Catch up With GUIDING LIGHT Star David Andrew Macdonald. The ALS Association is profoundly saddened by the passing of Helena HuffordZaslow, daughter of ALSA National Trustee Susan Hufford and the late Emmy award-winning actor Michael Zaslow and sister . He . Hufford died from cancer on November 28, 2006. His first Trek role, Darnell, was the first death ever seen on Star Trek. Susan Hufford (December 15, 1938 in Lebanon, Ohio November 28, 2006), was an actress and psychotherapist. warmly remembered for her gracious spirit in volunteering her time to. Their daughter, Helena Hufford-Zaslow, died on December 28, 2004 in Connecticut at age 19, only days after completing her first semester at . The last thing I had read was that they hadn't ruled out a suicide and then I . But Lord, was Zaslows passing a loss. He served on the National Board of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and, as a board member of the Creative Coalition, he campaigned for more effective health care. He was always in there fighting. Zaslow also took up the cause of clean water in upstate New York and was so staunchly anti-smoking that we still pity the fool who might elect to light a cigarette around him. His real-life problems got incorporated into scripts: When Zaslow fell, David Renaldi got to explain why he had bruises; when a cab company hung up after hearing Zaslow's computerized voice, Renaldi encountered the same frustration. TV By Day. Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. He is the godfather of actor Christian Slater. He planned to motor onstage in his bright red scooter and welcome the audience to . The YouTube shows are also available as audio podcasts and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts on Amazon, Apple, Google, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Spreaker. For 25 years, Zaslow portrayed manipulative businessman Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light, a role that garnered him a Daytime Emmy in 1994. This is just amazing news. Dumped from the drama when his speech began to falter, he landed a job on ABC's "One Life to Live" playing a character with ALS; he and his daytime co-stars filmed public service announcements, held fund-raisers, buttonholed legislators. Michael Zaslow died aged 56 on December 6, 1998. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. I read his book "Not That Man Anymore" and really enjoyed insight, both from Michael and Susan, about their struggles to cope with Michael's illness. RANK: 19. Michael Zaslow was born on November 1, 1942 in Inglewood, California and was an actor and writer, best known for his work in daytime dramas, or soap operas. He was married twice, to Joanne Dorian and Susan Hufford, by whom he had two daughters, Helena and Marika. "We are going to be heard," his electronic voice would proclaim. Susan Hufford was a successful author, actress, psychotherapist, wife and mother. He was married twice, to Joanne Dorian and Susan Hufford, by whom he had two daughters, Helena and Marika. Young & Restless' Phyllis Rips Apart an Entire Community With Her Latest Stunt, Young & Restless Powder Keg: Sallys Revelation and Request Will Test Nick Like Never Before. "He thrived on work," Hufford says. The incident sparked the first diagnosis of the now-famous line: "He's dead, Jim," by Enterprise crew-member Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley). He worked for three long days his first week to reestablish the story line, then came back for a day's shooting every other week or so. IMDbPro. After all those Jack and Phyllis flashbacks, could there still be hope for them as a couple? When he died on December 6, 1998, at age 56, it wasnt entirely a shock. He also had roles on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW and LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING. In 2005, Hufford released an account about Zaslow and his fight with ALS, titled Not That Man Anymore, a book Zaslow himself had begun writing prior to his death. He was married twice, to Joanne Dorian and Susan Hufford, by whom he had two daughters, Helena and Marika. Zaslow had begun writing the book several years earlier. (June 7, 1975 - December 6, 1998) (his death, 2 children), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Michael Joel Zaslow (1 November 1942 - 6 December 1998; age 56) was the actor who appeared as Darnell in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode "The Man Trap", after which he played Jordan in the second season episode "I, Mudd". He was best known for his role as villain Roger Thorpe on CBS's Guiding Light, a role he played from 1971 to 1980 and again from 1989 to 1997, earning multiple nominations and one win at the Daytime Emmy Awards. