Michael Zaslow, an Emmy Award-winning soap opera star who portrayed a man with Lou Gehrig's disease on "One Life to Live" after being stricken with the illness in real life, died of the disease . When he died on December 6, 1998, at age 56, it wasn't entirely a shock. The YouTube shows are also available as audio podcasts and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts on Amazon, Apple, Google, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Spreaker. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. "There was clearly something the matter." He was 54. Courtesy: LocherRoom. It was actually episode No. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. (In 2004, Zaslow's character on Guiding Light died off-screen.). Thanks for the information on the death of Michael's daughter. "The mission of the ALS Association has been advanced because of Michael's efforts.". . These include the original run of the musical Fiddler on the Roof and a revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He was always in there fighting. Zaslow also took up the cause of clean water in upstate New York and was so staunchly anti-smoking that we still pity the fool who might elect to light a cigarette around him. She's "out there" somewhere, according to B&B boss Brad Bell. Michael Zaslow, Emmy Award-winning actor who played victim of Lou Gehrig's disease on soap opera One Life to Live and who struggled with illness in real life, dies at age 54; photo (S) "The weeks he wasn't working were when he got depressed." Recently viewed. ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a motor neuron disease that causes a progressive decline in a person's ability to move, speak . Hufford, when they were both in the Broadway production of "Fiddler on Peacock renews DAYS, soap will continue through its 60th season, Kristian Alfonso teases "very clever twist" looming in her DAYS return, Miranda Wilson was "thrilled to bits" to be asked to return to Days of our Lives, Lindsay Arnold discusses her decision to step away from role as DAYS' Allie. We Love Soaps: Remembering Michael Zaslow as the ALS Ice Bucket He was married twice, to Joanne Dorian and Susan Hufford, by whom he had two daughters, Helena and Marika. Zaslow received multiple Daytime Emmy nominations (and won once) for his work in the role, and continually appeared on both critics' and fans' lists of favorite soap opera performers. "It was horrible." . She is. ROXBURY, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 01: Actor Michael Zaslow playing croquet his adopted daughter Marika, 11, as wife Susan Hufford and their other adopted daughter Helena, 14, look on outside their home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Posted Friday, December 01, 2006 11:56:01 AM. GH RECAPS: What you missed the Week of April 24, 2023, THE SCOOP! Zaslow was hired at One Life to Live in 1998 to play David Renaldi again, appearing first in May of that year,[2] his condition being written into the storyline. Michael Zaslow was born on November 1, 1942 in Inglewood, California and was an actor and writer, best known for his work in daytime dramas, or soap operas. Ms. Hufford-Zaslow embraced the fight. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. Michael Zaslow, a soap opera star who won a Daytime Emmy Award for best actor, died Sunday of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nerve-cell disorder better . Zaslow had been spending hours in intensive physical therapy; his family thought he was regaining some strength. Ever since his diagnosis in 1997, Zaslow -- an Emmy winner as the despicable yet dashing villain of "Guiding Light" -- had determinedly exploited his daytime-TV celebrity. A review of Not That Man Anymore: A Message From Michael Michael Zaslow was born on November 1, 1942 in Inglewood, California and was an actor and writer, best known for his work in daytime dramas, or soap operas. Michael Zaslow was brilliant and strong, charismatic and intimidating as hell. Daytime Legend Elizabeth Hubbard Dead at 89. Zaslow was also the godfather to Christian Slater, who made a cameo appearance in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Actor Michael Zaslow playing croquet his adopted daughter Zaslow was also the godfather of actor Christian Slater. June 7, 1975 - December 6, 1998 (his death, 2 children). Michael Zaslow, 54, Soap Actor; Publicized Lou Gehrig's Disease by Dan J Kroll. Actor Michael Zaslow riding bicycles with his two adopted daughters Helena and Marika outside their home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Actor: Guiding Light. "They can think, they have a sense of humor, they can still be winners." As