SAD LOSS...
PAUL AVERY
- 6/16/2026
ABC WEEKEND SPECIALS "The Girl with E. S. P." Lieutenant ___ Cohen 1979
SOAP Dr. Carlton 1980
ONE LIFE TO LIVE J.B. "Jelly Bean" Descamedes 1984
YOUNG PEOPLE'S SPECIAL "Fair Game" Principal 1988
ALL MY CHILDREN Hughie the bartender at Foxy's 1978 - 1990; occasional
and
THREE'S COMPANY Neil (1) 1979
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE Frank (1) 1985
movies
STANLEY Marty "Psycho" Simpson 1972
SUPERMAN Television Cameraman 1978
Family Ties
Marriage -- Sheila Garry Avery 2 Daughters -- Parker and Kyle
INTERESTING FOLKS: Paul Avery, 81 Years Young – A Blairstown Man Who Has Worn Many Hats
ByMB Journe, Contributing Writer and Editorial Staff
March 13, 2023
Paul Avery is the executive editor of the Ridge View Echo online newspaper. He has always put his heart into every one of his endeavors. Avery has worn many hats, orchestrating his career and social life along the way.
Avery has been a part of this community for decades, volunteering his time with the Blairstown Rotary, American Legion, as well a heading up the Blairstown 4th of July celebration at Footbridge Park for five years, with the help of devoted citizens Herman Shoemaker and Nick Mohr.
“The great thing about living in a small town is that you can actively participate in it,” Avery said.
To that end, Avery served on the township’s land use board, was elected to the North Warren Regional High School Board of Education, and served on the Blairstown Township Committee for six years from 2012 to 2018.
His political career ended when his wife, Sheila, suffered a stroke. Since then, she has employed him as her full-time care giver, Avery said.
While on the township committee, he initiated the Blairstown Enhancement Committee (BEC), now a 501(c)3 nonprofit volunteer organization whose mission puts the community first. The BEC is open to anyone interested in participating in making Blairstown a better place to live.
Avery is the visionary and creator of the Ridge View Echo and serves as president and executive editor on its board of directors, with Gail Keogh-Dwyer and John Maxman.
He was the managing editor of the Blairstown Press for a couple of years, moving on a year or so before its demise. He swears that his departure had nothing to do with the end of the paper’s 120-year existence.
When he found out through the BEC that a group called the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC) was offering grants for the creation of local news entities for New Jersey communities without a reliable news and information source, like ours, Avery says he couldn’t resist getting involved. Keogh-Dwyer stepped up immediately and, with time and volunteer effort, the Ridge View Echo was born and is now celebrating its first full year of publication.
Avery was president of North Warren Regional High School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) in the mid-90s. To develop a fundraiser for the school, he initiated the North Warren Regional High School Talent Show. He acted as the master of ceremonies for the first few years until the kids fired him. They have been running it much better ever since, he says. The show is still a much-enjoyed annual event, Avery is pleased to report.
The summer before his junior year at Purdue University, at the age of 19, Avery fearlessly began skydiving, then a fledgling sport in the United States. In his 10 years of activity in the sport, he logged over 400 jumps. In fact, he has a vanity license plate on his wall stating his family nickname for him, “SKY PIG.” In time, Avery taught his college roommate to jump and formed a skydiving club at a small airport near the campus. “I just wanted someone to jump with,” said Avery.
Avery was also an avid motorcyclist, exploring and traveling. He especially enjoyed cross-country motorcycling, taking a solo trip to Mexico City from Indianapolis, Indiana, his hometown, in 1966.
As a member of the United States National Guard, he was eventually activated and spent a year in the Vietnam War as a helicopter crew chief.
Avery gave up jumping out of airplanes as his interest turned to acting. He started performing in community theaters in his hometown. Having caught the acting bug, he moved to New York City to pursue his quest. He made the rounds knocking on agents’ doors, as is the usual approach to breaking into acting, but adding a twist, he made catchy photo postcards of himself and sent them to all the agents in the Big Apple every month.
One time, he visited an agent who recognized him immediately. She said, “Oh, yes, Paul, I have seen your many commercials.” Which wasn’t true at the time, she just recognized him from the monthly postcards. This approach worked; his career flourished.
In the 20 years he was actively employed as an actor, Avery made over 300 commercials. Avery chuckled remembering some of the commercials he had shot.
