Roscoe Born

Roscoe Conklin Born (November 24, 1950 – March 3, 2020) was an American actor and songwriter. He is best known for his roles on various television soap operas, most notably as archvillain Mitch Laurence on One Life to Live in six stints between 1985 and 2012.

Roscoe Born
Born
Roscoe Conklin Born

(1950-11-24)November 24, 1950
Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 2020(2020-03-03) (aged 69)
Cause of deathSuicide
OccupationActor, songwriter
Years active1976–2020
Spouse(s)
    ​
    (
    m. 1985⁠–⁠1990)
      (
      m. 1994⁠–⁠1997)
      Children1

      Early life and education

      Born was born in Topeka, Kansas.[1][2] He graduated from Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland, in 1968.

      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.[3] He next portrayed villain Mitch Laurence on One Life to Live from 1985 to 1987[4] then again from 2002 to 2003, reprising the role once again starting in November 2009.[3] 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 film Pow Wow Highway. 1970s TV appearances include The Incredible Hulk, The 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[3] from May 29, 2008 to September 26, 2008.

      Born studied acting at the Arena Stage workshop and made his professional acting debut for them on November 13, 1969, in the play Edith Stein.[5][6][7] In 1979, he won an Drama-Logue Award for the play Life in the Theater.[5]

      In 1990, Born earned nominations for a Daytime Emmy[8][9] and Soap Opera Digest award.[10]

      Personal life and death

      From 1982 to 1990, Born was married to fellow Ryan's Hope actress Randall Edwards. He was married to fellow Santa Barbara co-star Roberta Weiss from 1994 to 2000 and they had a daughter, Alberta.[11]

      Born died on March 3, 2020, at the age of 69.[11][12] He died by suicide; his family issued a statement which said, "Roscoe has long struggled with bipolar disorder, a shadow that he succumbed to when he took his own life".[13][14]

      Filmography
      YearTitleRoleNotes
      1976Joe Forresterunknown1 episode
      1977End of the WorldBob
      Jailbait BabysitterRobert
      1979Fast Friends Ben Lakeman
      Dear Detectiveunknown1 episode
      The Rockford FilesTV Commentator/Tallafero2 episodes
      1981Ryan's HopeJoe Novak1981–1983
      1988
      The Incredible HulkSheldon1 episodes
      1984Paper DollsMark Bailey10 episodes
      1985One Life to LiveMitch Laurence1985-1987
      2002-2003
      2009-2010
      2012
      1988Lady MobsterRobert Castle
      1989Midnight CallerSawyer1 episode
      The Haunting of Sarah HardyAllen deVineyn
      Powwow HighwayAgent Jack Novall
      Santa BarbaraRobert Barr1989–1991
      1990Santa BarbaraQuinn Armitage1990–1991
      Murder, She WroteLangston 'Lanny' Douglas1 episode
      1993Family PassionsKyle McDeere
      1995The CityNick Rivers
      1997All My ChildrenJim Thomasen
      2001As the World TurnsDet. Adamski1 episode
      Guiding LightPeter Vreeland1 episode
      Days of Our LivesTrent Robbins
      Baron Coe      		2001; 2008
      2005The Young and the RestlessTom Fisher2005-2006
      2009
      2007PassionsWarden
      2008Indie Jonesin for the Kingdom of Crystal IceNeighbor

      References
      1. Cushman, Dustin (March 6, 2020). "'Soap Legend Roscoe Born Dead at 69". Soaps.com. United States: SheKnows Media. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
      2. Beresford, Trilby (March 5, 2020). "Roscoe Born, Actor on 'The Young and the Restless,' Dies at 69". The Hollywood Reporter. United States: Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (Valence Media). Retrieved March 8, 2020.
      3. Rabinowitz, Naomi (September 16, 2008). "The Born Identity". Soap Opera Digest. 33 (38). United States: American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. pp. 63–65. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
      4. Waggett, Gerard J. (November 1997). "One Life to Live". The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. New York City: Avon. pp. 163–188. ISBN 978-0061011573.
      5. Reed, Jon-Michael (16 January 1983). "Night Caller". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
      6. Reichardt, Nancy M. (11 November 1990). "Roscoe Born enjoys playing twins on 'Santa Barbara'". The Morning Call. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
      7. Variety Magazine (Vol. 257, Iss. 2 ed.). p. 64. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
      8. Lipton, Lauren (May 11, 1990). "CBS Dominates Daytime Emmy Field With 74 Nominations : Television: The networks' order in nominations mirrored their daytime ratings. ABC got 39; NBC took 30". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times Communications LLC (Nant Capital). Retrieved March 9, 2020.
      9. Passalacqua, Connie (July 22, 1990). "Daytime Emmys were better than usual". The Evening News. Newburgh, New York: Newburgh-Beacon News Co. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
      10. "The Soap Opera Digest Awards: 1990". Soap Opera Digest. Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
      11. Evans, Greg (March 6, 2020). "Roscoe Born Dies: 'The Young And The Restless', 'All My Children' Actor Was 69". Deadline Hollywood. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
      12. SOD (March 6, 2020). "Soap Opera Vet Roscoe Born Passes Away". Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. Odyssey Magazine Publishing Group Inc. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
      13. Ausiello, Michael (March 9, 2020). "Roscoe Born's Family Reveals Cause of Death, Calls For More 'Conversations Around Mental Illness". TVLine. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
      14. Michael, Maloney (March 10, 2020). "Soap Opera Veteran Roscoe Born's Cause Of Death Revealed". Soap Hub. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
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