In Memoriam: Felicia Minei Behr, Consummate Executive Producer

Felicia Minei Behr

We’ve received the sad news that much beloved executive producer Felicia Minei Behr, who helmed All My Children and As the World Turns among other soaps, has passed away following a five-year battle with brain cancer. She was 83.

She also produced Ryan’s Hope, and, as ABC’s vice president for Daytime from 2000 to 2004, oversaw General Hospital, One Life to Live, Port Charles, and the daily talk show that has become an institution, The View.

Marlena was always a big AMC fan and it was my pleasure to get to know Felicia over many lunches over the years. For me, these conversations were a master class in the complex day to day process of soap production.  Unlike some executive producers in the same position, she had no overblown ego and was strictly interested in the quality of the work she produced. She was very maternal, but would not tolerate any b.s. She was known for being firm with actors, yet kind at the same time.

Hers was the era of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and such wonderful young actors as Darnell Williams (Jesse) and Jenny (Kim Delaney), all created by the headwriter Agnes Nixon. Their Pine Valley was full of love, character and good humor.   AMC deservedly won the best show Emmy in both 1992 and 1984.

After leaving AMC in 1996, she become executive producer of CBS’ As the World Turns.  Although she did much good work there, TPTB at Procter and Gamble vastly underrated her work and foolishly let her go.

In person Felicia was down to earth and very modest. She grew up in a small Long Island town and started her career in secretarial school. She broke into TV working on such early classics as The Gary Moore Show and The Jackie Gleason Show.

Her husband of 46 years, Robert Behr, an Emmy winning ABC technical director, died in 2017. Felicia leaves four daughters, a son and ten grandchildren. How much we will miss her.