During these times where the coronavirus pandemic is increasing in the number of cases and raising the death toll in many countries, the news of someone passing seems to sting a little more. Especially when it is the loss of a person that you feel a connection with. That is what is taking place with many fans of the soap opera General Hospital, as one of the actors from the show died Saturday of an undisclosed cause.
It is important to highlight this actor’s achievements in soap operas and daytime television in general, where he has developed an audience base and made memories for viewers for so many years. He is most known for his acting in the soap operas General Hospital, Sunset Beach and Passions.
It is interesting to study Reilly’s life and career. He was born in the city of Chicago in the mid-1930s. Chicago is a great place for actors because there is so much to learn from the people within the city, there are many opportunities to make appearances on film, television and the live theater stage. It is safe to assert that Reilly was exposed to these forms of art in his early life and may have been the reason why he started his acting career in the 1960s where he appeared on Death Valley Days, Apple’s Way and Gunsmoke.
The 60s was an era unlike any other. While the soap operas of the 60s projected a world that was without extreme personal struggle, audience members and people throughout the United States were experiencing challenges in their daily lives, The first among many things that come to mind is the Civil Rights Movement.
As thousands of people marched and tried to get their political leaders to put forth legislation that will ensure they will receive their Constitutional rights, actors knew everything that was going on in the world but when the camera is turned on they have to forget about those things and focus on creating the world that is described in a script for film, TV or theatre. During the 60s there was also the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, and African American leadership like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
These are the stories that stand out, but there was other different types of struggles that took place in the 60s that are seldom discussed. It is possible the Reilly could have used these events as inspiration or motivation to create art that would inspire others to live in peace. Or perhaps he became an actor in the 60s in order to provide the soap opera viewers the opportunity to have some escapism in their lives as a way of dealing with the unbearable tragedies that were taking place in real life.
No matter what his inspirations was in regards to acting, it is clear that he is one of the most significant figures in soap opera and daytime television history. He built a career in acting that many others would like to achieve. Reilly went from successful show to successful show; there very few shows that he worked on that were not hits. In 1974, he was cast as Dr. Dan Stewart on As the World Turns. This is a very important role on a soap opera that many longtime fans consider to be one of the best of the genre. In the 70s viewers probably would not have known the cultural impact that show would bring to the art of television as a medium. It was also somewhat pressure-filled for Reilly because he was replacing John Colenback who was also extremely popular as Dr. Dan Stewart. Reilly had an incredibly successfully two and a half year run with As the World Turns. Ironically, he decided to leave the show in 1976 and the production decided to bring back John Colenback for the leading part. Reilly’s next appearances were in The Bionic Woman (from 1977-1978), a role in the television movie Lassie: A New Beginning and Secrets of Three Hungry Wives (1978). He also appeared on the big screen in The Main Event (1979) and Gorp (1980).
By 1983, Reilly landed a recurring role on the popular evening soap opera Dallas. In the next year he landed the role of a lifetime as WSB agent Sean Donely on General Hospital. He was a main character on the show until 1994. It is safe to say that this role was one of the signature achievements of his career. Next he made appearances on Sunset Beach for several years.
Contemporary audiences may know Reilly’s works in several episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210. The show was not a soap opera, but was more of a television drama. In 2005, he was cast as Alistair Crane in the soap opera Passions. He also experienced two major opportunities as an actor, in 2008 they reprised his role of Sean Donely on General Hospital: Night Shift for the second season’s finale. In 2013, they reprised the role of Sean Donely on General Hospital for the show’s 50th anniversary.
Reilly has extensive credits in the television medium. His acting career will be considered historic. However, it is also important to remember that he was a person behind all of costumes and lights. His daughter Caitlin Reilly shared this incredible quote on social media: “Imagine the best person in the world. Now imagine that person being your dad,” Caitlin posted. “I’m so grateful he was mine. I’m so grateful I got to love him. I’m so grateful I made it in time to hold him and say goodbye. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know he’ll be with me. I love you forever Daddy.”