Q: I have noticed that many well-know actors like Kevin Dobson, Patrick Duffy and Ted Shackelford are appearing on soaps. Have any major stars started their careers on daytime drama? -- Elena from Pocatello, Idaho

A: Lots. Dustin Hoffman had a bit part on "Search for Tomorrow." It was a one-day affair, but it was Hoffman's first television work. The late, great Don Knotts (Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show") played Wilbur on "Search for Tomorrow." Wilbur was a butter and egg man. After witnessing a murder, he was struck mute. Knotts told me he loved the idea of working and not having to memorize lines. Alec Baldwin played troubled teen Billy Aldrich on "The Doctors." Baldwin does not list this gig in his bio. Judith Light's ("Who's the Boss," "Law and Order SVU") big break came when she joined "One Life to Live." Light puts that role in her bio. Kevin Kline appeared on "Search For Tomorrow." Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") was Erica's hateful -- at the time -- daughter Kendall.

Some major stars have not even made it past a soap audition. "Another World" turned down Julia Roberts. Roberts is not bitter -- she is a huge fan of "Days of Our Lives." AW, like "Days," was an NBC product. Tom Selleck played an editor on "Young and Restless." The gig only lasted a few months. Here is how Selleck remembers his last day. "I went into the office.

I asked for a script. The poor production assistant stared back at me. 'Didn't they tell you (you) are no longer on the show?' Why was Selleck cut? According to the show's then-executive producer, Selleck was not sexy enough. Selleck is in good company: Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds were axed from an actor's development program because Reynolds was deemed "sexless" and Eastwood's Adam's apple was too pronounced.

Q: My friend swears she saw Sammy Davis Jr. on a soap. She can't be right. -- Darnell from Lyndhurst, Ohio

A: Yes, she can. In fact, Davis was one of the first stars to appear on a daytime soap. Davis appeared on "Love of Life" and "One Life to Live." Davis was an unabashed soap opera fan. "I work at night. What's a guy supposed to do during the day? Sleep or watch soaps. I do both," he said at a press conference prior to his "Love of Live" appearance.

Q: Am I dreaming, or did a "Star Wars" actor appear on a soap? -- Roscoe in California

A: You are not dreaming. "Star Wars'" Dave Prowse played a villain on "The Edge of Night." Prowse played Darth Vader in the original trilogy when the baddie was wearing his full battle regalia. James Earl Jones, who provided Vader's voice, appeared on several daytime dramas, too. As for Prowse, at a luncheon interview, he told us the biggest movie secret of all time -- off the record, of course: Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father! Having kept that off the record for over 20 years, we decided we could reveal the secret.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
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