Nicolas Coster was an actor best known for his role as Lionel Lockridge in the soap opera “Santa Barbara.”
- Died: June 26, 2023 (Who else died on June 26?)
- Details of death: Died of complications from myelodysplastic syndromes at a hospital in Florida at the age of 89.
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Nicolas Coster’s legacy
Coster originated the role of soap opera family patriarch Lionel Lockridge, and he was one of only a handful of “Santa Barbara” actors whose characters were never recast. He was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance on the show. It was one of several soap opera roles for Coster. He was in the early soap operas “Young Doctor Malone” and “The Secret Storm,” and he went on to play roles on “Another World,” “One Life to Live,” “All My Children,” and “As the World Turns.”
Coster was also active on TV outside of soap operas. He had a recurring role on “The Facts of Life” as Blair’s father, David Warner, and he starred as Mayor Jack Madison on the Peacock series “The Bay” in the 2010s. Coster’s many other TV appearances included “Charlie’s Angels,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “The Rockford Files,” “Dallas,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Law & Order,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” and “The Rookie: Feds.”
On the big screen, Coster had a small role in the 1976 classic “All the President’s Men.” He also appeared in such films as “The Sporting Club,” “Stir Crazy,” and “Reds.” Coster was also a scuba instructor who worked with disabled people, helping them scuba dive.
Coster on his “Santa Barbara” character
“He screwed up a lot. Part of that was his unabashed adventurousness. When you take risks, you are going to take falls. To make it spicy, he had to be a bit of a Lothario.” —from a 2010 interview for We Love Soaps
Tributes to Nicolas Coster
Full obituary: TV Line
