Actor Michael Cole, probably best known as one of three original Mod Squad-ers, passed away Tuesday in Los Angeles at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. He was 84.
Daily Drama News: Michael Cole, Rest In Peace
Longtime General Hospital fans will, of course, recall that Cole played no-good, double-dealing, three-timing louse Harlan Barrett, the dastardly father of Julia (Crystal Carson) and Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil).
His other acting credits include Get Christie Love!, Police Story, Wonder Woman, Murder, She Wrote, ER, and “Adult Henry Bowers” in the 1990 ABC adaptation of Stephen King’s It.
In a nod to The Mod Squad‘s infamous tagline: “One white, one black, one blonde,” Cole titled his autobiography I Played the White Guy. As for his castmates, Peggy Lipton passed away from cancer in 2019, and Clarence Williance III died in 2021 of colon cancer.
Daily Drama News Nuggets
* Funnyman Conan O’Brien, famous for headlining Late Night, The Tonight Show, and an eponymous talker on TBS, has filmed scenes for New Zealand’s top sudser, Shortland Street.
The ginger-haired one told The New Zealand Herald he had “a blast” playing successful surgeon Dr. Aiden Archer and tittered, “Now comes the hard part – convincing my parents it was a documentary.”
Oliver Driver, Street‘s producer relayed, “Conan was a joy to have on the show,” and that they would welcome him back “in a heartbeat.”
Driver added: “His interactions with the cast and crew were warm and generous and the character he created for us was the perfect foil for Chris Warner.”
Michael Galvin, whose physician character is the lone holdover from the soap’s pilot, echoed the praise for his special co-star. “He was brilliant to work with- very focussed and funny – but probably the part I enjoyed the most was just chatting with him between takes.
“He’s done so much amazing stuff and is so interesting but also really friendly – he makes a point of putting you at ease. Definitely a contender for my favourite Shorty moment.”
Per South Pacific Pictures, O’Brien’s guest spot was filmed “earlier in the year,” presumably while he was in the country filming his travel documentary Conan O’Brien Must Go.
Conan previously cameoed in the Gaelic-language serial Ros na Rún. The filming of that scene was featured in episode four of Must Go, released in April of this year (2024).
* As previously reported, Chrishell Stause (ex-Jordan Ridgeway, Days of our Lives; ex-Amanda Dillon, Ally My Children) has (momentarily) traded the Sunset Strip for The Land Down Under, and she’s determined to leave a lasting impression on the fans of homegrown soap Neighbours.
During an interview with the Neighbours’ official social media team, the actress enthused: “So some people may know me from soaps, some people may just know me from Selling Sunset, but now you’re going to know me from Neighbours!”
Stause recently made her debut as Yaz, an American businesswoman with a hidden agenda: suss out who’s responsible for the death of her villainous brother Heath.
Teases Stause: “She thinks she knows who it is… and that girl Holly’s going down!
* Crew Morrow (Will Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful) and his real-life pops, The Young and the Restless‘ own Joshua Morrow (Nicholas Newman), will join Michael Fairman for conversation on Thursday, December 12, at 7PM EST. To watch the interview, interact with the host, and possibly have your comment/question roud aloud, be sure to bookmark the stream below.
* Have you ever coveted a Forrester Creations original or fawned over the lux-looking accents strewn about the Newman Ranch? If so, you’re in luck — not that your wallet will think so!
You can now purchase the same clothes worn by your favorite actor/character and pick up pieces adorning the sets of your favorite soap by simply heading over to either the Bold and the Beautiful‘s or The Young and the Restless’ official shopping portal. The former can be HERE, and the latter HERE.
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