Jerry verDorn (November 23, 1949 – May 1, 2022) was an American

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, best known for his role as Ross Marler in ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

'' and Clint Buchanan in ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

''. Jerry verDorn was born on November 23, 1949, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and attended

Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of 7,534 students in 2019 and 266 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities s ...

. VerDorn performed on stage with the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C. On Broadway he was a standby for the role of John Tanner in ''Man and Superman'' (1978) and portrayed an investigator in ''Are You Now or Have You Ever Been'' (1979). VerDorn became one of ''Guiding Lights longest-running cast members, debuting in the role on March 19, 1979 and portraying the character of Ross for over 26 years. He won

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

s for Best Supporting Actor in 1995 and again in 1996. VerDorn also portrayed Ross in a 1983 television movie, ''The Cradle Will Fall'', an adaptation of a book to film using several ''Guiding Light'' characters in supporting roles. In the winter of 1982, he played the role of Ross' soon to be first wife, Carrie Todd's (played by

Jane Elliot Jane Elliot is an American actress, best known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital''. Life and career Elliot was born in New York City. She was married to Luis Rojas and has three children, Adria ...

), first husband Todd MacKenzie in Carrie's flashbacks during Carrie's murder trial of one of Ross' former nemeses, Diane Ballard (played by

Sofia Landon Geier Sofia Landon Geier (born January 24, 1949) is a television soap opera writer and actress. She is also credited as ''Sofia Landon'' or ''Sophia Landon''. She was married to Michael Van Landingham from 1977 to 1982. Acting jobs '' Another World'' ...

) who also appeared in the flashbacks. In the fall of 1994, he played the humorous lookalike role of Howie - "Hoss" - who was the total antithesis of Ross. His last appearance as Ross aired on October 11, 2005. On October 25, 2005, verDorn took over the role of Clint Buchanan on ABC's ''One Life to Live'' and continued in the role until the series cancellation in 2012. On January 8, 2013, verDorn became the first actor to sign on for the revival of ''One Life to Live'' that aired on The Online Network. In 1977, verDorn married Bethea Stewart. They had two sons and remained wed until his death. He died on May 1, 2022, aged 72, from cancer.

References

External links

Official website
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Jerry verDorn profileWho's in, Who's out

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdorn, Jerry 1949 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male soap opera actors Daytime Emmy Award winners Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series winners Male actors from South Dakota People from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Minnesota State University Moorhead alumni Deaths from cancer in New Jersey