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PROFILE

Soap Star Stats P-Q-R

— PGP

Michael Park (Jack, ATWT)

Michael Park (Jack, ATWT) was a "rambunctious" child who grew up with a brother and two sisters in Canandaigua, NY. He attended Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, with the goal of being an architect, until his girlfriend (and future wife) Laurie persuaded him to try out for musical-theater roles, and he began to pursue acting as a profession. MORE

— PGP

Peter Parros (ex-Ben, ATWT)

Peter Parros joined AS THE WORLD TURNS as neurosurgeon Ben Harris in July 1996. He started his soap career on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, coincidentally as a doctor named Ben. MORE

— ABC

Pamela Payton-Wright (Addie, OLTL)

Long before Pamela Payton-Wright began recurring as Addie, the actress made her mark on Broadway and in television, earning a prime-time Emmy Award nomination for her role as John Quincy Adams's wife in the 1976 TV miniseries THE ADAMS CHRONICLES. MORE

— PGP

Austin Peck (Brad, ATWT)

Austin Peck was born in Hawaii, where his naval officer father was stationed. After his parents divorced when he was 4, his quirky actress mom took him and older sister Casey to San Francisco and later, L.A. MORE

— JPI

Nia Peeples (Karen, Y&R)

Virenia Gwendolyn Peeples was born and raised in California, where she lived with her parents and two sisters, Paula and Cynthia. As a child, Peeples performed locally with her family at concerts and conventions in her community, singing and dancing with many cultural styles, including Polynesian, Spanish and Irish. MORE

— JPI

Tom Pelphrey (ex-Jonathan, GL)

Tom Pelphrey exploded onto the soap scene in the summer of 2004 and instantly charmed viewers and snakes alike. (His own boa constrictor, Mitch, played Jonathan's on-screen pet, Lou.) MORE

— NBC

Thaao Penghlis (Tony/ex-Andre, DAYS)

One of four children whose parents immigrated to Australia from Greece, Thaao Penghlis was born in Sydney. Captivated by history and art, he originally dreamed of becoming an archaeologist, but his life took another turn when he moved to New York to study art history and fashion. MORE

— ABC

Sydney Penny (ex-Julia, AMC)

The youngest of five children born to country music performers Shari and Hank Penny (Hank passed away in 1992), Sydney Penny was born in Nashville and brought up outside of L.A. She made her stage debut at the age of 3, spontaneously performing in the middle of her father's act. MORE

— ABC

Tonya Pinkins (Livia, AMC)

This Chicago native, the daughter of a postal worker and police officer, was described by O, The Oprah Magazine as one of the "Ten Women in America Who Will Take Your Breath Away in 2004." The founder of the popular workshop series "The Actorpreneur Attitude," Pinkins is in the process of completing a self-help book based on her personal-growth philosophies. MORE

— John Paschal/JPI

Julie Pinson (Janet, ATWT)

Fremont, CA native Julie Pinson became interested in entertaining when she was very young. She and her family would frequently watch her mother Elissa, an opera singer, perform and Pinson was intrigued by the whole process, from the elaborate costumes to the idea that her mom was getting applause. MORE

— JPI

Colleen Zenk Pinter (Barbara, ATWT)

First enrolled in dance classes when she was 3, Colleen Zenk Pinter found her calling early. Noting an affinity for performance in her oldest child (Colleen has a younger brother and sister), her mother got Pinter modeling and print work in nearby Chicago. MORE

— PGP

Ron Raines (Alan, GL)

Ron Raines' love for singing came at an early age. Growing up in Texas, he was the oldest of three children. His father was a judge and minister, his mother a newspaper employee. Raines sang in the church choir and glee club — probably before he could talk. MORE

— ABC

Leven Rambin (ex-Lily/Ava, AMC)

Born in Houston, TX, Leven Rambin studied at the Houston School of Film and Theatre and St. Francis Episcopal Day School before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue acting. MORE

— NBC

Peter Reckell (Bo, DAYS)

Peter Reckell knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor. After working behind the scenes in his junior high school productions, Reckell finally went on-stage in high school. MORE

— NBC

Frances Reid (Alice, DAYS)

Frances Reid was born in Wichita Falls, Texas and raised in Berkeley, Calif. While living in California, the third child in her large family, her father taught her that she could be a capable and self-sufficient woman. MORE

— JPI

John Reilly (ex-Alistair, PASSIONS)

With acting far from his mind, John Reilly attended St. Mary's College in Wynona, Minnesota, and received a business degree. He became an account executive for a packaging firm for about 10 years in the Chicago area, where he grew up. His professional life switched gears when a friend asked Reilly to replace an actor in a play he was producing at the prestigious Ivanhoe Theater. MORE

— ABC

Eden Riegel (ex-Bianca, AMC)

Eden Riegel started acting at age 7 after seeing her brother, Sam, appearing in Les Misérables. She landed a role in the musical's touring production, and subsequently moved on to the Broadway incarnation of the long-running show. MORE

— CBS

Greg Rikaart (Kevin, Y&R)

Born and raised in Staten Island, Greg Rikaart never expected to be a successful, award-winning actor. Although acting was a bug Rikaart caught early in life, he did not decide to pursue his passion until graduating from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, when he took the plunge and moved to sunny California. MORE

— ABC

Sebastian Roché (Jerry Jacks a.k.a. James Craig, GH)

Sebastian Roché's sexy mercenary, James Craig, immediately caught the attention of Digest editors and fans. The actor first aired as the criminal mastermind behind the Metro Court hostage drama in January 2007. MORE

— ABC

Tristan Rogers (Robert, GH/GH: NS)

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Tristan Rogers originally wanted to go to school for engineering, but his parents sent him to private school instead. After playing drums and singing for a pop band after finishing school, Rogers decided to follow his other passion: acting. He began his acting career in stuntman roles and even took backstage jobs just to stay around the entertainment world. MORE

— JPI

Tracey Ross (ex-Eve, PASSIONS)

While studying acting at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Tracey Ross began a modeling career that landed her a contract with the Elite and Wilhelmina modeling agencies. In 1984, she applied to compete as an actor on STAR SEARCH, but the category was full. She gladly made a switch and ended up being the $100,000 spokesmodel grand champion. MORE

— CBS

Victoria Rowell (ex-Drucilla, Y&R)

Victoria Rowell's childhood experiences shaped her into the woman she is today. One of six children, her family was split when they were placed in different foster homes. Rowell's foster mother believed greatly in promoting the arts and pushed her to discipline herself. MORE

— PGP

Marcy Rylan (Lizzie, GL)

Marcy Rylan grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where she pursued her first love — dance — from an early age. "My mom put me in ballet shoes as soon as I could stand up, and I started doing commercial and print modeling when I was in junior high," she recalled to Soap Opera Weekly. MORE

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