It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Emmy Award-winning Michael Zaslow. Zaslow died Sunday night due to complications of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Zaslow is survived by his wife, Susan Hufford, and daughters Helena and Marika. Zaslow was 56.
Michael won an Emmy award in 1994 for his portrayal of Roger Thorpe, the dastardly delicious villain on Guiding Light. Zaslow worked on Guiding Light until 1997 when he was released by the producers of Guiding Light, Procter & Gamble, after outwardly exhibiting signs of the disease that would later claim his life.
Guiding Light's loss was another soap's gain. One Life to Live hired Zaslow back in early 1998 to reprise a role he'd played in the mid-80s: concert pianist David Renaldi. Zaslow had appeared on OLTL as recently as the last week of November. His physical ailments had been written into the storyline and the stars of OLTL had taped public service announcements to alert people to ALS.
Zaslow also appeared in other television shows and films, including Law & Order and You Light Up My Life. His Broadway roles include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Onward Victoria and Boccaccio.
Earlier this year, stars from One Life to Live and All My Children played in a charity softball game at Yankee Stadium to raise money for Zaslow's charity, ZazAngels, a group that remains committed to finding a cure for ALS.
A public memorial and benefit for Zaslow has been scheduled for January 25, 1999 at the Royale Theatre in New York. To honor the memory of Michael Zaslow, his family has requested that contributions be made to ZazAngels, c/o The ALS Association of Greater NY at 40 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005
On behalf of everyone at Soap Central, we send our condolences to Michael's family, his loved ones, and the many people who were fortunate enough to meet this wonderful man.