“I made two commercials for Odor Eaters,” he recalled. “In one, I was sitting on a couch with my stockinged feet on the coffee table, green fumes rising from my feet, as my acting wife complained to the camera about the smell. In the next, shot several years later, I was a mailman in the locker room taking off my shoes and the guy sitting on the bench next to me passes out. Commercials were lots of fun, always something new and different.”
Beyond the commercials, Avery has done many voiceovers, print ads and even had a tiny part in the original “Superman” movie. Avery plays a small role as the first person to see Superman fly as he zoomed to save Lois Lane from a helicopter crashing atop the Daily Planet building. Before the shot, the director, Richard Donner, told Avery to say anything but “Is it a bird? Is it a plane?” Avery chose, “What the hell’s that?”
During the next Academy Awards program, which Avery was watching with friends in Los Angeles, it was announced that the movie “Superman” was to get an award for special effects and a clip of the helicopter crash scene began playing.
“You know, if they keep going, I’m going to be on,” Avery had declared, and there he was, performing his “What the hell’s that?” for the whole world.
One of his friends, a screen writer, went into the kitchen, returning with tinfoil wadded into a very rough Oscar, which he awarded to Avery for the “Best Performance by an Actor of Two Lines or Under.” Avery recalls that he thanked everybody he knew.
Also, while in Los Angeles, Avery guest starred on “Three’s Company” and “Soap.” Over the years, Avery did scenes on most of the soap operas produced in New York, until finally settling into the role of “Hughie,” the scandalous bartender at Foxy’s on the very popular “All My Children” for 12 years. He has fond memories of his days on that show.
A licensed pilot, Avery had a small aerobatic airplane he kept at Linden Airport. One fine October day, he and Peter Waldren, an actor friend, were airport-hopping together, Waldron in his Bonanza and Avery in his Decathlon. At Orange County Airport, over coffee, Waldron recommended they fly to a place he had heard had great apple pie and Avery’s long-time connection to Blairstown began.
Two years later, he and his fiancé bought a home in Blairstown. They were shortly thereafter married in the front yard of the new property by Judge Stritehoff, who many will remember. It was intended as a weekend getaway, nestled in the deep woods of Blairstown, but it wasn’t long until the decision was easily made to move into the weekend place full-time.
He and Sheila have raised two beautiful daughters, Parker and Kyle, here. Blairstown has been their full-time residence now for 37 years. Paul has an older son who lives in Michigan. Waldren and his wife Reggie moved into a home in Knowlton a year after the Averys had settled into what Avery often refers to as the “garden part of the Garden State.”
In his private office, overlooking a quiet, wooded backyard, there is a wall filled with memorabilia of an interesting career. This memory wall, called the “Wall of Paul” by his family, has pictures of the planes he has owned. There are photos of celebrities with whom he has made commercials, including Leonard Nimoy, Tim Conroy and Yogi Berra. Avery worked with Robert Morse for a season of “All My Children,” just to name a few.
Avery was the clown who calls home to his wife and daughter in the first AT&T commercial of the “Reach Out and Touch Someone” campaign. Avery was delighted that this sentimental commercial ran nationally for over three years and no one knew it was him.
Avery worked steadily for 20 years as a freelance actor. He was a voice actor, delivering his lines always anonymously. When the M&M corporation was searching for the right voice for the yellow M&M in a special offer commercial, Paul auditioned and got the job. He said in a high-pitched squeal, “Gee, it sure is getting crowded in here!” This commercial ran for quite some time – another feather in his cap.
When he was 46 years old, Avery began writing for several newspapers. He bought his first computer which was huge. He carried it home on the handlebars of his motorcycle.
“I’m dyslexic. The computer made creative writing possible,” Avery said.
He took his two young daughters to a live taping of the TV show “Sesame Street.” He wrote his first story “How to get to Sesame Street” and decided to take this story to The Blairstown Press where it was published. Avery was all in, and his next career started.
Avery decided to pursue writing. He was employed for seven years writing movie reviews and more for the New Jersey Herald in Newton, and following that he was the beat reporter for the Gazette in Hackettstown, covering five towns.
Avery was a feature contributor for the New York Times and a contributing writer for several national magazines. He spent two years as managing editor of the Blairstown Press, moving on a year or two before it went out of business to become editor of Warren County Magazine and later to publish the Warren County Companion.
