NEW YORK—Eileen Herlie, a stage and TV actress who appeared on “All My Children” for more than three decades as the motherly Myrtle Fargate, has died at 90.

Herlie died Wednesday of pneumonia, said Julie Hanan Carruthers, the ABC soap opera’s executive producer.

The actress joined the long-running show in 1976 to play Myrtle, who became the surrogate mother to many of the soap’s major characters, including Erica Kane, portrayed by Susan Lucci.

“I’m sure Eileen is lighting up the sky’s in heaven with her flaming red hair and lovely Scottish accent,” Lucci said.

Herlie’s last appearance on the program was in June.

Before joining “All My Children,” Herlie was a regular on Broadway. Musical theater buffs knew Herlie from her appearances in two shows: “Take Me Along” (1959), in which she played Jackie Gleason’s love interest, and “All American” (1962).

Her movie credits include two filmings of “Hamlet,” the Burton version and the 1948 Laurence Olivier production, in which she also played Gertrude. Her other movies include “Freud” (1962) with Montgomery Clift and Sidney Lumet’s “The Sea Gull” (1968) with Simone Signoret, James Mason and Vanessa Redgrave.

Herlie is survived by a brother, nieces and nephews.