Matthew Ashford
Matthew Ashford | |
---|---|
Born | Matthew Nile Ashford January 29, 1960 Davenport, Iowa, U.S. |
Education | University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA) |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1982–present |
Spouses | Christina Saffran
(m. 1987; div. 2012)Lana Buss (m. 2016) |
Children | 4 |
Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960)[1] is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC Daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives (1987 to present). In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Days of Our Lives. He has also won five Soap Opera Digest Awards.
Early life
[edit]Ashford was born in Davenport, Iowa.[1] He is the sixth of eight children, with three sisters and four brothers. He is of Irish descent. His sisters got him involved in acting when they joined junior theater classes and workshops, eventually bringing him along.[2] His family moved from Iowa to Fairfax, Virginia when he was thirteen years old. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During his college years, Ashford performed with the Ragamuffin Magic and Mime Company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.[3]
Career
[edit]After graduating from college, Ashford moved to New York City. In 1982, he was cast as Drew Ralston on One Life to Live. He stayed on the show until 1983, when the character of Drew was killed off.[2][4]
Ashford was cast on The Hamptons, a 1983 summer replacement series, but he had to turn down the job because he was still under contract with One Life to Live.[2] He joined a touring company production of The Member of the Wedding, co-starring with Esther Rolle.[3] In 1984, Ashford was cast as Cagney McCleary on Search for Tomorrow. He played the role until the show's cancellation in December 1986.[1][5]
In 1987, Ashford joined the cast of the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, playing Jack Deveraux. The part had previously been played by James Acheson. The character of Jack was initially written as a villain and raped Kayla Brady. After Ashford began playing the role, the character was redeemed. He was paired romantically with Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves).[6] In 1989, Ashford won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain.[7] In 1991, he and Melissa Reeves won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Super Couple: Daytime.[8] In 1992, they won Soap Opera Digest Awards for Best Love Story and Best Wedding.[9]
Ashford played Jack Deveraux in the Days of Our Lives television film One Stormy Night (1992).[10] He guest starred on Quantum Leap.[1] He played Jack Deveraux in another Days of Our Lives television film, Night Sins (1993).[11] Ashford won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Comedic Performance.[12] In September 1993, he left Days of Our Lives when the producers decided not to renew his contract.[13][14] The role was recast with Mark Valley in 1994 and Steve Wilder in 1997.[6]
Ashford was cast as Tom Hardy on General Hospital, first airing on February 17, 1995. The part had previously been played by David Wallace. Ashford won the role without an audition.[15] He appeared in the science fiction film Species (1995).[16] He guest starred on Burke's Law.[1] He left General Hospital in 1997 and guest starred on Pacific Blue.[1] Ashford played Whitey in the romantic comedy film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998).[17][18] He guest starred on Charmed and Providence.[19] He played Ron in the action film Paper Bullets (1999).[1]
In December 2000, it was announced that Ashford would be returning to Days of Our Lives as Jack Deveraux. His first airdate was February 6, 2001.[6][20][21] He also guest starred on Dharma & Greg in 2001.[19] He stayed on Days of Our Lives until October 2003, when Jack was murdered by a serial killer called The Salem Stalker.[6][22] In 2003, Ashford guest starred as himself on Friends.[19]
Ashford returned to One Life to Live on a recurring basis as a new character, Stephen Haver. His first airdate was December 10, 2003.[4] Stephen, a college professor, was discovered to be a serial murderer known as the Music Box Killer. Ashford left the show when the character was killed off in February 2004.[23] In 2004, Ashford returned to Days of Our Lives when it was revealed that The Salem Stalker's victims, including Jack, were alive and being held captive on a tropical island. Ashford left the show again on September 21, 2006.[6][24]
Ashford returned to Days of Our Lives for a short time in April 2007.[25] In May 2007, Ashford played Mike in a production of No Strings at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. He co-starred with Scott Bakula.[26] In 2010, he guest starred on 90210.[27] He began playing the recurring role of Steve Jensen on the web series The Bay, co-starring with his former Days of Our Lives castmate Mary Beth Evans.[28] From February to June 2010, he played Bill Austin in the North American tour of Mamma Mia!.[29][30] The final performances were cut short due to security concerns with the G20 Summit in Toronto, which was held nearby.[31][32]
Ashford returned to Days of Our Lives, first airing September 23, 2011.[33] He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Days.[34] In April 2012, it was announced that he had been dismissed from his role on Days, along with three other actors.[35] His last airdate was August 15, 2012. The character of Jack died when an elevator crashed with him inside.[6]
In September 2012, Ashford played Franklin Hart Jr. in the musical 9 to 5 at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. He co-starred with Sally Struthers.[27] In November 2015, it was announced that he would return to Days of Our Lives as the ghost of Jack, airing in a 2016 episode.[36] He made another return as a ghost in December 2017.[37] In 2017, Ashford was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for his work on The Bay.[38]
In November 2018, it was announced that Ashford would be returning to Days of Our Lives as a regular cast member. Jack returned from the dead, first airing in 2019.[39]
Ashford is part of a production company, NGM Productions, which produced The Unlikeleys, a movie, in which Ashford plays the most famous soap star in the world and his exact look-alike. Ashford's production company has also produced The Exorcism of Tina Miller, a movie.
