John James (actor)
Encyclopedia
John James Anderson is an American actor, best known to television audiences for playing the character of Jeff Colby
in both the prime-time soap opera
Dynasty
and its spin-off
series The Colbys
throughout the 1980s.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, a veteran of daytime soaps, having appeared in Search for Tomorrow
in the late 1970s, James returned to the genre playing Rick Decker on As the World Turns
in 2003–2004. In May 2006, he was cast in the role of Dr. Jeff Martin
(the first husband of Erica Kane
played by series star Susan Lucci
) on the ABC
daytime soap opera
All My Children
. He began airing the following month. On July 15, 2008, James returned to As the World Turns, reprising the role of demented Dr. Rick Decker.
Jeff Colby
Jeffrey Broderick "Jeff" Colby is a fictional character on the American TV series Dynasty, and its spin-off The Colbys.The role was originated by John James in the show's first episode in 1981, and the character was eventually spun off onto a separate series called The Colbys...
in both the prime-time soap opera
Soap opera
A 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,...
Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
and its spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series The Colbys
The Colbys
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...
throughout the 1980s.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, a veteran of daytime soaps, having appeared in Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
in the late 1970s, James returned to the genre playing Rick Decker on As the World Turns
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...
in 2003–2004. In May 2006, he was cast in the role of Dr. Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin (AMC)
Dr. Jeff Martin is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera All My Children. He is the oldest son of Joseph "Joe" Martin Sr. and his deceased wife, Helen Martin. He portrayed most notably and for the longest tenure by Charles Frank, most recently portrayed by John James.- Character history...
(the first husband of Erica Kane
Erica Kane
Erica Kane is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children.The character has been portrayed by actress Susan Lucci since the show first aired in January 1970, until the last broadcast television episode aired in September 2011. Erica is considered to be the most popular...
played by series star Susan Lucci
Susan Lucci
Susan Victoria Lucci is an American actress and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the daytime drama All My Children. The character is considered an icon, and Lucci has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the...
) on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A 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,...
All My Children
All My Children
All 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 began airing the following month. On July 15, 2008, James returned to As the World Turns, reprising the role of demented Dr. Rick Decker.