Nicolas Dwynn Coster (December 3, 1933 – June 26, 2023) was an American actor, most known for his work in

daytime drama A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

and as a

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

with his role on series '' Santa Barbara'' and daytimes Another World as Robert Dulaney and on nighttime television series, such as ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'', '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', '' T. J. Hooker'', and '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''.

Life and career

Coster was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on December 3, 1933, to an American mother and a New Zealand father who was a London theatre critic and marine commander. He was raised in the United States, primarily in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Coster returned to England to study acting at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Art. He also studied acting with

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

in New York City. Coster was in ''Twigs'' with Sada Thompson, ''

Seesaw A seesaw (also sometimes known as a teeter-totter in North America) is a long, narrow board supported by a single pivot point, most commonly located at the midpoint between both ends; as one end goes up, the other goes down. These are most comm ...

'' with

Michele Lee Michele Lee (born June 24, 1942) is an American actress, singer, dancer, producer and director. She is known for her role as Karen Fairgate MacKenzie on the prime-time soap opera ''Knots Landing'', for which she was nominated for a 1982 Emmy A ...

, '' Otherwise Engaged'' with

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he achieved prominence in the 1960s as part of actors of the British New Wave. Courtenay has received numerous acco ...

, and '' The Little Foxes'' with

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

, which was staged on Broadway and the Victoria Theatre in London. Coster appeared in the NBC soap opera ''

Young Doctor Malone ''Young Doctor Malone'' is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963. The producer was Betty Corday (1912–1987), who also produced '' Pepper Young's Family'' and later wa ...

''. He created the role of Professor Paul Britton on ''

The Secret Storm ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas '' Search for Tomorrow'' and '' Love of Life''. ...

'', a role he played in 1964 and from 1967 to 1968. He played John Eldridge in the prime time serialized drama '' Our Private World'' and on ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

''. His first appearance on television was an episode of '' The U.S. Steel Hour'' in 1959. Coster appeared more than 80 times on 36 television shows, notably in the role of David Warner, the father of character Blair Warner, on the sitcom '' The Facts of Life''. Coster created the role of Robert Delaney on ''

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

'' in March 1970 and later moved to '' Another World'' playing the same character. He played gangster-turned-informant Anthony Makana on ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

,'' but left that series to create the role of Lionel Lockridge on '' Santa Barbara''. He played kidnapper Steve Andrews on the ABC soap opera ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...

'' and returned to ''Another World'' for its 25th anniversary in 1989. He returned to his role on ''Santa Barbara'' in 1990 until the show was canceled in January 1993. He had portrayed the character of Lionel Lockridge in a total of 599 episodes. He appeared on ''

'' from 1993 to 1995.

Personal life

Coster was a

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

instructor and maintained a foundation that organizes sailing trips and teaches scuba diving for people who are disabled, holding a captain's license. He married actress Candace Hilligoss (divorced 1981), with whom he had two children. Coster died at a hospital in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

on June 26, 2023, at the age of 89, according to his daughter.

Selected film roles

* ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...

'' (1953) - Seaman (uncredited) * ''

The Desert Rats The 7th Armoured Division (Desert Rats) was an armoured warfare, armoured division (military), division of the British Army. It was formed as the Mobile Division (Egypt) on 27 September 1938, after increased tensions between Britain and the Ax ...

'' (1953) - Medic (uncredited) * '' Sea of Lost Ships'' (1953) - Cadet Wilson (uncredited) * '' The Outcast'' (1954) - Asa Polsen * ''

The Black Shield of Falworth ''The Black Shield of Falworth'' is a 1954 American Technicolor historical adventure film from Universal-International, produced by Robert Arthur (film producer), Robert Arthur and Melville Tucker and directed by Rudolph Maté. It stars Tony Cur ...

'' (1954) - Humphrey, Young Squire (uncredited) * ''

The Eternal Sea ''The Eternal Sea'' (aka ''The Admiral Hoskins Story'') is a 1955 American biographical war film directed by John H. Auer and starring Sterling Hayden, Alexis Smith and Ben Cooper. The film follows the career of Captain John Hoskins, who lose ...

'' (1955) - Student (uncredited) * '' City of Shadows'' (1955) - Roy Fellows * ''Light Fantastic'' (1964) * '' My Blood Runs Cold'' (1965) - Harry Lindsay * '' The Sporting Club'' (1971) - James Quinn * ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

'' (1972) - South Carolina Delegate (uncredited) * ''

All the President's Men ''All the President's Men'' is a 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, two of the journalists who investigated the June 1972 break-in at the Watergate Office Building and the resultant political scandal for ''The Washingto ...