Personal life
[edit]Ashford met singer-actress Christina Saffran in 1985, when he auditioned for the World Peace Festival, a production she was choreographing. They were married on June 6, 1987.[3] They have since divorced.[40] They have two daughters, born in 1992 and 1997.[1]
In May 2010, while on tour in Toronto, he obtained U.S.-Canadian dual citizenship. Ashford's father was born in Canada, which made him and his siblings eligible to become Canadians without relinquishing their American citizenship.
Ashford married Lana Buss in November 2016. They have a son, born in May 2013, and a daughter, born in December 2015.[40]
Awards and recognition
[edit]- 2012 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Days of Our Lives) - Nomination
- 1993 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Comic Performance (Days of Our Lives)
- 1992 Soap Opera Digest Award Best Love Story Daytime or Primetime (with Melissa Reeves) (Days of Our Lives)
- 1992 Soap Opera Digest Award Best Daytime Wedding (with Melissa Reeves) (Days of Our Lives)
- 1991 Soap Opera Digest Award Favorite Daytime Super Couple (with Melissa Reeves) (Days of Our Lives)
- 1989 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Daytime Villain (Days of Our Lives)
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Species | Guy in Club | |
1998 | Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss | Whitey | |
1999 | Paper Bullets | Ron | |
2006 | Deceit | Michael | Video |
Social Security Guard | Hugh | Short film | |
2008 | Chronicles of an Exorcism | Father Michael | |
2011 | The Historian Paradox | Thomas | Short film |
2012 | Fuzz Track City | Chris Valentine | |
Winning Favor | Coach Loren DeJong | ||
Bad Blood | Dr. Stringer | ||
Catch of a Lifetime | Billy Joe Crawley | ||
Hi Mitch | Phil | Short film | |
2016 | The Unlikely's | Brock Chapman | |
2017 | The Fuzz | Valentine | |
2021 | Blood Runs Thick | Marshall | |
2022 | Spirit | Pops |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1982–1983 | One Life to Live | Drew Ralston | Contract role |
1984–1986 | Search for Tomorrow | Cagney McLeary | Contract role |
1987–1993, 2001–2007, 2011–2012, 2016– | Days of Our Lives | Jack Devereaux | Contract role (1987–93, 2001–06, 2011–12, 2018–) Guest role (2007, 2016–17) Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Daytime Villain Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Daytime Supercouple (shared with Melissa Reeves) Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Love Story or Daytime or Primetime (shared with Melissa Reeves) Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Daytime Wedding (shared with Melissa Reeves) Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Comic Performance Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
1992 | One Stormy Night | Jack Deveraux | Television film |
Quantum Leap | TV Husband | 2 episodes | |
1993 | Night Sins | Jack Deveraux | Television film |
1995 | Burke's Law | Harold 'Spider' Arthur | Episode: "Who Killed the Tennis Ace?" |
1995–1997 | General Hospital | Tom Hardy | Contract role |
1997 | Pacific Blue | Thomas Leffler; Antonio; Ted Miller; Jeff Armstrong | Episode: "Soul Mate" |
1998 | Charmed | Roger | Episodes: "Unaired Pilot", "Something Wicca This Way Comes" |
1999 | Providence | Mr. Henderson | Episode: "Home for the Holidays"
Credited as Matthew N. Ashford |
2001 | Dharma & Greg | Trey | Episode: "Dharma Does Dallas"
Credited as Matthew N. Ashford |
2003 | Friends | Himself | Episode: "The One with the Soap Opera Party" |
2003–2004 | One Life to Live | Dr. Stephen Haver | Recurring role |
2010 | 90210 | Peter Upton | Episode: "2021 Vision" |
2010–2023 | The Bay | Steve Jensen | 75 episodes |
2013 | The Good Mother | Peter | Television film |
Dating in the Middle Ages | Nick Hamilton; Medieval Captain | 2 episodes | |
2016–2017 | This Just In | Dr. Majishon | 3 episodes |
2020 | NCIS | Rick Martel | Episode: "Schooled" |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "About the Actors: Matthew Ashford". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Payne, Andrea (June 19, 1984). "Going with the Flow". Soap Opera Digest. 9.
