For decades, soap operas have always labored under the impression that its actors are either melodramtic or simply can’t act, but nothing could be further from the truth. While daytime has cultivated many terrific actors whose legend is well-known even among young soap fans (the indomitable Beverlee McKinsey comes to mind), there have been many well-known actors and celebrities who cut their teeth on daytime drama. Here’s a list of some actors who make up of the soap opera alumni.
All My Children has a wealth of alumni who was done everything from theater, film, and television. Some of the more well-known alumni from this soap include:
Mischa Barton (The O.C.)
Kathy Bates (The Titanic, Fried Green Tomatoes, Misery)
Timothy Busfield (Studio 60, The West Wing)
Kim Delaney (NYPD Blue)
Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas)
Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica)
Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Lauren Holly (Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigation Service, Dumb & Dumber)
Debbi Morgan (The Hurricane, Eve’s Bayou)
Kelly Ripa (Live with Regis & Kelly)
Another World, though now dearly departed, has cast a lot dynamic and award-winning actors that have lit up the big screen and very big ways. They include:
Morgan Freeman (Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby)
Ray Liotta (Wild Hogs, Smith, Goodfellas)
Lindsey Lohan (Georgia Rule, A Prairie Home Companion)
Brad Pitt (Mr & Mrs. Smith, Ocean’s Eleven)
Under the direction of legendary headwriter Douglas Marland, As the World Turns became a training ground for a stunningly diverse group of actors (and one rapper/singer) that now include Academy award winners, Grammy winners, and well-known indie stalwarts. They are:
William Fichtner (Prison Break, Invasion)
Lauryn Hill (The Fugees, solo career)
Julianne Moore (Children of Men, Far From Heaven)
Ming Na (E.R.)
Parker Posey (For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind)
Meg Ryan (Against the Ropes, When Harry Met Sally)
Marisa Tomei (Wild Hogs, My Cousin Vinny)
Days Of Our Lives has cast some actors whose faces are now well-known. They include:
Jensen Ackles (Supernatural)
Melinda Clarke (The O.C.)
Lisa Rinna (Melrose Place)
Over the years, General Hospital has cast pop culture superstars that have gone on to become famous, either on the small screen or the big one. They include:
Richard Dean Anderson (McGyver)
Mark Hamill (Star Wars)
Demi Moore (Mr. Brooks, Bobby)
Antonio Sabato, Jr. (Melrose Place)
John Stamos (E.R.)
Amber Tamblyn (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Joan of Arcadia)
Over 70 years old, Guiding Light has gone on to create some bright lights and iconic and legendary figures of the theater and silver screen, not to mention a death-defying cheerleader and an actor whose Six Degrees of Separation began on right here. They include:
Kevin Bacon (Mystic River, Footloose)
Ruby Dee (Jungle Fever)
Calista Flockhart (Brothers and Sisters, Ally McBeal)
Michelle Forbes (24)
James Earl Jones (The Great White Hope)
Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: NY)
James Lipton (Inside the Actor’s Studio)
Nia Long (Are We There Yet? Big Momma’s House)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes)
Cicely Tyson (Diary of A Mad Black Woman, Roots)
Billy Dee Williams (The Empire Strikes Back, Lady Sings the Blues)
JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist)
Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210, Dancing with the Stars).
This list of actors who got their break on One Life To Live are impressive indeed, including actors, a few directors, and some pop cultural icons. They include:
Steven Culp (Desperate Housewives)
Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives, Melrose Place)
Nathan Fillion (Serenity)
Laurence Fishburne (Akeelah and the Bee, the Matrix)
Al Freeman, Jr. (Malcolm X, Roots)
Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black, The Fugitive)
Eriq La Salle (E.R.)
Judith Light (Who’s the Boss)
Amanda Peet (Studio 60, The Whole Nine Yards)
Ryan Phillipe (Flags of Our Fathers, Breach)
Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show)
Esther Rolle (Good Times)
Mario Van Peebles (Baadasss!, New Jack City)
Blair Underwood (The New Adventures of Old Christine, L.A. Law)
Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers)
Ryan’s Hope may be gone except in the minds of its most ardent fans, but a few of its cast members have gone on to have amazing careers on film and on television. Some of these names include:
Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris)
Yasmine Bleeth (Baywatch)
Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos)
Marg Helgenberger (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
Catherine Hicks (7th Heaven)
Kate Mulgrew (The Black Donnellys, Star Trek: Voyager)
Grant Show (Melrose Place)
The Young and the Restless has churned out a list of interesting actors that television audiences readily recognize today. They include:
Vivica A. Fox (Ella Enchanted, Juwanna Mann)
David Hasselhoff (Baywatch, Knight Rider)
Angela Oh (Grey’s Anatomy, Sideways)
Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives)
Victoria Rowell (Home of the Brave, Diagnosis Murder).
Other soap opera alumni include: Jennifer Finnigan (The Bold and the Beautiful), Christian Slater (Ryan’s Hope), Robin Wright-Penn (Santa Barbara).
