A Look Back...an anniversary article by LKStarr
Two years ago when Roger took that first step in the giant leap from OLTL's “Todd Manning” to ATWT's “Paul Ryan”, people couldn't seem to help but compare the two roles. Given the length of time Roger spent portraying Todd, it was difficult for some to separate him from that character. Despite the new name and persona the role of Paul Ryan presented, some saw Todd in every frame. Though there were similarities, it was obvious that these similarities were not traits that belonged exclusively to the character of Todd, but to Roger, himself. Those eyes, those lips, that voice, that walk…all qualities praised and celebrated as “Toddian”, but in truth were all Roger, and went with him when he changed roles.
In the course of the two years Roger has spent in the role, Paul has transcended the unavoidable similarities to Todd (and any other role he has played) to become a unique personality with the kind of depth that only Roger could have given him. Perhaps that, more than anything else, is what both sets apart and ties together Roger's cast of characters and brands them into the minds and hearts of his fans with such permanence.
For all that “Todd Manning” is arguably Roger's “signature role”, Todd was actually very similar to the character Roger portrayed on the long-cancelled daytime drama Loving , “Kent Winslow”. Like Todd, Kent was an arrogant, somewhat sinister, frat boy who came from a well-to-do family. Kent spent his time orchestrating ways to get back at his perceived enemies in Corinth, just as Todd would later do in Llanview. So why did Kent fade away whereas Todd sparked and spread like wildfire across Llanview, leaving a mark that remains to this day?
There are probably many viable answers to that question, but in the end, I believe it was a case of ‘right time, right role, right actor, right show, excellent writing'. All the elements seemed to fall into place with Todd, and Roger attacked the role with gusto, taking it beyond a simple frat boy with a grudge. Todd was far more sinister and complex than Kent. Todd wasn't just a spoiled rich boy. He was a tortured soul.
There was a time when ‘menace' seemed to be Roger's middle name, particularly with his co-workers. I remember watching clips of him and Hillary B. Smith at a nomination ceremony. They were to announce the nominees for a particular category, and she quipped that Roger should just ‘menace the envelope open'. His ability to fill us with fear and dread with little more than a dark turn of ‘those eyes' is undeniable, and something that Todd shared with another of Roger's darker characters, Randall Lynch.
Lynch had some of those so-called “Toddian” traits, particularly what has come to be known as ‘Early Todd', or… ‘Todd when he was really, really bad'. There was a coldness to Randall Lynch, a sense of dark purpose that drove him, just as Todd was driven in the beginning to strike out others. Lynch was relentless in his pursuit and he let nothing get in his way, much like Todd when he escaped from prison and managed to elude recapture for nearly a year.
There was one thing, however, that Lynch and Todd did not share, and that was a soul. Lynch rarely displayed any kind of emotion. In truth, it was characteristic of his species to be completely devoid of emotion. There was no sense of right or wrong with Lynch. He did what he needed to do to help his species gain dominance and never once considered the gravity of his actions. While this could be said of Todd as well for a short time, it was clear even from the beginning that Todd most definitely had feelings and a soul - even if it was only manifested in scenes with his overbearing father in which Todd went from proud bully to submissive child.
Over the course of the ten years Roger breathed life into the character of Todd Manning, his portrayal revealed layer upon layer of this complicated man's personality, and in doing so, mesmerized us all.
As Todd progressed from angry young man to husband, father and businessman, we saw more of his vulnerability and wry humor. His tendency to sabotage his own happiness brought him to the brink, and caused him to develop defensive quirks that masked that vulnerability well. At these times, it was with a mere look or gesture that Roger showed us how Todd was feeling beneath his sometimes absurd behavior. His antics made us giggle, but the look in his eyes broke our hearts.
Roger brought this gift of humor with him to the role of “Professor Hetson” in the nighttime drama, Dawson's Creek . While not a major character, his quirky professor stole the spotlight in every episode he was in, and allowed Roger to go beyond the role of ‘bad boy'. We saw him play a man of keen intelligence and wit - a father, a scholar, and a mentor. We saw him relaxed and relieved of the heavy burden of angst Todd was doomed to bear.
Roger's “Paul Ryan” is both relaxed and burdened. He is complex, yet simple in so many ways. He has made mistakes, but he has not [yet] crossed the line that would put him in the same subordinate position in which Todd found himself more often than not. Paul is both dark and light. He is hero and anti-hero. Roger makes both sides of the character compelling and relatable.
Through Paul, Roger's fans have seen one side of him that we've never really been privy to before - the hopeless romantic. He took our collective breaths away as his Paul pulled out all the stops to woo his lady loves, and proved that he was more than capable of stepping into the role of romantic lead.
Looking back at Roger's progression from character to character, it's obvious that each built on the other. All of them seem to culminate in his current role of “Paul Ryan” - a role in which elements of Kent, Todd, Randall and Greg come together and combine with new facets to create a unique character with unlimited possibilities.
That's quite an accomplishment for a mere two year tenure.
LKStarr
