| Tim Truman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Beach character | |||||
 | |||||
| Portrayed by | Dax Griffin | ||||
| Duration | 1997–99 | ||||
| First appearance | January 6, 1997 | ||||
| Last appearance | December 31, 1999 | ||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||
| Created by | Robert Guza, Jr. | ||||
| Introduced by | Gary Tomlin, Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent | ||||
| |||||
Tim Truman is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach , played by Dax Griffin from January 6, 1997, to December 31, 1999.
Griffin secured the role of "bad guy" character Tim shortly after he moved to Los Angeles and it was his first television role. [1] [2] Griffin originally auditioned for another character in the series and was unsuccessful. One month later, producers invited Griffin back to audition for the role of Tim. [1] Griffin was working as a bartender when he was informed that he had won the role. Of his casting the actor stated "I couldn't ask for a better opportunity than to start on an Aaron Spelling show. It's a dream come true." [3] Griffin's casting was announced prior the show's debut on NBC and he was featured in promotional photographs. [4] Candace Havens of The World reported that Griffin was one of many male cast members employed by Aaron Spelling to have the "hunk factor". [5] Griffin was initially nervous because Tim was his first television role. Griffin told Rebecca May of Stevens Point Journal that he "annoyed" writers by asking too many questions about Tim's characterisation. After one year on-screen, Griffin felt more confident, adding "my character is kept pretty realistic, and the writers told me they like what I've done with him." [1]
Tim is one of Sunset Beach's twenty-one original characters. [6] Writers quickly established Tim as a trouble-making character and featured him in various disaster style storylines, including the Terror Island and Shockwave plots. [7] Tim's characterisation as a trouble-maker worried Griffin, who thought such a character would not have longevity. He told William Keck from Soap Opera Digest that "I was more concerned when the show first started, I thought after I stirred up a little trouble in Sunset Beach, it might be the end of my character right off the bat." [7] In another story the character spent a months worth of episodes in a coma. Producers reassured Griffin that the story would not end with Tim's death and "everything would be fine". [7]
One of Tim's prominent stories was trying to snare his ex-girlfriend Meg Cummings (Susan Ward) from her new lover Ben Evans (Clive Robertson). [7] When the series began, Tim and Meg were due to marry. Meg jilts Tim after she witnesses him kissing another woman. Meg flees to Sunset Beach in search of Ben, who she had been in contact with over the internet. [8] Griffin wanted Tim to move on from Meg and let her find happiness with Ben. He also wanted writers to explore additional romances for his character. Griffin told Keck that "I think it would be funny as hell to see Tim hook up with Maria, and Ben make the decision to stay with Meg." [7] Unlike other characters on the show, Tim was an "enigma" and had no fixed abode. [7] Writers played Tim living in a hotel room and he gains employment from Gregory Richards (Sam Behrens). Viewers wondered how the character managed to earn his living and pay for his medical bills while in a coma. Griffin explained that "Gregory paid for everything - which helped out a lot. I'm kinda vague on this point, but I think Tim's still employed by him, even after he found out I gave my Liberty stock to Annie." [7]
On December 5, 1999, Toby Goldstein from Oshkosh Northwestern reported that Griffin had reprised the role as the show neared its final episode. [9]
Sunset Beach is an American television soap opera that aired on NBC from January 6, 1997, to December 31, 1999. The show follows the loves and lives of the people living in the Orange County coastal area named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California. Although there is a real community named Sunset Beach, the show's beach scenes were shot in nearby Seal Beach, California. The show was co-produced by NBC and Spelling Television.
Susan Michelle Ward is a former American actress and model. She made her film debut in the 1997 sequel, Poison Ivy: The New Seduction, before appearing in films, including, The In Crowd (2000), Going Greek (2001), Shallow Hal (2001) and Wild Things 2 (2004). She is perhaps best known for her roles as Meg Cummings in the entire run of soap opera, Sunset Beach (1997–1999), and as Chloe Kmetko in the series, Make It or Break It (2009–2011).
