Soap Starters

Is your favorite TV or movie star a soap veteran? Here are some of today’s top stars and the soaps they appeared in before they hit the big time.

Alan Alda: “The House on High Street” (Gilbert Parker)

Richard Dean Anderson: “General Hospital” (Jeff Webber)

Kevin Bacon: “Search for Tomorrow” (Tod Adamson), “The Guiding Light” (Tim Werner)

Bonnie Bedelia: “Love of Life” (Sandy Porter)

Robby Benson: “Search for Tomorrow” (Bruce Carson)

Tom Berenger: “One Life to Live” (Tim Siegel)

Corbin Bernsen: “Ryan’s Hope” (Ken Graham)

Ellen (McRae) Burstyn: “The Doctors” (Dr. Kate Bartok)

Kate Capshaw: “The Edge of Night” (Jinx Avery)

Dixie Carter: “The Edge of Night” (Brandy Henderson)

Nell Carter: “Ryan’s Hope” (Ethel Green)

Jill Clayburgh: “Search for Tomorrow” (Grace Bolton)

Dabney Coleman: “Bright Promise” (Tracy Graham)

Ted Danson: “Sunset” (Tom Conway)

Brad Davis: “How to Survive a Marriage” (Alexander Krosno)

Ruby Dee: “The Guiding Light” (Martha Frazier)

Dana Delany: “Love of Life” (Amy Russell), “As the World Turns” (Hayley Wilson)

Sandy Dennis: “The Guiding Light” (Alice Holden)

Julia Duffy: “Love of Life” (Gerry Brayley)

Olympia Dukakis: “Search for Tomorrow” (Dr. Barbara Moreno)

Sandy Duncan: “Search for Tomorrow” (Helen)

Dana Elcar: “The Edge of Night” (Clinton Wheeler), “Dark Shadows” (George Paterson), “A Time to Live” (Dr. Clay)

Morgan Fairchild: “Search for Tomorrow” (Jennifer Pace)

Mike Farrell: “Days of Our Lives” (Scott Banning)

Larry Fishburne: “One Life to Live” (Joshua West)

Lee Grant: “Search for Tomorrow” (Rose Peabody)

Larry Hagman: “The Edge of Night” (Ed Gibson)

Mark Hamill: “General Hospital” (Kent Murray)

Kathryn Harrold: “The Doctors” (Nola Dancy)

David Hasselhoff: “The Young and the Restless” (Snapper Foster)

Marg Helgenberger: “Ryan’s Hope” (Siobhan Ryan)

Hal Holbrook: “The Brighter Day” (Grayling Dennis)

Barnard Hughes: “The Guiding Light” (Dr. Bruce Banning)

Jackee: “Another World” (Lily Mason)

Kate Jackson: “Dark Shadows” (Daphne Harridge)

James Earl Jones: “As the World Turns” (Dr. Jerry Turner), “The Guiding Light” (Dr. Jim Frazier)

Tommy Lee Jones: “One Life to Live” (Mark Toland)

Raul Julia: “Love of Life” (Miguel Garcia)

Ken Kercheval: “Search for Tomorrow” (Nick Hunter)

Kevin Kline: “Search for Tomorrow” (Woody Reed)

Don Knotts: “Search for Tomorrow” (Wilbur Peabody)

Diane Ladd: “The Secret Storm” (Kitty Styles)

Audrey Landers: “Somerset” (Heather Lawrence)

Hal Linden: “Search for Tomorrow” (Larry Carter)

Robert Loggia: “Search for Tomorrow” (Anthony Vincente)

Rue McLanahan: “Another World” (Caroline Johnson), “Where the Heart Is” (Margaret Jardin)

Marsha Mason: “Love of Life” (Judith Cole), “Where the Heart Is” (Laura Blackburn), “Dark Shadows” (Vampire Girl Lily)

Donna Mills: “The Secret Storm” (Rocket), “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing” (Laura)

Demi Moore: “General Hospital” (Jackie Templeton)

Phylicia Rashad: “One Life to Live” (Courtney Wright)

Christopher Reeve: “Love of Life” (Ben Harper)

Eric Roberts: “Another World” (Ted Bancroft)

Tony Roberts: “The Edge of Night” (Lee Pollock)

Gena Rowlands: “The Way of the World” (Paula Graves)

Meg Ryan: “As the World Turns” (Betsy Stewart)

Gary Sandy: “As the World Turns” (Hank Barton)

Susan Sarandon: “A World Apart” (Patrice Kahlman), “Search for Tomorrow” (Sarah Fairbanks)

Roy Scheider: “The Secret Storm” (Bob Hill), “Love of Life” (Jonas Falk), “Search for Tomorrow” (Dr. Wheeler)

Tom Selleck: “The Young and the Restless” (Jed Andrews)

Martin Sheen: “The Edge of Night” (Roy Sanders)

Richard Thomas: “As the World Turns” (Tom Hughes), “A Time for Us” (Chris Austen)

Daniel J. Travanti: “General Hospital” (Spence Andrews)

Janine Turner: “General Hospital” (Laura Templeton)

Kathleen Turner: “The Doctors” (Nola Dancy)

Cicely Tyson: “The Guilding Light” (Martha Frazier)

Blair Underwood: “One Life to Live” (Bobby Blue)

Joan Van Ark: “Days of Our Lives” (Janene Whitney)

Trish Van Devere: “One Life to Life” (Meredith Lord Wolek), “Search for Tomorrow” (Patty Banon)

Christopher Walken: “The Guiding Light” (Mike Bauer), “The World of Mr. Sweeney” (Kippie Franklin)

Sigourney Weaver: “Somerset” (Avis Ryan)

Billy Dee Williams: “The Guiding Light” (Dr. Jim Frazier)

Jobeth Williams: “Somerset” (Carrie Wheeler), “The Guiding Light” (Brandy)