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, ISIS chief killed by Turkey's intelligence agency, Erdogan says, General Mills issues Gold Medal flour recall over salmonella concerns, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal, Tornado flips cars, downs trees after touching down in South Florida, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident, Michael J. "I knew." They will all share their memories of the beloved daytime star, so you wont want to miss it! In a statement a few months ago, Zaslow said, "I see my opportunity as doing for ALS what Chris Reeve did for spinal cord traumas, though on a more modest scale perhaps. He died on December 6, 1998 in New York City, succumbing to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS . Zaslow guest-starred on a number of other television shows and soap operas, including Barnaby Jones, The Love Boat, and Law & Order. Is Louise Sorel reprising her role as DAYS' Vivian Alamain? He died on December 6, 1998 in New York City, succumbing to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nerve-cell disorder better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Meanwhile, Hufford has this extremely minor consolation: While most ALS patients succumb to their respiratory problems, her husband's immediate cause of death was a heart attack. Actor Michael Zaslow, ex-star of TV's Guiding Light, a victim Lou Gehrig's Diseases, w. . The disease strikes about 5,000 Americans annually -- roughly equal to the number of cases of multiple sclerosis -- and the probable life expectancy is two to five years. Joan Crawford Takes Daughter . He received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations for this role during the 1990s, winning the award with his third nomination in 1994. I agreed, he continued, but Michael He was in a league of his own. His character was never killed off on the soap opera, which went through a series of writers over a two-year period, none of whom chose to deal with Renaldi's illness or Zaslow's death. Ms. Hufford-Zaslow embraced the fight. His co-workers, too, faced an adjustment. It was some time before Zaslow was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease (it was first thought he had suffered a stroke[1]). (Photo by Suzanne Opton/Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE. Michael, Woods said, was adamant about the union taking care of everyones needs. He was given leave from the show, after which he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). Wed already raged at Guiding Light for recasting his iconic role and cheered One Life to Live for reintroducing his former character of Michael Renaldi and allowing Dorian Lords old flame to deal on screen with the effects of Lou Gehrigs disease. "Given the kind of intense physical attractiveness he'd had, to see him have great difficulty walking, unable to talk -- many of us were rendered speechless for a moment as well," says Robin Strasser, who plays Dorian, the mother of David Renaldi's illegitimate daughter. Hufford was married to actor Michael Zaslow, whom she met when they both were in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof in the early 1970s. by Dan J Kroll. She produced five Broadway Theater benefits, including Love Letters starring Alec Baldwin and Tuesdays with Morrie starring Jerry Stiller, raising over $1 million for ALS research. Hufford, when they were both in the Broadway production of "Fiddler on . So last spring, David Renaldi resurfaced in fictional Llanview after more than a decade -- he'd also been a spy, it turned out -- using a wheelchair (though Zaslow could still walk at the time) and that oddly inflected synthesized voice. Among the bits of information to be found at Web sites devoted to Zaslow: First published on December 8, 1998 / 1:23 PM. As a member of the ALS Association's national board of trustees and the Greater New York Chapter's board of directors, she was an advocate to raise awareness about ALS and became a major fundraiser for ALS research. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Michael Zaslow, 54, Soap Actor; Publicized Lou Gehrig's Disease", "Wife of GL Star Loses Fight With Cancer", Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Zaslow&oldid=1140180865, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series winners, Neurological disease deaths in New York (state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2013, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 21:22. The tape is basically a set of clips that Zaslow and his co-star, Maureen Garrett, (Holly) look back on as they make commentary on the storylines. After Michael's diagnosis with ALS, he and Susan became passionate advocates for people with ALS, using his celebrity status to heighten awareness of the disease. Zaslow has also starred in such soaps as Search for Tomorrow, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, and One Life to Live, and was even a writer on NBC's Another World. Menu. Though Zaslow acted off-Broadway and on (he and his actress wife met in the original production of "Fiddler on the Roof") and appeared in movies and prime-time series, he'll probably always be remembered as Roger Thorpe, the scourge of fictional Springfield, a role he left and returned to several times over more than two decades. Zaslow and sister of Marika. Daytime TV is known for generating decades-long audience loyalty. Caring for an increasingly disabled person drains families both emotionally and financially. See How Your Favorite Soap Stars Celebrated Easter! Procter & Gamble, which owns "Guiding Light," lowered the boom as his symptoms continued month after month. "A tortured relationship," Torchin notes. Zaslow's Broadway theatre credits included Fiddler on the Roof, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Onward Victoria. Bea Reardon and her daughter Nola Reardon were introduced in January 1980 while Roger Thorpe was on the run and trying to kidnap his daughter. