Anthony Herrera, Great Soap Villain, Passes Away

I didn’t want to let the death of Anthony Herrera go unmentioned in the regular entertainment press. (Soap actors get little love even though they are a guilty pleasure.) The terrific actor, 67, was best known for playing the consummate elegant villain, James Stenbeck on “As the World Turns.” He was with the show from the early 80s on and off until the soap’s finale last September. Stenbeck terrorized the citizens of Oakdale but mostly his ex wife Barbara (Colleen Zenk) and their son Paul with delicious infamy. Nothing could kill James–not even when he was shot dead or dropped from a helicopter did he actually die. “As the World Turns” fans loved it when James would turn up suddenly and surprise his ex with a nasty “Hello, Barbara” that rivaled Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter. Herrera had as many lives as James Stenbeck. He was diagnosed with Mantle Cell lymhoma in 1997. He was treated, went into remission, and the fatal cancer reoccurred. He underwent a stem cell transplant that saved him, and wound up testifying in front of Congress about his experience. There were a few really memorable soap villains who propelled the Procter & Gamble soaps–Larry Bryggmann and the late Michael Zaslow were the other very good ones–but Anthony Herrera was probably the best. The tragedy is, this time he won’t be coming back. Rest in peace.