Don Briscoe
Encyclopedia
Cecil Donald "Don" Briscoe (born March 20, 1940, Yalobusha County, Mississippi
— died October 31, 2004, Memphis, Tennessee
) was an American
soap opera actor, most notable for playing Tony Meritt (#2) on Days of Our Lives
, and, from 1968–1970, for playing Chris Jennings, Tom Jennings, Timothy Shaw, and Chris Collins on Dark Shadows
.
Briscoe left Dark Shadows
abruptly in 1970 after suffering a "mental breakdown" (according to his sister, Bonny Jenkins) and eventually withdrew from the acting profession and relocated to live with family in Memphis
. The deaths of his parents hit him badly. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and suffering from nervous disorders, manic-depression and drug problems, Briscoe settled into a reclusive lifestyle. Declared unable to work for a living by a psychiatrist, he managed to act occasionally in local theatre until the 1980s and worked for a time as a gas station attendant.
He died in 2004 at his home in Memphis from heart disease.
Yalobusha County, Mississippi
Yalobusha County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2010, the population was 12,678. Its county seats are Water Valley and Coffeeville.-History:...
— died October 31, 2004, Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soap opera actor, most notable for playing Tony Meritt (#2) on Days of Our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, and, from 1968–1970, for playing Chris Jennings, Tom Jennings, Timothy Shaw, and Chris Collins on Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
.
Briscoe left Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
abruptly in 1970 after suffering a "mental breakdown" (according to his sister, Bonny Jenkins) and eventually withdrew from the acting profession and relocated to live with family in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. The deaths of his parents hit him badly. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and suffering from nervous disorders, manic-depression and drug problems, Briscoe settled into a reclusive lifestyle. Declared unable to work for a living by a psychiatrist, he managed to act occasionally in local theatre until the 1980s and worked for a time as a gas station attendant.
He died in 2004 at his home in Memphis from heart disease.