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "He just knew things weren't coming out right," says his wife, Susan Hufford, now a psychotherapist. American actress, psychotherapist (19382006), Learn how and when to remove this template message, http://www.alsa.org/news/article.cfm?id=1059&CFID=3841938&CFTOKEN=91567595, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Susan_Hufford&oldid=1132549568, 20th-century American non-fiction writers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 11:32. Actor Michael Zaslow with his wife Susan Hufford cooking meal in the kitchen at their home in NYC, NY. ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a motor neuron disease that causes a progressive decline in a person's ability to move, speak . Among them is Teresa Brown, who says she and several other West Virginians will try not to cry, because Michael loved great parties. By Paula Span. And in 1989, after Zaslow had spent several years playing a much nicer fellow -- concert pianist David Renaldi -- on "One Life to Live," Roger did resurface in Springfield. In fact, Zaslow did not know what was causing his vocal problems, and a round of doctors' appointments provided no explanation. And the crowd of soap stars, Broadway actors, ALS activists and worshipful fans would surely have cheered his courage in revealing, and then publicly combating, his illness. Susan Hufford (December 15, 1938 in Lebanon, Ohio - November 28, 2006), was an actress and psychotherapist.. As a member of the ALS Association's national board of trustees and the Greater New York Chapter's board of directors, she was an advocate to raise awareness about ALS and became a major fundraiser for ALS research. Husband Michael Zaslow died On December 6, 1998. Susan coped with so much tragedy in her lifetime; may she rest in peace now with Michael and her daughter. He planned to motor onstage in his bright red scooter and welcome the audience to the benefit he'd helped organize, using a computer voice-synthesizer he'd relied on since amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease) had taken his ability to speak and walk. Michael Zaslow was born on November 1, 1942 in Inglewood, California and was an actor and writer, best known for his work in daytime dramas, or soap operas. Zaslow did not return to Guiding Light, and his role was briefly recast before being written off. "Michael always said he didn't want ALS to get him," she recalls. Circle next Friday, March 19th at 4 p.m/EST and 1 p.m./PST for a special tribute episode to Michael Zaslow (Ex-Roger) of . Given this long history together, viewers naturally noticed when Zaslow's speech began to slur late in 1996. Roger Thorpe AKA Adam Malik (Michael Zaslow), son of Adam and Marjorie, character killed off on April 1, 1980, came back from the dead on February 15, . He died on December 6, 1998 in New York City, succumbing to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nerve-cell disorder better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It was actually episode No. CAPTION: Michael Zaslow before his diagnosis with ALS, left, and, right, playing a character with ALS with Robin Strasser, left, and Laura Koffman of "One Life to Live." What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? GH's William Lipton shares why Cameron Webber is leaving Port Charles, "Shining star" Nneka Garland, an Emmy-winning GH producer, has died, GH exec shares decisions that went into tribute episode to Epiphany, General Hospital boss Frank Valentini talks about GH's 60th anniversary, General Hospital welcomes back Emma Samms as Holly. January 25, 1999. Zaslow filmed his scenes for "The Man Trap" on Tuesday 28 June 1966 and Wednesday 29 June 1966 at Desilu Stage 10. Actor Michael Zaslow playing croquet his adopted daughter Marika outside their home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Bold & Beautiful Shocker: Sheila's One Hope of Getting Out of Jail Is the Last Person We'd Ever Suspect! In 1997, while working on Guiding Light, Zaslow began to have difficulty speaking, which interfered with his performance. Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Gregorio T. Binuya/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Howard Wise/JPI, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, George De Sota/JPI, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Paramount Network, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Derek Storm/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Image: Kristin Callahan/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Arlene Ritchie/JPI, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, ABC, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jennifer Graylock/JPI, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Steve Mack/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, J. Graylock/JPI, Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John P. Iblis/JPI. The son of lefty parents, politically inclined himself, he'd worked with the Creative Coalition, been a leader in his union, hosted benefits in Washington for Handgun Control Inc. "We're obsessive, proactive people; it's not in our nature to do nothing," Hufford says. Actor Michael Zaslow playing tennis at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. He was married twice, to Joanne Dorian and Susan Hufford, by whom he had two daughters, Helena and Marika. