Soap Debuts: B&B

Matthew Atkinson (Thomas): First Position: Austin Travers, Y&R, 2014-15 In A Previous Life: After kidnapping Avery, who helped his mom’s killer gain acquittal, Austin wed Summer, then cheated on her with Abby. He was subsequently murdered by Mark Harding. Memory Lane: The actor expressed his appreciation for his time in Genoa City to Digest in 2015, saying, “Since coming into the daytime world, I’ve experienced so many things.... It’s the best training that you can have.”

Scott Clifton (Liam): First Position: Dillon Quartermaine, GH, 2003-07 In A Previous Life: Teen movie buff Dillon clashed with his powerhouse mama, Tracy, and had a sweet if rocky romance with Georgie. Memory Lane: On Digest’s podcast, Dishing With Digest in 2020, Clifton credited Jane Elliot (Tracy) and Anthony Geary (ex-Luke) with serving as his mentors. “Jane and Tony really instilled in me the value of making interesting choices and just always being on, like, ‘Just make sure that you’re always entertaining the audience,’ ” he shared.

Don Diamont (Bill)  First Position: Carlo Forenza, DAYS, 1984 In A Previous Life: Carlo, who was secretly seeking to avenge his late father (who shared a shady past with Neil), seduced Neil’s wife, Liz. Neil then accidentally shot him dead. Memory Lane: Diamont got the ax only a few months after his Salem entry. Reflecting on the experience to Digest in 2017, he said, “I was a young and inexperienced actor.... What I learned during my DAYS experience was a certain professionalism.”

Thorsten Kaye (Ridge) First Position: Patrick Thornhart, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, 1995-97 In A Previous Life: Terrorists trailed poetry aficionado Patrick from Ireland to Llanview, where he wound up marrying Marty Saybrooke. Memory Lane: In 2019, Kaye recalled to Digest that he was shocked by his hiring. “I was convinced that I would not get this job,” he admitted. “There was no way! And I also didn’t want it that much because of the same reason that people make fun of daytime now. I didn’t know how hard it was.”

Rena Sofer (Quinn) First Position: Amelia “Rocky” McKenzie, LOVING, 1988-91 In A Previous Life: Trucker’s headstrong sis married Rio so he could secure a green card; they then fell genuinely in love. Memory Lane: In a 1990 Digest interview, Sofer recalled backstage battles over her character’s voice, noting, “When I started on the show, they had me saying things that were so sexist, and I’d say, ‘I’m not going to do it.’ ”