Roscoe Born
| Roscoe Born | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 24, 1950 Topeka, Kansas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor and songwriter |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Randall Edwards (1982-1990) Roberta Weiss (1994-2000) 1 child |
Roscoe Born (born November 24, 1950) is an American actor born in Topeka, Kansas, who is best known for his varied roles on television. He played arch-villain Mitch Laurence on One Life to Live in six separate stints (1985, 1986, 1987, 2002-2003, 2009-2010, 2012).
Career
Born has appeared most often in daytime television, first appearing on Ryan's Hope as troubled mob heir Joe Novak from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1988.[1] He next portrayed villain Mitch Laurence on One Life to Live from 1985 to 1987 then again from 2002 to 2003, reprising the role once again starting in November 2009.[1] Born appeared on Santa Barbara in his best known roles Robert Barr (1989–1991) and his twin Quinn Armitage (1990–1991), a role that earned him an Emmy Award-nomination. He was also a regular on the primetime soap Paper Dolls as Mark Bailey in 1984. From April 2005 to January 2006 and again in March 2009, Born was on The Young and the Restless in the critically acclaimed role of the evil Tom Fisher. Many of his daytime roles showcased him in evil roles, with the exception of Nick Rivers on the 1995-1997 ABC series The City. Nick was a grizzled musician, allowing Born the opportunity to perform his own material. He can be seen performing some of his more recent songs on YouTube.com: "Bob Dylan's Pepsi Blues"; "Blue State Mind, Red State Soul"; "Soldier On", a salute to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; and "If It Don't Stink, Don't Stir the Pot", a response to the Boy Scouts of America sex abuse scandal. In February 2017, Born released two singles on iTunes via Chowderhead Records, "Let the Road Lead" and "Crazy is as Crazy Does".
In the 1980s, he also guest starred in such prime time shows as Murder, She Wrote and Midnight Caller and starred in the TV movies The Haunting of Sarah Hardy and Lady Mobster. In 1989, he had a featured role in the cult-classic Independent Film Pow Wow Highway. 1970s TV appearances include The Incredible Hulk, Six Million Dollar Man, two episodes of The Rockford Files and the TV movie Fast Friends.
Around this time Born played the dastardly Jim Thomasen on All My Children. In late 1997, he abruptly left the role and did not appear on daytime for the next several years (save bit parts on As the World Turns and Guiding Light). Born was working outside of the industry when One Life to Live rehired him from 2002 to 2003 to reprise the role of Mitch. Born portrayed an evil prison warden on Passions in 2007, and played the contract role of Dean Trent Robbins on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives[1] from May 29, 2008 to September 26, 2008.
Broadway
Over the last thirty years he has worked in Regional Theatre on both coasts, and Off Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway in New York City.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Joe Forrester | unknown | 1 episode |
| 1977 | End of the World | Bob | |
| Jailbait Babysitter | Robert | ||
| 1979 | Fast Friends | Ben Lakeman | |
| Dear Detective | unknown | 1 episode | |
| The Rockford Files | TV Commentator/Tallafero | 2 episodes | |
| 1981 | Ryan's Hope | Joe Novak | 1981–1988 |
| The Incredible Hulk | Sheldon | 1 episodes | |
| 1984 | Paper Dolls | Mark Bailey | 10 episodes |
| 1985 | One Life to Live | Mitch Laurence | 1985-1987 2002-2003 2009-2010 2012 |
| 1988 | Lady Mobster | Robert Castle | |
| 1989 | Midnight Caller | Sawyer | 1 episode |
| The Haunting of Sarah Hardy | Allen deVineyn | ||
| Powwow Highway | Agent Jack Novall | ||
| Santa Barbara | Robert Barr | 1989–1991 | |
| 1990 | Santa Barbara | Quinn Armitage | 1990–1991 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Langston 'Lanny' Douglas | 1 episode | |
| 1993 | Family Passions | Kyle McDeere | |
| 1995 | The City | Nick Rivers | |
| 1997 | All My Children | Jim Thomasen | |
| 2001 | As the World Turns | Det. Adamski | 1 episode |
| Guiding Light | Peter Vreeland | 1 episode | |
| Days of Our Lives | Trent Robbins Baron Coe | 2001; 2008 | |
| 2005 | The Young and the Restless | Tom Fisher | 2005-2006 2009 |
| 2007 | Passions | Warden | |
| 2008 | Indie Jonesin for the Kingdom of Crystal Ice | Neighbor |
Personal life
From 1985 to 1990, Born was married to fellow Ryan's Hope actor Randall Edwards. He was married to fellow Santa Barbara co-star Roberta Weiss from 1994 to 1997. Born has a daughter with Weiss.
References
- 1 2 3 Rabinowitz, Naomi. "The Born Identity." Soap Opera Digest. September 16, 2008. Vol. 33, No. 38, pg. 63-65.