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. As president of Michael Zaslow's ZazAngels, Susan worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for ALS. Michael Zaslow. "What was groundbreaking was, he had a disease no one has ever survived, and it's progressive," Torchin observes. Zaslow died on December 6, 1998, at his New York City home. "The weeks he wasn't working were when he got depressed." His final appearance on One Life to Live was televised December 1. [3] He was survived by his wife, psychologist/writer Susan Hufford; and two daughters, Helena and Marika. I we all had known for some time that he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka ALS. Kate is on a boat, chopping off fish heads. The first victim for whom Dr. McCoy uttered the famous words, "He's dead, Jim". Helena Hufford Zaslow. Zaslow also took up the cause of clean water in upstate New York and was so staunchly anti-smoking that we still pity the fool who might elect to light a cigarette around him. Find out what's ahead this week on Y&R, Y&R stars help kick off The Price is Right's Pet Adoption Week, Even Moore returns: Shemar Moore back as Y&R's Malcolm this May, Y&R head writer Josh Griffith explains his decision to fire breakdown writers, The Young and the Restless autographed props and costumes up for auction, Why Mishael Morgan's 50th anniversary Y&R return almost didn't happen, Y&R's Eric Braeden unleashes epic Twitter tirade on former castmate Eva Longoria. Michael Joel Zaslow (November 1, 1942 December 6, 1998) was an American actor. Do you want there to be? His final episode aired on 1 December 1998, just five days before Zaslow succumbed to his disease. Related news. Find out what's ahead this week on DAYS. I and a bunch of other daytime-magazine writers were gathered on the set of Guiding Light and ushered into the presence of the veteran actor who brought to volcanic life the one and only Roger Thorpe, a villain so legendary that the CBS soap collected highlights of his misdeeds on a VHS tape that it called The Scandal Years. ROXBURY, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 01: Actor Michael Zaslow playing croquet his adopted daughter Marika, 11, as wife Susan Hufford and their other adopted daughter Helena, 14, look on outside their home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Hundreds of fans from a dozen states have sent for tickets (a few are still available via the ALS Association's Greater New York Chapter at 800-672-8857). Cancelled Daytime Drama Had to Endure Salt Being Rubbed in Its Wound: Only the Special Soaps Are Going to Survive Plus, a Photo-Filled Review of the Shows Epic History, Remembering Beloved Soap Opera Actors Who Passed Away in 2022 [PHOTOS], After Disclosing His Cancer Diagnosis, Young & Restless' Eric Braeden Reveals 'What's On My Mind'. They adopted two children together, Marika and Helena. ET at this YouTube link. He made several appearances on the show but became too ill to continue. Credit: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Steve Fenn/ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, CBS. The fate of David Renaldi, onetime concert pianist living with ALS, has yet to be determined. 50 Greatest Soap Actors: #19 Christopher Bernau. "I started running," she says. They also had another daughter, Marika Zaslow. "I started getting e-mails and letters from fans, asking if I knew what was wrong," Torchin says. Zaslow wasnt unkind at all, but if he fixed you with that glare and I know you know the one it was over. "There certainly were concerns, before he started, about whether he'd be able to do this," says Jill Farren Phelps, the show's executive producer, a daytime colleague for two decades. Alan Locher will present a tribute to Michael Zaslow (ex-Roger, GUIDING LIGHT) on his YouTube show, The Locher Room. Susan Hufford was a successful author, actress, psychotherapist, wife and mother. But Zaslow, who'd sought union arbitration and eventually negotiated a settlement with P&G, had more immediate concerns. Fans loved him nonetheless, which may explain why he survived, only to fall off a cliff in Santo Domingo a few years later when Zaslow wanted a break from the show. "Now, it's going to be a public memorial." (I didnt find one, by the way.). Roger Thorpe was played by the late actor, Michael Zaslow. Actor Michael Zaslow playing tennis at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Find out what's ahead this week on B&B, Bold Town Road: Lil Nas X makes acting debut on B&B this week, B&B's brand-new Ridge Forrester, Jr., debuts this week, B&B's Diamond White makes history in new Disney/Marvel project, chats Paris' next chapter, Y&R's Courtney Hope gives the scoop on Sally's pregnancy, Studio City, Emmy-winning series from Sean Kanan, snags 13 ISA nominations, Where is Flo? And dont forget tocheck out The Locher Rooms YouTube channel to see all the other fun live chats with soap stars you might have missed! However, it was for his work as Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light that Zaslow was always best known.