Philip Carey

Actor


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his one-hour interview, Philip Carey (1925-2009) reminisces about his early years in acting under contract at Warner Bros. He describes how Jack Warner compelled him to change his name (from Eugene). Next, he speaks of the television programs on which he starred, including Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers, Philip Marlowe, and Laredo. Finally, he talks about his years on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live as patriarch Asa Buchanan, and explains how the program and the daytime business have changed since he joined their ranks in 1979. Karen Herman conducted the interview on July 25, 2002 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I have to be honest, soap opera acting is a very difficult field. I always feel like I'm in a plane without a parachute and thrown out the window."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Phil Carey on starring in Philip Marlowe
03:39
Phil Carey on guest starring on the All in the Family episode "Judging Books by Covers" -- where he plays a homosexual character
02:27
Phil Carey on being cast as Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live; on the character's traits
03:30
Phil Carey on working briefly on the NBC daytime drama Bright Promise
00:55
Phil Carey on working with his One Life to Live co-star Erika Slezak
00:39
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

Introduction
On his early years and influences; on choosing his screen name "Phillip"; on becoming interested in theater; on becoing a contract actor at Warner Bros.
On the film studio's policy about their actors not being allowed to do appearances on radio or television; on moving to a contract at Columbia; on his television starring role in Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
On his role in Philip Marlowe; on his role in Laredo; on doing freelance work; on his role on Bright Promise; on guest starring on the All in the Family episode "Judging Books by Covers" -- where he plays a homosexual character
On being cast on One Life to Live as Asa Buchanan; on the character's main traits

Chapter 2

On starring in One Life to Live as Asa Buchanan; on his day-to-day schedule on the series (which he didn't like); on working with his co-stars
On the challenges facing daytime drama actors; on protecting his character by rewriting; on his favorite moments from One Life to Live; on leaving the series in 2000 and later returning; on the week when One Life to Live aired live in 2002; on how Asa Buchanan has changed and how he'd like to see his character depart; on the legacy of the series
On his opinions on the U.S. military post-9/11; on his advice to aspiring actors; on his acting style; on his career highlights; on how celebrity affected him
Shows

77th Bengal Lancers, The

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Phil Carey on starring in The 77th Bengal Lancers
02:42

All in the Family

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Phil Carey on guest starring on the All in the Family episode "Judging Books by Covers" -- where he plays a homosexual character
02:27

Bright Promise

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Phil Carey on working briefly on the NBC daytime drama Bright Promise
00:55

Laredo

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Phil Carey on starring in Laredo; on the challenges of acting in a western; on doing a commercial for Granny Goose during Laredo
05:53

One Life to Live

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Phil Carey on being cast as Asa Buchanan on One Life to Live; on the character's traits
03:30
Phil Carey on starring in One Life to Live as Asa Buchanan; on his day-to-day schedule on the series (which he didn't like); on working with his co-stars
08:39
Phil Carey on the challenges facing daytime drama actors; on protecting his character by rewriting; on his favorite moments from One Life to Live; on leaving the series in 2000 and later returning; on the week when One Life to Live aired live in 2002; on how Asa Buchanan has changed and how he'd like to see his character depart; on the legacy of the series
13:03

Philip Marlowe

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Phil Carey on starring in Philip Marlowe
03:39
Topics

LGBTQIA+

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Phil Carey on guest starring on the All in the Family episode "Judging Books by Covers" -- where he plays a homosexual character
02:27

We Considered

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Phil Carey on guest starring on the All in the Family episode "Judging Books by Covers" -- where he plays a homosexual character
Professions

Actor

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Actor Phil Carey on the challenges facing soap opera actors
01:09
Genres

Commercials

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Phil Carey on doing commercials for Granny Goose while under contract for Laredo
01:59

Western Series

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Phil Carey on the challenges of acting in a western
01:38
People

Patricia Elliott

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Phil Carey on working with his One Life to Live co-star Patricia Elliott
00:12

Judith Light

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Phil Carey on working with his One Life to Live co-star Judith Light
01:29

Clint Ritchie

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Phil Carey on working with his One Life to Live co-star Clint Ritchie
00:11

Erika Slezak

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Phil Carey on working with his One Life to Live co-star Erika Slezak
00:39

Robert S. Woods

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Phil Carey on working with his One Life to Live co-star Robert S. Woods
00:24

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