Numerous villains have populated serial dramas throughout soap opera history. However, Guiding Light bad guy Roger Thorpe, played by late Emmy-winner Michael Zaslow, was unparalleled.
Roger brought dismay and destruction to people’s lives, but the charismatic man rarely saw his actions as unjustified. Here’s a look back at the dastardly anti-villain, who was dubbed by Fletcher Reade as Roger the Dodger.
Early Days
Roger dated boss Stanley Norris’s daughter, Holly, hoping to make advances professionally. A suspect in Stanley’s murder, Roger left town in shame after he revealed he had an alibi. Holly had an affair with Roger after he came back to Springfield, but he left her for Peggy. Pregnant with Roger’s daughter, Christina (later known as Blake), Holly returned to her marriage to Ed.
Death Becomes Him
Roger’s dad, Adam, and Mike Bauer helped bail Roger out of financial jams, but he could never bring himself to fully be grateful. Instead, failures fueled Roger’s ambition, causing him to make more bad decisions. He raped Ed’s wife Rita and also Holly when he (Roger) was married to her.
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He was brought to trial for marital rape, but Holly shot him before justice could be served. After faking his death, Roger, disguised as a clown, kidnapped a pregnant Rita. She lost her baby while she was Roger’s captive. Roger kidnapped Holly to Santa Domingo. There, he presumably fell to his death despite Ed’s efforts to save him.
Second Life
Roger returned to Springfield in disguise as the mysterious Adam. He was revealed after swinging into his daughter Blake’s wedding to Phillip on a vine and taking a bullet in the process. Roger explained he’d survived his fall and gone to work for the government.
Married to Alexandra, it appeared as if Roger had changed for the better…but his desires to win at all costs resurfaced. Alex and Roger fell into conflict, and Roger landed in Mindy Lewis’s bed. Roger passed Alex’s “test” to not sleep with Holly in Acapulco so he reconciled with Alex, uneasily.
Paying The Price
Roger paid big time for …continue reading on the next page —>
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