My List of Daytime Drama's Best Actors

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For those who have followed my threads religiously, you are already aware that I am a fan of daytime drama. There was a time when there were 13 different daytime dramas on the air and I would go to work and set my VCR to record a different network each day. Of course, there are only four soaps still on the air (and I confess I still watch two of them) and it's practically a forgotten television genre. Initially, we lovers of daytime were forced in the closet because it was considered the armpit of television entertainment, but then a television producer named Gloria Monty was hired to revive a show on the verge of cancellation called General Hospital. She reinvented daytime drama forever and for awhile, it became cool to watch soap operas. A lot of people have looked down on this form of entertainment and the actors who inhabit it because there is a school of thought that a career in daytime is possible as long as you look good without your clothes on, but there have been many fantastic actors who have worked in the genre...some names you will recognize, as they have gone on to careers outside of daytime and others who continue their daytime careers, but there are people who work on daytime who can actually act. This is my list of the best actors in Daytime Drama:

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80.

Gerald Anthony

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Anthony made his daytime debut playing Marco Dane on One Life to Live, a former pimp and conman who made his way to Llanview to cash in on the new life that his former # 1 girl Karen Wolek (Judith Light) has made for herself. The actor and the character became so popular that the show created a twin brother for Marco named Mario Carelli.

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79.

Grant Cramer

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Cramer played a character named Shawn Garrett on The Young and the Restless, a psychopath who became so obsessed with aspiring rock singer Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman) that he kidnapped her and buried her alive. Cramer's work on this show literally gave me chills. He did manage a short-lived movie career after leaving the soap, with roles in films like Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Driving Me Crazy, The Still Life, and Hardbodies.

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78.

Brenda Dickson

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Dickson originated the role of Jill Foster Abbott on The Young and the Restless...Dickson was a larger than life screen presence who created one of the show's most memorable characters. Sadly, Dickson's offscreen diva behavior got her fired from the show in a storm of controversy and eventually destroyed her career. None of this changes the fact that every moment she spent on this show was appointment television.

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77.

Elizabeth Hubbard

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Hubbard won an Emmy for her work on an NBC soap called The Doctors but she made her mark on daytime playing a character named Lucinda Walsh on the CBS soap As the World Turns, a role which earned the actress eight more Emmy nominations. Movie fans might recognize her for tiny roles in Ordinary People and Center Stage.

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76.

Lane Davies

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A classically trained actor, Davies made his daytime debut on Days of our Lives and also played Dr. Cameron Davis on General Hospital, but made his biggest impact on daytime playing Mason Capwell on Santa Barbara.

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75.

Helen Gallagher

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Gallagher began her career on stage originating the role of Nickie in the original Broadway production of Sweet Charity and was in the original Broadway cast of No No Nanette. She reinvented her career playing the role of Irish matriarch Maeve Ryan on the ABC soap Ryan's Hope, a role which earned her three Emmys. She later appeared as Dr. Maud Boylan on One Life to Live.

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74.

Jennifer Bassey

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Bassey did more than her share of scene stealing playing the role of Marian Colby on ABC's All My Children.

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73.

Darlene Conley

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This brassy scene stealer original hit daytime as the head of an illegal baby ring on The Young and the Restless named Rose DeVille, but made a name for herself on daytime playing Sally Spectra on The Bold and the Beautiful.

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72.

A Martinez

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Martinez won an Emmy for his work as Cruz Castillo on the NBC soap Santa Barbara. Movie fans might recognize him from the 1971 John Wayne film The Cowboys or from playing Meryl Streep's manservant/boytoy in the 1989 comedy She Devil.

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71.

James Mitchell

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This sophisticated actor began his career as a dancer and appeared in films like Deep in My Heart, The Band Wagon, and Oklahoma!, but gained a whole new legion of fans decades later when he played Palmer Courtlandt on All Mychildren, a role which earned the actor seven Emmy nominations.

