Rod Arrants obit

Veteran Soap Star Rod Arrants Dead At 76

 

He was not on the list.

Rod Arrants, whose credits include The Young and the Restless, Search For Tomorrow, and Days of our Lives, has passed away. He was 76. No other details about Arrants’s passing were made available other than his date of death, February 21, 2021.

 

Rod Arrants – Dead at 76

On DAYS, Arrants played lawman Richard Cates, a bad guy who romanced Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) after she thought Roman Brady (Wayne Northrop) had died but before John Black (Drake Hogestyn) came into her life. On Y&R, he was Dr. Steven Lassiter, a psychiatrist who treated and later married Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson). However, it was his role as Rusty “Travis” Sentell on axed soap opera Search for Tomorrow, on which Arrants appeared from 1978 to 1984, that shot him to soap opera stardom.

The actor’s popularity as Travis landed him a solo TV Guide magazine cover in 1979. Travis and Liza (the late Sherry Mathis) were a bona fide super couple. The two met and fell in love after Liza’s husband Steve (Michael Nouri) died. Travis and Liza battled many obstacles on the way to the altar. Search for Tomorrow took the characters on remote to Hong Kong where they played out an action/adventure storyline onboard a cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth II.

From Henderson To Salem

Tragedy struck after Travis was killed in a boat explosion. Arrants went on to join the cast of DAYS as Richard Cates, Salem’s new Chief of Police. Richards appeared to be a good guy but he got mixed up in a drug operation and started killing people including Abe’s (James Reynolds) brother Theo (Rusty Cundieff). Later, Abe shot Richard, killing him.

Next, Arrants had a brief turn on Dallas in a pivotal storyline. He played Andre Schumann, the hitman who killed a witness that could have helped clear Jenna Wade (Priscilla Presley), who was on trial for killing her husband Naldo Marchetta (Daniel Pilon). Andre came clean in exchange for a big payout for his family from Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy).

Rod Arrants Played Ashley Abbott’s Husband On Y&R

In 1987, Rod Arrants returned to soaps to play psychiatrist Dr. Steven Lassiter on Y&R. He treated Ashley following her breakdown after she aborted Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) baby. After Steven and Ashley wed, his unbalanced ex-patient Leanna Randolph (Barbara Crampton) came to Genoa City to get rid of Ashley after stalking the two on their honeymoon. Leanna gave up her plan to do away with Ashley, but ironically, Steven was murdered in his office after one of his patients had a breakdown and fatally shot the good doctor.

“You can say what you will about daytime television,” Arrants said in his 1979 TV Guide cover story, “but it’s the only place on network television where you get a chance to act. Look at the nighttime shows: they’re all action and reaction. On daytime, people still have conversations.”

Arrants was married twice, first to Beverle Bava from 1965-1976. They had a son together. Arrants was also wed to actress Patricia Estrin, whom he met when they appeared as siblings Austin and Megan Cushing on Another World spinoff Lovers and Friends. They wed in 1979 and divorced in 1992.

After Y&R, Arrants continued to work in episodic TV. His credits include L.A. Law, Star Trek: Voyager, Baywatch, and the 2005 film adaption of the Broadway musical Rent. His last credit was the 2006 pilot The Darwin Awards. The soap hopper’s death was reported by the actors’ union magazine SAG AFTRA. Soap Hub sends deep condolences to Rod Arrants’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.

 

Actor

Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes in The Darwin Awards (2006)

The Darwin Awards

5.9

Pilot

2006

 

Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, and Tracie Thoms in Rent (2005)

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6.9

Mr. Hansen

2005

 

Thank Heaven (2001)

Thank Heaven

4.8

Dr. Goldstein

2001

 

Robert Davi and Ally Walker in Profiler (1996)

Profiler

7.2

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Lucas' Lawyer

1999

1 episode

 

Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson in Dharma & Greg (1997)

Dharma & Greg

6.4

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Pilot

1998

1 episode

 

Robert Beltran, Jennifer Lien, Robert Duncan McNeill, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ, and Garrett Wang in Star Trek: Voyager (1995)

