Christopher Bernau

2025-10-09T04:40:19Z

2001:8003:2640:F600:1CA9:58B:C83C:6965:

{{Short description|American actor (1940–1989)}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Christopher Bernau
| image = Giulia Pagano and Christopher Bernau in the Passion of Dracula, cropped.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Bernau with Giulia Pagano in ''The Passion of Dracula'', at the [[Cherry Lane Theatre]] in New York City in 1977
| birthname = Herbert Augustine Bernau
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|06|2}}
| birth_place = [[Santa Barbara, California]], United States
| death_date = {{death date and age|1989|06|14|1940|06|2}}
| death_place = [[New York, New York]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1962–1988
| spouse =
}}

'''Christopher Bernau''' (born '''Herbert Augustine Bernau''', June 2, 1940 – June 14, 1989)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/christopher-bernau-vault-0000072888|title=Christopher Bernau|website=Playbill|language=en|access-date=2020-02-12}}</ref> was an American actor, best known for his portrayals as Philip Todd on ''[[Dark Shadows]]'' and later as the first Alan Spaulding on ''[[Guiding Light]]''.

==Life and career==
Christopher Bernau was born in [[Santa Barbara, California]] to Herbert Bernau, a [[physiotherapist]], and Emma Bernau (née Vercellino), a homemaker. Bernau showed a love for the theatre at an early age, and was frequently cast in high school plays.

Bernau trained in the drama department at the [[University of California]] before getting his big break, appearing in the [[New York Shakespeare Festival]]'s production of ''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]'' in 1962. He continued in that role until 1964, when he toured nationally in the production of ''[[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]]'' These roles, in addition to performing at Canada's [[Stratford Festival]], led to an appearance in a brief story arc on ''[[Dark Shadows]]'' in 1969 and 1970, where he portrayed Philip Todd.

His most famous role, however, was that of villain [[Alan Spaulding]] on the [[soap opera]] ''[[Guiding Light]]'', a role he played from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1986 until 1988. He left the show due to illness shortly before his death in 1989.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/person/christopher-bernau|title=Christopher Bernau|website=Metacritic|language=en|access-date=2020-02-12}}</ref>

Though Bernau's famous character Alan was portrayed as a habitual womanizer, Bernau is considered to be one of the only truly "[[coming out|out]]" soap opera actors,<ref name=":0" /> as it was fairly well known by both the actors he worked with and the soap press at large that he was [[gay]].<ref name="hamrick">{{citation |page=213 |first=Craig |last=Hamrick |year=2003 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=0-595-29029-9 |title=Barnabas & Company: The Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows}}</ref>

==Death==
Bernau was diagnosed with [[HIV]] but continued to work on ''Guiding Light''. He left the show in the summer of 1988, when he became too ill to show up at work, with his role being recast with [[Daniel Pilon]].

Bernau died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] brought on by complications from [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]] on June 14, 1989, at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital (now [[Mount Sinai West]]) in [[New York City]] at the age of 49. At first, Bernau's AIDS diagnosis was kept private, with his death certificate listing 'natural causes' as the cause of his death. He is buried at [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] Cemetery.
==Filmography==
*''[[Dark Shadows]]'' (1969–1970) (Phillip Todd/Opening Voiceover)
*''Broadway on Showtime'' (1980) ([[Count Dracula|Dracula]])
*''[[Guiding Light]]'' (1977–1988) ([[Alan Spaulding]])

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|name=Christopher Bernau|id=0076578}}
* {{IBDB name|78347}}
* {{iobdb name|17085}}
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6779209/christopher-bernau Christopher Bernau] on [[Find a Grave]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernau, Christopher}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:American gay actors]]
[[Category:American male soap opera actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Santa Barbara, California]]
[[Category:AIDS-related deaths in New York (state)]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from California]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Santa Barbara Cemetery]]
[[Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people]]

{{US-tv-actor-1940s-stub}}

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Christopher Bernau