James Christopher Read (born July 31, 1953) is an American actor. He played the role of George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries, and had a recurring role as Victor Bennett on the supernatural series Charmed between 2001 and 2006.
Early life
Read was born in Buffalo, New York. His family moved to Niskayuna, New York where he and his brother William Read III went to school. He started acting as a student of law at the University of Oregon where he graduated in 1976. He studied acting in New York City and then did several Off-Broadway and regional theaters such as The Denver Center Theatre Company, where he had a couple of leading roles and spent three seasons. In 1998, he earned his Master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University.
Career Read is best known for his role as George Hazard in the three North and South miniseries (1985, 1986 and 1994) based on the John Jakes trilogy of novels of the same name (his co-star, Patrick Swayze, taught him how to ride a horse), and for his co-starring role in the movie Beaches (1988).
He had a recurring role on The WB series Charmed as Victor Bennett and was also a regular during the first season of Remington Steele. Recently, he could be seen as Ken Davis on the ABC family drama Wildfire and as ambassador Franklin Fairchild on the 2010 television series Persons Unknown. In 2008, he directed an episode of "Wildfire". In 2009, he performed in Better Angels as Abraham Lincoln at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, California. Since 2014, he has played the role of drug lord Clyde Weston on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. On May 30, 2018, Michael Fairman TV and Soap Opera Digest announced Read joined the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital on June 6, 2018, as Gregory Chase.
Personal life Read married Lora Lee in June 1978, and their marriage ended in divorce in 1983. He then married former actress/attorney Wendy Kilbourne in 1988, and the couple has two children: a son, Jackson (b. 1990), and a daughter Sydney (b. 1995). Another daughter, Willa, was stillborn in 1994. The family resides in Santa Barbara, California.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRole Notes1983Blue ThunderPoliceman at Bridge1984The InitiationPeter1988Eight Men OutClaude "Lefty" WilliamsBeachesMichael Essex1992Love CrimesStanton Gray1997Walking ThunderAbner Murdock2001Legally BlondeElle's fatherNot Another Teen MoviePreston's father2003Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & BlondeElle's father2005A Lot Like LoveBrent Friehl2009FameAlice's dad
Television YearTitleRole Notes1982CheersH.W. SawyerEpisode: "Friends, Romans, and Accountants"1982–1983Remington SteeleMurphy MichaelsMain role (season 1)1983Trapper John, M.D.Ace BukowskiEpisode: "The Agony of D'Feet"Fantasy IslandEddie RandomEpisode: "Random Choices/My Mother, the Swinger"HotelPikeEpisode: "Christmas"1984JessieThe StreakEpisode: "The Lady Killer"Matt HoustonFletcher/Jason HaywoodEpisode: "The High Fashion Murders"1985Robert Kennedy and His TimesTed KennedyMiniseriesLace IIDaryl WebsterTelevision movieMidas ValleyJosh LandauNorth and SouthGeorge HazardMiniseries1986North and South: Book II1987Shell GameRiley/John ReidMain roleCelebration FamilyJames MarstonTelevision moviePoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryCary Grant1990ColumboDr. Wesley CormanEpisode: "Uneasy Lies the Crown"Midnight CallerRichard ClarkEpisode: "Nighthawk's Got the Blues"LolaPeter BalticTelevision movieWeb of DeceitPaul EvanstonBack to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry FinnHughTelevision movie; credited as Read James1991PrincessesMichael DecrowEpisode: "Pilot"1992The President's ChildSenator James GuthrieTelevision movie1994North and South: Book IIIGeorge HazardMiniseriesHeaven Help UsMaxEpisode: "The Last Great Hope"1995Murder, She WroteBoyd VentonEpisode: "Death 'N Denial"The Other WomanMichael BryanTelevision movieWhen the Dark Man CallsDetective Michael Lieberman1996Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanJack OlsenEpisode: "The Dad Who Came in from the Cold"Harvest of FireScottTelevision movieFull CircleJudge CarterHome ImprovementCaptain JenkinsEpisode: "At Sea"19977th HeavenBill SandersEpisode: "Brave New World"The CapeJeffEpisode: "Just Like Old Times"Diagnosis MurderDavid McReynoldsEpisode: "Open and Shut"1998IndiscreetZachariah DoddTelevision movie1999ProfilerJames LoftonEpisode: "Las Brias"2000Touched by an AngelNickEpisode: "Millennium"2001Star Trek: VoyagerJaffen2 episodes2001–2006CharmedVictor BennettRecurring role, 13 episodes2002BeckerDanEpisode: "The Ex-Files"Sabrina, the Teenage WitchBenEpisode: "The Competition"2002–2005American DreamsGeorge MasonRecurring role, 10 episodes2005Crossing JordanDean William HargraveEpisode: "Family Affair"2005–2008WildfireKen DavisMain role; also: director, episode "The Comeback"2006Pepper DennisMr. BrinkmanEpisode: "Dennis, Bulgari, Big Losers at ACoRNS"2008Cold CaseProfessor Robert Boreki '08Episode: "Glory Days"2010In Plain SightDamon SchmidtEpisode: "The Born Identity"Persons UnknownFranklin FairchildRecurring role, 5 episodesAll Signs of DeathWestin NyeTelevision movie2011CastleAnton McHughEpisode: "Eye of the Beholder"2012CSI: NYRobert MonroeEpisode: "Late Admissions"2014–2018,2021–presentDays of Our LivesClyde WestonRecurring role2017This Is UsDuffy CollinsEpisode: "Number One"2018NCISAlan NewhallEpisode: "Dark Secrets"General HospitalGregory ChaseEpisode #1.140962022The Orville: New HorizonsAdmiral Paul ChristieEpisode: "Shadow Realms"2023-2025Bosch: LegacyRHD Captain Rick SealsRecurring role, 9 Episodes
Theater YearTitleRole Notes2009Better AngelsAbraham Lincolnplay at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, California2012King LearAlbanyplay at the Shakespeare & Co. in Lenox, MassachusettsThe TempestAntonio
References
External links