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Matthew Ashford

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(Redirected from Matthew N. Ashford)
Not to be confused with Matthew Ashforde.
Matthew Ashford
Ashford in 2007
Born
Matthew Nile Ashford

(1960-01-29) January 29, 1960 (age 64)
Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
EducationUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA)
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Spouses
Christina Saffran
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 2012)​
Lana Buss
​
(m. 2016)​
Children4

Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960)[1] is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC Daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives (1987 to present). In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Days of Our Lives. He has also won five Soap Opera Digest Awards.

Early life

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Ashford was born in Davenport, Iowa.[1] He is the sixth of eight children, with three sisters and four brothers. He is of Irish descent. His sisters got him involved in acting when they joined junior theater classes and workshops, eventually bringing him along.[2] His family moved from Iowa to Fairfax, Virginia when he was thirteen years old. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During his college years, Ashford performed with the Ragamuffin Magic and Mime Company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.[3]

Career

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After graduating from college, Ashford moved to New York City. In 1982, he was cast as Drew Ralston on One Life to Live. He stayed on the show until 1983, when the character of Drew was killed off.[2][4]

Ashford was cast on The Hamptons, a 1983 summer replacement series, but he had to turn down the job because he was still under contract with One Life to Live.[2] He joined a touring company production of The Member of the Wedding, co-starring with Esther Rolle.[3] In 1984, Ashford was cast as Cagney McCleary on Search for Tomorrow. He played the role until the show's cancellation in December 1986.[1][5]

In 1987, Ashford joined the cast of the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, playing Jack Deveraux. The part had previously been played by James Acheson. The character of Jack was initially written as a villain and raped Kayla Brady. After Ashford began playing the role, the character was redeemed. He was paired romantically with Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves).[6] In 1989, Ashford won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain.[7] In 1991, he and Melissa Reeves won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Super Couple: Daytime.[8] In 1992, they won Soap Opera Digest Awards for Best Love Story and Best Wedding.[9]

Ashford played Jack Deveraux in the Days of Our Lives television film One Stormy Night (1992).[10] He guest starred on Quantum Leap.[1] He played Jack Deveraux in another Days of Our Lives television film, Night Sins (1993).[11] Ashford won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Comedic Performance.[12] In September 1993, he left Days of Our Lives when the producers decided not to renew his contract.[13][14] The role was recast with Mark Valley in 1994 and Steve Wilder in 1997.[6]

Ashford was cast as as Tom Hardy on General Hospital, first airing on February 17, 1995. The part had previously been played by David Wallace. Ashford won the role without an audition.[15] He appeared in the science fiction film Species (1995).[16] He guest starred on Burke's Law.[1] He left General Hospital in 1997 and guest starred on Pacific Blue.[1] Ashford played Whitey in the romantic comedy film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998).[17][18] He guest starred on Charmed and Providence.[19] He played Ron in the action film Paper Bullets (1999).[1]

In December 2000, it was announced that Ashford would be returning to Days of Our Lives as Jack Deveraux. His first airdate was February 6, 2001.[6][20][21] He also guest starred on Dharma & Greg in 2001.[19] He stayed on Days of Our Lives until October 2003, when Jack was murdered by a serial killer called The Salem Stalker.[6][22] In 2003, Ashford guest starred as himself on Friends.[19]

Ashford returned to One Life to Live on a recurring basis as a new character, Stephen Haver. His first airdate was December 10, 2003.[4] Stephen, a college professor, was discovered to be a serial murderer known as the Music Box Killer. Ashford left the show when the character was killed off in February 2004.[23] In 2004, Ashford returned to Days of Our Lives when it was revealed that The Salem Stalker's victims, including Jack, were alive and being held captive on a tropical island. Ashford left the show again on September 21, 2006.[6][24]

Ashford returned to Days of Our Lives for a short time in April 2007.[25] In May 2007, Ashford played Mike in a production of No Strings at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. He co-starred with Scott Bakula.[26] In 2010, he guest starred on 90210.[27] He began playing the recurring role of Steve Jensen on the web series The Bay, co-starring with his former Days of Our Lives castmate Mary Beth Evans.[28]

Ashford returned to Days of Our Lives, first airing September 23, 2011.[29] In April 2012, it was announced that he had been dismissed from his role on Days, along with three other actors.[30] His last airdate was August 15, 2012. The character of Jack died when an elevator crashed with him inside.[6]

In November 2015, it was announced that Ashford would return to Days of Our Lives as the ghost of Jack, airing in a 2016 episode.[31] He made another return as a ghost in December 2017.[32] In November 2018, it was announced that Ashford would be returning to Days of Our Lives as a regular cast member. Jack returned from the dead, first airing in 2019.[33]

Ashford is part of a production company, NGM Productions, which produced The Unlikeleys, a movie, in which Ashford plays the most famous soap star in the world and his exact look-alike. Ashford's production company has also produced The Exorcism of Tina Miller, a movie.

From February to June 2010, he played Bill in the North American tour of Mamma Mia!. The final performances were cut short due to security concerns with the G20 Summit in Toronto, which was held nearby.

Personal life

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Ashford met singer-actress Christina Saffran in 1985, when he auditioned for the World Peace Festival, a production she was choreographing. They were married on June 6, 1987.[3] They have since divorced.[34] They have two daughters, born in 1992 and 1997.[1]

In May 2010, while on tour in Toronto, he obtained U.S.-Canadian dual citizenship. Ashford's father was born in Canada, which made him and his siblings eligible to become Canadians without relinquishing their American citizenship.