There is more, but no more space. All things considered, it is no wonder that Paul Avery also has a very large collection of baseball caps.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/06/18/paul-avery-dead-fire-all-my-children-superman/90614092007/
FRESH FACE ON BEYOND THE GATES
PHILIP BOYD
Also Credited as Philip Keith Boyd
5/12/1975 - Present
BEVERLY HILLS 90210 Mitch 1998
POPULAR Hunky Mover 1999
FELICITY Nick 2000
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS David that flirted with Sharon 2003
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Arthur Perkins May - June 2008
Brick December 2008
JANE THE VIRGIN Handsome Guy on Bus 2014
THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS Oscar Adien (aka Brandon Wallace) 2014-17; 2021
GENERAL HOSPITAL Tony DiMarco the Warehouse Manager at Corinthos Coffee 1/16 & 17/2020; Joss's Bodyguard 8/16 & 17/2021; Bodyguard with Sonny and Dex at warehouse with a sniper 3/13 & 14/2023
BEYOND THE GATES Dr. Miles Arnold 6/16/2026 - Present
and
STAR TREK ENTERPRISE Com Officer (2 Episodes) 2003
SUMMERLAND Tommy (2 Episodes) 2004
SAVING GRACE Officer Gil Ignacious (2 Episodes) 2009 - 10
AFTERNOON DELIGHT: LIVE ON HOLLYWOOD AND VINE Host 2016
BEAUTY INSIDE US 2019
BLOODBATH Officer Barry Sloane 2021
ON ALL FOURS Todd 2022
SHADRACH James Wilson 2024
movies
DEVIL IN THE FLESH Todd Sauser 1998
THE VISION Dean 2014
FIRST DAUGHTER Frank 2004
THE DRONE VIRUS Al Bercovicci 2004
THE CURSE OF EL CHARRO James 2005
29 REASONS TO RUN Matt 2006
DARK CANVAS Boyd 2008
CLONES GO WILD Augustus 2009
DOMESTIC DISTURBING Mr. Naked Snowboard Guy 2010
MR. & MRS. REED Mr. Reed 2011
PLURIPOTENT Joel 2011
OR SO HE THOUGHT Cyclist 2013
HELL BENT FOR LEATHER -- PART 1 Ryan O'Neill 2014
THE DOG LOVER Scott 2016
IN-LAWFULLY YOURS Chaz 2016
A MOMENT-A TRUE STORY Officer Cobbs 2016
DO YOU SEE ME Randy 2017
HOUSE OF DEADLY SECRETS Zeke 2018
MY LITTLE GIRL IS GONE Henry 2018
FIRST MAN Reporter 2018
SHATTERED MEMORIES Glenn 2018 (Made for T. V.)
ORPHAN HORSE Sheriff Jake Givens 2018
THE EX NEXT DOOR Dom 2019 (Made for T. V.)
DEADLY ASSIGNMENT Ian 2019
ANNIVERSARY NIGHTMARE Andrew 2019 (Made for T. V.)
12 PUPS OF CHRISTMAS Travis 2019 (Made for T. V.)
WHEELS OF BEAUTY Andrew James 2021
THE FIGHT THAT NEVER ENDS Morgan 2021 (Made for T. V.)
DEADLY DUE DATE Bill O'Donnell 2021 (Made for T. V.)
SWAG TOWN Levi Chase 2021 (Made for T. V.)
FRIENDS IN DEADLY PLACES Dan 2022
THE MULLIGAN Rusty Williams 2022
THE SINGLES GUIDEBOOK Jackson 2022 (Made for T. V.)
MIND READER Thomas 2022
YOU'LL NEVER LEAVE ME Patrick Bannister 2023 (Made for T. V.)
ON A WING AND A PRAYER Apron Pilot 2023
LEARNING TO LOVE Harry 2023 (Made for T. V.)
KIDNAPPING IN THE GRAND CANYON Nate 2023 (Made for T. V.)
SECRET LIFE OF A SORORITY GIRL Jake 2024 (Made for T. V.)
FINDING LOVE IN SAINT LUCIA Ray Minors 2024 (Made for T. V.)
REAGAN Lieutenant General Air Force 2024
A EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS Hunter Williams 2024
DON'T LET HIM FIND YOU Robert Forster 2024 (Made for T. V.)
