Tom Pelphrey Coming Back to Guiding Light
Matt Richenthal at .Though a Guiding Light spokesperson remains tight-lipped about the news, soapcentral.com has learned that Emmy winner Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan Randall) has returned to work on the show.
Nevertheless, Pelphrey's return is apparently a big deal for the CBS soap. In September, Simon and Schuster will publish a book that chronicle's Jonathan's life after he staged his death. The book, "Guiding Light: Jonathan's Story" will be available from all major book retailers.
The release of a book surrounding a soap opera storyline is nothing new. As The World Turns, which, like Guiding Light, is also produced by Procter & Gamble, released a tell-all book, "Oakdale Confidential," last year.
Other soaps have also published books. All My Children's fictional Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) released a real-world autobiography, "Having It All" and One Life to Live featured a whodunnit story that was based on a book called "The Killing Club" that was penned by one of its characters.
General Hospital and Passions have also featured book tie-ins.
It's unclear at this time which came first: the idea for "Jonathan's Story" or Pelphrey's decision to return. It's also unknown right now whether or not the show would have recast Jonathan if Pelphrey had not agreed to return or if the book and storyline would have been scrapped.
Pelphrey joined the cast of Guiding Light in September 2004. He received a third consecutive Daytime Emmy nomination this year. In 2006, Pelphrey was named Outstanding Younger Actor.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.