Kate O'Mara, who starred in the 1980s primetime soap opera 'Dynasty', has passed away aged 74.

The British actress died on Sunday (March 30th) in a nursing home in Southern England after battling with an ongoing illness.

The news was confirmed by O'Mara's agent Phil Belfield, who stated that she had passed away in the morning.

"She was extraordinary, she had so much energy and vitality with a love for theatre and acting," he said. "A shining star has gone out and Kate will be dearly missed by all who knew and have worked with her."

O'Mara first began working in the television industry during the 1960's but rose to fame when playing 'Cassandra "Caress" Morrell' in the ABC soap opera.

One of her co-stars, Joan Collins, led the tributes to her by tweeting: "Tragic news about Kate O'Mara, we had great fun on Dynasty when she played my sister Caress... RIP."

The British actress also appeared in 'Doctor Who' also during the 1980's as renegade Time Lord 'The Rani', opposite both Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy.

Last October (2013), ahead of the long running sci-fi show's 50th Anniversary, O'Mara revealed to Digital Spy that she would have loved to reprise the role.

"I would love to come back," she said at the time. "If you put a much older woman in Doctor Who, they can identify with it. I think it's quite an interesting concept and if you remember things like Grimm's Fairytales, the older woman is often the villainess, often the terrifying figure - why I do not know, but often she is. I think it's an idea to be exploited."

Colin Baker, who was one of the Doctor's during her stint on the show, also tweeted about her passing: "Oh my goodness. Kate O'Mara is no longer with us. Sad sad news. A delightful, committed and talented lady and actress. We are the poorer."

Kate O'Mara
Kate O'Mara died aged 74