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

Edited December 28, 2025Dec 28 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 December 28, 2025Dec 28 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.

Portions or most of these episodes have been on YouTube before, but they have been posted from AW’s 20th Anniversary month in May 1984:

May 7th- the follow-up to Welcome Home Alice/ David Thatcher murder:

May 18 & 21- Cecile and Peter’s almost wedding on Carl Hutchins yacht:

Thanks @watson71 !

@DRW50 , thanks for the tag. Happy new year to you and yours!

17 minutes ago, vetsoapfan said:

@DRW50 , thanks for the tag. Happy new year to you and yours!

Happy New Year! We had a thread in the main soap section talking about AI generating stories and some old soap stories that never were (like Jessie's GH exit or Michael Randolph coming out as gay or bi) if you had any thoughts on them.

24 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Happy New Year! We had a thread in the main soap section talking about AI generating stories and some old soap stories that never were (like Jessie's GH exit or Michael Randolph coming out as gay or bi) if you had any thoughts on them.

Oh, cool. That's sounds interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks.

I don't think I'd seen this before. Probably the last scene of note with Cecile and Blaine.

Another World - (May 30,1984)(Clip)

@slick jones This has a cast crawl that may help you.

Edited January 4Jan 4 by DRW50

On 12/28/2025 at 11:56 PM, Paul Raven said:

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?

On 12/29/2025 at 12:56 AM, SoapDope78 said:

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.

All these actors were probably talented enough to play Gerald Davis very well. But there may be other reasons some would not have been good choices. These are just my opinions on some suggested actors:

James Pritchett had too much bravado to play loser Gerald Davis. Plus, I don't think the audience would have believed him in the role, after playing hero Dr Matt Powers on The Doctors for so many years.

Robert Milli was a good actor, but always came across as too sophisticated to play plain-spoken working-class Gerald.

Ed Bryce (Bill Bauer on GL) might have been rejected by the audience, because Gerald had been a hated character -- and the fans may have felt uncomfortable hating Ed Bryce.

Wayne Tippit probably would have worked well in the role. He had the right look and gruff exterior. But was he too young to play Ada's ex-husband?

I've not seen Robert Colbert play a heavy. I only saw him as perfect father, Stuart Brooks on Y&R. But he might have worked as Gerald. He had the right look, if costumed well -- in other words, dressed like Gerald Davis, not Stuart Brooks.

Larry Haines is a big NO for me. First, AW's audience would never feel comfortable hating Stu Bergman. And Larry might have had a difficult time keeping humor out of the role. Eventually, Larry's Gerald would have likely morphed into a good guy.