I have to do a tribute to this guy. You have no idea (unless I tell you) the depths of my love for the actor or character.
I first saw Billy Clyde when I was (cough) years old during the Donna-Chuck prostitute story on AMC. Picture it: Small town girl...fascinated by "Center City" seedy-life complete with a place called "Foxies". Estelle, the hooker with a heart of gold
Enter Billy Clyde Tuggle. Played by the amazingly talented Matthew Cowels, he was one of the funniest-mean guys out there. His hill-billy accent and flair for the pimp clothes was so over the top you couldn't help but laugh. Of course, he was really horrible at heart and raped and almost killed poor Estelle before it was all over.
I found out later that he himself was a writer, and created and wrote the "Billy Clyde" character. At that time, he was married to the actress that played Estelle. They later divorced and he's been married to Christine Baranski since the early '80s. Cowels passed away the 22nd of May.
Matthew Cowels' Billy Clyde Tuggle was a rapscaliion and a rounder and a scoundrel, but he sure was fun to watch. I miss him and that golden age of All My Children.
ReplyDeleteHe and Christine Baranski seemed to have a good marriage, if what she said about him was any indication. She spoke so lovingly about him in an interview I saw a few months ago on a tv talk show. He was so good in the role of Billy Clyde, and a fine actor, as he was a sweetheart in real life. Condolences to those left behind. (Karen, his father was a playwright, and so was he.)
ReplyDeleteGlad that you spotlighted him...One of the all-time great soap characters (evil or not) on any network. He managed the tricky job of being repellant and yet hilarious at the same time. A true talent who absolutely owned every scene he was in.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have seen him in Port Charles a little bit...Maybe mixing it up with Marco Dane or Sonny in the earlier 90's GH.
RIP to Cowels and thanks for the years of entertainment
-OldSchoolGhfan
I agree 100%! Billy Clyde Tuggle was one of the most interesting daytime characters of all-time! Thank you for the tribute!
ReplyDeleteMatthew Cowles was really an excellent actor.. He made everyone love to hate him and became one of the very best soap opera villans ever created! He'll be very missed and my thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and family.
ReplyDeleteI looked for clips on You Tube of Foxie's bar but couldn't find them. I really loved Estelle too. She was his fist wife. Remember Edna? Was that her name? Great actress
ReplyDeleteBilly Clyde was a great creation- and Cowels made him seem really evil- not soap evil, but as if he could be that way irl.
ReplyDeleteI tip my hat to him too. He was such a great actor. No one else could've ever played Billy Clyde. There was another girl with Estelle and Donna, her name started with an L and I can't think of it.
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ReplyDeleteYup!!! I grew up watching Billy Clyde Tuggle on AMC! :)I heard he passed away. I want to know what he died of. :(
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