Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Richard Simmons'General Hospitalcostar Lynn Herring remembered the actor in a new interview She shared that when they appeared in the show's famed Nurses' Ball together, he left her with a gown as a gift Herring explained why she "admired" Simmons, who died in July 2024, as a "true performer" Richard Simmonsleft a big mark on hisGeneral Hospitalcostars, and Lynn Herring still has one of his gifts in her closet. Herring, who plays Lucy Coe on the long-running soap, spoke aboutSimmons, who died in July 2024at age 76, in an article published byMichael Fairman TVon May 20. Beginning in 1979, Simmons appeared in more than 100 episodes ofGeneral Hospitalas a fictionalized version of himself. Herring first appeared on the show from 1986 to 2004, and when she returned in 2012, she took over as perennial host of the Nurses' Ball, the annual event that started to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS. In 2013, Simmons returned to play himself in honor of the show's 50th anniversary. He choreographed dancers for that year's Nurses' Ball — and clashed with Lucy. "Lucy generates an energy that I think sometimes can combust too much. Richard was very manic and hyper," Herring said. "He would be Lucy's energy on steroids times 10. He comes to work though with the same joy of wanting to entertain. Richard wanted people to feel his love and acceptance and warmth and that's the first thing you see." Gregg DeGuire/WireImage "I just admired Richard so much, because whatever he was going through, he would put that aside and wanted to be a true performer and really engage with all of us," she said. Herring also remembered that Simmons left her with a gift, too. "We spent several days together, obviously, and then the last day he had this beautiful jeweled dress that he had gotten at an auction, or an art house, and he gave it to me," she remembered. "I told him, 'Richard, I don't need a gift, but I will keep that and treasure it,' because it just represents everything he gave everybody." She continued, "It was so fun in our scenes, because he would try to get so mad at Lucy, and we would be doing our nemesis stuff and then we would crack up. We did have to do several takes occasionally." Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Back in July,Herring remembered herGHcostarin a conversation with PEOPLE. "Richard Simmons meant a lot to so many folks including me," she explained. "When Richard walked on ourGeneral Hospitalstage it would sizzle with his life force, his wicked sense of humor, his joy of entertaining and his love for us all." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Richards' original appearances onGHhelped him crossover from quirky Los Angeles fitness instructor to household name. Only after those appearances did he recordhis first fitness video, and he became a frequent presence on TV beginning in the 1980s. HisGeneral Hospitalgig in 2013 was one of his last before he retired. Read the original article onPeople
