Monday, March 24, 2014

JAMES REBHORN: THE SOAP YEARS

RIP James Rebhorn (1948-2014)

Originally published 2/24/11

YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET

Matt Bomer isn't the only Guiding Light alum on White Collar.

There is also James Rebhorn, who plays Peter's boss.

Every time I see him on-screen, I weep.

Not because his performance moves me, but because I know that he's capable of moving me - only he is never, ever given the chance.

On White Collar, Rebhorn mostly huffs, puffs and points. In the movie, Independence Day, he primarily cowered. In Far From Heaven he was Dennis Quaid's shrink, and in Baby Mama, Tina Fey's judge.

He is capable of so, so much more, and the only place he's ever been able to express it, IMHO, has been daytime. (To be fair, I've never seen his stage work, and can only hope he's been given material worthy of his abilities, there.)

On Guiding Light, Rebhorn played Bradley Raines', Beth's violent stepfather who beat Lillian, raped Beth, and taunted Phillip with the truth about his parentage. (And yet, every once in a while, Rebhorn allowed you to see the agonized man behind the monster, to the point where you actually, kinda, sorta, felt sorry for him.)

Watch a classic clip, below (yes, that is ER's Sherry Stringfield as Blake):



On As The World Turns, Rebhorn knocked his evil up a notch, raping not his stepdaughter, but his biological daughter, Angel (Holden's wife and ex-lover of his brother, Caleb). Here, he was less sympathetic. But, very, very creepy. He could make your flesh crawl right through the screen. (He also was particularly nasty to his son. Especially when said son attempted to stand up for his sister.)

2 comments:

Derek said...

Many thanks for this salute to James Rebhorn. I have been a fan since he portrayed John the chauffeur in Texas. He was also an on-screen love in that show with Gretchen Oehler's Vivien.

How wonderful it was to see Mr. Rebhorn in one of the final episodes of As the World Turns playing the next of kin to Dr. Reid Oliver. This is stellar acting, worthy of a daytime Emmy for guest appearance if they have such a category.

http://www.youtube.com/user/smuchshypush#p/u/5/iDHmXrZU68k

For fun, here is Mr. Rebhorn singling with the late Gretchen Oehler in a mock telethon episode of Texas from December 1982. It is the final performance in this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/user/hfxmusicman#p/c/11FF21432E90DA40/6/hLwkNwEOLjA

Derek said...

Here is the direct link to James Rebhorn's singing and dance routine with the late Gretchen Oehler on Texas in December 1982.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLwkNwEOLjA&feature=related