Hollywood star Bradley Whitford (ex-Jason, All My Children; ex-Dr. Jones, Guiding Light) says he was a snob about appearing on a soap opera -- until he saw David Canary (ex-Adam Chandler, AMC) at work.
The world knows Bradley Whitford from high-profile shows like The West Wing, The Handmaid's Tale, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but many people don't know that some of his early roles were actually on soap operas. He played All My Children's Jason from 1985 to 1987 and Guiding Light's Dr. Jones in 1988 -- two roles that might not have happened had it not been for legendary AMC star David Canary (ex-Adam Chandler).
Whitford reveals that when he first started looking for acting jobs, soap operas were the last thing he wanted to do. But Canary made him view the genre in a whole new light.
"When you're coming out of acting school, you're kind of a snob about doing any television -- which is hilarious -- but certainly about doing a soap. But then I was so blown away by David Canary's talent," he shares with Soaps. "When you get to do a TV show for the first time, it's your first chance to really act. Once a TV show is up and running, and has an audience, you're not worried if it's going to fundamentally work -- and there's a relaxation that happens. That relaxation can make you lazy, or it can be an opportunity to hone some extraordinary skills. That's what I saw on [All My Children], and with David Canary. I was struck and inspired by him, because he had such an extraordinary role."
But Canary isn't the only person who influenced Whitford's opinion about soap operas. He shares that his old college buddy -- Michael E. Knight (Martin Gray, General Hospital; ex-Tad Martin, AMC) -- also had a hand in shaping his views on the genre.
"It's so funny -- someone just tweeted a clip I'd never seen before from All My Children. It's me, being a jerk on the soap," he shares of the clip, which can be viewed below. "See, I went to college with Michael E. Knight, and he left college because he'd gotten on All My Children. Then I went to acting school, and by the time I got out he was an established soap star."
Check out a clip from Whitford's time on AMC below and head to Soaps to read more about what the actor learned from starring on the ABC drama.
Editor's Note: Is it just us, or is the above clip so reminiscent of Whitford's role in the 1987 Elisabeth Shue film Adventures in Babysitting? It almost seems like Whitford's icky ol' Mike might have been modeled after AMC's Jason!
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