Mentoring Yourself

In 1983, sometime around my 20th birthday, I met “The Queen of Daytime Television,” soap opera star Mary Stuart. I was a young aspiring actor living in NYC and she was the grande dame of TV’s longest running serial drama, Search for Tomorrow. I landed some extra work on the show that eventually evolved into a small part and I was so besotted with the medium itself that I took on side work in the production office…not only to earn a living, but to be around the excitement of the daily inner workings of the show. I floated between the writing, casting and executive offices learning all aspects of what goes on “behind the scenes.” Mary took notice of my skills on both sides of the camera and offered me yet another side gig: she would give me personal acting coaching in exchange for helping her answer her fan mail and type up the edits of a new play she was writing. How could I refuse!?

Mary was not only an esteemed and groundbreaking TV star, she was a fine actress, having graduated from a Hollywood career in B-movies to being a co-creator and main character of television's very first successful soap opera. Search for Tomorrow, debuted in 1951 and Mary was there from Day One, creating a whole new form of storytelling that continues to this day. She was very famous (my grandmother indoctrinated me to the world of soaps and Mary was, of course, her favorite star; I’d grown up watching the trials and tribulations of her long suffering character, Joanne) and also an accomplished author, singer and songwriter.

Happy Independence Day! And Happy Mary Stuart Day, Too!

Mary Stuart

International entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen remembers his mentor, legendary actress Mary Stuart--born in July 4, 1926-- in a new story at We Love Soaps.

"Summertime meant trips to her Connecticut country home and ice cold cocktails in her Upper East Side Manhattan penthouse," Aspen wrote. "Like her memorable Christmases, Independence Day was a magical time. I remember the July 4 episode of Search for Tomorrow in 1986 with Mary's character, Jo, singing a duet with our pal Anita Gillette (Wilma) at the Liberty House's rooftop party. They hilariously belted out 'Friendship' from Anything Goes. I wish she'd gotten to sing at one of the Bauer Barbeques when she was on Guiding Light as Meta."

Read the entire story here, which includes a poem written by Mary Stuart.

You can also catch a glimpse of Stuart in the teaser for the upcoming Janet Iacobuzio and Nelson Aspen series:

World AIDS Day: Remembering Those We Lost

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.

Around 100,000 are currently living with HIV in the UK and globally an estimated 34 million people have HIV. More than 35 million people have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Today, many scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. But despite this, people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others from HIV, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with HIV. World AIDS Day is important as it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

Below is an alphabetical list of the talented artists from the world of soaps and serials who lost their lives due to complications from the AIDS virus.

Ben Archibek (Neil Curtis, Days of our Lives)
January 6, 1943 – October 21, 1993 (age 50)

Amanda Blake (Julianna Stanhower, The Edge of Night)
February 20, 1929 – August 16, 1989 (age 60)

Bill Beyers (Wally McCandless, Capitol)

March 17, 1955 – May 29, 1992 (age 37)

Christopher Bernau (Philip Todd, Dark Shadows; Alan Spaulding, Guiding Light)

June 2, 1940 – June 14, 1989 (age 49)

Robert Christian (Bob Morgan, Another World; Dr. Colby, All My Children; Lieutenant Frank, Search for Tomorrow)
December 27, 1939 – January 27, 1983 (age 43)

Keith Christopher (Wyatt Sanders, Guiding Light; HIV+ gay man, Another World)
April 27, 1957 – February 23, 1998 (age 40)

Michael Zaslow Remembered

Michael Zaslow

Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Zaslow mesmerized audiences as Roger Thorpe on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light for many years. He also starred as a victim of Lou Gehrig's disease on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, and struggled with the illness in real life. He died on Sunday, December 6, 1998, after a courageous public battle with ALS. He was 54.

Note: There are conflicting reports about Mr. Zaslow's age, but according to The New York Times and a tribute at the 1999 Soap Opera Digest Awards, he would have turned 70 today.

Mr. Zaslow won a Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actor in 1994 for his portrayal of the villainous Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light, a role he played at various times over the course of 27 years. He was dismissed from the show in April 1997, some eight months after the early symptoms of his illness caused his speech to slur.

In May 1998, Mr. Zaslow appeared on One Life to Live, reprising his role as the pianist David Renaldi, which he had played from 1983 to 1986. When Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, was diagnosed in late 1997, he incorporated the degenerative nervous-system disorder into the life of his character to raise awareness about it.

Mr. Zaslow's early roles included Dick Hart on CBS' Search for Tomorrow and Dr. Peter Chernak on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. He also guest-starred on a number of other television shows, including Barnaby Jones, Law & Order, and the 1966 premiere of Star Trek. Mr. Zaslow's Broadway credits included "Fiddler on the Roof," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Boccaccio."

There is much more I could say about Michael Zaslow. His performances made me laugh and cry, scared me silly as a kid when his Roger Thorpe dressed as a clown at the Cedars Hospital charity bazaar, kept me on the edge of my seat countless times and, in the final year, he educated me about ALS.

In honor of Mr. Zaslow's birthday, below is the beautiful remembrance shown at the 1999 Soap Opera Digest Awards, as well as "Roger Thorpe: The Scandal Years," a 1994 VHS release featuring the best of Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light.

EXCLUSIVE: Nelson Aspen Dishes on His New Book "My Prime Time"

International entertainment reporter Nelson Aspen.

Nelson Aspen is one of entertainment's most charming personalities in TV, radio, print and online. He juggles regular correspondent duties for New Zealand's Good Morning and in his tenth year for Australia's #1 rated Sunrise as their Show Business Editor, bringing the latest in entertainment and pop culture to millions of viewers around the world each morning. He has also recently released a new memoir, "My Prime Time," a fun-filled, lighthearted account of embracing aging, looking after your physical and emotional well being, celebrating friendships, investing in relationships, maintaining family ties, keeping financially savvy and above all: celebrating all this good about each and every day.

Serial Scoop got the dish on "My Prime Time" from Aspen himself. Read our exclusive interview below:

SERIAL SCOOP: What inspired you to write "My Prime Time"?
NELSON ASPEN: My publisher asked me if I had any ideas for my next book and I was approaching my 50th birthday at the time and planning a blow-out celebration. It occurred to me that so many people have hang ups about so-called "Middle Age" and there I was planning parties and running marathons. I felt like I had some inspiration to give!

'Saturday Night Live' Announcer Don Pardo Has Died at 96

Don Pardo

Longtime Saturday Night Live announcer Don Pardo died Monday at the age of 96.

Pardo died peacefully at his home in Tucson, Arizona, where he moved after retiring from SNL in 2006, said his daughter, Dona Pardo.

Those introductions and his voice were so distinctive that longtime fans of the late-night sketch comedy series immediately noticed when he missed the opening of the March 2, 2013 episode; it was later reported that he had suffered a broken hip.

Pardo, who began his career at NBC Radio in 1940 and switched to television in the 1950s, worked as an announcer on numerous game shows including The Price is Right and the original Jeopardy! in the mid-1960s.

He was Jeopardy!'s announcer from 1964 until the original version, with host Art Fleming, ended in 1975. A decade later, in 1975, he turned to late night work, becoming the voice over announcer for the hit comedy series Saturday Night Live.