Thom Bierdz was one of the most popular young actors on The Young and the Restless in the mid-to-late 1980s.
But just as he was hitting his peak on the series, he suddenly left to pursue other opportunities. Whatever happened to Thom Bierdz?
Bierdz story is both simultaneously tragic and uplifting.
On Top of the World On Y&R
Back in the 1980s, Thom Bierdz was courting a hit role on Y&R as Phillip Chancellor III, husband of Nina Webster and best friends to Danny Romalotti and Cricket Blair. He is the grandson of Katherine Chancellor.
The character of Phillip was an alcoholic and got Nina pregnant while he was drunk. He married her against his mother Jill’s objections.
He left the series under auspicious circumstances, faking his own death and moving to Australia, where he went by the name Langley.
Two months after leaving Y&R, Bierdz was dealt a tragic blow in his professional life.
Overcoming Personal Tragedy
His youngest brother, Troy, murdered their mother with a baseball bat. Troy is currently serving a life sentence in a Wisconsin prison and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, according to a story published by Column of Life.
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In May 2002, his brother, Gregg, committed suicide. He has one sister, Hope.
After the tragedy, Bierdz faded into relative obscurity as he attempted to put the pieces back together of his life.
The actor also came clean about his sexuality, coming out formally soon after the Gregg’s suicide.
Instead of returning to the world of acting, Bierdz began painting. He has received many awards for his artwork and has devoted most of his life to this day to painting.
Bierdz has also written a memoir entitled “Forgiving Troy: A True Story of Murder, Mental Illness and Recovery”.
Rediscovering Himself Once Again
In September 2009, The Human Rights Campaign at a Black Tie Gala themed “Speak Your Truth” presented the former Y&R star with their Visibility Award for his continued contributions to charity work for human rights.
Bierdz is president of the American Art Awards, an organization that helps get artists discovered and introduced to galleries. Click here for more info about AmericanArtAwards.com.
You can also follow him on Twitter @ThomBierdz or on Facebook at Thom Bierdz II.
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