ANOTHER WORLD Has Plans To Be Heartthrob HavenBy Jon Reed
Ocala Star-Banner
September 5, 1979
Okay, soap fans, hold onto your heartstrings and get ready to turn your afternoon TV dials. ANOTHER WORLD has announced the biggest news to come down the soap opera tube in a coon's age. Executive producer Paul Rauch has signed William Gray Espy to appear in the serial.
And if you don't know or remember who William Gray Espy is, you out to turn in your "I Love Soaps" buttons. The Alabama-born, 6-foot-1, blue-eyed young actor was merely the "hottest property" to ever appear on a daytime drama. He originated the role of Snapper Foster on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS when the show debuted in 1973. Within a year, Espy had garnered such a fanatical following for his moody, sex-imbued portrayal of Snapper that he headed every fan magazine popularity list and had thousands of screaming Mimis pounding down the Y&R stage door daily.
There were, of course, several soap "idols" before Espy came on the scene. But none had ever attained the swift, intest adulation that Bill acquired. And no soap idol since has been able to match Bill's charismatic combination of vulnerability and volatility.
Bill exited Y&R three years ago, complaining of acting cramps and a loss of privacy and identity. And in those three years, every soap producer, including Rauch, has besieged the bachelor actor with astronomical offers. He refused every nibble.
He traveled around the world, including a reported stay at a Tibetan monastery. Other than a touring play production with other serial actors, he hasn't found acting offers in other mediums pouring in. For a year, he virtually vanished, anonymously into the "street" life of New York, Atlanta, and Nashville.
Then, several weeks ago, Rauch found the actor in Nashville where he was staying with friends. "After all these years," remembers Rauch, "Espy finally agreed to join our show."
There's no questioning Espy's reasons for his sudden change of mind regarding his return to the soap opera field, except that his rebellious young man act has undoubtedly mellowed. And the rent money must be paid.
Acting is such a fickle profession. One day an actor can be HOT, and then the next, he's as desired a 3-day-old pizza.
ReplyDeleteIf we think of all of the hot actors from several years ago, how many of them still have great careers? Or, there are the those who were promoted and recognized as the next great actor but never found the proper vehicle to to build a long career for them.
With the demise of GL, I wonder how many of the great actors on that will find work after the show concludes. Grant Aleksander never found fame outside soaps neither did Darnell Williams.
Will this be the last we see of Mandy Bruno? Audrey Dollar seemed hot for a while in Hollywood after leaving GL. There are a number of good actors from primetime who had successful series that just faded after their series ended. AMC's Matthew St. Patrick found success on "Six Feet Under" but lightning hasn't struck twice for him. He hasn't found another long term gig like that or high profile movie.
There's just so much competition. I don't envy an actor's life.