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BREAKING NEWS: Legendary Soap Opera Executive Producer Paul Rauch Has Died!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

Terribly sad news to report this afternoon that is making its way around the web and the soap world.   Legendary daytime drama executive producer, Paul Rauch has died apparently after an illness.  Rauch’s resume perhaps tells this legends amazing career best with helming: Another World, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless, Santa Barbara and Texas!

Colleagues, actors, and fans, are responding with postings on facebook and Twitter throughout the day and into the evening on the loss of soap veteran Rauch.

General Hospital’s current executive producer, Frank Valentini, who was so close to Rauch, and who gave Valentini his start at OLTL tweeted: “My good friend and mentor, Paul Rauch, passed away today…very sad news.  Paul Rauch dedicated his life to soap operas and made a mark like no other. He will be missed, but his legendary contribution will live on. ”

Kim Zimmer (Ex-Reva, GL) who worked with Rauch for many years throughout her daytime career  posted on her facebook page: “Today I lost my dear friend and favorite boss ever, Paul Rauch! Paul settled for nothing less than perfection from all aspects of whatever show he was producing. I had the very good fortune of working with Paul on Santa Barbara and Guiding Light and I will always cherish the professional and personal relationship we shared. I both loved him and feared him! Something I aspire to everyday of my life! I love you Paul and want you to know how much you will be missed. RIP!”

Crystal Chappell also shared her sentiments via Twitter stating, “Paul Rauch was a dear man to me… he will be missed. Love and prayers to his family.”

Tristan Rogers also shared what Rauch meant to him when he tweeted: “I am sad to learn the passing of Paul Rausch. This man was singly responsible for me lasting on Y&R. He was a big presence in daytime. You think back on the people who you “owe” something too and Paul was one of those people. He revered the history of the genre.”

Jordi Vilasuso, who got his start on soaps on Guiding Light through Rauch tweeted:  “RIP Paul Rauch. Gave me my first big break on Guiding Light and was a champion for his actors and the shows he produced. You will be missed!”

Maria Arena Bell, Rauch’s co-executive producing partner during his time on Y&R stated on her facebook page, “I considered Paul a great friend and he and Israela (Rauch’s wife) were at my wedding. Paul was from the old school of soaps and he really knew how to run a show and understood the value of the writer in the process. I loved working with him and I loved him dearly as a person and am heartsick to hear he has passed. I wish the best to Israela and their grown children and will really miss him.”

Current Y&R head writer, Josh Griffith posted:  “The Soap World mourns the loss of one of our giants, Paul Rauch. R.I.P., my friend. Go produce the hell out of Heaven now.”

We will have more on this developing story throughout the day! Our prayers are with Rauch’s family at this time.

Share your thoughts on the loss of Rauch with On-Air On-Soaps here!

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Sometimes we watched the names on credits flashing before us and we give little thought to the men and woman behind them and how much they contribute to the product entertaining our lives. For years I seen the name Paul Rauch on many soap credits and today I reminded of the years of quality I enjoyed at this man’s hands. His family are in my prayers and I give a great posthumous thank you to Mr Rauch for his work that help brighten many of my dark days

i’ve been watching soaps since i was a very young girl I USE TO SEE PAUL THREW OUT THE YEARS NOT KNOWING HE WAS BEHIND ALL OF THE WONDERFUL SOAPS SHOW I’M EVER SO GRATEFUL TO HIS PARENTS FOR GIVING BIRTH TO THE GENIOUS MINE OF A GREAT PERSON CAN’T SAY I NO HIM IN PERSON BUT THREW HIS THOUGHTS HE GAVE ALL US SOAP FANS A WONDERFUL PART OF HIM FOR THAT IM VERY THANKFUL . GOD HADS TAKEN BACK HIS CHILD . GOD BE WITH HIS FAMILY AND SPREAD HIS ANGELS AMONG THEM ALWAYS

They say that people should not speak ill of the dead so I won’t. RIP. My condolences to his family and loved ones.

Oh what terrible news. A legend who contributed so much to daytime television. Thank you for all your wonderful work.

Really wish I had something positive to say. I’m sure he will be missed by some.

Paul was a great mind; RIP to him and condolences to his family!

I think it is sad news indeed for a lot of people. However, the word “legendary” and “genius” is flashed around a lot in daytime. Rauch destroyed most soaps he touched.

