20 minutes ago, Wendy said:

NBC News just had a story on this. Not often you see the death of a soap star make the national news.

Yeah, ABC News is reporting on it during their nightly newscast. The story really blew up on social media, and these outlets  are in thrall to social these days. Was the last major untimely death of an active soap star Benjamin Hendrickson? I could be forgetting someone obvious. Nathaniel Marston had been long off OLTL when he passed.

Edited February 5, 20196 yr by Faulkner

2 hours ago, Queen said:

Learning about him has been the most extraordinary thing today. Even after two decades of watching him as Neil, I had no idea he had an entire career before Y&R. Just reading about his father! I don't how else to say this other than the entire industry failed him. My God he was a gorgeous, charming, naturally talented actor and he should have reaped roles. I can't speak about his personal issues, but when it comes to his career the industry should be ashamed. While I'm so grateful for the space being made today for actors of color, I'll shed more tears this man never got his moment in that space.

I'm not sure about that. He might have felt comfortable in daytime. There is a trade off, if you are a contract player, in daytime you have a certain amount of guaranteed, steady work... although the work is harder for lower pay than prime time or movies. A lot of actors appreciate the security in a very unstable industry. 

Edited February 5, 20196 yr by alphanguy74

 

 

Vanessa Marcil reposted this from Michelle Stafford:

 

 

Shemar Moore responds:

 

 

Wow. He’s understandably devastated.

 

Christel has posted:

 

 

Wow, that Shemar Moore video was...it really got to me.  You can just tell that he's shed some tears.

KSJ had a long, storied career in TV before Y&R. Things being as they are and were then and now I can't fault him for sticking with the guaranteed security at Y&R for decades after. But yes, he could've done so much long after.

 

It's easy for us to say soaps never gave him enough credit or attention and IMO that's absolutely true, yet at the same time he came up on Y&R in a time when you had young black professionals breaking out across TV - in the same era as Boomerang, Living Single, etc. - and we see today just how much that image of Neil, or Neil and Dru, meant to a lot of people.

Edited February 5, 20196 yr by Vee

2 hours ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Jaleel White played his younger brother on a sitcom called Charlie and Company during the mid '80s.

 

 

53 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

Yeah, ABC News is reporting on it during their nightly newscast. The story really blew up on social media, and these outlets  are in thrall to social these days. Was the last major untimely death of an active soap star Benjamin Hendrickson? I could be forgetting someone obvious. Nathaniel Marston had been long off OLTL when he passed.

 

Jeanne Cooper, but she had been ill and off Y&R for some time before she passed away.

 

7 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Wow, that Shemar Moore video was...it really got to me.  You can just tell that he's shed some tears.

 

I tore up watching that. 

Thank you to everyone who has been posting the social media comments. I was at work, and it came up as a headline, but couldn't look about it until the day was done. Shemar's video was way too real and caused tears.

Christel has broken my heart even further. 

3 minutes ago, kalbir said:

 

Jeanne Cooper, but she had been ill and off Y&R for some time before she passed away.

She was definitely a loss. I was trying to think of someone who was well below life expectancy-age and more of a huge shock. Like a Heath Ledger/Philip Seymour Hoffman/Robin Williams-type death. BH was the last one to come to mind.

Shemar Moore was right: we must give KSJ (and Victoria Rowell, and Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams) his rightful due as a trailblazer -- in soaps, in film and television, in the acting industry.  

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been thinking for awhile what to say. How to express my love and gratitude for Kristoff in my life. I don’t know if I can ever fully express how my heart feels. I’m so heartbroken. I’m mad, sad, confused...but I understand. I’m thankful you’re not in pain anymore, such a deep pain that no one could understand. No parent should have to bury their child, I’m sorry you had to. I’m sorry you’ve been hurting so much... You were one of a kind. I’ll never forget you were the first person who took me under your wing when I joined Y&R. You were the one who when I had my screen test, you helped me, made me feel connected and comfortable. I know part of the reason why I even got a role that changed my life forever is because of you. Your goofiness, openness, and genuine love and care you showed for other people was never overlooked. You treated me like your real daughter over the past 17 years. Between our deep conversations about religion to your goofy dad jokes, you’ve always had a special place in my heart. A place where a father should have been...I’m grateful I got to know you and share some of my most important moments of life with you. You will never be forgotten. I love you. I love you...💔

A post shared by C H R I S T E L K H A L I L (@christeladnana) on Feb 4, 2019 at 4:33pm PST

In all honesty,  I don't ever recall anyone from a soap being so universally loved and adored.  I stopped reading the comments from other actors because I got so choked up.