Soap Vet Keith Charles Has Died

Keith Charles, a veteran Broadway and Off-Broadway actor and soap veteran, died at his home in New York City on July 1 at the age of 74. The cause was lung cancer. At home in both musicals and straight plays, he starred opposite Lauren Bacall and later, Anne Baxter, in the Broadway musical "Applause" and Holland Taylor in "Breakfast with Les and Bess." He also appeared in "Celebration" and "Happy Birthday, Wanda June." After graduating from the University of Texas and serving in the U.S. Army, he came to New York in 1959 to pursue an acting career. His first job was taking over the part of El Gallo in the long-running Off-Broadway musical "The Fantasticks." He played roles on nine daytime soap operas: Rick Oliver on THE EDGE OF NIGHT Nick Kane on THE SECRET STORM Ross Cavanaugh on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW Robert Jardin on WHERE THE HEART IS Ted Chandler on LOVE OF LIFE Alex McDaniels on THE GUIDING LIGHT Ralph Mitchell on AS THE WORLD TURNS Ted Clayton on ONE LIFE TO LIVE Homer Dowd on RYAN'S HOPE