TV Guide
January 2, 1999
Best of 1998

We don't envy the Emmy nominators who must soon choose from 1998's startling abundance of acting riches. But from our vantage point, too much of a good thing is wonderful.

Best actors: One Life to Live's Roger Howarth and Robert S. Woods. Horwath, a scathingly brilliant, complicated, take-no-prisoners performer, had a field day when his character, Todd faked a multiple personality disorder and took on four extra identities, running the gamut from the hot Rod, an obnoxiously horny Italian he-man, to a persnickety old biddy named Miss Perkins. By contrast Woods slam-dunked us with simplicity. He was saddled with the year's smelliest plot - his usually stalwart character, Bo, flipped out when his son died and took the corpse hostage - but Woods essayed the meltdown with grace and a profound humanity that had us scrambling for hankies. Runners-up: As the World Turn's Larry Bryggman (John), Another World's Tom Eplin (Jake).

Best Actress: General Hospital's Genie Francis. Forced by ABC to end her year-plus maternity leave, Francis was not happy to return to work and it showed on camera. But eventually she got past her mama drama to deliver an exquisite performance in a plot many GH fans detest: the marital bust-up of Luke and Laura. As a bonus, Francis is even more dazzling to the eye that when she exploded onto the suds scene as a teen in the '70's. Runners-up: All My Children's Kelly Ripa (Hayley), The Young and the Restless's Jeanne Cooper (Kay).

Best Supporting Actor: OLTL's Tim Gibbs. In a potentially disastrous decision, this edgy, grizzled actor was hired to replace young, wholesome Kevin Stapleton as the show's heroic scion, Kevin Buchanan. The character promptly became a self-absorbed cheeseball who "played doctor" with a needy nurse and then expected his girlfriend to forgive him. Viewers were confused, but slime was never so sublime. Runners-up: Days of Our Lives's Kevin Spitras (Craig), Y&R's Christian LeBlanc (Michael).

Best Supporting Actress: OLTL's Catherine Hickland. This five-soap vet, previously known more for beauty and bravado than acting brawn, has finally come to the party! As the best new character of '98 - Lindsay Rappaport, a neurotic, wisecracking manhunter who's just a little too interested in her hunky son's love life - Hickland is so mesmerizing it's scary. Whenever she hits the screen, even her most extraordinary costars fade into the woodwork. Runners-up: Guiding Light's Signy Coleman (Annie), Days's Patrika Darbo (Nancy).

Best Soap: None. We'll discuss that in next week's Worst of '98 column.