these celebrities all got their start on ABC’s “One Life to Live.”
The plotline, especiallyBilly’s “coming-out” scene, was said to have broken a taboo.
For then-newcomer Phillippe, the part was his first meaty, dramatic role.
“I get the chance to do some really cool acting.
“I didn’t have to force tears.
My voice went all quivery and they just flowed out of me,” he said.
The role was a big learning experience for Phillippe.
Fillion clearly remembers his first day in the role.
“I was nervous I’m not going to lie.
Everyone was looking at me like, ‘Who is this new guy?’
“I’ll never speak poorly about daytime drama,” he said.
“The people on that show took me in and took care of me.
There is no one there I wouldn’t give a giant hug to.
If you’re going to learn the ropes, learn them from the best.”
opposite Tony Danza, who played her housekeeper.
Coming from a theater background, Light found herself in “good company” on “OLTL.”
“There are a lot of challenges in getting it done so quickly.
Panettiere was only 4 years old in 1994 when she landed the part, which she played until 1997.
In the ’80s, she played Kate Sanders on “One Life to Live.”
Her first-ever scene on the soap was with John Loprieno, who played Cord.
Tina would go on to interrupt Cord’s wedding to Kate.
However, another “OLTL” fan wrote, “I loved Marcia Cross on OLTL in 1986/1987 …
I was so bummed when Marcia Cross left because I loved the duo of Kate and Cord!”
Early in his career, Jones was not yet used to fame.
He was crossing the street in New York City when a woman clearly recognized him.
“That perplexed me.
“Erika Slezak was one of my mentors in that arena.
“A lot of our scenes were together …
I was just out of theater school, Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, and I didn’t know anything …
So I’ll always be grateful to her for that.
She probably looked [at] me and said, ‘This kid needs some help!
I’m gonna help him out.'”
But there are some very good actors in that medium.”
Bleeth continued appearing in projects through the early 2000s.
Fishburne has proved himself to be an accomplished and versatile actor and has played a variety of roles.
In the mid-’70s, he played Josh West Hall on the popular daytime soap.
“I was 10, 11 years old, a single-parent household.
While Routh was not necessarily upset by the news, he was disappointed in how the events transpired.
“I am not truly saddened by this turn of events … in fact I am quite relieved.
I have gained much and will now move on,” Routh said in astatementat the time.
Instead of being open and honest with me, they were conniving and malicious.
Not bad to go from starring on a soap opera to playing the lead in a blockbuster Hollywood film.
