Background:

Wally Kurth is an American actor and singer. He is best recognized for his role as the second actor to portray Ned Ashton on the ABC soap opera “General Hospital” from February 1991 to November 28, 2007. The role brought him two Soap Opera Digest nominations. Kurth also played Justin Kiriakis on NBC's “Days of our Lives” (contract: 1987 to 1991; recurring: 2009 to present) and Sam Hutchins on CBS' “As the World Turns” (2007-2008). He provided the voice of Agent Six / Captain Callen on the Cartoon Network series “Generator Rex” (2010-?).      

Apart from appearing on television, Kurth also has a band named Kurth and Taylor. The band has performed on and produced songs for “General Hospital,” including the Emmy award-winning song “Barefoot Ballet.” His band released their fourth album called “The EP” in August 2004.

Kurth has one son with his present wife, Debra Yuhasz, to whom he has been married since 2003, and two daughters from his previous relationships.  


Father of 3

Childhood and Family:

Wally Kurth was born on July 31, 1958, on Billings, Montana. His uncle, the late Earl Rosell, appeared in the 1970 movie “Little Big Man.”

Wally has been married three times. He married first wife actress Cynthia Ettinger from May 27, 1990 to 1993. He went on to marry another actress, Rena Sofer, on March 31, 1995 until they divorced in 1997. The bond produced one child, daughter Rosabel Rosalind. Wally married his present wife Debra Yuhasz, a corporate attorney, on July 4, 2003. Their son, Brogan George Kurth, was born on November 14, 2004. Kurth also has an older daughter, Meghann Sidney, from a previous relationship.


1 Day with...

Career:

Wally Kurth started his soap opera career in 1987 when he originated the role of Justin Kiriakis  on the long running NBC series “Days of our Lives.” He stayed with the show until 1991, but since August 2009, he has returned to the series as a recurring player.

After leaving “Days,” Kurth replaced the original actor Kurt McKinney on the role of Ned Ashton, son of Larry Ashton and Tracy Quartermaine, in the ABC daytime soap “General Hospital” in February 1991. In 2005, after having worked for 14 years, the producers of the show demoted Kurth to recurring status and took away his image from the opening credits. He eventually left “General Hospital” on November 28, 2007. For his acting, Kurth was nominated for Soap Opera Digest Awards in the categories of Outstanding Supporting Actor in 1994 and Hottest Male Star in 1996. Kurth also won a 2002 Daytime Emmy in the category of Outstanding Original Song for “Barefoot Ballet,” a jazz song he wrote with Christian Taylor and Debi Cochran in 2000 and performed by John Klemmer. The song appeared on the Kurth & Taylor album “Freedom.”

In 1992, Kurth made his feature film debut as Devon in “Final Embrace,” a thriller directed by Oley Sassone and starring Robert Rusler, Nancy Valen and Dick Van Patten. He continued to work in such films as the 1994 animated film “Pom Poko,” where he provided the English version of the character Tamasaburô, the Julie Davis comedy film “I Love You, Don't Touch Me!” (1997),  in which he played the role of David Barclay, and “The Stepsister” (1997, TV), starring his then wife Rena Sofer, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras and Richard Joseph Paul. After guest starring in the short lived ABC sitcom “Oh, Grow Up” (1999), starring Rena Sofer, Kurth reunited with actress and filmamker Julie Davis for the film “Amy's Orgasm” (2001).

Kurth hosted his won show on SOAPNet, “1 Day with...,” where he spends a day in the life of a soap star. The actors who have appeared on the show include his “General Hospital” pals like Tamara Braun, Ingo Rademacher, Alicia Leigh Willis, Scott Clifton, Rick Hearst, Anthony Geary, and Tyler Christopher, as well as actors from other soaps. “1 Day with...,” which he also executive produced, ran for a season of 19 episodes from September 4, 2004 until February 11, 2005.

Following his departure from “General Hospital,” Kurth joined the cast of the CBS soap “As the World Turns,” where he portrayed Sam Hutchins from November 30, 2007 to February 11, 2008.

In 2008, Kurth produced the documentary “Class C: The Only Game in Town,” directed and written by Shasta Grenier and Justin Lubke. He shared the Fort Collins TriMedia Festival Award for Best of the Festival for his work on the film.

In 2010, Kurth began his role as Agent Six/Captain Calan on the animated television series “Generator Rex,” which premiered on Cartoon Network on April 23, 2010.

In 2011, Kurth portrayed Gordon Ralston in an episode of “Law & Order: LA” called “Zuma Canyon.”


Awards:

Fort Collins TriMedia Festival: Best of the Festival, “Class C: The Only Game in Town,” 2009
Daytime Emmy: Outstanding Original Song, “General Hospital” (for the song “ Barefoot Ballet”),  2002 Show Less