Hogan Sheffer, who served as a head writer on AS THE WORLD TURNS (2000-05) and DAYS (2006-08) and as co-head writer of Y&R (2008-13), has died at the age of 61. Sheffer is credited for breathing new life into ATWT during his tenure, and took home four Daytime Emmys (three for ATWT and one for Y&R) during his career. “What a loss,” Martha Byrne (ex-Lily/Rose, ATWT) wrote on Instagram. “Hogan Sheffer was the head writer of ATWT in the early 2000s. He dove into the show’s rich history to give every story roots out of respect for our audience. He valued the writers, actors and crew. He was always up for a cocktail and his sense of humor was deliciously devilish. His heart was full of love for both his TV family and his PA relatives. Those years in Brooklyn were perfection under Hogan’s leadership. The writers room door was always open for conversation. Phone calls after he watched one of your scenes that moved him…Flowers and stuffed animals would come after a particularly challenging storyline where he felt the same loss as I did. He called it as he saw it. Loved that honesty. He was beyond talented. He trusted me and our cast with his words and the audience went along for the ride. I’ll be forever grateful for having him come into my life. He lived life for the moment. His stories are left behind for us to share. ?. On Twitter, Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, ATWT) shared, “I loved him, loved him, loved him… he was so good to me…” then followed that up with, “Thank you for everything, Hogan. You were so loved. Especially, by me… Rest in peace…”on Twitter. Agim Kaba (ex-Aaron, ATWT) tweeted, “Heartbroken.” Former soap writer Tom Casiello, who served under Sheffer at all three shows he head-wrote, posted a lengthy tribute to his mentor on Facebook, saying, “The man literally not only changed my life, he *gave* me a life … You were truly one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. And you remain my hero.” To read Casiello’s post in full, click here.
