My condolences are with his family.Plus i’m glad that his fans were able to watch him at least one more time on the All My Children reboot.

R.I.P. Matthew. Prayers for Christine Baranski and their children. Great entertainer.

I loved Billy Clyde and never knew he was married to Christine. She’s one of my favorite actresses. Could we see Mary Anne Thorpe with Billy Clyde Tuggle? Nope but that’s why they are called actors.

Oh no, no, no! I love this actor, think he’s brilliant. I always said that Billy Clyde Tuggell was the best villain in soap opera history. He even wrote his own dialogue. I don’t have he words–this is just too sad.

An unforgettable soap villain. Sympathy to Christine and family

Matthew Cowles / Billy Clyde Tuggle AMC is a soap opera legend!
His villain performances has stayed with all the AMC fans for decades!
He made a mark that will always forever be ..

Condolences to all who love Matthew Cowles , he will never be forgotten ..

Sad news..Rest in peace..He was always riveting and a scene stealer over at AMC.

I am so sad to hear this! I loved him on AMC.

That makes me so sad. I liked him so very much and I will forever miss Billy Clyde. May he rest in peace.

Glad I got to see him perform again as Billy Clyde. Prospect Park did something right by bringing him back to AMC. He was wonderful as Billy Clyde.

So sad to hear. He was tremendous to watch, and I was thrilled to get to see him as Billy Clyde again. Condolences to his family.

What a shock to hear this news. On All My Children he was the character you loved despite his mean ways. He will be missed.

I am so sorry for your lost may god be with you a d your family your in my thoughts and prayers to

Such a talent loved him on All My Children glad to see him back on short lived return

So sorry on Matthews passing. He was excellent actor and character on AMC was much loved. Sincere sympathy to his family ……Billy Clyde, my goodness no one will ever forget him…RIP

RIP…Matthew Cowles….Billy Clyde Tuggle….may you rest in peace with the other greats from PineValley,Pa.

I am so sorry and offer my condolences ..I remember Billy Clyde way back on All My Children in the Dixie/Tad days …years ago..and then his return last year ..Rest in peace ..you were a great actor and person ..

I hadn’t watched All My Children in ages…and I mean years! But I do remember his character well. Very sad news…condolences.

Mr. Cowles’ sense of fun playing the role made him “non-traumatic” for viewers, even way back, when we got a less kinder-gentler Billy Clyde. An actor who brought craft to his role, this is how I remember him. God bless his family.

He was a joy to watch. So much talent. My heart goes out to his family.

May God be with his family during this difficult time! He was so talented!

I am very sad about this, Matthew was a wonderful actor and rip my friend. We will all miss you.

❤Him can first remember seeing so many years ago on All My Children. One of the best characters to be brought on RIP Billy Clyde deepest sympathy to his loving family!

I was so taken aback upon reading of his passing, that I was at a loss for words. I have regained my composure. Billy Clyde Tuggell has had a cult following ever since he left Pine Valley. Many of us started a ‘Bring Back Billy Clyde’ campaign. When Prospect brought him back, and I heard his Southern slurred speech sputtered forth while wearing that three piece white suit with the carnation boutonniere while carrying a cane, I am going to admit something–I chocked up a little. Yes, because when I was about 12 Billy Clyde triggered my imagination while invoking my sense of fear as well as tickling my funny bone. How many soap villains can make you shudder and laugh at the same time? This is only something I can confess to fellow soap fans because only they (you all) get it. This comes from a place which makes us remain steadfastly loyal to a soap despite the fact that it is letting us down in so many ways (see GH). I gave up on AMC about 7 years before it was cancelled because it had gotten so bad it almost seemed like self-sabotage (again, see GH). But when it was finally cancelled, I was sad because I knew I could never go home again.
Billy Clyde Tuggell represents the best of AMC–he was brilliantly nuanced, he contained literary allusions and he skillfully blended humor with his evil doings. How many soap villains can make you laugh and shudder at the same time? Finally, I think I cried upon seeing his visage on Prospect’s AMC, as well as reading about his passing here on Michael Fairman’s blog, because I think I always sensed that he was truly a good and sweet man on top of being really a damn brilliant actor. I guess I am just going to miss knowing that he was out there somewhere, ready to come back while wielding that cane.

