James Rebhorn

[quote] I'm also reminded of him when I hear Jeff Goldblum on those apartment commercials; very similar voices. Anyone else remember him?

Good thing you're not blind because "Independence Day" would've been difficult for you.

Always and forever he is Bradley Raines.

He was very much a utility actor that appeared on any and everything. He showed up on so many TV shows and in so many movies.

I remember seeing him first on Guiding Light as Bradley Raines, and he played essentially the same role a few years later on As The World Turns. On both shows he played a father/stepfather who molested his daughter (!)

Most of the actors that have worked with him talked about what a nice man he was, but something about him always seemed to get him cast as either a villain or a hardass.

R1 You do know that he was in INDEPENCE DAY, right?

^^ I was so excited I misspelled INDEPENDENCE DAY!

He was the father in Blank Check. I fucking loved it and Independence Day.

You do know that not everyone saw INDEPENDENCE DAY?

I first noticed him as the car expert in My Cousin Vinny.

And Dickie's father in The Talented Mr. Ripley

Could you have possibly picked a worse photo of the poor man, OP?

Jeez.

Thanks R10. I know that original photo was awful but I thought the whole filmography from IMDB would show; I didn't even see that awful photo at the time! He really was an interesting looking guy. He actually looks sexy in that picture of yours!

He was handsome in some photos, although I think makeup was often used to make his eyes look different and/or make him look more sinister.

He was great in the game

Any nude pics?

Oooh r13 I don't remember him in that movie, but I've been meaning to rewatch it for about 10 years. It was really good.

He was the CEO of Abaddonn on Enlightened.

R13 I vaguely remember The Game. I think I'm blocking it because Sean Penn was in it!

He played Henry Lange on ATWT, who sexually abused his daughter Angel.

Henry Lange was quite different than Bradley Raines. Bradley made an effort to atone and there was always the hint that some evil demon he couldn't control compelled him, but Henry was a complete evil schmuck. James also showed up on "The Doctors" as the original Tom Carroll (replaced by Jonathan Frakes) and later on Texas" as someone named John whom if I recalled dated Iris's maid Vivien Gorrow. According to the IMDb, James showed up on "ATWT" in 2010 as a different character, Angus Oliver. He sort of reminds me of James Cromwell.

Hi Guys/OP!

Great thread!!!

Jimmy was my 2nd cousin. Any questions just ask.

My favorite film of his was The Game

I always looked up to him as a kid (he was my moms age so certainly much older than me)- he passed away 5 years ago. He actually loved doing theater. Even though he was in a ton of movies, her preferred theater. He loved being able to walk the streets and have no one really recognize him - but he was always that guy where people would say "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?"

I remember him from his featured role in Madonna's Bad Girl video from the Erotica album. This video was directed by David Fincher and in it, Rebhorn plays a business executive co-worker of Madonna's who hits on her at a bar but she gets bored and goes to fuck someone else. The video contains scenes lifted liberally (Come on, It's Madonna, what did you expect?) from Klute and Looking For Mr.Goodbar. Co-Starring Christopher Walken and Tomas Arana

R19 Yes, a definite James Cromwell vibe. You wonder if they might have been up for the same parts...

R20 Thank you! How interesting. I'm happy to hear he was a nice man and enjoyed not being a celebrity. I can only imagine how many times he must have been stopped and asked, "Don't I know you?" as though it's his obligation to name everything he was in until the stranger recognized something! He had a small part in The Talented Mr Ripley but it was my favorite, maybe because he looked great and was not evil. He was an attorney in one L&O episode and a murderer in another. Probably in more than those two episodes; they used mostly Broadway actors so you see a lot of repeat appearances by actors in different roles.

I'm hoping Dlers will have questions for you.

R23 - He was definitely "A New York Actor" - just super talented. One thing that was very cool was - once he started getting a few "big production" film roles - he never had to audition after that. Like Directors would just say "I want him for this role" etc. There was no auditioning.

And yes - he liked "not being recognized" in that famous sort of way.

The whole family was always so proud of him. He grew up in Philadelphia and most of his extended family is still here.

oh and one other little thing R23... everyone calls him "Jimmy"

R20 R24 Oh yeah, I imagine directors were looking for "Jim Rebhorn" OR a "Jim Rebhorn" type. He played so many different characters but he had a definite style and look. Jimmy. Too sweet! Now I'm going to have to try watching The Game again. I'll just have to get over Sean Penn.

