Monday, April 19, 2010

50 Greatest Soap Actors: #21 John Wesley Shipp

NAME: John Wesley Shipp
RANK: 21
SOAP ROLES: Carter Jones, ALL MY CHILDREN (1992); Blanchard Lovelace, ONE LIFE TO LIVE (1989); Martin Ellis, SANTA BARBARA (1986); Doug Cummings, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1985-1986); Kelly Nelson, GUIDING LIGHT (1980-1984)

AWARDS:
1987 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series
1986 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Nelson Aspen: God bless Doug Marland for writing stories that bring out the best in an actor. Instead of relegating John to mere soap opera beefcake, the stories he got to play on GL and ATWT proved there was more to this young man than perfect pecs.

Alan Carter: It would have been easy to forget Shipp if only for the speedo-enhanced doctor of GUIDING LIGHT...but he became a true eye-opening star as the nut on ATWT and deservedly snatched an Emmy. Ditto for a wife beater role on SANTA BARBARA. Personally, I'd also give him an award for the speedo...you think its easy to act in one? Try it!

Patrick Erwin: A set of vivid performances on daytime: Shipp’s memorable performances as the good guy opposite Lisa Brown’s Nola on GL. Then his stunning turn as ATWT's Douglas Cummings, whose “good guy” mask eventually dropped to reveal a psychotic man behind it.

Roger Newcomb: The day that Kelly confronted Nola about her lies on GUIDING LIGHT was one of the most memorable for me in my 35 years of watching soaps. As wonderful and loved as Shipp was as Kelly, he was a revelation as Douglas Cummings on AS THE WORLD TURNS. Wow.

5 comments:

  1. Although he won the Emmy in 1987, his stint on SANTA BARBARA was actually in the fall of 1986. I remember Eden being legitimately horrified when she saw how badly this psychopath had beaten Tori; she'd brought him to town because she thought the two of them would get back together and Tori would stop hanging around Cruz, and had no idea Tori had left him because he was an abusive maniac.

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  2. It is credit to him that a minor role as Matin Ellis on SB is still so remembered. However, his "good guy" turned psycho has to be his finest moment. When Kim (Kathryn Hays, how she never won an Emmy for that role) found out Doug was her "admirer", JWS's Doug was so creepy, yet pathetically sad. You forgot he was ever the sweet and good Kelly on GL

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  3. Can Someone Give Me History Of His OLTL Role

    I also Believe He was On Loving for a visit as Carter and Terrorized Leann & Hannah

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  4. Along with Grant Aleksander's Phillip, JWS's Kelly was one of my first daytime crushes.
    I will admit to watching him on "The Flash" even, but loved him in minor roles too, on night time soaps "Dawson's Creek" and "Sisters."
    Wish he had a prime-time show now!

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  5. Such a gorgeous, talented man.

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