Humbert Allen Astredo

[Willie Loomis]

The great thing about owning the series on dvd is getting to study and notice things that you have never noticed before. 

Right now I'm digging Astredo in his Nicholas Blair role.   Now I look forward to his other roles on the show as I continue watching.  Not that I never paid attention to him, but right now I'm just paying attention to him and his role.

This guy is a great actor and seems to have a sense of humor about his Nicholas Blair role.  Has sex appeal too!   

Anyone else have thoughts or opinions on him.

Is this guy still alive?

[Gothick]

Hi Willie, so far as I am aware, HAA is still with us.  He lost a daughter a couple of years ago.  I think there is a note about the memorial service on his IMDB page.  It was very very sad.

IMO Nicholas was hands down HAA's finest hour on DS, although he's always fascinating to watch.  He and Lara Parker always play off one another well in later storylines.  I've heard from those who were around at the time that HAA who obviously was a superbly trained theatrical actor gave Parker some coaching.

He continued to work in soaps for awhile in the 1970s, and on stage appeared with Elizabeth Taylor in a celebrated revival of The Little Foxes.

There is a fan who does an uncanny impersonation of HAA in his Nicholas Blair persona who attends the Festivals.  Always a highlight (again IMO).

Best, G.

[Taeylor Collins]

I love HAA. As it was said before he is like a 007 for the underworld.  He and Lara do play off one another nicely and he was the perfect character (NICK) to put her in her place thus enabling Humbert to play some amazing stuff.  I adore him.  I wish he had been on till the end...

[David]

 

check this out:
www.humbertaastredo.webs.com/

[michael c]

astredo and parker were certainly well matched and had oodles of chemistry onscreen.

blair had a bit too much control over angelique during the "cassandra" moment. there are some scenes later on in the series where ang has the upper hand and really gives nicholas some much deserved attitude.

he also has some fun stuff with marie wallace as eve. and please let's not forget his legendary showdowns with grayson hall.

incidentally i recently noticed that he wore the same powder gray suit as nicholas for the character's entire run. now that's some cheap costuming.

[Taeylor Collins]

I adore his showdowns with JULIA/GRAYSON!

[MagnusTrask]

I may be alone, but my favorite HAA character is Evan Hanley... perhaps because it's more interesting to see a flawed, human Blair wanna-be flailing and floundering, than Superdevil, who always seems to be in control.   Maybe it's just because 1897 was written better.   Anyway, the 60s had actors who had great, unique "presences", who would appear on just about all the shows being made, except of course he was committed to DS for long periods, so I don't remember seeing him elsewhere.  He's great.

[Uncle Roger]

Humbert appeared on Another World in 1970, I think.  He played an interior decorator who had an affair with Liz Matthews

[Mysterious Benefactor]

incidentally i recently noticed that he wore the same powder gray suit as nicholas for the character's entire run. now that's some cheap costuming.

I used to think that, too, until I saw the light. Or rather, the light was kindly pointed out to me in the following topic:

Actually, Nicholas had about three suits.  One was light grey, another was a darker grey, and then he had another which was light brown, which he looked especially handsome in by the way.

He did?! Apparently I need to pay much closer attention the next time I watch the '68 storyline because they've all looked nearly identical to me for all these years...

Also check out replies #63 and #64 for screen capture evidence.

[michael c]

thanks mysterious,

i'll keep a lookout for it. i think i was just surprised that when the character returns during the leviathan storyline after a two year absence that suit turns up again too.

where had it been all that time?

[DarkLady]

David-Elijah, thanks for the link. I thought HAA was great from the moment he first darkened the door of the Great House in Nicholas Blair's first appearance. His sly wit and thorough enjoyment of all his roles was pure delight. It would have been interesting to see him play a good guy....

[David]

i think i was just surprised that when the character returns during the leviathan storyline after a two year absence that suit turns up again too.

where had it been all that time?

I don't want to think about how that suit smelled by 1970!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

 

But perhaps it was kept at Hell's Dry Cleaners until it was needed again.  

[Gerard]

I don't want to think about how that suit smelled by 1970!

Wasn't there a short sub-plot where Nicholas' always-worn-never-removed grey suit duked it out with Julia's always-worn-never-removed-day-and-night-for-two-weeks-in-1995 green woolen suit?  I don't remember who came out victorious in that one.

Gerard

[Miss_Winthrop]

I thought HAA was one of the better character actors on DS.  Come to think of it, so many of the actors were very good.  My favorite time for him were his scenes with Eve.  Liked him in the Leviathan period too.