Quick Facts
Biography
Sam Behrens (born July 24, 1950) is an American television actor, best known for his roles as Jake Meyer on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, Danny Waleska in the CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing and as Gregory Richards in the NBC daytime soap opera, Sunset Beach. He is of German ancestry on his paternal side.
Life and career
Behrens began his soap opera career on ABC's Ryan's Hope, playing Dr. Adam Cohen from 1979 to 1980. In 1980s. he moved from New York to Los Angeles, when was cast as Jake Meyer on General Hospital from 1983 to 1987. After recurring role on the NBC legal drama series, L.A. Law, Behrens was cast as Danny Waleska, Valene Ewing's (Joan Van Ark) new husband. He won Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain: Prime Time for this role in 1991. Behrens also guest starred on The Facts of Life and Murder, She Wrote, and played major roles in a number of made for television movies in early 1990s. He also had the recurring role in the ABC drama series, Homefront in 1993. In film, Behrens had supporting parts in American Blue Note (1989), and Alive (1993).
From 1997 to 1999, Behrens starred alongside Lesley-Anne Down in the NBC daytime soap opera Sunset Beach produced by Aaron Spelling. He received two additional nominations for Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain: Daytime. Behrens made his final screen appearance in an episode of The Closer in 2007.
Behrens was born in Brooklyn, New York. He has been married to Shari Belafonte since December 31, 1989.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979—1980 | Ryan's Hope | Dr. Adam Cohen | Series regular |
| 1983 | Star 80 | Businessman | Uncredited |
| 1983—1987 | General Hospital | Jake Meyer | Series regular |
| 1988 | L.A. Law | Charles Craft | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | The Facts of Life | Wes Mitchell | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Kevin Styles | Episode: "J.B.. as in Jailbird" |
| 1989 | American Blue Note | Nat Joy | |
| 1990 | Unspeakable Acts | Herschell | Television film |
| 1990 | Uncut Gem | Lewis | Television film |
| 1989—1990 | Knots Landing | Danny Waleska | 36 episodes Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain: Prime Time (1991) |
| 1990 | Murder by Numbers | Lee | |
| 1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Steve Lockner | Episode: "Unauthorized Obituary" |
| 1991 | And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird | Steve Franklin | |
| 1992 | Beyond Reality | The Man | Episode: "Dancing with the Man" |
| 1993 | Alive | Javier Methol | |
| 1993 | Homefront | Phil Havel | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Viper | Frederick Lang | Episode: "Past Tense" |
| 1994 | Shadow of Obsession | Philip | Television film |
| 1996 | Bermuda Triangle | John | Television film |
| 1997—1999 | Sunset Beach | Gregory Richards Tobias Richards | Series regular Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain (1998—1999) |
| 2002 | That's Life | Robert Comiskey | Episode: "Baum's Thesis" |
| 2002 | The Young and the Restless | Maxwell Hollister | Recurring role |
| 2007 | The Closer | Ken Scott | Episode: "Lovers Leap" |