His return to "Guiding Light" in 1989 for Beth's return from the dead was meant to help his character atone, but when Beth came across him, having amnesia, she gained her memory back and hit him with something heavy. Bradley simply left a note for Lillian saying that he didn't want to distress Beth any further and disappeared, although it was stated that Lillian kept in touch with him somehow and when his character died off screen, it was revealed that he had remarried and was very happy which gave Beth some distress simply because of the memories. With Bradley, I hated what he did, yet I felt sorry for him. Henry Lange had no redeeming qualities and he deserved to be killed off. I seem to recall him playing an attorney on "One Life to Live" but that is not listed in his credits. At any rate, he was a great character actor, and I'm glad to see that he got some recognition for not only his soap work but his movies and theater roles as well.

R26 The Game is amazing!

I haven't watched it in quite awhile - I'll have to watch it again real soon. It's not all about Sean Penn - Michael Douglas has great role too

I never saw him in the soaps. Wish that work was available.

[quote] and later on Texas" as someone named John whom if I recalled dated Iris's maid Vivien Gorrow

In all kindness...since it is the subject of the dependent clause, it is who, not whom. "Who dated Vivien." Not, "Whom dated Vivien."

He was definitely a journeyman actor, he must have been professional and reliable, not to mentioned an actor with great range. I also will always remember him as Bradley Raines. He was fantastic in Carlito's Way.

R19 Oh, yeah - he played Reid Oliver's homophobic father for a few episodes.

First we had

Beverly Penberthy's gay nephew

and now we have

Jimmy Rebhorn's second cousin!

Funny R33. I was actually shocked when I scrolled through DL and saw this thread with his pic. No one really has ever discussed him here - he certainly never had a thread devoted to him.

I'm sure years ago I mentioned him in a thread or two, but no one ever cared.

R33 - I was feeling a little nostalgic.

I'm R31 in the below thread

(yes I've been on DL FOREVER!)

R20 R34 Well, I'm a huge fan and I've been on DL for only a few months. So maybe the timing just wasn't right before. I couldn't be happier with the great memories guys are sharing. Hope you're enjoying them, too!

R35 I guess I missed it. I linked to your thread but I don't see Mr. Rebhorn's name -- Just Billy Joel and Sylvester Stallone. I apologize if this thread hit a nerve somehow. Everyone is just trying to share great memories.

oh R33 I'm also R52 in that thread I linked from 9 years ago.

Yep.. The good old days of DL.

How I miss them so!

Shit I've ben on this site way too long.

R37 read the first line of that post - I don't mention his name - until my follow up post at R52 when someone guess him (correctly).

no worries r37 It's brought back great memories actually. I guess I felt a bit defensive with R33's post like he was thinking I made it up- or something of the sort.

R40 No, no it's great having you on this thread. You're seeing how well-respected your cousin is! I'd be thrilled!

I use this gif on occassion.

2nd Cousin @R20, etc, I know I've mentioned him several times on the various "Favorite Character Actors" threads we've had over the past 18 or so years.

Handsome, talented, and hot in that sexy professor/corporate asshole way. I was so sad when his death was announced.

Glad you have such great personal memories of him.

43 posts and no one has suggested that he could have been gay? It's a new DL record!

He is mentioned all the time esp in soap threads when Guiding Light is talked about. He was phenomenal on that show and really left an impression on so many playing Bradley.

For his cousin- what did he say about his time on GL?

The character he played on Texas was John Brady, the chauffeur for the Wheeler family. As stated above, the character romanced Vivian, who was Iris' maid.He played the part for a year, until Texas was cancelled. But John was a milquetoast character.

Thus when he joined GL in May 1983, just five months after Texas was cancelled (he was the second Texas actor to be cast on GL once Gail Kobe and Pam Long took over), I wasn't expecting much.

Imagine my surprise when he proved to be such a heinous, vengeful character. He did it with gusto and made Bradley Raines truly unlikeable, but at the same time compelling. You wanted to see the depth of nastiness that Bradley would sink to, but also wanted to see him brought to justice.

Bradley Raines is the one who revealed Phillip's true parentage. He did it at the Country Club, right after finding Phillip and Beth together in the stable. Go to 38:25 in the video below to see the scene.

I don't think Rebhorn would have had the career he had if he had not gotten the part of Bradley Raines on Guiding Light. That was his breakthrough role where he really proved his talent. A wider range or roles started coming his way after GL.

