J. Eddie Peck has played an interesting mix of daytime characters over the tenure of his long career, but none was received so mightily as novelist Cole Howard on The Young and the Restless. Now, some 24 years after his last appearance on the soap, he’s now returned to the role.
Get To Know J. Eddie Peck
The veteran actor’s career has been expansive, including contract parts on Dallas and Dynasty back in the 80s, as well as the lead role of Kevin “Blade” Laird in the 1990 film Lambada, which explored the double life of a teacher and forbidden dancer. Peck also landed a recurring role on (then) ABC Family (now known as FreeForm) sci-fi drama Kyle XY in 2006, portraying Adam Baylin, the last remaining member of a human experiment to increase intelligence through prolonged gestation.
Want to learn more about the actor? Here are seven things to know about J. Eddie Peck (read SoapHub’s exclusive interview about his return here).
1. So what does the “J” stand for? He was born John Edward Peck on October 10, 1958, in Lynchburg, VA.
2. After graduating from Joplin Parkwood High School, Peck attended Missouri Southern State University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing.
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3. As a teenager, Peck worked as a disc jockey and later switched gears to modeling. When he moved to Los Angeles, he wanted to pursue voice-overs and commercial work. It was his commercial agents who pushed him to become an actor.
4. Peck’s very first acting job was a two-day stint as an under-five on Y&R back in 1982. He played a guy who escorted Cricket/Christine (Lauralee Bell) to a Genoa City gathering.
5. He holds the unique distinction of having had recurring roles on both Dallas (read more about the primetime soap opera) and Dynasty during the same season, from 1988 to 1989. At the time, Peck played cocaine dealer Tommy McKay on Dallas, while also portraying Roger Grimes on Dynasty, the Carrington’s 1960s estate manager, who had a fling with Alexis.
6. Peck made his daytime debut as a contract player portraying shyster Howard “Hawk” Hawkins, III on Days of our Lives from 1991 to 1992. Although dissuaded by his agents from taking the part, Peck decided to join the soap. The lure was the fact that he’d be in a triangle with supercouple Jack (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer (Melissa Reeves), whose work he respected.
7. Cheers fans will likely remember Peck as Lance Apollinaire from the episode “Knights of Scimitar.” He played a handsome student in a college course Diane (Shelley Long) was teaching and became wildly attracted to, despite priding herself on only being drawn to men based on their inner beauty.
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