Peter White had quite a prolific career in TV and film after leaving All My Children’s Pine Valley, where he played the precious son of the town’s wealthy matriarch, Phoebe Tyler. The actor passed away Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at the age of 86.
Remembering Peter White
One of White’s AMC co-stars, Kathleen Noone, who played Ellen Dalton, told Soap Hub Wednesday evening about the sad news. “I wanted you to know that Peter White, who played Linc, Phoebe’s, Ruth Warrick’s, son, died today from Melanoma.”
Peter White was born on October 10, 1937, in New York City. In 1955, he left to attend Northwestern University, where four years later, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Communications. He then studied acting at the Yale School of Drama, where he received his Master’s degree.
While he was touring in Barefoot in the Park with Myrna Loy, he was offered a part in the original off-Broadway cast of The Boys in the Band, a controversial play that debuted in 1968. He was Alan, the married man who was the main catalyst in the controversial show about a group of gay men in New York City. He and the entire cast would also play the same characters in the feature film that was released in 1970.
In 1971, he did his first soap role, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, where he played Dr. Sanford Hiller. But for most soap fans, it was his role as Linc Tyler on AMC that he began in the mid-1970s that made them root for him, especially to win the love of Kitty Cole (Francesca James) and later, her sister Kelly (also played by James), despite his snobby mother’s disapproval. White would play the role on and off for 30 years. He especially got on with legendary co-star Eileen Herlie, who played Myrtle. The actor spoke about his experience with Soap Opera Digest.
“I started on the show around 1974,” White told the magazine. “When Eileen came on, and we all realized we were going to have our storylines together…forgive me for saying this, but that’s when soaps — [including] All My Children — were really good…I remember talking to [show creator] Agnes Nixon, and she said, ‘I have to write a storyline about you guys because you all get along so well!’ That was sort of it; we just became instant family and have been ever since, which is great.”
He went on to appear in many primetime roles on soaps like Falcon Crest, Dynasty, Knots Landing, and Dallas, as well as plenty of other shows like Hill Street Blues, The Jeffersons, The Paper Chase, The West Wing, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a major recurring role on Sisters, and so many more.
Film roles were abundant as well. He appeared on the big screen in The Pursuit of Happiness, Diary of a Hitman, Dave, Mother, Flubber, Armageddon, Thirteen Days, First Daughter, and so many more.
Soap Hub sends our thoughts to the family and friends of Peter White during this difficult time.
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