Nicolas Coster is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, most known for his work in
daytime dramaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
and as a
character actorA character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
on nighttime television series.
Biography
Coster was born in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
,
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to an American mother and a father from
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
who was a marine commander. In daytime, he first appeared in the NBC soap opera
Young Doctor MaloneYoung Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963...
. Later, he created the role of Professor Paul Britton on
The Secret StormThe Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
, a role that he played in 1964 and from 1967-1968. He played John Eldridge in both the primetime serialized drama
Our Private WorldOur Private World is an American serial. It was the first prime-time spin-off from a daytime soap . Created by Irna Phillips and William J. Bell, it premiered on May 5, 1965 and aired Wednesdays and Fridays over the summer; the multiple-episode-per-week format was inspired by ABC's hit show Peyton...
and later on
As the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. He also played Robert Delaney on two shows:
SomersetSomerset is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from March 30, 1970 until December 31, 1976. The show was a spinoff of another NBC serial, Another World.-Overview :...
and
Another WorldAnother World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
.
Coster's first appearance on television was on an episode of
The U.S. Steel Hour in 1959. Since then, he has racked up more than 80 appearances on three dozen television shows, guest-starring most notably as David Warner, the father of Blair Warner, on the sitcom
The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
. He also spent one season on the NBC comedy
Sheriff Lobo.
He returned to daytime television by first recreating his Robert Delaney role on
Another WorldAnother World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. He later played gangster-turned-informant Anthony Macana on
One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. He then played the role of
Lionel LockridgeLionel Lockridge was a fictional character on the American soap opera Santa Barbara. He was portrayed by actor Nicolas Coster from August 29, 1984 to 1988, and then returned from June 6, 1990 to the show's end on January 15, 1993...
on a new California-based serial
Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
. He left his role on that show briefly - but long enough to play Steve Andrews on the ABC soap opera
All My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. He returned to act on
Santa Barbara but the show was eventually canceled. He returned to play a second role on
As the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
.
He is also famous for the television commercials that he has made through the years. One famous line that he said first was on a commercial for Geritol, a vitamin tonic: "My wife: I think I'll keep her."
Coster is currently married, with three children (two from a previous marriage to actress
Candace HilligossCandace Hilligoss is an American actress.After three years at the University of Iowa, she came to New York City to study acting at the American Theatre Wing and made her professional debut in summer stock in Pennsylvania...
).
Coster is also an active Scuba Diving Instructor and with his foundation teach scuba diving and organize sail trips for disabled person
Major Soap Roles
- Mark Steele, Young Doctor Malone
Young Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963...
, (1962–1963)
- Paul Britton, The Secret Storm
The Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
, (1964, 1968–1969)
- Robert Delaney, Another World
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, (1970)
- Robert Delaney, Somerset
Somerset is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from March 30, 1970 until December 31, 1976. The show was a spinoff of another NBC serial, Another World.-Overview :...
, (1970–1972)
- Robert Delaney, Another World
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, (1972–1976, 1980)
- Anthony Makana, One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, (1983–1984)
- Lionel Lockridge
Lionel Lockridge was a fictional character on the American soap opera Santa Barbara. He was portrayed by actor Nicolas Coster from August 29, 1984 to 1988, and then returned from June 6, 1990 to the show's end on January 15, 1993...
, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
, (1984–1993)
- Robert Delaney, Another World
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, (1989) [guest-star]
- Eduardo Grimaldi, As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, (1993–1995)
External links