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William Leonard Christian (born September 30, 1955) is an American stage and television actor. He portrayed Police Chief Derek Frye on the soap opera All My Children from 1990 to 2007, and portrayed TR Coates on Days of Our Lives.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Christian attended elementary school at St. Francis De Sales where he was first exposed to acting. He then attended Archbishop Carroll High School where he participated in the theater program. Christian attended at the Catholic University of America, where he learned about theatre and earned his bachelor's degree. He then attended at the American University, where earned his master's degree based on drama.

Career

Christian moved to New York in the early 1980s, for which he was a member of the Actors Information Project, where he performed in stage productions. He appeared in commercials such as American Express and Burger King, among others. Christian performed in the 1989 Off-Broadway revival of the play The Member of the Wedding, appearing with actress Esther Rolle. Christian guest-starred in television programs including The Cosby Show, ER, Malcolm in the Middle, Spin City, Hand of God (four episodes), Matlock, Desperate Housewives and Monk. In 1990, he was cast in the recurring role of Dr. Marshall Redd on Another World. He then went on to portray the role of Derek Frye on All My Children from 1990 to 2007. For this, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1991. In 1995, Christian had spoken out at the Youth Forum Against Violence at the Network Club, making a speech to young people in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1996, he appeared in the Off-Broadway revival of the play The Boys in the Band.

Christian first appeared on Days of Our Lives in 2018, where he portrayed an uncredited role known as "minion". In 2022, he was cast as TR Coates on Days of Our Lives, first appearing in the January 26, 2022, episode. Christian was cast following discussions with co-executive producer Albert Alarr. He presently resides in Boston, Massachusetts with his family, and attributes them for encouraging him to take on the role.

Personal life

In 2002, Christian married Gail Samuel. In 2021, Samuel would become the first female president and CEO of Boston Symphony Orchestra. The couple welcomed their first child in the summer of 2005. They have two sons, Samuel and Orlando. Christian currently lives in Boston with his wife and sons.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

1. ^ Di Lauro, Janet (January 26, 2022). "7 Things to Know About William Christian, Days of our Lives' TR Coates". Soap Hub. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
2. ^ The Soap opera book: who's who in daytime drama. West Nyack, New York: Todd Publications. 1992. pp. 56–57 – via Internet Archive.
3. ^ "William Christian". AllMovie. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
4. "Ebony (Vol. 47, No. 12)". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company: 50. October 1992. ISSN 0012-9011 – via Google Books.
5. ^ Bowe, Jilian (January 21, 2022). "All My Children Vet William Christian Joins Days of Our Lives". Daytime Confidential. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
6. Mara Levinsky; Stephanie Sloane (January 28, 2022). "DAYS'S WILLIAM CHRISTIAN GUESTS ON DIGEST'S PODCAST". Soap Opera Digest (Podcast). American Media, Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2022.{{cite podcast}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. ^ "Bill makes William nervous". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. February 18, 1994. p. 85. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Daytime Emmy Awards (1991) Winners & Nominees". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
9. "Emmy nomination a 'surprise'". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. May 17, 1991. p. 158. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Stephenson, B.L. (April 30, 1995). "Do the right thing, TV star tells teens - Forum urges student to use minds". The Republican. Springfield, Massachusetts. p. A15. Archived from the original on 2022-05-10. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via NewsBank.
11. Hischak, Thomas (March 6, 2017). 100 Greatest American Plays. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 65. ISBN 9781442256064 – via Google Books.
12. "Who's Coming". Comings and Goings. Soap Opera Digest. Vol. 47, no. 4. United States: American Media, Inc. January 31, 2022. pp. 12–13.
13. "All My Children Alum William Christian to Debut on Days of our Lives". MichaelFairmanTV. January 22, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
14. ^ "William Christian on Joining Days". Late-breaking News. Soap Opera Digest. Vol. 47, no. 5. United States: American Media, Inc. February 7, 2022. pp. 4–5.
15. ^ "William Christian". A Noise Within. August 29, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
16. "The Interview: Boston Symphony Orchestra Head Gail Samuel". Boston. Metrocorp, Inc. September 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
17. peoplestaff225 (May 16, 2005). "All My Children's William Christian and wife expecting". People. Dotdash Meredith. Retrieved January 23, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
18. Castellanos, Camila (April 4, 2019). "Local Resident Instrumental in Advancing Philharmonic's Diverse Goals – Outlook Newspapers". Retrieved January 28, 2022.
19. "William Christian on Joining Days". Late-breaking News. Soap Opera Digest. Vol. 47, no. 5. United States: American Media, Inc. February 7, 2022. pp. 4–5.

External links

• William Christian at IMDb
• William Christian at AllMovie
• Rotten Tomatoes profile

• 1955 births
• Living people
• Male actors from Washington, D.C.
• American male stage actors
• American male television actors
• American male soap opera actors
• 20th-century American male actors
• 21st-century American male actors
• 20th-century African-American male actors
• 21st-century African-American male actors
• Catholic University of America alumni
• American University alumni