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7.9

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Vaskan Ambassador Daleth

1998

1 episode

 

Linden Ashby and Allison Smith in Spy Game (1997)

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7.8

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The Businessman

1997

1 episode

 

Dark Planet (1997)

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3.4

Alpha Male 2

1997

 

Mark Harmon in Charlie Grace (1995)

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7.8

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Castelli

1995

1 episode

 

California Dreams (1992)

California Dreams

7.0

TV Series

Mr. Smith

1994

1 episode

 

One West Waikiki (1994)

One West Waikiki

6.8

TV Series

Charles Banks

1994

1 episode

 

Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, Alexandra Paul, David Hasselhoff, David Chokachi, Gena Lee Nolin, and Jaason Simmons in Baywatch (1989)

Baywatch

5.5

TV Series

Man on Yacht

1992

1 episode

 

Top of the Heap (1991)

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4.8

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Hal Clayton

1991

2 episodes

 

Lee Horsley in Paradise (1988)

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8.0

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John Wolcott

1991

1 episode

 

L.A. Law (1986)

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7.1

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Richard Fliegel

1991

1 episode

 

Richard Grieco in Booker (1989)

Booker

6.2

TV Series

Kellem Blake

1990

1 episode

 

Chameleons (1989)

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5.5

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1989

 

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

8.7

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Rex

1989

1 episode

 

Hard Time on Planet Earth (1989)

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7.3

TV Series

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1989

1 episode

 

Eileen Davidson, Bryton James, Joshua Morrow, Gina Tognoni, Justin Hartley, Melissa Claire Egan, and Peter Bergman in The Young and the Restless (1973)

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TV Series

Dr. Steven LassiterSteven Lassiter

1987–1988

57 episodes

 

George Hamilton and Luke Andreas in Spies (1987)

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6.2

TV Series

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1987

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Falcon Crest (1981)

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6.2

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1987

1 episode

 

Anne Baxter, James Brolin, and Connie Sellecca in Hotel (1983)

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6.4

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1986

1 episode

 

Cagney & Lacey (1981)

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6.9

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1986

1 episode

 

Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker in Simon & Simon (1981)

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7.1

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1986

1 episode

 

Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer in Hunter (1984)

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1986

1 episode

 

John Rubinstein and Jack Warden in Crazy Like a Fox (1984)

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7.0

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1986

1 episode

 

Days of Our Lives (1965)

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5.3

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1985

52 episodes

 

Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist in Remington Steele (1982)

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7.3

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Jack Prince

1985

1 episode

 

Victoria Principal, Barbara Bel Geddes, Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Charlene Tilton, Jim Davis, Linda Gray, and Steve Kanaly in Dallas (1978)

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7.1

TV Series

Andre Schumann

1985

2 episodes

 

Jane Krakowski, Matthew Ashford, Domini Blythe, Colleen Dion, Terri Eoff, David Forsyth, Lee Godart, Louan Gideon, Marcia McCabe, Jeffrey Meek, Jacqueline Schultz, and Mary Stuart in Search for Tomorrow (1951)

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7.1

TV Series

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1980–1984

189 episodes

 

Vamping (1984)

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1984

 

For Richer, for Poorer (1977)

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7.3

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Austin Cushing

1977–1978

4 episodes

 

Another World (1964)

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7.1

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1977

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Ape (1976)

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2.6

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1976

 

Steve Railsback in Helter Skelter (1976)

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7.4

TV Mini Series

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1976

1 episode

 

The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975)

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6.4

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1975

 

Linda Lovelace for President (1975)

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4.2

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1975

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

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7.3

TV Series

Rob Evanhauer

1973

1 episode

 

Mannix (1967)

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7.4

TV Series

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1972

1 episode

 

Fools (1970)

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5.0

(uncredited)

1970

 

Self

Rod Arrants in Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour (1983)

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6.3

TV Series

Self - Panelist

1984

5 episodes

 

Go

6.8

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1983

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1977–1979

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4th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards

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1977