Soldier, Soldier star Marise Wipani dies at 61, leaving poignant final message
8 June 2025, 18:15 | Updated: 8 June 2025, 18:23
The actress, best known for appearing in Soldier, Soldier and Xena: Warrior Princess, died on her birthday on Friday.
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The New Zealand-born star's death was announced in a post on her Facebook page on Friday.
The post read: "Marise passed peacefully today on her 61st birthday surrounded by family and friends."
"She just wanted to say ... I have shuffled off this mortal coil"
"Good bye, good luck, good God!!!!"
No cause of death was disclosed.
Her final message seems to reference the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy in Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, where the title character says: "For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come, / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause."
The phrase is often interpreted to mean leaving the struggles of daily life behind in death.
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The line "Good bye, good luck, good God!!!!" is a quote from the 1989 American comedy drama film Driving Miss Daisy.
The actress' Soldier, Soldier co-star Jay Laga'aia, said in the comments of the Facebook post that he was "devastated" to hear about her death.
He said: "You are so young and I will miss you. We have worked together over the years and I was always so pleased to have you on set. Travel well my sister, love you always."
Fans also left condolences and heartfelt messages in the comments.
Marise Wipani was best known for appearing in British TV drama Soldier, Soldier and American fantasy TV show Xena: Warrior Princess.
Wipani's career began in the 1980s, when she was scouted to join the Miss New Zealand competition.
She worked in various roles in the television industry before becoming one of the first presenters of the live televised draw for the New Zealand lottery.
She left the role to pursue acting full-time in 1991, and appeared in a number of roles in TV and film throughout the 1990s and early 200s, including Soldier, Soldier and Xena: Warrior Princess.
