50 Greatest Soap Actors: #23 Tom Pelphrey

NAME: Tom Pelphrey
RANK: 23
SOAP ROLES: Mick Dante, AS THE WORLD TURNS (2009-2010); Jonathan Randall, GUIDING LIGHT (2004-2009)

AWARDS:
2008 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
2007 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
2006 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
2005 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series
2005 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Male Newcomer

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Alan Carter: Lightning in a bottle. From his first appearance on GL, you knew you were watching a star. He was the best young actor in a generation and why he doesn't have a prime time show is a mystery to me.

Nelson Aspen: GL's attempt to recreate Roger Howarth's "Todd Manning," resulted in bringing this "sexy beast" to daytime. Jonathan Randall was a bright spot during one of the show's most tumultuous periods, creating instant chemistry with all of his costars, especially Kim Zimmer (how great it was to see Reva in a front burner storyline that didn't involve sex or spaceships!). Even with his tendency to chew scenery, Tom is the closest we had to James Dean in daytime.

Patrick Erwin: The scenes where Pelphrey’s Jonathan confronted Kim Zimmer’s Reva on GL were the most honest, uncomfortable scenes I’d seen on daytime in decades. Pelphrey is an exciting talent (and a theater-trained one, to boot).

Roger Newcomb: Pelphrey's great run on GUIDING LIGHT has been well-documented with two Emmys and two other nominations to show for it. But if that wasn't impressive enough, seeing him in a one may show last summer doing the voices of an entire Italian family clinched for me that this was a one-of-kind talent.

Damon L. Jacobs: Do you believe in reincarnation? If so, I would have to guess that Tom Pelphrey lived his last life as a lion.  With his ferocious roar, yet gentle touch, this actor's bestial and primal inner spirit has assisted in propelling him forward in his artistic career, and on this list.  I believe we have only seen the beginning of what this unpredictable and fierce storm of talent is capable of.  Remember that when you see him on stage accepting his first Tony award!

COMMENTS FROM CO-STARS/CO-WORKERS/INDUSTRY:
Robert Newman: (worked with Pelphrey on GUIDING LIGHT) I was sitting with Tommy Pelphrey and Jeff Branson in Vegas the other day, and I said, “I wasn’t even as close to being as good as you guys are at the ages you were when you started.” They are so good at what they do! And then I watch myself in those clips when I was roughly their age and I’m like [groan].

INTERVIEW ARCHIVE:
- Tom Pelphrey Talks Acting, GL and "My Italy Story"
- WLS Daytime Emmy Red Carpet: Tom Pelphrey (broke the news he was joining AS THE WORLD TURNS)