- ^ a b c Rout, Nancy E.; Buckley, Ellen (1992). The Soap Opera Book: Who's Who in Daytime Drama. Todd Publications. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-915344-23-9.
- ^ a b Kroll, Dan J. (November 9, 2003). "Former Days star Matthew Ashford moves to Llanview". Soap Central. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Reichardt, Nancy M. (June 26, 1986). "'Search' Never Says Die: Celebrates 9,000th Show". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Who's Who in Salem: Jack Deveraux, Sr". Soap Central. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1989". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1991". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1992". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Slate, Libby (January 10, 1992). "For Soap Awards, a Nighttime 'Days' : Television: The special 'Days of Our Lives' episode will precede the first prime-time Soap Opera Digest Awards broadcast". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Days of Our Lives: Night Sins". tcm.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1993". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Carter, Alan (August 20, 1993). "Matt Ashford Leaves "Days of Our Lives"". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Collymore, Terrie (January 4, 1994). "Dazzling Departures: Hasta La Vista Baby!". Soap Opera Digest. 19 (1): 77.
- ^ "Late-Breaking News: Matthew Ashford Checks into GH". Soap Opera Digest. 20 (5): 4. February 28, 1995.
- ^ "Species - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss". tcm.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Matthew Ashford: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. (December 10, 2000). "Matthew Ashford will return to Salem". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Matthew Ashford Returns to 'Days'". Chicago Tribune. December 30, 2000. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. (August 24, 2003). "Ashford fired – again". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Matthew Ashford Plays His Last Note as OLTL's Music Box Killer". Soap Opera Digest. March 22, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. (July 13, 2006). "Ashford leaving Days after all". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. (February 1, 2007). "Matthew Ashford gets another shot as DAYS's Jack". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 8, 2007). "Reprise! No Strings — with Bakula, Brown, Ashford and Williamson — Begins May 8". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "'Days of Our Lives' Matthew Ashford joins the 9 to 5 the Musical". Foster's Daily Democrat. September 13, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Logan, Michael (February 18, 2011). "Exclusive: Online Soap The Bay Looking For a TV Home". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Ex-Days of our Lives' Matthew Ashford Touring With Mamma Mia!". soaps.sheknows.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Hawley, David (March 10, 2010). "Comic roles rule in touring 'Mamma Mia'!". minnpost.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Mamma Mia! Closes at the Toronto At The Princess of Wales Theatre 6/6". BroadwayWorld. June 6, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "G20 security fence going up in downtown Toronto". toronto.ctvnews.ca. June 7, 2010. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. (May 17, 2011). "Matthew Ashford brings Jack back to Salem". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Daytime Emmy Awards 2012: The Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. June 23, 2012. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Huge Exits at Days!". Soap Opera Digest. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Iannuci, Rebecca (November 30, 2015). "TVLine Items: Days Brings Jack Back, Transparent Arrives Early and More". tvline.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Clifford, Kambra (December 14, 2017). "Matthew Ashford returns to Days for life and death storyline". Soap Central. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. (April 28, 2017). "Technically speaking, Days comes out on top". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Clifford, Kambra (November 13, 2018). "Matthew Ashford teases Days return, says storyline ahead is "really good"". Soap Central. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "Baby On Board!". ABC Soap's In Depth. August 28, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
External links
[edit]- 1960 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Actors from Davenport, Iowa
- American male film actors
- American male soap opera actors
- American male television actors
- Male actors from Iowa
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumni
- American people of Irish descent
- American stage actors