How to Survive a Marriage,” which she maintained during its entire 335 episode run in 1974 and 1975.

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The NBC soap followed a couple who divorced and began battling for custody of their daughter, as the wife (Harmon) entered the workforce.

Next, Harmon played the antagonist Cathy Craig in the ABC soap opera, “One Life to Live,” from 1976 to 1978. Harmon received a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her performance on the show in 1978.

Her other soap opera roles included brief arcs on “Guiding Light,” “Another World” and “Loving.”

A longtime New York resident, Harmon appeared in 21 Broadway productions during her career, with her last appearance taking place in 2011’s “Other Desert Cities,” in which she was an understudy for actress Stockard Channing, before later taking over as a replacement.

Among her other Broadway credits are “The School for Scandal” (in both 1966 and the 1995 revival), “Blithe Spirit” (1987); “The Sisters Rosensweig” (1993); “The Little Foxes” (1997); “The Deep Blue Sea” (1998); “Amy’s View” (1999); “The Glass Menagerie” (2005); and “Seascape” (2005).

Harmon often worked as an understudy to stars such as Channing, Judi Dench, and Jessica Lange in various productions including the Neil Simon Broadway comedies “The Dinner Party” (2000) and “Barefoot in the Park” (2006).

Harmon was born on Dec. 3, 1943, in Pasadena, Calif.