Mr. Rauch made largely damaging negative tire-track marks on Miss Ellen Holly (ex-Carla) & Miss Lillian Hayman (1922-1994, ex-Sadie) by heartlessly firing them both (the last 2 original from-the-beginning contract player cast members) from OLTL during the 1983 to 1985 TV season! 🙁

It is soo sad tht Paul raunch died , he did so much with other soaps operas

Wow! I wish that I had known this person. Seems to have been a very interesting person and not well liked by most!!! These postings are real and discreetly stated.
So often, when people pass into the next life, those left behind become stupid and unrealistic in exaggerating facts about the real person. I have been to funerals and wondered if I was in the right place when it came to the accolades and crying about a person that was not liked or not even a good person. What happens to people when someone dies? Do you all get stupid and become liars?

Rest in peace

i so sorry to hear is not hear. he was a very good person and everyone loved him and will be missed alot. god bless for him as will the family too. prayers will be him and the family too. The angles will be with him always and he will look after everyone too. i have been looking at soaps for years when just 11 years old i watch all of the he did and still now too. i am very big fan of his shows. like said god bless him and everyone too.

Mr. Paul Rauch rest in peace. You will be missed by your staff for sure.

I remember Paul (and his Shelby Mustang GT 500) in my early days in the P&G Media Section. Perhaps, without his knowing it, he helped me survive as the first African-American hired in that vaunted marketing department in 1963. May he rest in peace.

My prayers go out to your family. you will be missed. .

People often say you should only say good things about the dead. Paul Rauch is dead – GOOD. I am glad he has people who will remember him fondly, but there are a great many who will not.

Maeve Kinkead, perhaps? Ellen Holly? Both were great actresses and very professional. Maeve deserved to be treated properly and Ellen deserved to be paid properly and introduced at a reunion as a leading lady. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to say that Paul Rauch was not universally liked, and not all viewers appreciated him.

Condolences to his family, I hope he was good to them.

The list goes on and on as to people who did not get on with this man? Jacquie Courtney, Val Dufour, Ginny Dwyer, Stephen Bolster, Lillian Hayman, Al Freeman, Cindy Clark, Robin Strasser, Lisa Cameron, John Cunningham,Micki Grant, James Douglas, Jordan Charney, many others.

MsLiz…YES…I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!!!!! A long time ago, I read Ellen Holly’s autobiography. In it, Ellen talks about (at length or whatever) how Paul Rauch was emotionally abusive and tyrannical to BOTH her and Lillian Hayman. Also, supposedly, the VERY FABULOUS Louise Sorel used to BUTT HEADS and LOCK HORNS with that man. And…I did not know about Maeve Kinkead. Sorry. It wouldn’t surprise me at all. I mean…from what I’ve read about PR here and there over the years, he was N-O-T an easy man to get along with (as a boss or whatever). And…I can only imagine how he treated his own family. Who knows.

Take care, MsLiz. Peace.

Pauly, Wow… I am so saddened by this news! Just ran into you not to long ago… My condolences to your wife and children, you will be sorely missed. I was still anticipating working with you again. Thank you for creating Jesse Blue for me 😉

Well, its years later, and my Dad is sorely missed. I hope he isnt bossing god around too much! If only he had had a better self image, I MIGHT HAVE HAD A FATHER TO TEACH ME HOW TO NAVIGATE LIFE. RIP DAD LOVE, TYLER

Guiding Light

Tom Pelphrey Takes on The Role of ‘Jesus Christ’ with Y&R’s Courtney Hope as ‘Mary’ in New Podcast Series

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Since first making a name for himself as Reva’s (Kim Zimmer) son, Jonathan Randall on Guiding Light, Tom Pelphrey’s (ex-ATWT and GL) post-soap career has featured many complex and dark roles in television and motion pictures. Now comes perhaps, Pelphrey’s most stunning role when he will play Jesus Christ in a new four–part audio series podcast, called The Christ.

The series is from the Faith Podcast Network who will be releasing the series for Easter. It is being billed as “an audio epic and the first ever full-scale audio dramatization of Jesus’ life across four immersive episodes using cinematic-quality sound, music and performances.” The podcast series will feature more than 100 different characters and can be heard at TheChristPodcast.com

Joining The Ozark and Task star in the cast are some other high-profile Hollywood names including: David Ovelowo as Pontius Pilot, Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist, Patricia Heaton as the host and John Rhys-Davies as the narrator. In addition, none other than The Young and the Restless, Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra) also is featured as Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Photo: FaithPodcastNetwork

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Christ comes from a creative team that includes writer and director Paul Cuschieri, co-director and producer Mark Ramsey and producer Jim Young.” The series drops during Holy Week, with the first episode debuting on March 30. A new episode will be released each day through April 2, scheduled accordingly so that the entire series will be available by Good Friday on April 3.

