Saturday, July 2, 2011

Memories of Anthony Herrera



After last week's news about the passing of Anthony Herrera (James Steinbeck, As The World Turns), his peers share memories. This is an ongoing compilation, so if anyone would like to contribute or share, feel free to leave a comment or message.

Martha Byrne (Lily, As The World Turns)
Twitter

RIP Anthony Herrera...so many great memories.... :( He loved that dog pictured with him on FBOOK....He died in a place he loved...God Bless....He wrote the book The Cancer War...please read it if you can. It would make him so happy....he fought that was and won many times.

Sarah Brown (Julia, As The World Turns)
Twitter

Had the pleasure of sharing a car with Mr. Anthony Herrera during our days in Brooklyn @#ATWT. He told great stories. He was fascinating RIP

Scott Bryce (Craig, As The World Turns)

He was a courageous and wonderful man.

Grayson McCouch (Dusty, As The World Turns)
http://mccouch.webs.com/latestnews.htm

Anthony was a kind soul, he was a man in the classic sense and his work reflected it. His favorite actor was Anthony Quinn - specifically in the movie La Strada - his other favorite movie was Casablanca. He shared this with me on a car ride home together. We hit it off. He told me about the beautiful life he was enjoying in Argentina. About simplicity and the beauty of everyday moments.

He called me James Dean and wanted to get together soon and talk more about great art, artists and life. He got to meet my dog and told me I was on the right track.

Anthony Herrera was like the actors he enjoyed - Quinn, Bogart.... he was a classic, and he will be missed.

I won't forget you my friend.

GRAYSON

Julie Pinson (Janet, As The World Turns)
Twitter

Also- just heard bout Anthony. Such a class act. So nice to me on set. God bless.

Tonja Walker (Alex, One Life To Live; Olivia, General Hospital)

I have always followed As the World Turns. My mom watched all the soaps on CBS and so did I. James Stenbeck and Margo (Margaret Colin) as well as the triangle with Barbara (Colleen Zenk) and then the story with Justin Deas was always compelling and impossible to miss. We will all miss Anthony...his sweet personality and his talent playing diabolical yet sexy convincing, and oh so memorable characters.what a sad and terrible loss.

Colleen Zenk (Barbara, As The World Turns)
http://michaelfairmansoaps.com/news/colleen-zenk-issues-heartfelt-statement-on-the-passing-of-atwts-anthony-herrera/2011/06/30/

I knew and worked with and fought with and admired and adored Anthony Herrera more than half of my life. From Jan 1980, before I turned 27, to this last fall at a Cancer Awareness event and then a screening of his film at the Player’s Club, Anthony was a pivotal and important part of my professional and personal life. From our on-location work in the Dominican Republic, (where we were invited to the home of the Army General), to the bullring in Spain (we were having a bump in the road in our relationship then, and I think he wanted the bull to gore me.), Anthony and I always found time to dance…a metaphor for our relationship. I remember brunches at the Plaza Hotel and waltzing to the orchestra, dinners in caves and dancing the meringue… and so much more. And that was real-life. And then there are all the Barbara and James dances and battles, too.

Anthony always called me his “fictional wife”. And I was that, but more too. I wasn’t a girlfriend, or a date, or just an acting partner. He and I traveled through life’s journeys’ together, including our cancers. We were joined at-the-hip in some ways. And like all couples, at times, we drove each other absolutely crazy over the years. But, the years flew by, and I grew to tolerate and love his quirks. He always bellowed “WIFE” to me and I loved it. No matter where we were. I think there were people who might have thought we were a couple. We weren’t. But, we were just like an old married couple. Last summer, when I was performing in a show in NYC after ATWT shut down and my real-life marriage was over, the stage manager knocked on my dressing room door to say that my “husband” was there to see me. And then I heard “WIFE”! It was Anthony. Cheering me on as he had done since he first saw me on stage in 1981 in Bring Back Birdie on Broadway. My biggest cheerleader… And supporter. And he made me feel like a woman…

Two years ago, after my last round of cancer, he left the most beautiful message of hope and love on my cell phone. I have saved it this whole time just to hear his voice when I need a lift. I needed that today when I realized the rumors of his death were true. I am so glad I saved that voicemail. A little piece of the wonderful, Anthony Herrera, that is all mine… God, I will miss you… And I have been so blessed to have been your fictional “WIFE”. I have 30 years of stories. We were quite a couple. And he doted on me…and gave me hell…and I gave it back. And I listened to the same stories hundreds of times. Just like a “WIFE” should.

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