[Dani8]

I dont watch daytime soaps but I loved your #73 back in the day as Sally who hd saucy dreams about Fabio. RiP. Her B&B stare off was legendary.

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/fabio-appears-at-a-bachelorette-party-for-sally-spectra-on-the-cbs-picture-id626801124

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I dont watch daytime soaps but I loved your #73 back in the day as Sally who hd saucy dreams about Fabio. RiP. Her B&B stare off was legendary.

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I didn't really watch B&B unless Sally was on...if she wasn't on, I didn't watch and stopped watching when Conley passed away. She was the only thing I liked about B&B.

[Dani8]

She was great. Such a sexy voice.

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70.

Nathan Fillion

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Long before he became Castle, Fillion was the first actor on One Life to Live to make the role of Joey Buchanan his own.

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69.

Barbara Crampton

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Crampton first hit daytime playing Trista Bradford on Days of our Lives, but she caught my eye playing the nasty Leanna Love on The Young and the Restless, a character who was a complete 180 from Trista.

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68.

Thaoo Penghlis

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Penghlis was first introduced to daytime audiences as Victor Cassadine on General Hospital, but made his biggest impact on daytime playing Tony Di Mera on Days of our Lives...this actor had a glaze that could melt ice.

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67.

John Ingle

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The late actor and acting teacher was the fourth and final actor to play the role of Edward Quartermaine on General Hospital. This was one of the few times on daytime that an actor's death motivated the character's death instead of a simple recast.

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66.

Illene Kristen

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Kristen, who began her career in the original Broadway cast of Grease made an impression on daytime playing Delia Reid Ryan on Ryan's Hope...few actresses on daytime played "hot mess" better than Kristen.

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65.

Colleen Zenk Pinter

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Zenk Pinter spent a couple of decades dazzling daytime fans as Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns

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63.

Greg Rikaart

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Rikaart is an Emmy winner for his role as Kevin Fisher on The Young and the Restless

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62.

Lois Kibbee

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Kibbee first hit daytime playing wealthy matriarch Geraldine Whitney on The Edge of Night and wealthy matriarch Elizabeth Sanders on One Life to Live. Movie fans might recognize her from her small role in Caddyshack as Ted Knight's wife.

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61.

Kathleen Noone

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Noone won an Emmy for her role as Ellen Shepherd Dalton on All My Children...prime time viewers might remember her playing William Devane's sister on Knots Landing

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60.

John de Lancie

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de Lancie brought wonderful comic relief to NBC's Days of our Lives as the nutty psychic Eugene Bradford. Prime time fans might recognize de Lancie from his roles in The Thorn Birds, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Murder One. Movie fans might remember him as Jeff Bridges' business partner in Fearless.

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59.

David Lewis

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The late actor created the role of Edward Quartermaine on General Hospital, for which he won an Emmy. Movie fans might recognize him from his roles in Kid Galahad, The Absent-Minded Professor, and the Oscar winning Best Picture of 1960 The Apartment. His prime time television credits include guest appearances on Bewitched, Cannon, Bonanza, Batman, Ironside, That Girl, and The Streets of San Francisco.

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58.

Scott Bryce

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Bryce created one of daytime's first characters I loved to hate with his role as Craig Montgomery on As the World Turns. Prime time fans might remember him as Will Forrest, husband of Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford) on the CBS comedy Murphy Brown.

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57.

Linda Dano

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Dano made daytime history when a single character she created appeared on three different soaps. Her character, Gretel "Rae" Cummings, spent time on All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital, but Dano made her biggest impression on daytime playing flamboyant romance novelist Felicia Gallant on Another World, a daytime reincarnation of Auntie Mame who was a clothes horse and deliciously entertaining.

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56.

Larkin Malloy

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The late actor played Schuyler Whitney on Edge of Night, Kyle Sampson on Guiding Light, and Travis Montgomery on All My Children. Malloy was a charismatic actor who made some bold acting choices that always paid off.

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55.

