It was an era believed to be timeless. Soap operas were considered a television constant, a reliable gig for actors in New York City navigating between theater performances, commercial auditions, and guest roles on shows like “Law & Order.” The beauty of daytime dramas was their revolving door; leave one, and you could often return, perhaps even as a dramatic doppelganger.
The 1980s marked the zenith of soap opera popularity, characterized by iconic hairstyles and compelling storylines. It was during this vibrant period that I began my recurring role as an orderly on “Guiding Light,” a cornerstone of daytime television. My character was a steadfast presence at Cedars Hospital, a fictional institution where medical ethics took a backseat to dramatic plot twists. Paternity tests were routinely manipulated, financial concerns of patients were nonexistent, and every individual was conveniently accommodated in a private room.
My role was minor, likely the smallest recurring part on the entire show, yet I relished every moment. My acting duties primarily involved shadowing Dr. Bauer during his rounds and dutifully agreeing with Nurse Lillian’s pronouncements. Many of my lines were succinct, often just a single word, like “Stat!” During surgery scenes, I made sure to deliver it with extra emphasis, a subtle reminder of my character’s presence. After 26 years on “Guiding Light Television Show,” I was confident no actor could deliver a “Stat!” with quite my level of conviction.
However, my biggest on-set challenge wasn’t line delivery, but the perplexing emergency room doors at Cedars Hospital. These doors defied logic. Entering the E.R. on “Guiding Light” required actors to grasp metal bars and pull them backwards. Exiting, conversely, demanded a delicate maneuver: a slight pull followed by a push forward.
Consequently, emergency room scenes were frequently disrupted by actors struggling with these counterintuitive doors. The presence of a tearful young woman or a speeding gurney only amplified the chaos. As the resident orderly, I often found myself mediating these doorway dilemmas, a behind-the-scenes hero of “Guiding Light.”
