I just read on a Dutch ATWT site that Benjamin was very ill when he left ATWT in 2004 for 1 year.

I can not believe this!

He was one of my favorite actors and Hal was one of my favorites.

I actually liked the Tom-Margo-Hal triangle especially when Hillary Bailey Smith played Margo.

Watching him on the screen you could tell something was wrong.

Sad day for long time ATWT fans!!

Plus, there is so much story with having him die. It will affect so many characters.

Yes it does:

Parker, Carly, Jack, Margo, Tom, Adam, Jennifer, Paul, Barbara, Emily, Will and I can go on and on.....

It wouldn't be the same to have another person playing Hal...Benjamin Hendrickson was truly talented and he will most definitely be missed.

Yes it does:

Parker, Carly, Jack, Margo, Tom, Adam, Jennifer, Paul, Barbara, Emily, Will and I can go on and on.....

Hopefully this will mean more of a storyline for Barbara in particular, since both Jennifer and now Hal are gone.

How terribly sad.

In addition to his work on the show, Hendrickson appeared on Broadway in the 1984 revival of Awake and Sing, Strider and in the title role of The Elephant Man.

I've never watched ATWT. I saw him 20+ years ago when my sister and I went to see "The Elephant Man" on Broadway because David Bowie was starring in it. Turned out Bowie was sick that evening and Benjamin, his understudy, took over. He gave a wonderful performance and I always remembered his name from that alone.

Maybe they will emergency re-cast if Hal was in scenes prior to Ben's death. I'm not sure how soaps run. If they film all the scenes they have for the day or get back to it later.

I'm still stunned. Sometimes, I take performers for granted. I see them on TV and expect them to still be there when I turn the channel.

I am so devestated! As bad as this sounds, I bet ATWT are regretting killing off Jennifer now. I agree with Matt, how erie....

I say Hal needs to written off in a tragic, tributing way. Just let the story revolve around Barbara. I'm in tears.

This is so incredibly sad. He was one of my favorites. There really are no words. The soap world has lost a good one.

RIP, Mr. Hendrickson.

I am so devestated! As bad as this sounds, I bet ATWT are regretting killing off Jennifer now. I agree with Matt, how erie....

I say Hal needs to written off in a tragic, tributing way. Just let the story revolve around Barbara. I'm in tears.

Or Carly and Parker.

Too bad Emily and Hal weren't close anymore.

Oh wow this is horrible.

I was hoping the post last night was just a hoax.

RIP Ben.

I just found out about this and couldn't believe it. I'm still trying to process it. This is truly sad... a loss for ATWT and fans alike.

I had to tape ATWT today and I don't know how I'll feel watching it later, with Hal dealing with Jennifer's prognosis.

Every scene with Benjamin will be so sad to watch....It was so difficult to watch the show today when I learned the news of his death.

I am just...at a loss for words. I saw the thread from late last night and thought immediately that it was just a stupid hoax. I mean, there were firm rumors that Jason Cook died in a car crash in 2004, but that was quickly proven to be untrue.

He was one of those people whose voice you'll always remember. Just a few months ago, I was laughing myself to tears trying to imitate "the Hal Munson voice" while watching the show one day. It can't be imitated and I hope they realize this and give Benjamin Hendrickson and his character the proper send-off that they both deserve.

And it saddens me more because today, you could see a little inkling between Hal and Emily, and I was thinking that it'd be great for them to work towards getting together again (with Barbara relying on Hal because of Jen, starting a triangle). If they go along with this, can you imagine the immense amount of emotion that would be going through the characters of Barbara and Will? Will will go into a downward spiral and it would take a miracle for him to ever recover from not graduating, cheating on his wife, losing his sister, and losing his father. It's too much for a person to take in the matter of 2-3 months.

R.I.P. BH, you will be, without a doubt, truly, truly missed by everyone who has watched ATWT since 1985.

It was so difficult to watch the show today when I learned the news of his death.

Just hearing that rumor made my stomach turn every time I saw him on screen today. And then he was in today's opening, and that hit me even harder.

Now I wish it were a hoax or a sick joke. Oh my God. This is devastating news.