Judith Chapman

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This daytime vet with Bette Davis eyes first hit soaps as Charlotte Greer on Ryan's Hope and then played perpetual victim Ginny Webber on General Hospital and is currently entertaining daytime audiences as Gloria Fisher on The Young and the Restless.

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54.

Christine Tudor

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Tudor's role as the bitchy Gwyneth Alden is pretty much the only thing I remember about the ABC soap Loving.

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53.

Michael Tylo

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This rugged and charismatic actor first hit daytime as Quint Chamberlain on Guiding Light. He also played Matt Connelly on All My Children, Rick and Blade on The Young and the Restless, and Sherman Gale on The Bold and the Beautiful.

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52.

Sharon Wyatt

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Wyatt lit up the screen on General Hospital as a glamorous actress named Tiffany Hill (on her wedding day to Sean Donely, we learned Tiffany's real name was Elsie Mae Krumholtz). Wyatt was that rare soap opera animal...a beautiful actress who actually could act.

[Dani8]

He looks a bit like Yoda, but not as devilishly handsome.

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51.

Andrea Evans

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Though she has played roles on The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Passions, Evans is based known for playing the flighty and self-absorbed Tina Clayton on One Life to Live, where she was pretty much stole every scene she ever did.

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50.

Kristoff St. John

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St. John first hit daytime as Adam Marshall on the NBC soap Generations but is best known for playing Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless, a role for which he has won two Emmys. Prime time viewers might recognize him from guest shots on Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show, Living Single, and a memorable episode of The Cosby Show where he played a boyfriend of Denise who ridicules what Cliff and Claire do for a living.

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49.

Julianna McCarthy

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The late actress charmed daytime audiences for years as the long suffering Liz Foster on The Young and the Restless. This actress was one of the few actors on daytime who ignited my tear ducts on a regular basis. Movie audiences might recognize her from roles in The Last American Virgin, Maid to Order, Satan's Princess, and The Distinguished Gentleman.

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48.

Julia Barr

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Barr spent three decades playing Brooke English on All My Children,a role that earned her two Emmys. She earned her place here by being one of the few actresses who could share the screen with the iconic Susan Lucci and not be blown off the screen.

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47.

Eileen Davidson

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Davidson is best known for her role as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless but really proved her range and versatility as an actress when she appeared on Days of Our Lives where she played five different characters...another example of a beautiful woman who can actually act.

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46.

Larry Bryggman

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An intense actor with an often chilling screen presence, Bryggman spent about 30 years playing Dr. John Dixon on As the World Turns, a role that earned him two Emmys. Movie fans might recognize him from his roles in Die Hard with a Vengeance,...and Justice for All, and Spy Game.

[Captain Steel]

I've never watched a daytime soap. When I was a kid, sometimes my mom would watch Another World and I would inadvertently pick up on the characters from overhearing, but that's about it.

I've watched some spoofs of daytime soaps - like Mary Hartman (which was just weird) and I was a fan of its talk-show spoof spin-off: Fernwood (and later "America") 2-Night. And of course the greatest soap spoof ever: Soap!

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45.

Terry Lester

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The late actor created the role of Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless and later played Royce on As the World Turns before his untimely passing. This gifted actor was taken from us much too soon.

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44.

Darnell Williams

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Williams won two Emmys for playing Jesse Hubbard on All My Children. Williams stole more than his share of scenes during his time on the show.

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43.

Marcy Walker

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Marcy Walker first hit daytime playing the bitchy Liza Colby on All My Children, but she won an Emmy for her work as Eden Capwell Castillo on Santa Barbara and was half of one of daytime's greatest supercouples: Eden and Cruz (A Martinez).

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42.

Tuc Watkins

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This sexy scene stealer brightened up many episode of One Life to Live in his role as David Vickers. Prime time viewers might recognize him from his role as Bob on Desperate Housewives.

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41.

Dorothy Lyman

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In addition to being a producer, writer, and director, Lyman also created the role of the outrageous Opal Gardener on All My Children, a role which earned her two Emmys. Prime time fans should recognize her from her role as Naomi Harper on Mama's Family.

