50 Greatest Soap Actors: #24 Michael Levin

NAME: Michael Levin
RANK: 24
SOAP ROLES: Tim Gould, ALL MY CHILDREN (1993); John Eldridge, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1991-1992); Jack Fenelli, RYAN'S HOPE (1975-1989)

AWARDS:
1980 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
1979 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
1978 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix): As reporter Jack Fenelli on RYAN'S HOPE, he was a volcano of emotion. All kinds. He and Kate Mulgrew as Jack's wife Mary Ryan were just fascinating to watch. Tumultuous love, tumultuous acting

Alan Carter: He could have read the phone book outloud and it would have been dramatic.

Lynn Liccardo: I could fill a book with memorable moments from just the first half of Michael Levin’s 14-year run as Jack Fenelli on RYAN’S HOPE – dozens, if not hundreds of scenes with Kate Mulgrew, Helen Gallagher, Bernard Barrow and Sarah Felder, among others, from which to choose. But it was part of a quiet little scene with Tom Aldredge’s Matthew Pearse from 1980 that caught my eye recently. They’re discussing Jack’s problematic pursuit of Matthew’s strong-willed daughter, Rose, both as a lover and step-mother for his young daughter, Ryan.

Jack: So you are saying Rose will cross her daddy –

Matthew: And take great pleasure in doing so.

Jack: Ryan will never do that to me.

Matthew: No, of course not.

Hold on Levin as he mines the subtext of what Matthew is really telling Jack – which is what a lesser writer would have written, and most people would have said in the same situation – some variation of “Just you wait!”.

Roger Newcomb: Jack Fenelli was such a fascinating character brought to life by Michael Levin. It was a perfect casting, one of all-time best.