I can't believe no one's mentioned his recurring role as Claire Dane's dad on Homeland.

He was so good on Guiding Light. Highly gifted actor

He was by all accounts a very nice man. It's funny that actors who are known for playing villains and assholes are in real life often the nicest people.

He is one of those actors who didn't have a problem moving from doing feature films to going back to soaps. He never looked down on soaps at all

He won't get any roles now. He dead.

TCM occasionally plays He Knows You're Alone on their late-night Underground series. It was Tom Hanks' first film role. Rebhorn has a supporting role as a professor having an affair with one of his students. He's a cad in it but he's quite sexy in it, and he appears in his boxers for most of his appearance. Sadly, no nude scene.

There was something very sexy about him. I think it was his commanding voice and those eyes.

Loved him as an actor. I vividly remember Henry Lange on ATWT, and he was fantastically creepy. He was in so many movies and TV shows and was always so good, but my first reaction when he’d show up on screen was always “Henry Lange!”

His resume is really impressive.

Wasn't he the lawyer who prosecuted Jerry, Elaine , George and Kramer on the last episode of Seinfeld?

While Guiding Light was high in the ratings during his tenure, it was still a daytime soap. It is amazing how much exposure he got out of playing Bradley Raines. He was widely admired for his portrayal. How was he not nominated for a Daytime Emmy and actually win? Judi Evans won as his step-daughter Beth. He should have been nominated at least.

R45 - I never asked him about his soaps. I was probably around 8-10 years old when he started on Guiding Light - by the time I actually realized he was an "actor' in the movies - he was on the big screen. I remember when I was in high school and it was such a huge deal to the family that he was in Scent of a Woman with Al Pacino - it was Oscar Nominated and he had 3rd billing. That was huge for us! 3rd billing in an Oscar nominated film. When I saw the movie GAME - I was just stunned - at everything really. That he was working with all these famous actors. I use to ask my mom why he wasn't "the star" in these movies - when I was a kid I didn't realize how good he had it NOT being the star - but he always had work. Consistent BIG TIME work.

But it wasn't until I was in college (I was a HUGE Seinfeld fan) that I officially took to bragging lol because - My cousin was going to be in the Seinfeld series finale. Yeah I know, it may sound dumb considering all he was in - but(To Me) Seinfeld was a different level at the time. The greatest show on TV and he was in the series finale!

I didn't know him all that well - I knew him as much as people really know their 2nd cousins. He was much older (same age as my mom), and most of what I know of him is from his mom and my mom. My mom and him were very close growing up as kids.

R56 - yes he was!

A constant screen presence for so many years, Mr. Rebhorn never delivered less than his very best. Carrie Mathison's father on "Homeland" was his last role and I was heartbroken to learn of his death. The show's storyline was adjusted to acknowledge his passing and did so in a gentle, respectful manner.

Even when As The World Turns got cancelled, he agreed to do a day-player appearance as Dr. Reid Oliver father.

It's actors like him and Julianne Moore (and even Sarah Michelle Gellar) who I respect because they never forgot their soap roots and never looked down on them.

Of course Guiding Light wouldn't have thought to ask him to appear in the end. Yes, Bradley died off screen and gave Beth a silver mine (of ALL things!) but they could have found a way. His return in 1989-90 was so well done.

Did he work with Kevin Bacon at all or was Kevin gone from GL by May 1983?

Kevin was gone by May 1983

I've seen him in a lot of things, knew his name, had no idea he'd passed away, probably because I'm still watching L&O reruns.

Bradley came back for a short stint in 1985 when Lujack was in prison. By this time, he had found God (not in a preachy far right way), but with the desperation to atone, and knowing from Lillian that Lujack and Beth were together, played Lujack's protector. It was very well written, and I was hoping he'd have stayed longer at that time. When he returned a few years later, he had completely atoned even though he felt guilty, but you can see that his soul had been saved. The fact that Lillian was so forgiving of him made him a better man and his death later on was very poignant.

Just adding to the chorus...absolutely loved him in everything he did. He was a very believable and natural actor, and always gave a quality performance. I also thought he was very attractive and sexy.

Was very sad when I learned he had died.

I never thought of him as sexy even though he had those beautiful eyes and smooth voice. He looked tall -- was he, second cousin? R43 nails it with the comment about him being sexy in that professor/corporate asshole kind of way. Yep. For sure.