Daniel Cosgrove just has that “it” factor that has brought him rave reviews from his peers and fans as the multi-faceted Bill Lewis on CBS’s Guiding Light. Last year at Emmy time, he picked up a nod for Supporting Actor his first time out of the gate, and this year he is up for the Lead Actor prize.

With Guiding Light finishing its run on CBS two and half weeks after the Daytime Emmy telecast slated for August 30th, will the light shine upon Cosgrove as the sentimental favorite? Guiding Light has always been successful at the Daytime Emmys, if you look at their cast that includes Kim Zimmer (Reva), Gina Tognoni (Dinah), Jordan Clarke (Bill), Justin Deas (Buzz), and Crystal Chappel (Olivis). Those are only some of the heavy-hitters who received Daytime’s highest honor from the longest running show in broadcast history.

In this short feature with Daniel, we discuss his choice for the competition, what it would mean to win, and where he was when he found out the big news. And yes, many have already heard it was…the toilet! Daniel elaborates. Here is Springfield’s golden boy, Daniel Cosgrove!

MICHAEL:

What did you submit this year? Last year you made it your first time out in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category. This year you have graduated to Lead Actor.

DANIEL:

The episode I submitted was the day Bill and Ava get married. When it starts off, Bill is in the study and Lizzie comes in to tell him the baby Ava is carrying is not his, and I don’t believe her. She has proof, and then I am like, “Oh, my God. What am I going to do?” Then I reflect a little bit and then lay down the rules to Ava, and we still end up getting married.
So, it had a little story and a beginning, middle, and end in one episode. With Ava and the wedding, you saw a few different sides of Bill, and him take a stand. To be quite honest, I looked at a couple of things around the baby Max storyline with Remy and Bill and Eva and Lizzie. But, looking at a couple of those episodes, there was so many people involved and I would have to put that in the Supporting Actor category, because that is how it looked.

MICHAEL:

The Emmy voting process has been very convoluted! Last year I watched your reels and they were tremendous.

DANIEL:

That’s funny you mention last year. I only had aired for six weeks or so, and that is the length of time I had to draw from. They gave me an “In the light” episode. I was hesitant in submitting it because it was a little long, but then I thought I am just going to do it because there were a lot of scenes I usually was never able to have. I had some with Justin Deas and it was changed up with the intervention stuff. The line between supporting actor and lead actor in daytime is a bit blurred. A lot of time you think, “What category should I go in?” But then you take Jordan Clarke, they did not let him carry story, and when he came back to Guiding Light he was the supporting actor. This is a man who should be a lead on our show who is not given the material for that.

MICHAEL:

How did you end up making the decision to leap from Supporting to Lead Actor?

DANIEL:

The producers asked me when they were doing the categories if I wanted to go into lead. I was thinking of going in supporting because of that whole seniority thing, and it’s usually based on your age, or how long you might have been with the show. I just felt that the baby Max storyline, although it was short was centered on me, and so I am a lead actor in that storyline. A lot of stuff I do currently, I am more in supporting. So it varies, and there is a rotation in daytime as to who is front burner.

MICHAEL:

You are the newbie in the lead actor group along with “DAYS” Peter Reckell (Bo). It’s great to see new blood get in the finals.

DANIEL:

It was such a nice surprise. I was thrilled, and I did not think I would get in. I did not expect it. We have so many talented people to work with whom I get to see everyday. Whenever these contest things comes up I know a lot of people who I totally admire and respect, and you are thinking, “Oh, gosh, what does my award really mean if someone so talented is completely overlooked?” I reflect on these types of things, but don’t take it too seriously.

MICHAEL:

So what would happen if your name is called and you win? How sweet would that be as Guiding Light comes to a close?

DANIEL:

Talk about long shot! I am like the little filly horse that just won the Preakness! Look, it would be a thrill and I would be so surprised, especially the last year of Guiding Light at 72 years. What a nice way to go out.

MICHAEL:

Where were you when you found out? I read a quote that you were busy in the bathroom!

DANIEL:

I was on the toilet, Michael. When they asked me I thought, “Should I be classy or just be honest?” If being dead honest is regarded as classless, then so be it, and that is exactly where I was. The phone was ringing and it was in my pocket, and I was ignoring it. Then I thought, “Three times in a row… in a minute?” It’s either an emergency, or I must be popular. So I looked at the phone and I saw a couple of different numbers I recognized. It still did not dawn on me, and I went back to reading my newspaper. Then I listened to a message, and then I got what was going
on. Maybe I should have made it classier!