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40.

Laura Wright

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One of daytime's most underrated actresses first appeared as Ally Bowman on Loving, then played Cassie Winslow on Guiding Light before becoming the fourth actress to play her current role of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital and has won an Emmy for her work on that show.

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39.
Joseph Mascolo

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This richly talented actor has played roles on The Bold and the Beautiful and General Hospital but carved a place for himself in daytime history when he created one of the genre's most durable and bone-chilling villains...Stefano Di Mera on Days of our Lives.

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38.

Tricia Cast

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Cast played the Tatum O'Neal role in the TV version of The Bad News Bears and played Christy Duvall on Santa Barbara, before she made her mark on daytime playing Nina Webster on The Young and the Restless, a role that won her an Emmy. She has also done prime time guest shots on ER, Married...with Children, and Chicago Hope.

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37.

Roger Howarth

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This intense actor has been commanding soap screens ever since he played former rapist Todd Manning on One Life to Life. He also played Paul Ryan on As the World Turns and is currently playing Franco Baldwin on General Hospital.

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36.

Beth Maitland

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Beth Maitland won an Emmy for her role as Traci Abbott on The Young and the Restless where Maitland proved that you don't have to have a 15-inch waist to be a successful actor in daytime. This is another one of those soap actors who regularly ignited the tear ducts.

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35.

Sean Kanan

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One of the great soap-hoppers who has played roles on The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Sunset Beach, but probably made his biggest impression daytime playing AJ Quartermaine on General Hospital.

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34.

Kin Shriner

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He's played roles on As the World Turns and Texas, but Shriner is best known for playing the slightly slimy Scotty Baldwin on General Hospital.

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33.
Jess Walton

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Walton first hit daytime as a reformed hooker named Kelly Clegg on the CBS soap Capital but has a found home as the current Jill Foster Abbott on The Young and the Restless, a role which has earned her two Emmys. Jill's catfights with Katharine Chancellor have become part of daytime folklore, right up there with Krystle and Alexis.

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32.

Ruth Warrick

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This legendary actress is famous primarily for two roles...she played Orson Welles' first wife in Citizen Kane and thirty years later, she created the role of Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on ABC's All My Children, a role she played for more than 2 decades until her death. Warrick was one of daytime's greatest scene-stealers.

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31.

Sharon Gabet

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Before there was Erica Kane, there was Raven Alexander Whitney, the flighty absorbed leading lady who kept things buzzing on Edge of Night for more than a decade. I've always felt Erica Kane was partially inspired by Raven, one of daytime's most entertaining leading ladies, brought to life by this vivacious actress.

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30.

Michael Muhney

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Muhney was the second and best of the three actors to play the role of Adam Newman on The Young and the Restless...a brilliant and underrated actor who never got the acclaim he deserved and left the show under a cloud of controversy that I'm still unclear about.

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29.
Debbi Morgan

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This talented actress first hit daytime as Chantal Marshall on Generations, but made her mark playing Dr. Angie Hubbard on All My Children, a role she reprised on Loving, and earned her an Emmy. Morgan also played Dr. Ellen Burgess on Port Charles and has graced prime time TV with guest roles on Herman's Head, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Trapper John MD, Roc, and The Practice. Movie fans might recognize the actress from her roles in Love & Basketball, The Hurricane, and Eve's Bayou.

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28.
Christian LeBlanc

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This sexy and talented actors has spent a couple of decades playing former rapist turned attorney Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless, a role that has earned him two Emmys.

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27.
Trent Dawson

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Dawson stole more than his share of scenes playing Henry Coleman on As the World Turns. He recently resurfaced on daytime with a recurring role on General Hospital.

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26.
Lynn Herring

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This deliciously funny scene stealer has played roles on Days of our Lives and As the World Turns, but is best known for her over the top antics on General Hospital as Lucy Coe. Lucy's antics at the annual GH Nurses Ball have become part of daytime folklore.

