The popular soap opera star Roscoe Born, whose career lasted over 30 years on many well-known TV shows, has died on March 3, at the age of 69. His death was announced on Facebook by his friend and business partner, Deanna Lynne. She wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Roscoe Born’s passing. He was an incredibly talented actor and songwriter. Many who knew him know how dedicated he was to social and political causes. He will be missed forever.”
He died on Tuesday, March 3, but his death was only made public on March 6. The cause of death has not been given at this time.
According to his IMDB profile, he was born on November 24, 1950, in Topeka, Kansas. He was married and divorced three times and had a daughter, Alberta Mary, with his third wife Roberta Weiss.
He Was Best Known for His Frequent Roles in Daytime Television, Including “The Young and the Restless” & “One Life to Live”
His first role in daytime television was on the show “Ryan’s Hope,” where he played the character Joe Novak from 1981 to 1983 and reprised his role in 1988. He also had a major role in “One Life to Live” as the recurring role of arch-villain Mitch Laurence from 1985 to 1987, 2002 to 2003, 2009 to 2010 and again in 2012.
His best roles may have been on the show “Santa Barbara,” when he played Robert Barr from 1989 to 1991 and his twin Quinn Armitage from 1990 to 1991. This role got him a nomination for an Emmy award. He played the role of the abusive father Tom Fisher on “The Young and the Restless” from 2005 to 2006.
He played many other roles in soap operas, including credits on “All My Children,” “Guiding Light” and “The City.”
He was also a singer-songwriter with a number of songs posted online under the “Born Roscoe Songs” name. The Born Roscoe Twitter page also posted a message of condolences.
Thoughts are with Roscoe’s family and his friends as we say goodbye to an incredible person.
The tweet reads: “Thoughts are with Roscoe’s family and his friends as we say goodbye to an incredible person.”
His Former Colleagues Are Posting Their Condolences Online
Andrea Evans, an actress who worked with Born on “One Life to Live,” tweeted her sadness at the news:
So sad to hear of the passing of my old friend Roscoe Born. I loved working with him. He was a sweet, dear soul. And whenever I hear Sade’s Smooth Operator I will smile & think of him. RIP. @onelifetolive @SoapOperaNewss @SoapDigest @soapsindepthabc @ABCNetwork
She wrote: “So sad to hear of the passing of my old friend Roscoe Born. I loved working with him. He was a sweet, dear soul. And whenever I hear Sade’s Smooth Operator I will smile & think of him. RIP.”
Ron Carlivati, the head writer of the show “Days of Our Lives” and the former writer for “One Life to Live,” posted:
He said: “Mitch Laurence as portrayed by Roscoe Born was one of my all-time favorite TV villains as a teenager watching One Life to Live. I was privileged to get to write for him, and while I eventually sent Mitch to hell, I sincerely hope Roscoe is in heaven…”
Actress Melissa Archer also tweeted:
I can’t put into words how incredibly heart broken I am to hear of Roscoe Born’s passing. He was an incredible partner to work with and a master in his craft. I can say without a doubt that some of my favorite work on Oltl was with Roscoe. He will be greatly missed. 💔
She said “I can’t put into words how incredibly heart broken I am to hear of Roscoe Born’s passing. He was an incredible partner to work with and a master in his craft. I can say without a doubt that some of my favorite work on Oltl was with Roscoe. He will be greatly missed.”
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