Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968, then assumed by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC, and one additional season when show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Wife of Late 'Guiding Light' Star Tom O'Rourke Releases Book About Years of Cheating, Reconnecting After His Death

In April, Marcy O'Rourke, the longtime wife of former Guiding Light star Thomas O'Rourke released a book about his life, "Bedeviled: The Strange Life and Death of Actor Tom O'Rourke".

According to the book, O’Rourke led a double life, secretly cheating on his wife for 35 years. He was a wonderful husband and father, who told himself everybody cheats, but in fact, he had a sex problem that destroyed his career, his happiness, and finally took his life. When he passed away, he could not rest in peace, so he came back to confess his true story the only way he could: paranormally.

O'Rourke starred on Guiding Light from 1977 to 1983 as Dr. Justin Marler, the biological father of Phillip Spaulding and Ross Marler's brother. He died on September 13, 2009, during the final week Guiding Light was on the air.

"This is the true story of the lies, false hopes and suffering of a cheater that had to be told so Tom could rest in peace," Ms. O'Rourke writes in the prologue of the book. "It's so astonishing, it sounds like ficiton, but it's all absolutely true."

Check it out on Amazon here.

Watch some highlights of O'Rourke on Guiding Light below.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968, then assumed by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC, and one additional season when show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968 then played by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC and the one season the show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968 then played by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC and the one season the show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature."
― David Hume

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to Scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968 then played by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC and the one season the show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

"There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again - now."
- Eugene O'Neill

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become GUIDING LIGHT's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Read about it here.

1980: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Watch the WE LOVE SOAPS TV episode from last year where OLTL celebrated her 40th anniversary.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become GUIDING LIGHT's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Read about it here.

1980: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, after breaking the news to April of Draper's death, Mike and Nancy learned Nola Madisson had confessed to Margo Dorn's murder.

Tom O'Rourke Dead at 65

Sad news for GUIDING LIGHT fans who are losing their show today. Tom O'Rourke, best known to soap fans as Justin Marler on GUIDING LIGHT from 1977 to 1983, has passed away

O'Rourke also played Stan on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, John on MELROSE PLACE, and Jason on SANTA BARBARA.

Thomas O'Rourke was a war baby, born in New York City in Greenwich Village. He was raised in Indiana, until his parents divorced and he returned to New York City's Upper West Side to live with his grandparents. He was ambitious and hardworking even at this young age. To help out with expenses, he bought a bike and delivered newspapers and laundry to the large, fancy apartments on Central Park West and Park Avenue. He always dreamed of someday living on Central Park West, and he was later able to achieve that dream, when he worked on a soap opera.

He joined the Army at age eighteen and became a Paratrooper in the 101st Airborne. He served in Germany in the Military Police. While in the Army, he hitchhiked all over Europe. Running out of money in Italy, he sold his American jeans on the Spanish Steps for an outrageous sum, and went back to Germany in style.

After the Army, he had many different jobs as he tried to figure out what to do with his life. But once he attended a performance of live theater, he knew exactly where he belonged.

He got a scholarship to Goodman Theater School, then a part of the University of Chicago. And before he even graduated, he was cast in David Merrick's "Promises, Promises", got his Equity card and was on his way as an actor.

He ended his tour in New York City. Here he did many commercials, more theater, met and married Marcy Casterline, a model with Eileen Ford, got cast on Guiding Light, and made many wonderful friends.

After leaving the world of soap opera, O'Rourke and his wife moved to Los Angeles, where his only son, Preston, was born on March 18, 1977. Here, also, he was lucky enough to work with many wonderful and talented people, and to call some of them friends.

O'Rourke did many serious roles, but his wit and sense of humor were also widely appreciated.

O'Rourke died in Manhattan, New York on September 13, 2009 after a two year battle with cancer.