Who was Marnie Schulenburg, ‘As the World Turns’ actor dead at 37?

Marnie Schulenburg, the actor, died at 37 after battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She’s known for playing Alison Stewart on CBS’ ‘As the World Turns’ and Jo Sullivan on the reboot of ‘One Life to Live’. 

Her representative Kyle Luker at Industry Entertainment told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died on Tuesday, in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

She’s survived by her husband Zack Robidas, known for his role in ‘Succession‘, and the two have a 2-year-old Coda. Schulenburg and Robidas got married in September 2013, and she was diagnosed with cancer five months after Coda was born in December 2019. 

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Schulenburg’s daytime debut came in 2007 on ‘The Young and the Restless’, where she played Stewart. The role continued till ‘As the World Turns’, which was cancelled in 2010. That year, she received a Daytime Emmy nomination, and later joined the reboot of ‘One Life to Live’ when it returned on Hulu in 2013. 

Early Life

Schulenburg was born on May 21, 1984, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to a concert trombonist. She went to Barnstable High School in Massachusetts and DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, where she received a theatre degree in 2006. 

Career

The actor was a gymnast at one time and was part of plays in the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and for the Dramatists Guild of America in New York City, before appearing on television. 

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She also guest-starred in shows like ‘Blue Bloods’ and ‘Elementary’. Schulenburg also has a recurring role playing Maggie Caysen in ‘City on a Hill’. 

Fight with cancer 

Schulenburg was released from the hospital on Mother’s Day, May 8, to spend time with her husband and daughter. She posted at the time “I know that me being here for her is the best gift I can give her but right now it feels like settling since she’s getting a half-life version of myself. My mother showed up 100% all day everyday for me growing up or at least it seemed that way. I want to give Coda the same but I must be kind to myself and remember that nothing is permanent.” 

The actor also opened up about how the cancer was detected on May 8, 2020, and she believed her life had changed forever. She concluded her message, saying, “So here’s to remembering that nothing is permanent. To soaking up the imperfections and that the best thing you can do for your child is make them feel loved, safe and supported just like my mother did for me. Screw the oxygen mask, just remember how to breathe.”