Terry Lester

Terry Lester (April 13, 1950 – November 28, 2003) was an American actor.[1] His best known roles include Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless, Mason Capwell on Santa Barbara and Royce Keller on As the World Turns.

Terry Lester
Born(1950-04-13)April 13, 1950
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
DiedNovember 28, 2003(2003-11-28) (aged 53)
Alma materDePauw University
OccupationActor
Years active1975–2001

Early life and education

Lester was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated from Southport High School and began an acting career while at DePauw University.

Career

He starred in the 1976 children's series Ark II, followed by roles in Airport 1975 and the 1978 Kiss movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.

Lester's big break came when he joined CBS daytime soap The Young and the Restless in 1980. He originated the role of Jack Abbott, a scoundrel who never met a woman (including his own father's wife) he didn't want to take to bed. Lester was so popular that The Young and the Restless creator William J. Bell wrote an entire family for him. The series was going through a transition period which many fans believed his star quality helped the show build more viewership rising to #1 in daytime soap ratings.

In spite of his popularity, by the end of the decade Lester felt his role on the show was steadily declining. In 1989 he not only quit but took the rare step of going to the daytime press and singling out Bill Bell's young daughter, Lauralee Bell (who plays ingenue Christine Blair), for his dwindling role. He felt the excess airtime given to her came at the expense of both himself and other actors. Lester was replaced by Peter Bergman, who has played the part of Jack ever since. Lester switched to NBC to take over the role of Mason Capwell on Santa Barbara for a year. In November 1992, he joined As the World Turns to play the charming Royce Keller, who was soon revealed to be suffering from multiple personalities which caused him to kill his own sister in the series. The role was complex, causing raves for Lester, but the headwriter behind the story, Douglas Marland, died suddenly in 1993, and Lester once again found his screentime diminishing. He left the series on May 5, 1994.

The remainder of his professional life consisted of appearances in primetime shows such as Walker, Texas Ranger and Star Trek: Voyager along with various tours in musicals and plays.

Death

On November 28, 2003, Lester died of a heart attack at the age of 53.[1]

Filmography
Roles in television and film
Year Title Role Notes
1975Airport 1975Mr. KellyFilm; uncredited
1975Barbary CoastBret HollisterEpisode: "The Barbary Coast"
1976Ark IIJonahMain role
1978Kiss Meets the Phantom of the ParkSamTelevision film
1978Flying HighBilly BobEpisode: "Swan Song for an Ugly Duckling"
1979Eight Is EnoughReed EllisEpisode: "The Cupid Crisis"
1979DallasRudy MillingtonEpisode: "Return Engagement"
1980Once Upon a SpyRudyTelevision film
1980–1989The Young and the RestlessJack AbbottRegular role
1985Blade in Hong KongJoe BladeTelevision film
1985HotelChad WheelerEpisode: "Echoes"
1987In Self DefenseDan EdwardsTelevision film
1989–1990Santa BarbaraMason CapwellRegular role
1991–1994As The World TurnsRoyce KellerRecurring role
1995Star Trek: VoyagerHaronEpisode: "Maneuvers"
1997JAGChief Petty Officer Fred HolstEpisode: "Rendezvous"
1997Diagnosis: MurderJeffrey PorterEpisode: "Open and Shut"
1999Walker, Texas RangerEarl McMartinEpisode: "Power Angels"

References
  1. "Passings: Terry Lester". Los Angeles Times. January 22, 2004. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.