R.I.P. James Rebhorn

[applcin]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/showbiz/james-rebhorn-dead/index.html?hpt=hp_t2


Although it was before my time of watching GL, some viewers would remember him as Beth's stepfather, Bradley Raines. I remember him in the second of the "Sarah, Plain & Tall" trilogy as her brother, William, and just seeing him in things here and there. They don't give an official cause of death but in some places I'm reading skin cancer.

[DRW50]

I'll never forget his work on ATWT. The Angel story was gutwrenching and brave. Doug Marland had tried to tell that story so many times and when he finally did, it was just so heartbreaking. I remember thinking how talented and versatile he must have been that two big roles like Henry and Bradley didn't hurt his career.

[MontyB]

May he rest in peace. A really great character actor is gone. What old head soap opera fan will ever forget Bradley Raines from Guiding Light? Shine on Mr, Rebhorn.

[DramatistDreamer]

And we were just talking about that Angel incest story in the classic thread like a week ago or so! That was a deeply affecting storyline and only an actor worth his salt could've pulled off such a role so convincingly.

Last year, I did see some clips of GL and happen to see him playing Beth's stepfather. He did creepy, menacing so well, it really was a sign of the possibilities for actors who'd been in soaps that he was never typecast from these roles.

Luckily, I got a chance to see him in a theater production of Our Town, so I got to see Rebhorn in a vastly different light and I got to see him in a variety of roles. A true character actor.

Very sad how many people we're losing to the different forms of this dreaded disease. Hopefully his family, friends and colleagues will find solace somehow.

[Khan]

"Same" to all that, DD.

[ChitHappens]

Terrific actor! May he RIP

[~bl~]

In one article it mentioned he had melanoma which was first diagnosed in 1992.

[Soapsuds]

CZP posted that James wrote his own obituary.

[teplin]

And a lovely obituary it is:

James Robert Rebhorn was born on Sept. 1, 1948, in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Ardell Frances Rebhorn, nee Hoch, loved him very much and supported all his dreams. She taught him the value of good manners and courtesy, and that hospitality is no small thing. His father, James Harry Rebhorn, was no less devoted to him. From him, Jim learned that there is no excuse for poor craftsmanship. A job well done rarely takes more or less time than a job poorly done. They gave him his faith and wisely encouraged him to stay in touch with God.

He is survived by his sister, Janice Barbara Galbraith, of Myrtle Beach, SC. She was his friend, his confidant, and, more often than either of them would like to admit, his bridge over troubled waters. He is also survived by his wife, Rebecca Fulton Linn, and his two daughters, Emma Rebecca Rebhorn and Hannah Linn Rebhorn. They anchored his life and gave him the freedom to live it. Without them, always at the center of his being, his life would have been little more than a vapor. Rebecca loved him with all his flaws, and in her the concept of ceaseless love could find no better example.

His children made him immensely proud. Their dedication to improving our species and making the world a better place gave him hope for the future. They deal with grief differently, and they should each manage it as they see fit. He hopes, however, that they will grieve his passing only as long as necessary. They have much good work to do, and they should get busy doing it. Time is flying by. His son-in-law, Ben, also survives him. Jim loved Ben, who was as a son to Jim, especially through these last months. His aunts Jean, Dorothy and Florence, numerous cousins and their families, and many devoted friends also survive Jim. He loved them all, and he knows they loved him.

Jim received his BA at Wittenberg University and his MFA at Columbia. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Nu Zeta 624, a life-long Lutheran, and a longtime member of both the AMC and ACLU.

Jim was fortunate enough to earn his living doing what he loved. He was a professional actor. His unions were always there for him, and he will remain forever grateful for the benefits he gained as a result of the union struggle. Without his exceptional teachers and the representation of the best agents in the business, he wouldn’t have had much of a career. He was a lucky man in every way.