Peter White, a veteran actor who appeared in several soap operas and the landmark play and film The Boys in the Band, died on November 1, 2023, at the age of 86. His cause of death was melanoma, a type of skin cancer, according to his former co-star and close friend Kathleen Noone.
White was best known for his long-running role as Lincoln Tyler on the popular soap opera All My Children, which he played from 1974 to 2005. He was the son of the show’s matriarch Phoebe Tyler Wallingford, portrayed by the late Ruth Warrick. White also had recurring roles on other soap operas, such as Falcon Crest, Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, and The Colbys.
Peter White’s Career
Before he became a soap star, White made a name for himself in the theater world with his performance as Alan McCarthy in The Boys in the Band, a groundbreaking play that depicted the lives of gay men in New York City in the late 1960s. White reprised his role in the 1970 film adaptation, directed by William Friedkin.
White once said that taking the role of Alan, a closeted or bisexual character, was a risk for his career at the time, but he was encouraged by his mentor, the legendary actress Myrna Loy. “She said, ‘Peter, if you are going to be an actor, you are going to have to take some risks in your life,’” White recalled in an interview with Soap Opera Digest in 2008.
White also defended the quality and difficulty of acting in soap operas, saying that it was not a training ground for beginners. “You have to be pretty damn good if you are going to be halfway decent on a soap,” he said.
A Versatile and Prolific Actor
White’s acting credits spanned six decades and included many genres and mediums. He appeared in several TV shows, such as The Jeffersons, Matlock, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Murder, She Wrote, Mad About You, The West Wing, and NYPD Blue. He also had roles in movies, such as Mr. Wrong, Armageddon, and Thirteen Days.
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White was also a stage actor, who performed in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, such as The Heiress, The Crucible, The Lion in Winter, and The Cocktail Hour. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance in the 1980 play The Lady from Dubuque, written by Edward Albee.
A Beloved and Respected Colleague and Friend
White’s death was met with sadness and tributes from his fans and colleagues, who remembered him as a talented and kind person. Matthew Rettenmund, a writer and editor who met White at the Broadway premiere of The Boys in the Band in 2018, tweeted: “RIP Peter White, 86. He was one of the last cast members of the original ‘The Boys in the Band,’ opaque, maddening Alan. I met him when the show premiered on Broadway in 2018. He was wearing his tux from the movie!”
Very sorry to learn we've lost another one of daytime's long-standing stalwarts. Rest in Peace #AllMyChildren's Peter White. pic.twitter.com/8lojZHztRM
— Eric Ackerman (@ackgh73994) November 2, 2023
Eric Ackerman, a soap opera historian and author, posted on X: “Very sorry to learn we’ve lost another one of daytime’s long-standing stalwarts. Rest in Peace #AllMyChildren’s Peter White.”
Larry Duplechan, a novelist and playwright, wrote on Facebook: “Just got the memo that actor Peter White, who originated the role of deeply closeted/or maybe not ‘Alan McCarthy’ in The Boys in the Band, has passed away. I met him at the 50th anniversary production of the play on Broadway, and he was a lovely, lovely man. RIP, Peter.”
White is survived by his wife, Patricia, and his two children, Alexandra and Christopher.