president of Michael Zaslow's ZazAngels, Susan worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for ALS. "I started running," she says. Find out what's ahead this week on Y&R, Y&R stars help kick off The Price is Right's Pet Adoption Week, Even Moore returns: Shemar Moore back as Y&R's Malcolm this May, Y&R head writer Josh Griffith explains his decision to fire breakdown writers, The Young and the Restless autographed props and costumes up for auction, Why Mishael Morgan's 50th anniversary Y&R return almost didn't happen, Y&R's Eric Braeden unleashes epic Twitter tirade on former castmate Eva Longoria. He also appeared as Jordan in the episode "I, Mudd". COVID diagnosis sidelines GH's Laura Wright; will Carly be temporarily recast? Michael Zaslow, a soap opera star who won a Daytime Emmy Award for best actor, died Sunday of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nerve-cell disorder better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, ABC announced. They will all share their memories of the beloved daytime star, so you wont want to miss it! I only had one occasion to interview Michael Zaslow in my career as a soap journalist, in the mid-1990s. We're going to have to replace you,' " Hufford recalls. Zaslow has only appeared in three feature films. Actor Michael Zaslow with his wife Susan Hufford cooking meal in the kitchen at their home in NYC, NY. I we all had known for some time that he was . After being diagnosed with the ALS, Zaslow helped form ZazAngels, which raises funds and awareness to fight the disease. . ec. A Special Tribute to Daytime Legend Michael Zaslow My heart goes out to Marika, who has lost her entire family. Then, after watching a reading of the play "Love Letters" from the wings, he intended to wheel back out and read from a talk he gave in Washington last spring, while lobbying for ALS research funding. It was some time before Zaslow was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease (it was first thought he had suffered a stroke[1]). Fox on Parkinson's, and maintaining optimism, Ed Sheeran plays guitar in court in bid to show he didn't steal Marvin Gaye song, Bruce Springsteen on "Nebraska," and the emergence of Springsteen the poet, James Corden ends his final "Late Late Show" with message for Americans, Michael J. Michael Zaslow will celebrate 81st birthday on a Wednesday 1st of November 2023. Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco Welcome a Baby Girl See the Sweet Photos! Soaps.com is a part of Penske Media Corporation. In 1998, the couple joined the Greater New York Chapter delegation at National ALS Advocacy Day in Washington, DC to put a face on ALS to elected officials. So last spring, David Renaldi resurfaced in fictional Llanview after more than a decade -- he'd also been a spy, it turned out -- using a wheelchair (though Zaslow could still walk at the time) and that oddly inflected synthesized voice. The actor is best known for playing the complex villain Roger Thorpe on GUIDING LIGHT, though ABC soap fans might remember him as David Renaldi on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. The disease strikes about 5,000 Americans annually -- roughly equal to the number of cases of multiple sclerosis -- and the probable life expectancy is two to five years. He costarred in the 1977 feature film You Light Up My Life, and appeared in the 1979 sci-fi movie Meteor. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. Archived News: Review more past GL news headlines. This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, "Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools. Sad News about Susan Hufford (widow of Michael Zaslow) Procter & Gamble, which owns "Guiding Light," lowered the boom as his symptoms continued month after month. Michael Zaslow was an Emmy award winning actor, creating daytime's ultimate villain, Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light and the elusive, romantic composer/conductor David Renaldi on ABC's One Life to Live. The late Michael Zaslow made "Roger Thorpe" an unforgettable character on the daytime drama "Guiding Light" (GL) from 1971-1980 and again from 1989-1997. For 25 years, Zaslow portrayed manipulative businessman Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light, a role that garnered him a Daytime Emmy in 1994. Credit: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Steve Fenn/ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, CBS. Michael Zaslow Tribute at the Soap Opera Digest Awards, 1999 Susan Hufford released a book about Zaslow and his fight with ALS, titled Not That Man Anymore. B&B RECAPS: What you missed the Week of April 24, 