Loved him on all my children .

I am so very sad to hear this news. His tremendous talent made Billy Clyde a classic, unforgettable character. Rest in peace Matthew. Know that you are loved by millions.

Deep love and Condolences to Christine and the girls. A good and kind man, a great actor and the most lovable villain who ever perpetrated evil in Pine Valley! So sorry for your loss, you are in my prayers.
Love, Trish

And with a tip of his feathered fedora, he took the classic “Clydemobile” on one last ride to the “Great Beyond…” Bye bye, BC….still unforgettable after all these years!

What a shame. Thank God for the PP reboot, if for nothing more than giving us the chance to see “Billy Clyde” one more time.
I knew he was married to Christine Baranski, but it was news to me that his first wife was Kathleen Dezina who played Estelle on AMC.
RIP .

He was a great actor. Watched him for many years on “All My Children” and I was thrilled when he appeared on the online soap. I am so sorry for his loss to his family. Love watching his wife every week on “The Good Wife”. Such a talented family. May he rest in peace.

Billy Clyde Tuggle was my favorite soap character of all time. I was thrilled to see him back in the online version of AMC. Such a shock to hear of his passing. My sympathies to his wife and family and all who loved him.

What was his cause of death?

Don’t know him, but have enjoyed his wife’s acting. RIP

One of those actors that you love to hate. He was one of the greats.

What a character actor, he was one of my favorites on All My Children. My sympathies to his wife, also a great actor, and his family and friends. I will miss him as I miss All My Children, but ALL good things must come to an end!

I am shocked and sad to hear of this news. I remember him from years afo on AMC, fabulous actor. Rest in peace.

Well I hate to hear it. I’m a big Billy Clyde Tuggle fan. I loved his character back in the day. You’ll be missed Billy Clyde. P.I.P. “PIMP IN PIECE”!!!!

My condolences to the family on his passing! I watched AMC for many years and all are near and dear to my heart!

I remember him from AMC back in the day and saw him in other shows.A talented actor gone to soon. My condolences to his family.

I was devastated when I found out last night.
When I saw him at the premiere of the AMC & OLTL reboots, I was ecstatic! And a little sad, because it was obvious to me how frail he was. I did not know what was wrong, but I am forever grateful that he was able to reprise Billy Clyde and somewhat redeem him. He was horrible and lovable at the same time and oh how he mangled the English language to pieces.
Harry you said it well, for many of us share your sentiments. And Doyle…Pimp in Peace – I love it, and I think Billy/Matthew would too.

When an actor can arouse such hatred in you for the way he is portraying a character, well, then I must say that that is a VERY FINE ACTOR. He was the best. You could hate him and laugh at him at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him and when I found out (quite some time ago) that he was married to one of my favorite actresses of all time, Christine Baranski, then that just ‘sealed the deal’. RIP dear Matthew and know that you gave your best and it was even better than that!

Cowles also played a very memorable heartsick hillbilly on Loving!!! I’ll never forget his overall-clad Eban Japes on that hellbent mission to Corinth….to retrieve his ladylove, “Lottiebird!” Given his real-life blueblood heritage, it made his believability as both a white-trash villain and the over-the-top procurer, Billy Clyde, all the more remarkable!!!!!

A remarkable man and a remarkable character he created in Billy Clyde. Indelible! My condolences to his wife Christine Baranski and his two daughters.

I really enjoyed al the evil you conjured up on All My children. You were my verybfavorite. My concolences to your wife and family. RIP for you shall be greatly missed!

He was memorable as Billy Clyde on ALL MY CHILDREN both on the abc-tv version and the short-lived Prospect Park horribly botched version.
It says in the article that Producer Ginger Smith was instrumental in getting Him to reprise his role for the on-line version. It’s a shame Ginger Smith didn’t have the common courtesy to tell the fans what in the world was going on with the On-line version by Prospect Park.
I am so sorry that he has passed, he was quite an interesting actor – but whenever I hear of anything reminding me of ALL MY CHILDREN, I get boiling mad at how the fans were never entitled to an explanation, no official statement, NOTHING – just empty promises from Ginger Smith saying that “many more faces will be returning” and absolutely NOTHING was delivered to the fans.