James Houghton was an actor and screenwriter known for his onscreen work on “Knots Landing” and “The Colbys,” as well as his writing for “The Young and the Restless.”
- Died: August 27, 2024 (Who else died on August 27?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Encino, California of peritoneal mesothelioma at the age of 75.
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James Houghton’s legacy
After a few small TV roles early in his career, Houghton broke into soap operas with a role on the show that would later bring him four Emmy Awards for screenwriting: “The Young and the Restless.” He was part of the daytime series’ original cast, playing Greg Foster from 1973 to 1976. But a bigger role was in store for him a few years later.
In 1979, Houghton joined the cast of “Knots Landing” for its debut. He played record producer Kenny Ward, one of the show’s main characters, for the first four seasons. He was then written out, his character sent to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his wife’s musical career. But during his four years at “Knots Landing,” Houghton dipped his toe into an aspect of soap operas that he would later come to focus on: script writing. He wrote three episodes of “Knots Landing” in 1982, after having started writing the previous year at “Days of Our Lives.”
Before he fully focused on his writing career, Houghton was cast in the second and final season of “The Colbys,” playing Cash Cassidy on the “Dynasty” spin-off. Then, in 1991, he began writing for “The Young and the Restless.” He contributed to more than 1,800 of the beloved drama’s episodes, and he won four Daytime Emmy Awards as part of its writing staff. He also wrote for its spinoff, “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
In addition to Houghton’s extensive work in soap operas, he also made guest acting appearances on such TV shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “CHiPs,” “Fantasy Island,” and “The Love Boat,” and he had a role in the miniseries “North & South: Book 2, Love & War.” His movies included “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “More American Graffiti.”
Tributes to James Houghton
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