2023, THE SCOOP! Who do you think has her? Friends and co-workers packed a memorial service a few days later -- "it was almost like the Emmy awards," says one who attended -- but tonight's event will be the first at which the public can pay tribute. Related news. All Rights Reserved. This is just amazing news. The first victim for whom Dr. McCoy uttered the famous words, "He's dead, Jim". (What he actually said was "Dead, Jim".) "So I say, it didn't." The Tragic Life and Sad Death of Michael Zaslow - YouTube against Lou Gehrig's disease, which took the life of her father. And the crowd of soap stars, Broadway actors, ALS activists and worshipful fans would surely have cheered his courage in revealing, and then publicly combating, his illness. Michael Joel Zaslow (1 November 1942 6 December 1998; age 56) was the actor who appeared as Darnell in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode "The Man Trap", after which he played Jordan in the second season episode "I, Mudd". Actor Michael Zaslow playing tennis at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Funeral services will be held Friday. In a statement a few months ago, Zaslow said, "I see my opportunity as doing for ALS what Chris Reeve did for spinal cord traumas, though on a more modest scale perhaps. Kate is on a boat, chopping off fish heads. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in political science from UCLA. He received four Daytime Emmy Award nominations for this role during the 1990s, winning the award with his third nomination in 1994. In 2005 Hufford released an account about Zaslow and his fight with ALS, titled Not That Man Anymore, a book Zaslow himself had begun writing . Hufford died from cancer on November 28, 2006. This is sad news. "ALS can be very fast." Zaslow also appeared in other television shows, including Law & Order. The incident sparked the first diagnosis of the now-famous line: "He's dead, Jim," by Enterprise crew-member Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley). . (June 7, 1975 - December 6, 1998) (his death, 2 children), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. (I didnt find one, by the way.). This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Catch up With GUIDING LIGHT Star David Andrew Macdonald. News Roundup: The Death of a Supercouple, Wedding Implosion Winners & Losers and the Shocking Identity of Mommie Dearest? After Michael's diagnosis with ALS, he and Susan became passionate advocates for people with ALS, using his celebrity status to heighten awareness of the disease. She helped raise more than $1 million to find a cure for the disease. ec CAPTION: Dumped by "Guiding Light" because of his illness, Michael Zaslow, right, joined with Wortham Krimmer and Robin Strasser on "One Life to Live." The last thing I had read was that they hadn't ruled out a suicide and then I never heard anything again. Most recently, he played the charming David Renaldi on One Life to Live. In fact, Zaslow did not know what was causing his vocal problems, and a round of doctors' appointments provided no explanation. He had suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for some time before his passing. March 12, 2021 11:18AM. In the late 1980s, he returned to the show and, once again, became a central figure. by the passing of Helena Hufford Zaslow, daughter of ALSA National. Tom Pelphrey, a Guiding Light and As the World Turns alum, is a first-time dad, Daytime Emmys set to air this June on CBS, Guiding Light alum Tom Pelphrey and girlfriend Kaley Cuoco expecting first child, Multi-soap vet Robert LuPone loses battle with pancreatic cancer, Rena Sofer: "I'm so proud of the work that we did together", Robert Newman exits Y&R, thanks fans for their love and support, The doctor is in! Roger Thorpe AKA Adam Malik (Michael Zaslow), son of Adam and Marjorie, character killed off on April 1, 1980, came back from the dead on February 15, . Zaslow, though, as fierce as he could be, was special. Susan Hufford (December 15, 1938 in Lebanon, Ohio - November 28, 2006), was an actress and psychotherapist.. As a member of the ALS Association's national board of trustees and the Greater New York Chapter's board of directors, she was an advocate to raise awareness about ALS and became a major fundraiser for ALS research. We Love Soaps: 50 Greatest Soap Actors: #19 Christopher Bernau In fact -- also like any star -- Zaslow was hoping the writers would give his character more to do. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Their daughter, Helena Hufford-Zaslow, died 28 December 2004 in Connecticut at age 19, only days after completing her first semester at Wellesley College.