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25.
Peter Bergman

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When Terry Lester vacated the role of Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless, I was devastated and couldn't imagine any other actor ever playing the role. About six months later, Peter Bergman, who had just spent a decade playing Dr. Cliff Warner on All My Children, became the new Jack and though it didn't happen overnight, Bergman made the role his own and has earned three Emmys in the process.

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24.
Sarah Brown

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This brilliant actress blew daytime audiences away with her explosive work originating the role of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital, a role that won her three Emmys. She has also played roles on Days of our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful. At one point, Brown became available to return to GH, but the role of Carly had already been recast, so TPTB actually created a brand new character for Brown to play in order to get her back on the show.

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23.
Rick Hearst

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Smoking hot looks aside, this guy can actually act. He won an Emmy for his work as Alan-Michael Spaulding on Guiding Light and two Emmys for his role as Ric Lansing on General Hospital. He has also played roles on The Young and the Restless, Days of Lives, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

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22.
Stephen Nichols

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Nichols was a breath of fresh air on Days of our Lives as the one-eyed Patch Johnson whose romance with Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) was one of the few that rivaled Luke and Laura.

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21.
Nicholas Surovy

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Surovy surprised daytime audiences as Mike Roy on All My Children, one of the few characters who held his own opposite Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). Surovy and Lucci had a fascinating Tracy-Hepburn type chemistry that was always fun to watch.

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20.
Vincent Irrizary

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Another talented soap-hopper who has created several memorable daytime characters including Lujack on Guiding Light, Scott Clark on Santa Barbara, John Chow on The Young and the Restless, and Dr. David Hayward on All My Children. This actor had a talent for playing characters you loved to hate and never shied away from the negative aspects of these characters.

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19.
Kimberlin Brown

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Brown scared the bejesus out of daytime audiences when she was introduced as Sheila Carter, a mild-mannered nurse who fell in love with Dr. Peter Grainger (Scott Barton), got pregnant, miscarried the child and when Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman) fell for Scott and had his child, something snapped inside Sheila, turning her into a full-fledged psychopath whose crimes included kidnapping Lauren's son and trying to raise him as her own and trying to burn Lauren and her own mother to death in a mountain cabin. The character later resurfaced on The Bold and the Beautiful before returning to Y&R before her final demise...at least what we thought...I've lost count of how many times Sheila has been assumed dead. Sheila Carter is one of daytime's most bone-chilling characters, devoid of a moral compass and doesn't know the meaning of the word remorse.

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18.

Carolyn Hennesy

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This absolutely brilliant actress steals every single scene she does as attorney Diane Miller on General Hospital. Prime time viewers might recognize her from recurring roles on True Blood, Cougar Town, and Revenge.

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17.

Mark Pinter

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Another veteran soap hopper rich with acting talent. Pinter has played Grant McColl on As the World Turns, Grant Harrison on Another World, Roger Smythe on All My Children, Marcus Wheeler on The Young and the Restless, and Mark Evans on Guiding Light. Movie fans might recognize him from featured roles in Vanilla Sky and Other People's Money.

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16.

Melody Thomas Scott

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Melody Thomas Scott has been playing Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless for over 30 years. She has so completely enchanted audiences in this role that a lot of viewers don't even know that she took over the role from an actress named Erica Hope and made it her own.

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15.

Deidre Hall

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Hall has been playing Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of our Lives for 40 years. At one point, Marlena was killed off and fans were so outraged that the writers backtracked and revealed that it was Marlena's twin sister, Samantha (played by Hall's real life twin, Andrea Hall-Lovell) was the real victim.

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14.

Martha Byrne

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Byrne was in her teens when she joined As the World Turns as Lily Walsh Snyder, a role that earned her two Emmys. Byrne has often joked that her character has been kidnapped more than any other character on daytime.

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13.

