Tom O'Rourke was a charismatic actor whose face was probably more recognizable than his name. Although he appeared in several films and guest starred in many different television shows, his biggest claim to fame was probably in the role of Justin Marler on the soap opera, The Guiding Light. That's where his talents first etched their way into my mind.
He played the good guy, which on a soap opera can often be forgettable, but he was far from that as he brought depth, passion and humanity to the part that lesser actors would not have been able to do. In fact he brought those qualities to every role he played.
I consider Tom O'Rourke to have been a real working actor, as his roles weren't always large or glamorous. And yet no matter how small the role, he always managed to stand out in a scene.
Tom O'Rourke passed away in 2009, so we will not be able to stumble upon any new performances as we flip through the TV channels. But we can thank God for reruns as I still quite often catch some of his past work on television.
He is survived by his wife, Marcy, who keeps a blog about her memories of him called Thomas O'Rourke An Actor's Life, and it really gives a great insight to the life of a working actor. Here is a link.
http://thomasorourkeactor.blogspot.com/
He played the good guy, which on a soap opera can often be forgettable, but he was far from that as he brought depth, passion and humanity to the part that lesser actors would not have been able to do. In fact he brought those qualities to every role he played.
Tom O'Rourke passed away in 2009, so we will not be able to stumble upon any new performances as we flip through the TV channels. But we can thank God for reruns as I still quite often catch some of his past work on television.
He is survived by his wife, Marcy, who keeps a blog about her memories of him called Thomas O'Rourke An Actor's Life, and it really gives a great insight to the life of a working actor. Here is a link.
http://thomasorourkeactor.blogspot.com/
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