'' (1976) - Markham * '' Ebony, Ivory & Jade'' (1976) - Linderman * '' MacArthur'' (1977) - Colonel Huff * ''The Court-Martial George Armstrong Custer'' (1977) - Gen. Philip Sheridan * '' The Big Fix'' (1978) - Spitzler * '' Slow Dancing in the Big City'' (1978) - David Fillmore * '' The Word'' (1978, TV Mini-Series) - Peter Ajemian * '' A Fire in the Sky'' (1978, TV Movie) - Governor * ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' - Lansford Ingalls * ''The Solitary Man'' (1979 TV Movie) - Bud Henson * '' Goldengirl'' (1979) - US Olympic Team Doctor * '' Just You and Me, Kid'' (1979) - Harris * '' The Concorde... Airport '79'' (1979) - Dr. Stone * '' The Electric Horseman'' (1979) - Fitzgerald * ''

Little Darlings ''Little Darlings'' is a 1980 American teen comedy-drama film starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol and featuring Armand Assante and Matt Dillon. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. The screenplay was written by Kimi Peck and Dalen ...

'' (1980) - Mr. Whitney * '' The Hunter'' (1980) - Poker Player (uncredited) * ''

Why Would I Lie? ''Why Would I Lie?'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film about a compulsive liar named Cletus ( Treat Williams). The film, which was directed by Larry Peerce and shot in Spokane, Washington, is based on the novel ''The Fabricator'' by Hollis ...

'' (1980) - Walter * '' Stir Crazy'' (1980) - Warden Henry Sampson * ''

The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo ''The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo'' is an American action comedy television series that ran on NBC from September 18, 1979, to May 5, 1981. For its second season the show was renamed ''Lobo''. The program aired Tuesday nights, at 8:00p.m. East ...

'' (1981) - Chief J.E. Carson * '' The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper'' (1981) - Avery * '' Reds'' (1981) - Paul Trullinger * ''The Day the Bubble Burst'' (1982 TV Movie) * ''M.A.D.D.: Mother Against Drunk Drivers'' (1983 TV Movie) - Maurice Carver * ''

Princess Daisy is a princess character in the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She debuted in the 1989 Game Boy launch game ''Super Mario Land'' as the ruler of Sarasaland where she was given the role of damsel in distress for Mario to rescue. The ga ...

'' (1983 TV Movie) - Matty Firestone * ''

Hardcastle and McCormick ''Hardcastle and McCormick'' is an American action crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 18, 1983, through May 5, 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and r ...

'' - Thomas Quinlan * '' Beverly Hills Madam'' (1986) - Uncle Edgar * ''

Big Business Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...

'' (1988) - Hunt Shelton * '' How I Got into College'' (1989) - Dr. Phillip Jellinak, Sr. * ''Incident at Dark River'' (1989 TV Movie) - Mr. Gorman * ''

Who's the Boss? ''Who's the Boss?'' is an American sitcom television series created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, that aired on ABC from September 20, 1984, to April 25, 1992, with a total of 196 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. It was produce ...

'' (1989) - Lowell Michaels * ''

Betsy's Wedding ''Betsy's Wedding'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, ...

'' (1990) - Harry Lovell * '' By Dawn's Early Light'' (1990 TV Movie) - General Renning * ''Natural Selection'' (1994) * ''Full Circle'' (1996 TV Movie) - Arthur * ''Hearts Adrift'' (1996 TV Movie) - Harry Winslow * ''Freedom Strike'' (1998) - Adm. Torrance * '' Love Happens'' (1999) - Charles * ''Blood Type'' (1999) - Bum Joe * '' The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood'' (2000, TV Movie) - Ezra Bushmaster * ''Plot 7'' (2007) - Mr. Stewart * '' Race'' (2008) - Jack Gibson * ''Family of Four'' (2009) - Dr. Wallace * ''Flower Girl'' (2009 TV Movie) - Gavin Green * ''

Cold Turkey "Cold Turkey" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, catalogue Apples 1001 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1813 in the United States. It is the second solo single issued by Lennon ...

'' (2013) - Steve Utley * ''Dancing on a Dry Salt Lake'' (2013) - Dr. Woodley * ''The Southside'' (2015) - Mr. Bradshaw * ''Chemical Cut'' (2016) - Veteran * '' A Winter Rose'' (2016) - Drunk * '' The Deep Ones'' (2020) - Bob Finley * '' Lessons in Chemistry'' (2023 TV-mini-series) - season 1 episode 3 - Paul Astor

Bibliography

Books

References

External links

* * * *
Nicolas Coster and Challenge Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coster, Nicolas 1933 births 2023 deaths Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art American male film actors American male soap opera actors American male television actors American people of New Zealand descent English male film actors English male soap opera actors Male actors from California Male actors from London Method actors