Maura West

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Another of those beautiful actresses who can actually act. She won two Emmys for her role as Carly Snyder on As the World Turns and a third for her current role as Ava Jerome on General Hospital. This is an actress who forces the actors she works with to be better.

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12.

Judith Light

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Before winning two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a play, before a string of TV movies including The Ryan White Story and Wife, Mother, Murderer, before spending nine seasons playing Angela Bower on ABC's Who's the Boss?, Light won two Emmys for playing ex-prostitute Karen Wolek on One Life to Live. One award was pretty much for a single courtroom scene where Karen broke down on the witness stand and had to make her past public. During her years on the soap, Light earned a rep as being the best cryer in daytime...if anyone were to teach an acting class about crying on cue, it would have to be Light. An actress who proved that a show business career after daytime is viable if you have acting talent.

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11.

Michael E. Knight

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This funny and talented actor won three Emmys for his role as Tad Martin on All My Children. Movie fans might recognize him from A Date with an Angel, Hexed, and Hungry Years. He returned to daytime last year for a recurring role on The Young and the Restless.

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10.

Jonathan Jackson

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Jackson won five Emmys for his work as Lucky Spencer on General Hospital and is currently playing Avery on ABC's Nasville. Movie fans might recognize him from his roles in Camp Nowhere and The Deep End of the Ocean.

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9.

Nancy Lee Grahn

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Grahn won an Emmy for playing Julia Capwell on Santa Barbara and won another for her current role as Alexis Davis on General Hospital...there are few actresses who can command a screen the way this one does.

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8.

Robin Strasser

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She originated the role of Rachel Cory on Another World, played Dr. Christina Karass on All My Children, but made her strongest impression as Dorian Lord on One Life to Live, a role that earned her an Emmy. She's been doing guest shots on episodic television since the 1970's, had a recurring role on Knots Landing and played Betsy Stern in the 1988 TV movie Baby M.

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7.

Robin Mattson

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This brilliant actress has played roles on Guiding Light, Ryan's Hope, Days of our Lives, and Santa Barbara, but created her daytime legacy when she became the third and final actress to play psychopath Heather Webber on General Hospital. Pretty much every move Heather ever made onscreen made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. As brilliant as she was as Heather, incredibly, Mattson is one of the few actors on this list who has never won an Emmy.

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6.

Michelle Stafford

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This acting powerhouse is the only daytime star who made my "They Deserve to be Household Names" list. She is currently wowing viewers on General Hospital, but is best known for stealing every scene she ever did on The Young and the Restless as Phyllis Newman Abbott, a role which earned her three Emmys. This is an explosive and unpredictable actress who makes bold choices as an actor that almost always pay off. The character of Phyllis was a breath of fresh air because she felt unscripted most of the time...Stafford has rarely delivered a monologue that sounds memorized and NEVER phones it in. Any actor working with Stafford needs to step up their game if they don't want to be blown off the screen.

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6.

Robin Mattson

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This brilliant actress has played roles on Guiding Light, Ryan's Hope, Days of our Lives, and Santa Barbara, but created her daytime legacy when she became the third and final actress to play psychopath Heather Webber on General Hospital. Pretty much every move Heather ever made onscreen made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. As brilliant as she was as Heather, incredibly, Mattson is one of the few actors on this list who has never won an Emmy.

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5.

David Canary

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This charismatic actor actually began his career in prime time but eventually found his niche in daytime. Canary first caught our attention playing Candy on Bonanza then bounced around prime time and the occasional movie role until 1984 when he joined the cast of All My Children as ruthless millionaire Adam Chandler and his mentally challenged twin brother Stuart, a fascinating dual role that found the actor romantically paired with both Susan Lucci and Julia Barr and earning the actor five Emmy awards. The actor passed away in November of 2015.

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12.

