Wisner Washam

Wisner Washam is an American soap opera writer, best known as the Head Writer of All My Children, from 1981 to 1987.

Early Life and Career

A native of North Carolina, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After working in local television and radio in Charlotte, he moved to London where he studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. From there, he returned to New York where he worked for four seasons with the American Shakespeare Festival in Connecticut and on national tour. Off-Broadway he was stage manager for The Fantasticks, The White Devil, and The House of Blue Leaves. He toured the USA as stage manager for Victor Borge, then worked with Mike Todd's America Be Seated as well as The Birds and The Orestea in the Ypsilanti Greek Festival. On Broadway he was understudy and stage manager in Neil Simon's Star-Spangled Girl, Plaza Suite (he also assisted Mike Nichols in directing the national tour), The Prisoner of Second Avenue, There's A Girl In My Soup, and The Riot Act.

All My Children

He was groomed by All My Children creator Agnes Nixon to take the reins in the 1980s while she focused on other endeavors. From 1981 to 1983, he shared head writing duties with Nixon, and from 1986 to 1987, was co-head writer with Lorraine Broderick. Washam took a break from the show for nearly three years, but returned in time for its 20th anniversary. From 1989 to 1992, Washam served as Associate Head Writer (alongside Broderick through 1991, followed by Megan McTavish), with Nixon head writing the show. Washam chose to leave All My Children once again, upon McTavish's ascension to the head writing post.

Later career

After leaving All My Children Washam assisted development of the European soap opera which eventually aired as Riviera. He created the concept for a new Fox primetime soap, wrote briefly for Guiding Light on CBS in 1992, and was involved in the development of a German soap opera, Take Your Chance. He has written both a screenplay and a novel entitled The Cloning. Washam won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Team as All My Children's co-head writer alongside Nixon in 1981, and another with Broderick in 1988.

Personal life

Washam married soap opera actress Judith Barcroft on June 15, 1969. They have a son named Ian Miller Washam (who played Little Phillip Brent on All My Children in the 1970s) and a daughter, Amy Washam Masterson.

Preceded by Agnes Nixon

Head Writer of All My Children (with Agnes Nixon 1981 - 1983; with Lorraine Broderick 1986 - 1987) 1981 - 1987

Succeeded by Lorraine Broderick

External links

• Interview at "welovesoaps.net"Part 2 of 3Part 3