Kristoff St. John
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Kristoff St. John (July 15, 1966 – February 3, 2019) was an American actor best known for playing Neil Winters on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1991 until his death in 2019. Playing the role of Neil earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards from eleven nominations, and ten NAACP Image Awards. He was also known for his role as Adam Marshall in the NBC soap opera Generations, for which he received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations; and his role as a young Alex Haley on the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.
Early life
Kristoff St. John was born July 15, 1966, in New York City and grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Los Angeles. His father, Christopher St. John, is a producer, actor and director, while his step mother, Marie, is an entertainer.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
Career
As a ten-year-old child, St. John had a featuring role on the Saturday-morning comedy Big John, Little John, broadcast on NBC in 1976. St. John portrayed a young Alex Haley in the 1979 ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.<ref name="roots">Template:Cite episode</ref> He also made a small appearance as Booker Brown on the ABC sitcom Happy Days,<ref name="happydays">Template:Cite episode</ref> as well as a boyfriend of Denise Huxtable on an early episode of The Cosby Show.<ref name="cosbyshow">Template:Cite episode</ref> In his first major role, he appeared as Charlie Richmond Jr. in the 1985 CBS sitcom Charlie & Co.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
St. John's first major soap role was Adam Marshall on the NBC soap opera, Generations. After the show's cancellation in 1991, he originated the role of Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless, and played the character for 28 years;<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> no African American actor had appeared on the series more frequently than St. John. In 1992, he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his role. On September 5, 1994, he hosted CBS Soap Break.<ref name="Brennan">Brennan, Carol. "St. John, Kristoff 1966–." Contemporary Black Biography, edited by David G. Oblender, vol. 25, Gale, 2000, pp. 156-158. Gale eBooks. Accessed 12 Aug. 2020.</ref>
In 2005, St. John became a special host for TV Guide Channel. In 2007, he received his fifth Daytime Emmy nomination. He was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor. In 2008, St. John won his second Daytime Emmy, as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, A Man Called God, a documentary that St. John co-directed with his father Christopher St. John, debuted at the San Diego Black Film Festival.<ref name="Clifford">Template:Cite web</ref> The film was awarded there, and at other festivals such as the American Documentary Film Festival, and the Beverly Hills Film Festival.<ref name="Clifford 2014 April">Template:Cite web</ref>
Kristoff's final appearance as Neil aired on February 6, 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Late in April, it was revealed that Neil had died of a stroke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
St. John was married and divorced twice. He had a son Julian (1989–2014) and a daughter Paris Nicole (born 1992) with his first wife, boxer Mia St. John. Julian died by suicide on November 23, 2014, following a long history of mental illness.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> St. John was married to Allana Nadal from 2001 to 2007, and they had a daughter, Lola (born April 15, 2003).<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> On August 31, 2018, he was engaged to Russian model Kseniya Olegovna Mikhaleva.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
St. John was a vegan and animal rights advocate; he appeared in two PETA ad campaigns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Death
St. John died at his Los Angeles, California, home on February 3, 2019, at age 52.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His death was ruled accidental with the cause listed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | That's My Mama | Andy | Episode: "Weekend Daddy"<ref name=":1" /> |
| 1976–1977 | Big John, Little John | Homer | 11 episodes<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1976 | Happy Days | Booker Brown | Episode: "Football Frolics" |
| 1977 | Wonder Woman | Linc | Episode: "The Bushwhackers", (as Christoff St. John) |
| The San Pedro Beach Bums | Ralphie | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1979 | The Champ | Sonny | <ref name=":1" /> |
| Roots: The Next Generations | Young Alex Haley | 26 episodes, (as Christoff St. John) | |
| 1979–1980 | The Bad News Bears | Ahmad Abdul Rahim | 26 episodes, (as Christoff St. John)<ref name=":0" /> |
| 1982 | Sister, Sister | Daniel "Danny" Burton | TV movie |
| 1984 | The Cosby Show | David James | Episode: "How Ugly Is He?"<ref name=":1" /> |
| 1985–1986 | Charlie & Co. | Charlie Richmond Jr. | 18 episodes<ref name=":2" /> |
| 1988 | A Different World | E.Z. Brooks | Episode: "Advise and Descent"<ref name=":1" />
1988 |
| What's Happening Now!! | Beautiful Bob Bledso | Episode: "The candidate"<ref name=":1" /> | |
| 1989–1991 | Generations | Adam Marshall | 208 episodes<ref name=":2" /> |
| 1989 | Finish Line | Tito Landreau | TV movie |
| 1991–2019 | The Young and the Restless | Neil Winters | Series regular<ref name=":2" /> |
| 1995 | CBS Soap Break | Host | <ref name=":2" /> |
| Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Eric | 6 episodes<ref name=":2" /> | |
| 1996 | Martin | Fred Livingston | Episode: "Kicked to the Curb"<ref name=":1" /> |
| The Crew | Darnell | Episodes: "Winds of Change" Parts 1 & 2 | |
| 1997 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Morris | Episode: "Break Yourself, Fool"<ref name=":1" /> |
| Living Single | Norwood | Episode: "Reconcilable Differences"<ref name=":2" /> | |
| The Nanny | Himself | ||
| 1998 | Family Matters | D'Andre | Episode: "Throw Urkel from the Train"<ref name=":0" /> |
| 2002 | Trois 2: Pandora's Box | Victor DuBois | <ref name=":1" /> |
| 2005 | Carpool Guy | Steven | |
| 2007 | Spiritual Warriors | Hospital Administrator | |
| 2009 | Everybody Hates Chris | Himself | Episode: "Everybody Hates Spring Break" |
| 2013 | 20 Feet Below: The Darkness Descending | Smitty | |
| 2014 | A Man Called God | Director | Documentary film co-directed with Christopher St. John |
| 2017 | A Christmas Cruise | Jake | TV movie |
| 2019 | Home Is Where The Killer Is | Dr. Fredericks | (final film role) |
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- 1966 births
- 2019 deaths
- 20th-century African-American male actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century African-American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Accidental deaths in California
- African-American male child actors
- American male child actors
- American male soap opera actors
- American male television actors
- Burials at Valley Oaks Memorial Park
- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series winners
- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series winners
- Daytime Emmy Award winners
- Deaths from cardiomyopathy
- Male actors from New York City
- Male actors from Bridgeport, Connecticut