Back in July, we were deeply saddened by the news that daytime veteran Benjamin Hendrickson had committed suicide. The 55-year-old Daytime Emmy winner was beloved by soap-opera fans as Oakdale P.D. detective Hal Munson on CBS’s As the World Turns. Hendrickson was last seen in the July 12 episode. At the time, the show’s spokesperson told TVGuide.com that there were "no plans to recast" the role of Hal. Since then, loyal World Turns viewers have been asking me what would become of the Hal character. Now, I finally have something to tell you. In the Friday, October 13 episode, Hal’s son Will (Jesse Lee Soffer) receives a heartbreaking telephone call. On Monday, October 16, we’ll watch the rest of Oakdale learn that Hal was killed off-screen in the line of duty. Hal’s loved ones celebrate (rather than just mourn) his life with a get-together at Yo’s, a longtime local hangout. "We all felt that we needed to give the character of Hal the respect he deserved," World Turns head writer Jean Passanante tells TVGuide.com. "It is a difficult situation. We have needed some time to let things settle. Ben had very close relationships with everybody at the show. The audience obviously adored him, too. Hal Munson, as played by Ben, was definitely a moral compass for Oakdale. We miss him."
TV Guide
I have not watched ATWT in over a decade, but I am going to watch. So sad.
