Remembering soap opera star Jeanne Cooper

Jeanne Cooper, one of the legendary stars of the soaps, has died, her son Corbin Bersen announced via Facebook earlier today. The AP reported the following:  "Cooper died Wednesday morning in her sleep, her son, actor Corbin Bernsen, wrote on Facebook. The family confirmed the death to CBS, according to a network spokeswoman. Bernsen tweeted April 12 that his mother faced an "uphill battle" for an undisclosed illness. In subsequent days he wrote of her gradual improvement and said that she'd been taken off breathing equipment."

CBS's statement: “Jeanne Cooper will be remembered as a daytime television legend and as a friend who will truly be missed by all of us here at the Network,” said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. “She was the longest-running cast member on daytime’s #1 show, bringing indelible charm, class and talent to every episode. On behalf of everyone at CBS, we send our condolences to Jeanne's family, as well as the legions of fans she has amassed during her record 39 years on ‘The Young and The Restless,’ and throughout her career.”

  Even if you are not familiar with "Y&R," you probably know the name of the character she  played - Katherine Chancellor, one of the classic figures of soapdom who graced this series for its entire run, or since 1973. 

More to come, but here are some clips...of Cooper, who starred in dozens of westerns back in the TV golden days, talking about Chancellor and taking questions about the role; and of Cooper, discussing the role ...