What actor would have been a good re-cast for Gerald Davis? Maybe Ed Nelson after Capitol ?

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by SoapDope78

3 hours ago, SoapDope78 said:

What actor would have been a good re-cast for Gerald Davis? Maybe Ed Nelson after Capitol ?

I'm leaning toward Robert Lansing (a.k.a. "Control," in the original "Equalizer").

4 hours ago, SoapDope78 said:

What actor would have been a good re-cast for Gerald Davis? Maybe Ed Nelson after Capitol ?

Knowing P&G in the 1980s, they would have likely recast Gerald Davis with Gil Rogers (who had played Ray Gardner on AMC and Hawk Shayne on GL). I believe Gil Rogers could have played Gerald Davis well -- he certainly had the talent. But I'm almost sure some of his acting tics from AMC and GL (the vague Southern drawl, the tendency toward campy humor, etc.) would have made their way into his version of Gerald. In fact TPTB at AW might have even encouraged it. And all of that would have been completely inappropriate for Gerald Davis and for AW. Gerald Davis was a serious loser who was never able to do anything right in his entire life. He wasn't funny, or cartoon-ish. He was a man to be pitied. He had betrayed is own daughter (Rachel) more than once. So I don't believe Gil Rogers would have been a good choice, despite his talent at playing dead-beat loser fathers.

Ed Nelson would have been an interesting choice. He took his roles seriously and was rather intense. But I doubt Ed Nelson would have left California at that stage in his life. And would Nelson have enjoyed playing a working-class perpetual loser who had been married to working-class Ada?

But was there any real need to recast Gerald at all? Was Walter Matthews (the original actor) deceased by the mid-1980s? Walter Matthews created the role and played it to perfection -- especially when Harding Lemay was writing.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by Tisy-Lish

6 hours ago, SoapDope78 said:

What actor would have been a good re-cast for Gerald Davis? Maybe Ed Nelson after Capitol ?

Forrest Compton (Mike Karr, EON) might have worked as a recast Gerald Davis. AW used him a few days a Mac’s brother and Adam Cory’s father for a few episodes.

2 hours ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Knowing P&G in the 1980s, they would have likely recast Gerald Davis with Gil Rogers (who had played Ray Gardner on AMC and Hawk Shayne on GL). I believe Gil Rogers could have played Gerald Davis well -- he certainly had the talent. But I'm almost sure some of his acting tics from AMC and GL (the vague Southern drawl, the tendency toward campy humor, etc.) would have made their way into his version of Gerald. In fact TPTB at AW might have even encouraged it. And all of that would have been completely inappropriate for Gerald Davis and for AW. Gerald Davis was a serious loser who was never able to do anything right in his entire life. He wasn't funny, or cartoon-ish. He was a man to be pitied. He had betrayed is own daughter (Rachel) more than once. So I don't believe Gil Rogers would have been a good choice, despite his talent at playing dead-beat loser fathers.

Ed Nelson would have been an interesting choice. He took his roles seriously and was rather intense. But I doubt Ed Nelson would have left California at that stage in his life. And would Nelson have enjoyed playing a working-class perpetual loser who had been married to working-class Ada?

But was there any real need to recast Gerald at all? Was Walter Matthews (the original actor) deceased by the mid-1980s? Walter Matthews created the role and played it to perfection -- especially when Harding Lemay was writing.

Walter Matthews (Gerald Davis) appeared on General Hospital on and off between 1979 - 82 as Clyde Bingham. He was the owner or dispatcher of the cab company that Slick Jones and Charlie Lutz worked for. His last acting role (per imdb) was in 1986, but he lived until 2012.

2 hours ago, slick jones said:

Walter Matthews (Gerald Davis) appeared on General Hospital on and off between 1979 - 82 as Clyde Bingham. He was the owner or dispatcher of the cab company that Slick Jones and Charlie Lutz worked for. His last acting role (per imdb) was in 1986, but he lived until 2012.

Thank you for that information. I would love to see his scenes from GH.

And so, if he was still acting in 1986, there would have been little reason to recast the role at that time. It would have been quite a treat to see Walter Matthews acting with Connie Ford and Vicki Wyndham again!! Conflict, conflict, conflict...

I wonder if James Pritchett ( ex Matt The Doctors) would have worked as Gerald.?

Or Robert Milli ( ex Adam GL) Although he had been on AW years before.

Ed Bryce? Wayne Tippit?

Just now, SoapDope78 said:

What actor would have been a good re-cast for Gerald Davis?

Robert Colbert left Y&R around 1983-84. He played heavies earlier in his career, maybe he would have worked as Gerald Davis. SFT ended in 1986 Larry Haines would be available.