Mara Levinsky
Who doesn’t love a villain bursting with shades of gray? That’s why my pick is GUIDING LIGHT’s Roger Thorpe. He was certainly damaged, and certainly ruthless, but he definitely wasn’t heartless. Late portrayer Michael Zaslow made an absolutely fascinating baddie.
Devin Owens
I loved Y&R’s Phyllis during her bad girl days in the late ‘90s. She was downright unapologetic as she destroyed Danny’s marriage to Chris by claiming he was the father of her son, Daniel (he wasn’t), so he nobly married her. In trying to keep the truth from coming out, Phyllis bedded then blackmailed her and Danny’s therapist, bullied Sasha, who helped doctor Daniel’s phony paternity test, and even intentionally ran down Chris and Paul on their wedding day. But Phyllis got her comeuppance when Danny dumped his conniving wife, then sued for and got full custody of Daniel, even though he knew he wasn’t the bio dad.
Tom Stacy
Well, I am torn…. When it comes to B&B/Y&R, there is no equal to Sheila, who has gone after foes with everything from mercury poisoning to killer bees and yet somehow, Kimberlin Brown always makes me feel sorry for Sheila because she’s been so damaged in life and love. But then, there is GH’s Faison, a fantastically over-the-top evildoer played by the incomparable Anders Hove. This actor doesn’t just step outside the box, he kicks it open with his wildly watchable incarnation of a man tormented by demons of the heart and mind.
Lee Meyer
Cesar Faison is definitely my favorite soap villain. There are plenty of great soap characters who are many shades of gray, but Faison is pure evil and insanity, and when he’s around there’s real consequences. His latest return was terrifying and exciting, and he left a lasting mark on the canvas that won’t soon be forgotten, with Nathan’s death and the revelation that he had a child with Anna! For now, Faison is dead, but it’ll be hard for the show to ever top this psychopathic criminal.
Stephanie Sloane
Has anyone made more of an impact on DAYS than The Phoenix, a.k.a. Stefano DiMera? The late Joseph Mascolo brought his complicated alter ego to life with brilliance, panache and just right touch of evil. At his core, Stefano was a man who loved his family, and Mascolo played those relationships masterfully. Stefano may have cheated death many times, but Mascolo’s commanding grasp of his alter ego kept him from becoming a cartoon. He was one-of-a-kind.
