Face Time
Daytime alum and familiar prime-time face James Rebhorn (ex-Henry, ATWT; ex-Bradley, GL, et al), who’s appeared on everything from THIRD WATCH to WHITE COLLAR to 30 ROCK, returns to ATWT this week as Reid’s uncle. Digest caught up with the busy actor about returning to his soap roots and his thoughts on the show’s ending.
Soap Opera Digest: Welcome back to daytime! How did this two-day stint come about?
James Rebhorn: [ATWT EP] Chris Goutman and I were actors together on TEXAS, so we’ve known each other from back in those days. Subsequent to that, he worked as a director on a number of stuff and he would call me and occasionally I’d do a job so we maintained contact. He was also no doubt aware that I was on AS THE WORLD TURNS as Henry Lange many years ago, but that was before he helmed the show. I think he just thought this might be a good fit for me as kind of a swan song to my daytime television career!
Digest: What was it like for you on set?
Rebhorn: I was very flattered that [Goutman] would think of me until I got script the day before we were to film and saw that I had all these scenes [laughs]! I was a little out of practice in memorizing that volume of material and hopping to it. I had great people on my side giving me confidence. It was great fun.
Digest: Did you have the opportunity to catch up with some old pals while you were there at all?
Rebhorn: Well, Jon Hensley [Holden] was there 20 years ago when I was on the show. It was nice to see Jon and I ran into Larry Bryggman [John], who is a very, very good friend of mine. He was called back to usher out the show as well so we spent a lot of time just chewing the fat together.
Digest: Did you ever think you’d return to soaps?
Rebhorn: When I was on GUIDING LIGHT as a contract player, frankly, I would still have been doing the show if they had renewed my contract! The character had just run its course. I’m the kind of guy who probably shouldn’t be an actor because if somebody gives me a job and says, “You can have this for the rest of your life,” I’m inclined to say yes! It was a pleasure to get back and experience it one more time.
Digest: Your daytime characters in the past have been quite tough and villainous, and this go-round isn’t much different. Uncle Angus has some pretty tough, emotional scenes considering the circumstances surrounding Reid. What was that like for you?
Rebhorn: It was fun because this is a very embittered, blue collar kind of guy and rarely do I play fellas who don’t have suits and ties, so that was an interesting little challenge and treat for me.
Digest: You basically got your start on soaps, first on THE DOCTORS and then as John Brady on TEXAS. What does it mean for you to see another daytime drama come to an end?
Rebhorn: I think it’s too bad because I have great memories of working on daytime. To see that part of our industry shut down is just a devastating feeling. It’s too bad!
Digest: What other projects do you have going on?
Rebhorn: I head off tomorrow morning to finish the movie Real Steel. It’s a big Hugh Jackman extravaganza directed by Shawn Levy who also did Date Night. Hugh’s an outstanding human being. I play Hope Davis’s sugar daddy. That was fun! I’m also in this Comedy Central series BIG LAKE [with SNL alums Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell]. It’s Will Ferrell‘s company. They bought 10 episodes so we’ll see how it goes. It’s a sitcom about a pretty strange family in a pretty strange town.
Digest: You are a stellar comedic actor, too.
Rebhorn: Well, I don’t do it very much but it’s always such fun to do it.
Digest: You’ve also recently shared the screen, in a more dramatic role, with another GL alum, Matthew Bomer (ex-Ben), on WHITE COLLAR. Ever swap Springfield war stories at all?
Rebhorn: We were never on at the same time, of course, but we’ve talked about it. We both have great memories. He’s a terrific guy.
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