While searching for something else at home recently, I spotted the 2003 issue of
Soap Opera Weekly that has an interview and photo of then 83-year-old Anthony George. As David mentioned in HIS birthday topic (started by dom, it's the
6,000th topic on the forums, woo hoo!), today is Tony George's 84th birthday, so what better time is there to share the article?
BTW, I'm surprised that
Checkmate isn't mentioned. (In my search I also came across his two
TV Guide covers for that series.)
catching up with...
By Kathryn Walsh
OLTL'S VERNON FAMILY
BEFORE THE BUCHANAN BOYS RODE INTO LLANVIEW, THERE was a little family in town called the Vernons. Dr. Will Vernon and clan moved to Llanview in 1977 when Will became a staff psychiatrist at University Hospital. Will soon had his hands full with the crazy Cath Craig-- who kidnapped baby Kevin Buchanan-- but storylines soon shifted to Will's kids. Brad Vernon is probably best remembered for raping his wife Jenny's sister, Karen (Judith Light), while Samantha Vernon was Asa Buchanan's first bride in Llanview, and also holds the dubious distinction of being OLTL's only character to give birth while drowning in a hot tub.
Anthony George
(Dr. Will Vernon, 1977 - '84)
ANTHONY GEORGE WAS ALREADY A soap veteran when he joined OLTL as the third actor to play psychiatrist Dr. Will Vernon. Unfortunately, the role was not as satisfying as his other gigs, Dark Shadows' Burke Devlin and Search for Tomorrow's Dr. Tony Vincente.
His debut storyline was supposed to be a big one: a love triangle with Jenny Wolek and his own son, Brad. "But the lady that was playing the role, a girl by the name of Kathy Glass, came up to me and said, 'I think Jameson (Parker, Brad) is too old for me, let alone you!'" he says with a laugh. "She wouldn't do it, and the storyline went down the drain.
"But [the producers] were wonderful. They kept trying to find things for me to do," recalls the actor, who is now 83 and retired. "When Judith Light replaced this girl as Karen, they talked about she and I having a romantic liaison, but nothing ever seemed to gel right. I didn't mind, because I was crazy about the people that I was working with.
"When Paul Rauch came on as a producer," he continues, "I went to him and said, "You know, I love everybody here and I'd like to continue, but there's no storyline for me. And if you can't find something for me to do, I'd rather leave.' And he said, 'Well, let's look into it and see what happens.' Then I left. That was it. I was at Samantha's bedside when she died...that was my last hurrah. But the character didn't die. He just floated away."
George now lives in the Los Angeles area with his dog, Riley, and spends his time reading and getting together with his L.A. "family," which includes former OLTL castmates Brynn Thayer and Julia Montgomery (Jenny and Samantha) and their families. "We're very close. Julia's children are the most beautiful things you've ever seen. I had an 80th birthday a couple of years ago, and they all sat around and gave these remembrances of things we had done together, and I sat there listening to it all, crying. It was so moving. I realized then that I've really had a very successful life with regard to friendships. They're wonderful people."
He's also proud of his acting career, which includes guest-starring roles on dozens of prime-time series. "I feel fortunate to have had a long, long career. I started when I was quite young, so I worked for about 50 years. I did a lot of stuff. I didn't become Paul Newman, but I didn't have his looks either!"