Lesley-Anne Down is a British actress and singer. She made her motion picture debut in the 1969 drama film The Smashing Bird I Used to Know and later appeared in films Assault (1971), Countess Dracula (1971) and Pope Joan (1972). She achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV period drama series, Upstairs, Downstairs (1973–75).
Sydney Margaret Penny is an American actress. She began her career as a child performer appearing in made-for-television movies. She made her big screen debut in the Western film Pale Rider directed by Clint Eastwood. She received total six Young Artist Awards nominations, winning two for playing Young Meggie Cleary in the miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983), and for Pale Rider. Penny also starred in the sitcom The New Gidget (1986–1988), and played Bernadette Soubirous in the French drama film Bernadette (1988) and its sequel The Passion of Bernadette (1990) both directed by Jean Delannoy.
Kathleen Noone is an American actress. She began her career as a singer in nightclubs and performed in musicals off-Broadway before making her television debut in the CBS daytime soap opera, As the World Turns (1975–1976).
Clive Gladstone Robertson is an English actor perhaps best known for his roles on the soap opera Sunset Beach, the Canadian science fiction series Starhunter, and the 2010 science fiction computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie.
Sam Behrens is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Meyer on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, Danny Waleska in the CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing and as Gregory Richards in the NBC daytime soap opera, Sunset Beach.
Dax S. Griffin is an American actor. He is known for portraying younger Hank Pym in Ant-Man and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Helen Bennett, known professionally as Meg Bennett, was an American television writer, actress, and model. She was married to ex-General Hospital head writer Robert Guza Jr.
Gary Tomlin is an American soap opera actor, writer, producer and director.
Bette Katzenkazrahi is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Kathleen Noone.
Annie Richards is a fictional character from the American television soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Sarah Buxton. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on January 6, 1997. The character's creation was announced in 1996 prior to the soap's debut. Series creator Aaron Spelling helped create Annie's appearance and style. Annie has been characterised as a reformed girl. The character has also been central to various fantasy sequences through her duration. These have been favoured by some of the soap opera's critics. Buxton has been nominated for one award for her portrayal and Annie has been branded one of the programme's most popular characters.
Sean Richards is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Randy Spelling.
Gregory Richards is a fictional character from the American television soap opera Sunset Beach, portrayed by Sam Behrens. He made his first appearance during the show's debut episode broadcast on January 6, 1997. Gregory is one of the serial's 21 original contract characters. Behrens was approached by the Sunset Beach producers about the role, but he was hesitant about meeting with them, as he had been planning on returning to New York City. He was eventually persuaded to attend the meeting and he signed on to play Gregory.
Meg Cummings is a fictional character from the American television soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Susan Ward. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on January 6, 1997. Meg was the show's protagonist throughout the whole run. Sydney Penny temporarily played the role while Ward was filming her role in the movie The In Crowd.
Virginia Harrison is a fictional character from the American television soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Dominique Jennings. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on March 17, 1997. Jennings originally auditioned for another role in the soap. Virginia was supposed to feature in ten episodes but producers offered Jennings a permanent contract to join the show's regular cast. Virginia is characterized as a "bad girl" and has been central to a controversial storyline in which she impregnates a fellow female character without their consent. In the plot, Virginia uses a sperm laced turkey baster to assault her love rival, Vanessa Hart. The story formed one of Virginia's main story arcs in which she attempts to snare Michael Bourne from Vanessa. This is included Virginia impersonating a nurse to fool Vanessa, which during filming Jennings wore a fat suit to create Virginia's disguise. Jennings made her final appearance as Virginia during the episode broadcast on March 4, 1999.
Cole Deschanel is a fictional character from the US television soap opera Sunset Beach. Ashley Hamilton played the role of Cole from his introduction on January 21, 1997 to February 19, 1997. The producers decided Eddie Cibrian would fit the role better and the actor took over on February 21, 1997. Cibrian departed on October 14, 1999, to pursue a career in primetime. He made a guest appearance for the series finale on December 31, 1999.
Thomas Sweeney, commonly known as Sinbad, is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Michael Starke. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 18 September 1984. Sinbad was originally only supposed to feature in a couple of episodes but continued to appear on a recurring basis until Starke was promoted to the show's regular cast in 1990.
