American soap actor Ben Masters has died at the age of 75 due to complications from Covid, according to reports.

The television star, best known for his role as Julian Crane on NBC’s Passions, died in Palm Springs on January 11.

Masters had battled dementia for many years, but Deadline claims that he succumbed to Covid.

Tributes for Masters have come flooding in since the news of his death, with his Passions co-star Eric Martsolf sharing a photo of the late actor from set.

‘I snapped this on the last tape day at Passions,’ he penned. ‘He was all smiles, and I’ll remember him as such. Thank you for your kindness, and rest in peace, Ben.’

One fan wrote: ‘RIP Ben Masters! Julian Crane was one helluva soap villain!’

Another said: ‘We lost Sonya Eddy a few weeks ago in 2022 and now Ben Masters. Ugh…2023 is not off to a good start.’

‘Absolutely devastated. RIP to the fabulous Ben Masters, an incredible actor,’ mourned a third.

Masters featured in a whopping 749 episodes of Passions, which he starred in from 1999 to 2008.

Prior to landing the part of Julian in the soap, he played Dr. Leo Rosetti in the American medical drama HeartBeat, as well as playing Nick Malloy in the Saturday morning live-action programme Muggsy.

Masters is survived by his sister Cheryl Lerner.

There will be no memorial service or funeral for Masters at his request.

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