Y&R to air classic episodes

[Chris 2]

The facelift scenes were really shocking to me. Jeanne Cooper was brave to do this. And yes - she always looked older than her years, even back in the 1960s when she was guest starring on TV westerns.

 

Terry Lester was terrific. He should have gone on to a primetime career. His sexuality had a lot to do with the fact that he didn’t.

 

I loved Meg Bennett (Julia) as Liza on SFT. But she looked so much older on Y&R, just five years or so after she left SFT. Maybe it was her haircut or maybe she was too thin.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Chris 2

[Faulkner]

I remember a Datalounge thread about actors who always looked old, even when they were young: Angela Lansbury, Max von Sydow, Peter O’Toole. Jeanne Cooper definitely fits the bill. Google “young Jeanne Cooper” and she was always a bit wizened.

[DaytimeFan]

 

Indeed - Jeanne definitely fits that description. It's her bone structure and complexion. The lucky thing for all of those who looked older, even when young, is that they also don't hit the same wall, or at least as hard, as those who age rapidly after a certain age.

[SoapDope]

 

I recently saw Jeanne on a 1971 episode of Hawaii Five-0 and she looked older than she was. When she started on Y&R in 1973 she had aged a bit more with her smoking and drinking catching up with her. Dorothy Green who played Jennifer was 8 years older, but Jeanne and she looked the same age.  

[janea4old]

I am watching the epis on cbs while I can -- because we don't know if they'll remain once the new epis start airing.

Edited July 22, 2020 by janea4old

[All My Shadows]

Wow - I didn't realize DG was that much older. She'd be 100 this year!

I also didn't know Robert Colbert was so much younger and is very much still alive. I could have sworn I'd read about his death several years ago. Someone needs to sit him and Julianna McCarthy down and interview the heck out of them. The golden anniversary is coming up...it would be very special to get the original cast together to talk about the early days.

[ranger1rg]

Terry Lester was great, but where’s the evidence that being gay cost him a career in prime time? He wasn’t out, and there were no rumors about him. Other closeted actors had careers in prime time and movies, so I’m not buying this about Lester. 

[Vee]

 

Do you really think word doesn't get around in this industry?

[titan1978]

To be a gay actor in a glass closet in the 1980’s through the 1990’s, especially during the HIV/AIDS crisis point time period was absolutely looked down upon in Hollywood.  And from what I understand, both he and Bernau were not hiding within their acting community, which means they were not in the closet in Hollywood.  I could be wrong about how open they were with colleagues, I imagine a New Yorker may have been more open about it.

People really do not remember how bad and limiting it was for LGBTQ folks back then.

[Vee]

The streets are piled high with dead or forgotten LGBTQ talent from those years.

[SoapDope]

I agree. They need to sit down with the original cast that is left and interview them all. 

[BetterForgotten]

Lester was also pushing 40 by the time he left Y&R, a bit too late in most cases to really make it big in primetime and film (other than guest spots and recurring roles).

[alphanguy74]

I put a lot of that to smoking. It's so bad for the skin. Jeanne also spent a lot of time in the sun. 

[Paul Raven]

He had a pilot' Blade in Hong Kong' but CBS obviously didn't have much faith in it as it was slotted against a Dynasty finale.

I wonder if this was offered to him as apart of an earlier renewal deal.

Seems several performers got a primetime role as part of their contract but (surprise) it seemed to be in the network's favor in that a performer was offered a number of primetime roles and said performer could choose one. or forego the deal.

 

[ranger1rg]

I know the word gets around, and I know how tough the industry was on gay people.

 

But the fact is that a Terry Lester had a good job. By all accounts, he quit that job, leaving on his own. While gay people were cheated out of roles, plenty of gay people were also hired. 
 

I didn’t post here to argue about gays in entertainment. I am gay and I know all about society and the way people deal with LGBTQ+ people. My point was that there is no evidence that Terry Lester was blackballed because of his sexuality.