The official logline says The Christ will cover “the life, death and legacy of Jesus of Nazareth. Through betrayal, courage, suffering and hope, the series explores how one man’s story reshaped history — and redefined love, authority and sacrifice.”

Pelphrey who announced he has 12-years of sobriety back in 2025, shared why this project was of importance to him, “Sharing about sobriety and faith are so personal to me, and it means so much to me. The other thing you notice is when people are sharing things, you could say a word to a thousand people, and a thousand people hear a different version of that word. In all humility, to share something that matters to you, you first have to come to an understanding and acceptance that you’re surrendering how it’s going to be heard or what it means to anyone listening. You have no control over it. That’s been an amazing process to go through.”

So, what do you think of Tom Pelphrey playing the audio version of Jesus Christ and Courtney Hope playing Mary, Mother of Jesus? Excited to hear the story of Christ via this podcast series? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Guiding Light

‘Guiding Light’s’ Kim Zimmer Reflects on Brilliant Scenes with Tom Pelphrey After Initially Telling Producers, ‘Hire Any of Them But the Last Guy’

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Throughout its 57-year run on daytime, Guiding Light introduced television audiences to many actor who would go on to have major careers in motion pictures, primetime television and the stage. One such is the incredible Tom Pelphrey (Task, Mank, Ozark, Outer Range, et al.), who from the minute he debuted on the CBS soap took soap viewers by storm for his raw, relatable and emotional turn as Reva (Kim Zimmer) and Prince Richard Winslow’s (Bradley Cole) son, Jonathan Randall.

In the complicated storyline, Jonathan was conceived and born while Reva was suffering from amnesia and believing herself to be Princess Catherine while living in San Cristobel. As Jonathan grew up his life was torn apart making him a vengeful, menacing young man, who under it all was deeply wounded and who felt abandoned and forgot about.

Kim Zimmer won four Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Reva Shayne, while Tom Pelphrey took home two Daytime Emmys for the Outstanding Younger Actor in a Daytime Drama Series for his performance. On-screen, together, they were a riveting pairing which included many a tense scene including when Jonathan choked out Reva.

Photo: JPI

During last week’s Guiding Light reunion livestream with Zimmer, Bradley Cole (ex-Richard and Jeffrey, GL) and Laura Wright (ex-Cassie, GL, now Carly, GH) on the You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, the three actors reminisced about their time together as romantic pairings: Reva/Richard, Cassie/Richard, Reva/Jeffrey etc, but also talked about many of their co-stars and their deeply personal feelings of what Guiding Light meant to all of them.

REVA AND JONATHAN WERE SOAP OPERA GOLD

Though the years, it’s been no secret that Zimmer, did not initially want Tom Pelphrey cast as her son, because as she admitted, in the audition process with her, she was scared of him based on the power of his performance in the scene.

Kim recalled, “I went in (to the producers) right after I auditioned like seven guys, and I said, ‘Hire any of them, but the last guy.’ And they all looked at me like I had six heads, because they had already decided they were going to cast him. And then when I said that, they were like, ‘we’re definitely going to cast him now! That’s the feeling they wanted. They knew he scared me.”

The beloved GL heroine said that once she began working in a scene with Pelphrey, all was A-OK! “It was almost immediate once we started really working together, and I could trust the story,” shared Kim. “It was such a bizarre story that I was being given, again (also referencing Reva’s Clone story as the other), that I was hesitant about that. But once we started really working together, there was no question that they had made the right decision.”

In fact, fans loved Reva and Jonathan so much, they would vote them top couple as Kim remembers, “And, you know, in the soap magazines, we got voted, ‘Best couple,’ and we weren’t a love couple. We were a mother and son. That was like the biggest compliment to me –  we’d get nominated as ‘Outstanding Couple.’

ONE OF THE FINEST ACTORS IN THE HISTORY OF GUIDING LIGHT

Kim’s real-life son, Jake Weary has also made quite the name for himself in TV and motion pictures and Pelphrey also bonded many years ago: “When my son was living in LA, he and Jake would hang out together. They had mutual friends and they got to know each other pretty well, which I love. Jake actually asked me recently if I had any favorite Guiding Light scenes that I could remember. And I said, ‘Anything with HB (Larry Gates), Billy Lewis (Jordan Clarke) and Tom Pelphrey.

