# William Christian (actor)

William Leonard Christian (born September 30, 1955) is an American stage and television actor. He portrayed Police Chief Derek Frye on the soap opera All My Children from 1990 to 2007, and portrayed TR Coates on Days of Our Lives.

## Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Christian attended elementary school at St. Francis De Sales where he was first exposed to acting. He then attended Archbishop Carroll High School where he participated in the theater program. Christian attended at the Catholic University of America, where he learned about theatre and earned his bachelor's degree. He then attended at the American University, where earned his master's degree based on drama.

## Career

Christian moved to New York in the early 1980s, for which he was a member of the Actors Information Project, where he performed in stage productions. He appeared in commercials such as American Express and Burger King, among others. Christian performed in the 1989 Off-Broadway revival of the play The Member of the Wedding, appearing with actress Esther Rolle. Christian guest-starred in television programs including The Cosby Show, ER, Malcolm in the Middle, Spin City, Hand of God (four episodes), Matlock, Desperate Housewives and Monk. In 1990, he was cast in the recurring role of Dr. Marshall Redd on Another World. He then went on to portray the role of Derek Frye on All My Children from 1990 to 2007. For this, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1991. In 1995, Christian had spoken out at the Youth Forum Against Violence at the Network Club, making a speech to young people in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1996, he appeared in the Off-Broadway revival of the play The Boys in the Band.
Christian first appeared on Days of Our Lives in 2018, where he portrayed an uncredited role known as "minion". In 2022, he was cast as TR Coates on Days of Our Lives, first appearing in the January 26, 2022, episode. Christian was cast following discussions with co-executive producer Albert Alarr. He presently resides in Boston, Massachusetts with his family, and attributes them for encouraging him to take on the role.

## Personal life

In 2002, Christian married Gail Samuel. In 2021, Samuel would become the first female president and CEO of Boston Symphony Orchestra. The couple welcomed their first child in the summer of 2005. They have two sons, Samuel and Orlando. Christian currently lives in Boston with his wife and sons.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | The January Man | Tim | |
| 2004 | Nine Lives | Ralph | |
| 2009 | Three Takes | Bradley | Short film |
| 2009 | Contradictions of the Heart | Ross | Direct-to-video film |
| 2010 | The Au Pairs | Mr. Dietrich | Short film |
| 2019 | Words to Live By | Larry | Short film |
| 2020 | Love & Orgasms | Charlie Gray | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1985 | The Cosby Show | Mr. Robertson | Episode: "Vanessa's New Class" |
| 1988 | Tattingers | Oscar | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1989 | Another World | Marshall Reed | Recurring role |
| 1990 | All My Children | Derek Frye | Series regular (1990–2005) |
| 1997 | Law & Order | Shawn Taitt | Episode: "Blood" |
| 2001 | Law & Order | Detective Regan | Episode: "Bronx Cheer" |
| 1999 | Spin City | Man | Episode: "Klumageddon (Part 1)" |
| 2003 | Malcolm in the Middle | Don | Episode: "Daycare" |
| 2003 | Without a Trace | Bernard | Episode: "The Bus" |
| 2008 | Without a Trace | Steve | Episode: "Closure" |
| 2008 | ER | Hayward | Episode: "…As the Day She Was Born" |
| 2008 | Moonlight | Ryan Gold | Episode: "Click" |
| 2008 | Prison Break | Middleton | Episode: "Safe & Sound" |
| 2008 | Hannah Montana | Edward Johnson | Episode: "We're All on This Date Together" |
| 2008 | Desperate Housewives | EMT #1 | Episode: "Mirror, Mirror" |
| 2009 | Monk | Brett | Episode: "Mr. Monk Makes the Playoffs" |
| 2011 | I'm in the Band | Pilot | Episode: "Weasels in the House" |
| 2017 | Hand of God | Manny | Recurring role: 4 EpisodesEpisode: "Telling Me Your Dreams" Episode: "The Last Thing Left" Episode: "What a Man Can Be" Episode: "He Must Be" |
| 2017 | A Neighbor's Deception | Dean O'Brien | Television film |
| 2018 | Days of Our Lives | Manny | Under-five |
| 2022 | Days of Our Lives | TR Coates | Series regular |
| 2020 | How to Get Away with Murder | DOJ Attorney | Episode: "Let's Hurt Him" |
| 2020 | Another Mother | Detective Cates | Television film |
| 2020 | The Bay | Dr. Marques Abraham | Episode: "A Pitched Battle" |
| 2021 | Good Girls | Store Owner | Episode: "The Banker" |