Sam Behrens (born Stanley Birnbaum; July 24, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Meyer on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, Danny Waleska in the CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing and as Gregory Richards in the NBC daytime soap opera, Sunset Beach.

Life and career

Behrens was born Stanley Birnbaum to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City. He is of German ancestry on his paternal side. He has been married to Shari Belafonte since December 31, 1989.

Behrens began his soap opera career on ABC's Ryan's Hope, playing Dr. Adam Cohen from 1979 to 1980. In the 1980s, he moved from New York to Los Angeles, when he was cast as Jake Meyer on General Hospital from 1983 to 1987. After a recurring role on the NBC legal drama series, L.A. Law, Behrens was cast as Danny Waleska, Valene Ewing's (Joan Van Ark) new husband. He won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain: Prime Time for this role in 1991. Behrens also guest-starred on The Facts of Life and Murder, She Wrote, and played major roles in a number of made-for-television movies in the early 1990s. He also had a recurring role in the ABC drama series, Homefront in 1993. In film, Behrens had supporting parts in American Blue Note (1989), and Alive (1993).

From 1997 to 1999, Behrens starred alongside Lesley-Anne Down and other actors in the NBC daytime soap opera Sunset Beach produced by Aaron Spelling. He received two additional nominations for Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain: Daytime.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979—1980Ryan's HopeDr. Adam CohenSeries regular
1983Star 80BusinessmanUncredited
1983—1987General HospitalJake MeyerSeries regular
1988L.A. LawCharles Craft3 episodes
The Facts of LifeWes Mitchell2 episodes
Murder, She WroteKevin StylesEpisode: "J.B.. as in Jailbird"
1989American Blue NoteNat Joy
1990Unspeakable ActsHerschellTelevision film
Uncut GemLewisTelevision film
1989—1990Knots LandingDanny Waleska36 episodes Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain: Prime Time (1991)
1990Murder by NumbersLee
1991Murder, She WroteSteve LocknerEpisode: "Unauthorized Obituary"
And You Thought Your Parents Were WeirdSteve Franklin
1992Beyond RealityThe ManEpisode: "Dancing with the Man"
1993AliveJavier Methol
HomefrontPhil Havel4 episodes
1994ViperFrederick LangEpisode: "Past Tense"
Shadow of ObsessionPhilipTelevision film
1995TummyRichard Power
1996Bermuda TriangleJohnTelevision film
1997—1999Sunset BeachGregory Richards Tobias RichardsSeries regular Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain (1997—1999)
2002That's LifeRobert ComiskeyEpisode: "Baum's Thesis"
The Young and the RestlessMaxwell HollisterRecurring role
2007The CloserKen ScottEpisode: "Lovers Leap"
2017Confessions of a Teenage Jesus JerkElder
2019Gloria BellMan #1

External links