During the livestream, Laura Wright, who worked in many scenes with Pelphrey, added, “In my opinion, Tom took the bar and he raised it. Not just in talent because he had that, but Tom inspired you. He made you want to do like that, and he wanted you to be as great. He just was all around a great guy to work with.”

In case you missed it,  you can check out the Guiding Light live reunion with Kim, Bradley and Laura, followed by some incredible scenes between Tom and Kim as Jonathan and Reva.

Then, let us know, do you think Reva and Jonathan as played by Kim Zimmer and Tom Pelphrey, were the most dynamic mother/son duo all-time on the soaps? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

 

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Breaking News

‘Guiding Light’ Reunion: Kim Zimmer, Bradley Cole and Laura Wright to Chat Live!

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In a very special livestream reunion; three of the former stars of the legendary Guiding Light, who’s on-screen lives were forever intertwined, will visit the Michael Fairman Channel on Friday, January 30 beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Look for GL icon and four-time Daytime Emmy winner, Kim Zimmer (ex-Reva Shayne), Bradley Cole (ex-Prince Richard Winslow and Jeffrey O’Neill and ex-Warren Bauer, GH), and Daytime Emmy winner Laura Wright (ex-Cassie Layne, now Carly Spencer on GH) to reminisce about their time together and memories of the daytime drama that lasted an astounding 57 years on television and counting radio, 72 years.

Guiding Light fans will recall, Bradley’s first run as Richard and his royal wedding to Cassie, to returning as a Jeffrey O’Neill, and how it caused tension between sisters, Reva and Cassie, and much more.

Photo: JPI

As viewers know, Kim Zimmer played the iconic role of Reva Shayne from 1983–1990 and from 1995–2009. Bradley Cole portrayed Prince Richard Winslow from 1999- 2002, and after the character was killed-off, he returned as Jeffrey O’Neill, a lawyer-turned-special agent, who was with the series from 2003-2009. As the show went off the air for the last time in the September 18, 2009 finale, Jeffrey was presumed dead. Then, in 2010, Cole came to General Hospital to take on the short-term but important run of Warren Bauer, who was believed to have abused his son, Kiefer Bauer.

Laura Wright played Reva’s sister Cassie Layne in a stunning reveal in 1999, and stayed with the series until 2005, before moving to General Hospital later that year to take on the role of Carly Corinthos, now going by Carly Spencer and the rest for Wright is as they say, history.

Not only will the GL alums and stars chat about their time on the soap, but will bring you up-to-date on their lives now. First, Bradley has a new album out entitled Desert Dreams. The 12 track project pays a musical tribute to Cole’s upbringing in Los Angeles and the classic rock, pop, and south-of-the-border influences of the ’60s and ’70s that shaped his musical foundation. Desert Dreams blends a classic rock vibe with nostalgic country and a modern Americana sensibility, highlighting Cole’s clear storytelling and skillful melodic songwriting.

Photo: JPI

Meanwhile, Laura Wright continues to star on ABC’s General Hospital whereas Carly Spencer she is embroiled in a major storyline with Carly’s current love interest WSB Port Charles Bureau Chief, Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). After finding out he enlisted her daughter, Josslyn (Eden McCoy) to be a WSB spy, she believes the guy is bad news, or does she? Laura continues her project Sacred Circle where “women pause, breathe, and reconnect with ourselves — and with each other.”

Then, there is GL icon, Kim Zimmer. She will soon be seen in an upcoming production of  Driving Miss Daisy, in the role Daisy at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre in Fayetteville, NC, running from March 19 to April 4, 2026. Last year, Kim starred in the play The Trip to Bountiful at Theatre Raleigh. Back in 2024, Zimmer went public with her breast cancer diagnosis and that she had undergone treatment. She is also the proud mom to TV and film, actor Jake Weary.

If you cannot be with us in the live chat, but have a question or comment you would like posed to Kim, Bradley or Laura, make sure to drop it in the comment section below, and we just might ask it during the live broadcast.

Now below, also check out the Guiding Light profiler with clips from Bradley Cole’s run as Jeffrey O’Neil and how the character was involved with Reva and Cassie and more.

So, excited to see Kim, Bradley and Laura reminiscing about their time on Guiding Light and more? Let us know via the comment section!

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