DO YOU SEE ME? 2024
MY MOTHER THE MADAM Chad Anderson 2025
THE PAST IS NEVER BURIED Brad 2026 (Made for T. V.)
TO CATCH A CHEATER 2026 (Made for T. V.)
Upcoming
21 DOWN Dr. Edwards TBA Post Production
BREAKING JOY Luke TBA Post Production
BEAUTY QUEEN
LOUISE LaPLANCHE
2/6/1919 - 9/7/2012
GENERAL HOSPITAL Woman Unknown Year
and
TAKE A CHANCE 1954 (Substituted for her sister Rosemary)
THE PRICE IS RIGHT 1956 Winner of tHe Showcase Showdown
THE GOLDEN GIRLS ????
movies
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Baby Esmerelda 1923
FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS Teenager 1940
STRIKE UP THE BAND Student 1940
ZIEGFELD GIRL Ziegfeld Girl 1941
LOUISIANA PURCHASE Louisiana Belle 1941
PACIFIC BLACKOUT Salesgirl 1941
THE FLEET'S IN Hostess 1942
REAP THE WILD WIND Ball Guest 1942
THIS GUN FOR HIRE Dancer 1942
NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS Miss Louisiana 1942
PRIORITIES ON PARADE Chorine 1942
HOLIDAY INN Guest at Inn 1942
THE FOREST RANGERS Cowgirl in Hotel Lobby 1942
ROAD TO MOROCCO Handmaiden 1942
STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM Swing Shift Singer 1942
POPULAR SCIENCE J-2-5 1943
HAPPY GO LUCKY Showgirl 1943
YOUNG AND WILLING Actress 1943
SALUTE FOR THREE Middle Hostess Telling Buzz Goodnight 1943
LADY OF BURLESQUE Chorine 1943
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS Cafe Girl 1943
LET'S FACE IT Chorus Girl 1943
RIDING HIGH Showgirl 1943
AND THE ANGELS SING Ticket Taker 1944
LADY IN THE DARK Coffee Girl 1944
RAINBOW ISLAND Native Girl 1944
FRENCHMAN'S CREEK Bit Part 1944
HERE COME THE WAVES Photographer 1944
PRACTICALLY YOURS Attractive Girl 1944
BRING ON THE GIRLS Girl 1945
MEMORIES OF ME Secretary 1988
DUTCH Woman 1991
MISS CATALINA 1939
MISS NORTH AMERICA 1940
Performed with Bob Hope
Family Ties
Rosemary LaPlanche -- Younger Sister
Marriage -- Lester Freedman His Death 2 Children -- Phil Freedman and Pat Freedman Johnston
Posted on Sat, Sep 8, 2012 : 6:01 p.m.
Former Hollywood actress Louise LaPlanche of Ann Arbor dies at 93
By Lisa Carolin
Louise LaPlanche, an actress during Hollywood's Golden Age before moving to Ann Arbor for the past 15 years, died Friday, one day after her 93rd birthday.
"She is the end of an era," said LaPlanche's daughter, Pat Johnston, a former teacher and principal at Wines Elementary School.
"She was in the movies from a very young age beginning with the original 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' with Lon Chaney and then was under contract with MGM and Paramount Pictures and was in many pictures with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby."
LaPlanche's mother moved to southern California from Kansas and had two daughters, Louise and Rosemary. Louise began her movie career at age 3, playing a gypsy girl in the silent film version of the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1923.
Both sisters participated in numerous contests from dancing to beauty pageants, and Rosemary LaPlanche went on to win the title of Miss America in 1941. Louise won the title of Miss Catalina in 1939, which led to her signing with MGM, where she was featured in the movie "Strike Up the Band" with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.
LaPlanche went on to sign with Paramount Pictures and appeared in "Holiday Inn" with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. She played a harem girl who painted Bob Hope's toenails in "Road to Morocco."
LaPlanche married Lester Freedman, a clothing manufacturer, and modeled for him. The couple had two children, Phil Freedman, and Johnston.
After her husband's death when she was 65, LaPlanche went back to acting, doing commercials and bit parts on television shows, including "The Golden Girls" and several soap operas.
"My mom was a pretty amazing woman," said Johnston in an email. "She lived through breast cancer at 30, non-smokers lung cancer at 60, and colon cancer at 90. She was a very fun, upbeat person, and people that knew her enjoyed being with her."
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