Judith Light

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Before winning two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a play, before a string of TV movies including The Ryan White Story and Wife, Mother, Murderer, before spending nine seasons playing Angela Bower on ABC's Who's the Boss?, Light won two Emmys for playing ex-prostitute Karen Wolek on One Life to Live. One award was pretty much for a single courtroom scene where Karen broke down on the witness stand and had to make her past public. During her years on the soap, Light earned a rep as being the best cryer in daytime...if anyone were to teach an acting class about crying on cue, it would have to be Light. An actress who proved that a show business career after daytime is viable if you have acting talent.

She's also absolutely marvelous on Transparent.

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4.

Jeanne Cooper

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Even though she had been acting in movies and television since the 1950's, it was daytime that made a star out of this quietly brilliant actress when she was cast in the role of Katharine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless, a role which she played for over 30 years up until her death in 2013. Cooper commanded the screen every time she hit her mark and gave us some of the most memorable scenes in daytime, thanks to her character, an alcoholic millionairess responsible for the death of her first husband who was really in love with Jill Abbott, a woman Katharine would battle with until the day she died. Cooper made daytime history when the actress decided to have plastic surgery and agreed to have it written into Katherine's storyline and have the surgery filmed as part of the show. And even though it took almost 30 years, Cooper did finally win an Emmy for the role in 2008.

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3.

Erika Slezak

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The daughter of actor Walter Slezak, Erika became a daytime icon when she replaced Gillian Spencer in the role of Victoria Lord Riley Buchanan on One Life to Live. Victoria was a newspaper publisher with daddy issues who, because of a childhood trauma, suffered from DID, resulting in five alternate personalities, the most popular being a good time gal who called herself Niki Smith. Slezak performed some of the most complex scenes in the history of daytime and nailed them all and was rewarded with six Emmys for her efforts.

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2.

Jane Elliot

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This acting powerhouse has been playing Tracy Quartermaine on General Hospital on and off since 1981, winning an Emmy the same year. I have always been of the opinion that she won that Emmy for a single AMAZING scene. In an homage to Bette Davis in The Little Foxes, Tracy is standing over her father, Edward (David Lewis) , who has just collapsed from a heart attack and begging for his medication and Tracy refuses to give it to him until he promises to put her back in his will. Elliot also played Anjelica Deveraux on Days of our Lives and Cynthia Preston on All My Children, but she will always be Tracy to me. her prime time credits include Once an Eagle, Rosetti and Ryan, and Knots Landing. She also appeared in the films Baby Boom and Some Kind of Wonderful.

Well, we're down to # 2...before #1, I have some honorable mentions:

Susan Lucci (Erica Kane, All My Children)
Anthony Herrera (James Stenbeck, As the world Turns)
Genie Francis (Laura Spencer, General Hospital)
Eric Braeden (Victor Newman, The Young and the Restless)
Wayne Northrup (Roman Brady, Days of our Lives)
Matthew Ashford (Jack Devereaux, Days of our Lives)
Peter Reckell (Bo Brady, Days of our Lives)
Walt Willey (Jackson Montgomery, All My Children)
Michael Zaslow (Roger Thorpe, Guiding Light)
Hunt Block (Craig Montgomery, As the World Turns)
Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, General Hospital)

I've been trying to build a little suspense here, but I realize now that's pointless...there's only one actor left...for my money, the #1 best actor in daytime:

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1.

Anthony Geary

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Producer Gloria Monty changed daytime forever when she hired this virtually unknown actor in 1978 to play Lucas Lorenzo Spencer on General Hospital, a character who redefined the classic definition of a soap opera leading man and helped to make GH a ratings monster and watching soaps socially acceptable. Luke was an anti-hero unlike anything we had seen on daytime before. Luke also became half of a new term called the "Supercouple" when Luke "seduced" young newlywed Laura Baldwin (Genie Francis) and they had to go on the run from a mobster named Frank Smith (George Gaynes) and the rest is history, including an unprecedented eight Emmys for his work. He made one of his earliest TV appearances on an episode of All in the Family and his film credits include Disorderlies, Johnny Got His Gun, UHF, and Dangerous Love.





Hope someone enjoyed the list.