Ashford married Lana Buss in November 2016. They have a son, born in May 2013, and a daughter, born in December 2015.[34]

Awards and recognition

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Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 Species Guy in Club
1998 Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss Whitey
1999 Paper Bullets Ron
2006 Deceit Michael Video
Social Security Guard Hugh Short film
2008 Chronicles of an Exorcism Father Michael
2011 The Historian Paradox Thomas Short film
2012 Fuzz Track City Chris Valentine
Winning Favor Coach Loren DeJong
Bad Blood Dr. Stringer
Catch of a Lifetime Billy Joe Crawley
Hi Mitch Phil Short film
2016 The Unlikely's Brock Chapman
2017 The Fuzz Valentine
2021 Blood Runs Thick Marshall
2022 Spirit Pops

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1982–1983 One Life to Live Drew Ralston Contract role
1984–1986 Search for Tomorrow Cagney McLeary Contract role
1987–1993, 2001–2007, 2011–2012, 2016– Days of Our Lives Jack Devereaux Contract role (1987–93, 2001–06, 2011–12, 2018–)
Guest role (2007, 2016–17)
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Daytime Villain
Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Daytime Supercouple (shared with Melissa Reeves)
Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Love Story or Daytime or Primetime (shared with Melissa Reeves)
Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Daytime Wedding (shared with Melissa Reeves)
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Comic Performance
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1992 One Stormy Night Jack Deveraux Television film
Quantum Leap TV Husband 2 episodes
1993 Night Sins Jack Deveraux Television film
1995 Burke's Law Harold 'Spider' Arthur Episode: "Who Killed the Tennis Ace?"
1995–1997 General Hospital Tom Hardy Contract role
1997 Pacific Blue Thomas Leffler; Antonio; Ted Miller; Jeff Armstrong Episode: "Soul Mate"
1998 Charmed Roger Episodes: "Unaired Pilot", "Something Wicca This Way Comes"
1999 Providence Mr. Henderson Episode: "Home for the Holidays"

Credited as Matthew N. Ashford

2001 Dharma & Greg Trey Episode: "Dharma Does Dallas"

Credited as Matthew N. Ashford

2003 Friends Himself Episode: "The One with the Soap Opera Party"
2003–2004 One Life to Live Dr. Stephen Haver Recurring role
2010 90210 Peter Upton Episode: "2021 Vision"
2010–2023 The Bay Steve Jensen 75 episodes
2013 The Good Mother Peter Television film
Dating in the Middle Ages Nick Hamilton; Medieval Captain 2 episodes
2016–2017 This Just In Dr. Majishon 3 episodes
2020 NCIS Rick Martel Episode: "Schooled"

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "About the Actors: Matthew Ashford". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Payne, Andrea (June 19, 1984). "Going with the Flow". Soap Opera Digest. 9.
  3. ^ a b c Rout, Nancy E.; Buckley, Ellen (1992). The Soap Opera Book: Who's Who in Daytime Drama. Todd Publications. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-915344-23-9.
  4. ^ a b Kroll, Dan J. (November 9, 2003). "Former Days star Matthew Ashford moves to Llanview". Soap Central. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  5. ^ Reichardt, Nancy M. (June 26, 1986). "'Search' Never Says Die: Celebrates 9,000th Show". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Who's Who in Salem: Jack Deveraux, Sr". Soap Central. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1989". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  8. ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1991". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  9. ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1992". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Slate, Libby (January 10, 1992). "For Soap Awards, a Nighttime 'Days' : Television: The special 'Days of Our Lives' episode will precede the first prime-time Soap Opera Digest Awards broadcast". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Days of Our Lives: Night Sins". tcm.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1993". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  13. ^ Carter, Alan (August 20, 1993). "Matt Ashford Leaves "Days of Our Lives"". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  14. ^ Collymore, Terrie (January 4, 1994). "Dazzling Departures: Hasta La Vista Baby!". Soap Opera Digest. 19 (1): 77.
  15. ^ "Late-Breaking News: Matthew Ashford Checks into GH". Soap Opera Digest. 20 (5): 4. February 28, 1995.
  16. ^ "Species - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  17. ^ "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss". tcm.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c "Matthew Ashford: Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  20. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (December 10, 2000). "Matthew Ashford will return to Salem". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  21. ^ "Matthew Ashford Returns to 'Days'". Chicago Tribune. December 30, 2000. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (August 24, 2003). "Ashford fired – again". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "Matthew Ashford Plays His Last Note as OLTL's Music Box Killer". Soap Opera Digest. March 22, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  24. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (July 13, 2006). "Ashford leaving Days after all". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  25. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (February 1, 2007). "Matthew Ashford gets another shot as DAYS's Jack". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  26. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 8, 2007). "Reprise! No Strings — with Bakula, Brown, Ashford and Williamson — Begins May 8". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  27. ^ "'Days of Our Lives' Matthew Ashford joins the 9 to 5 the Musical". Foster's Daily Democrat. September 13, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  28. ^ Logan, Michael (February 18, 2011). "Exclusive: Online Soap The Bay Looking For a TV Home". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  29. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (May 17, 2011). "Matthew Ashford brings Jack back to Salem". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "Huge Exits at Days!". Soap Opera Digest. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  31. ^ Iannuci, Rebecca (November 30, 2015). "TVLine Items: Days Brings Jack Back, Transparent Arrives Early and More". tvline.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  32. ^ Clifford, Kambra (December 14, 2017). "Matthew Ashford returns to Days for life and death storyline". Soap Central. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  33. ^ Clifford, Kambra (November 13, 2018). "Matthew Ashford teases Days return, says storyline ahead is "really good"". Soap Central. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Baby On Board!". ABC Soap's In Depth. August 28, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
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