Guiding Light alum, Matt Bomer (ex-Be Reade) was honored with the Vanguard Award at the 43rd Miami Film Festival just a few weeks ago. The award recognized his body of work, his significant impact on film and television and his current roles including on Apple TV+’s movie, Outcome, which also features All My Children legend, Susan Lucci (ex-Erica Kane).

While at the festival, Bomer participated in a live sit-down conversation with Josh Horowitz of the Happy Sad Confused Podcast where he was asked about his early days in television and soap operas, all leading to Horowitz asking Matt to give a 1 minute recap of the life and times of Guiding Light’s Ben Reade!

Bomer played the role of the scheming Ben from 2001-2003, and as discussed, it was never Matt’s intent to land on a soap or stay for any significant length of time, as he has other aspirations as an actor after graduating from the acclaimed Carnegie-Mellon University in Drama.

Photo: AppleTV+

THE ROAD TO GUIDING LIGHT

Speaking with Horowitz, he explained how he came to Guiding Light, “I’d done two episodes on All My Children with Susan Lucci, who’s in Outcome, who I got to just come full circle with. Susan had spoken at Carnegie Mellon and three months later I was on set with her. (On All My Children) I was playing her daughter’s ex lesbian lover’s, new fiancé.”

After that, Bomer was asked to audition for a role on Guiding light, and the rest is soap history. When Horowitz asked Matt to give the lowdown of everything that happened to Ben Reade in story in one minute, here’s what Matt shared!

Bomer began, “He’s a trust fund baby who bet his fraternity brothers that he could be the first to deflower the town virgin, who is like the young female heroine on the show. Then, of course, he falls in love with her, but then she finds out about his attempt to deflower her, so she dumps him. Then, he falls in love with this other girl, but then he loses his trust fund. So, he turns to the only life that one can, which is to become a male sex worker. All of my clients were like women in their forties. I was like 22. I would meet them (on set) at 6:00 AM and do intimacy scenes by 9:00 am. Then, he goes crazy because his girlfriend finds out that he was being a sex worker, and so she dumps him. He goes crazy, kills four people, then kidnaps her to a remote cabin in the woods where he holds her hostage with a syringe full of insulin. Then, when he gets busted, he injects himself with it, but then hangs on one extra day in the hospital to apologize for all his sins.”

Photo: CBS

On his way out Bomer shared, “I told the (GL) writers that when I got there, ‘Look, I’m not not going be here that long. So give me the craziest thing you’ve ever given anybody,’ and they obliged. But my favorite thing was after all that, I remember I was like in my dying makeup, walking off the soundstage and a writer comes up to me and goes, ‘If you ever want to come back, we’ve got it figured out.'”

SUPERMAN

After Guiding Light, Bomer found himself not only in the running for the next Superman movie but to play the lead role, and landing the part. But, as Matt revealed, the movie was scrapped and he never got the chance to play the man of steel.

“I was such an unknown at the time,” recounted Bomer. “I went in on a cattle call, then I got a phone call from the casting people. Then, I went and met with a director and read with an actress. Then, I went back in and screen tested in the Superman suit and signed the contract. I know that I was the director’s choice for the role and then. … it happens, (the movie got canned). It was a great script. It was called Fly By and it was more about Clark Kent when he was younger. He was like a college student trying to figure what it is to have all these powers and how to try to be a normal person and Superman at the same time.  It was all so surreal to be going from a total cattle call to that.”

You can check out the full conversation with Bomer below.

Do you remember Matt’s time as Ben Reade on Guiding Light? How do you think he did when in 1 minute he told the life and times of Ben? Let us know via the comment section below.

The Young and the Restless has made some key changes behind the scenes with the news on Wednesday, May 6 that Josh Griffith, who has served as the series executive producer and head writer concurrently, has decided to relinquish the production duties of his tenure, and concentrate on just crafting the tales for the citizens of Genoa City.

Sally MacDonald, the longtime Daytime Emmy-winning director of Y&R who was serving as the soap’s co-executive producer, will now be upped to the solo EP of the top-rated daytime drama series.

As first reported by Soap Central, Griffith will continue as Y&R’s head writer in the restructuring, in the position he has held since 2019 with the departure of former EP and head writer, Mal Young.  Soap Opera Digest also confirmed Griffith was stepping down as the soap’s executive producer.

Photo: JPI

In fact, it was back in August 2018, that the veteran Griffith returned to Y&R as supervising producer. Once, Mal Young departed the show, Griffith became the show’s head writer and co-executive producer with another longtime Y&R behind the scenes veteran in Tony Morina. Later in 2023, when Morina exited the soap, Josh became the sole executive producer.

Throughout his soap opera career, Griffith has written for Santa Barbara, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, General Hospital and Days of our Lives and co-created the defunct Sunset Beach.

MacDonald has been a CBS daytime vet since back in 1983 and joined The Young and the Restless in 1989 as a production supervisor, working her way up to director. The directing team at Y&R that has included MacDonald has won 8 Daytime Emmys along the way and picked up a Directors Guild of America Award.

So, what do you think of Josh Griffith stepping down as executive producer at The Young and the Restless, while keeping his position as head writer? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Last week, NBC pulled the plug on the medical drama, Brilliant Minds, as the last 6 episodes of its second and final season will begin to air later this month. The series which saw its ratings plummet was taken off the schedule in February, with reports of it being on the bubble until finally the decision was handed down.

Al Calderon, who departed Days of our Lives in the role of Javi Hernandez in 2025 to join the primetime series as Nurse Nico Silva, was a part of the stellar cast that also featured One Life to Live alum, Teddy Sears (ex-Chad Bennett) and series star, Zachary Quinto.

On Brilliant Minds, Quinto plays neurology physician Oliver Wolf, who’s character and the series is inspired by the life and books of neurologist. Oliver Sacks. The series focuses on the medical mysteries of the mind, as Wolf a larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.

Photo: NBC

In a real-life twist, Days of our Lives announced Calderon’s successor, Jacob Martinez as the new Javi debuting this June on April 30. Come May 1, NBC canceled Brilliant Minds. Now, on Wednesday, May 6, Al Calderon took a moment to reflect on his experience at Bronx General Hospital, the backdrop of Brilliant Minds, via a post on his Instagram.

“Thank you Brilliant Minds” Calderon began. “What a life changing experience. Met forever friends. Learned from the absolute best. Was reminded that my voice mattered. Learned that it’s okay to believe in yourself. Felt like I was part of something. While our beautiful show has gone onto glory we’ve got 6 more incredible episodes to share with you starting May 27th.”

Al also added, “NBC and Warner Brothers TV, thank you for allowing me to be silly and quippy, Demane Davis, Michael Grassi, David Rapaport, Zachary Quinto, thank you for all of your encouragement and support.”

As his heartfelt post came to a close, Calderon explained why the experience on Brilliant Minds was life-changing: “I’ve been at this a long time and this show gave me hope for the future of my career. I owe it to these incredible individuals. Our crew. Our writers. Our editors. The whole shebang. I love you all endlessly.”

Taking to the comment threads were several of Al’s Brilliant Minds and DAYS former co-stars, and even his successor, Jacob Martinez jumped in and shared, “YOU are brilliant 💕”

What did you think of Al’s heartfelt message about his time on Brilliant Minds? Will you miss seeing him on DAYS and on the primetime series? Looking forward to seeing what he will do next? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by A L C A L D E R O N (@alcalderon)

Days o