Jeanne Cooper Young and the Restless matriarch dead at 84

.cnn_html_media_utility before color red content '>>' font size 9px line height 12px padding right 1px .cnnstrylccimg640 margin 0 27px 14px 0 .captionText filter alpha(opacity 100) opacity 1 .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a visited .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a link .captionText a .captionText a visited .captiontext a link color 004276 outline medium none .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto margin 0 auto padding right 68px width 270px > Jeanne Cooper right appears as Katherine Chancellor alongside Julianna McCarthy as Liz Foster on The Young and the Restless in 1973. Cooper who played the character of Mrs. Chancellor for nearly 40 years died on May 8 at age 84. Cooper at right top poses with the cast of The Young and the Restless in 1974 Cooper appears in a 1974 publicity shot. Jeanne Cooper as Katherine Chancellor and Beau Kayzer as Brock Reynolds in 1977. Cooper attends a celebration on January 28 2004 in Los Angeles to mark the 30th anniversary of her playing Katherine Chancellor. Cooper right celebrates the 900th week of The Young And The Restless as the No. 1 rated daytime drama with fellow cast members on April 6 2006. Cooper arrives at the 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 15 2007. Cooper celebrates winning outstanding lead actress in a drama series for The Young and the Restless during the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards held June 20 2008 in Hollywood. Actors David Lago left and Christian LeBlanc give Cooper playful kisses during the 2009 American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards on March 9 2009 in Los Angeles. Cooper arrives at the PS Arts Express Yourself at Barker Hangar on November 15 2009 in Santa Monica California. Cooper arrives at the 37th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards held at the Las Vegas Hilton on June 27 2010 in Las Vegas. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

(CNN) Jeanne Cooper who played Katherine Chancellor the Dame of Genoa City on The Young and the Restless has died. She was 84.

Her death was confirmed by her son actor Corbin Bernsen on his Twitter account.

Mom passed this morning Bernsen posted. She was in peace and without fear.

Cooper had been suffering from an undisclosed illness. The cause of death was not given.

Cooper was already a well established TV actress when she took the role of Chancellor in 1973. The Young and the Restless was struggling in the ratings and its creator William J. Bell wanted to spice things up.

Jeanne was the matriarch of the show in every sense of the word said Lauralee Bell Christine/Cricket on The Young and the Restless and William Bell's daughter.

When you did work you were proud of you'd hope for approval or a 'good job' from Jeanne as a child would from a parent. When things got too tense she'd break the tension with her amazing wit. She would teach the younger actors without ever talking down to them. In fact she would raise them up said Bell. She always had my back and my parents (and our whole family) always had hers.

Kate Linder another member of The Young and the Restless cast said Cooper was her mentor and an amazing actress and friend. Linder Esther Valentine on the show said When Jeanne welcomed you into her life you knew it and it was a fantastic feeling. This is truly the end of an era not just for fans of 'The Young and the Restless' but for all of the people she touched throughout her long and distinguished career and life.

Cooper's character was colorful from the beginning a drunk conducting a series of affairs with younger men as well as one with the best friend of her husband the wealthy Gary Reynolds.

The character was an immediate hit and Cooper who had signed a three year contract stayed on.

Cooper was instrumental in another storyline 10 years later. In the early '80s the actress decided to undergo a face lift so the show's producers had Chancellor get a face lift as well it was performed on screen.

Chancellor was also part of a famed soap opera feud in her case with Jill Abbott Fenmore (played since 1987 by Jess Walton). At one point the two believed they were mother and daughter at another the relationship warmed when Chancellor had a breast cancer scare. The two later became rivals again.

And Chancellor also found herself victim of many classic soap opera twists conniving suitors long lost relatives multiple marriages and memory lapses.

Cooper enjoyed all the twists and turns. I never wanted to be a movie star she said in an interview according to Entertainment Weekly. I always wanted to be an actress one of the best. And I am.

Cooper also appeared in episodes of Perry Mason The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Twilight Zone.

Cooper married television producer Harry Bernsen Jr. in 1954. The pair divorced in 1977. Cooper is survived by three children all actors Corbin Collin and Caren.

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