Tom Pelphrey News

The return of Tom Pelphrey on Guiding Light won't be lasting long.

According to Soap Opera Digest, the actor that portrays Jonathan Randall - and who came back to Guiding Light just last month - will end his run in March. We'll have more on this development as it comes in.

Tom Pelphrey has been back on Guiding Light as Jonathan for just a week. But, as the actor tells Soap Opera Digest, he's already back to a few of his old bad habits.

In a few days, the character has nearly knocked someone over the head, drugged an unsuspecting victim and run off with Sarah again.

"I love it," said Pelphrey. "We have so much fun with everything."

The actor is thrilled to be back on Guiding Light, but admits that returning as a character everyone thought was dead proved to be a somewhat awkward transition.

"Things have to happen really fast," he said. "Soon after I get back, they have [the story] pick up, like, 'Oh, my God! You're alive?' We had these scenes with Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus), and he'd say, 'Are we going to address the fact that I thought you were dead?' and [the-powers-that-be said] no, so Ricky would come in and do a double-take and start talking. It's been kind of funny."

The laughs don't stop there on set.

According to Pelphrey, Daniel Cosgrove has been responsible for tons of side-splitting since he returned to Guiding Light.

"Every day I work with Danny there's a hilarious outtake," said Pelphrey. "The other day we were doing a scene and we were supposed to be angry at each other, so we were straight-faced. All of a sudden, Danny pulls a huge roll of duct tape out of the inside of his jacket and he says, 'Shut the door so we can get real.'"

Great news, soap opera fans:

Tom Pelphrey will return to Guiding Light in 2008.

"Look for him in the new year when Jonathan comes back to resolve some unfinished business," a Guiding Light spokesperson teased in confirming Pelphrey's impending return.

The actor joined the cast of Guiding Light in September 2004. He won the Outstanding Younger Actor award at the Daytime Emmys in 2006 and then exited in February 2007.

Over the summer, Pelphrey returned to the series for a three-day appearance, return that helped to wrap up some loose endings for his character... but apparently not enough.

An exact date for Pelphrey 's return has not yet been determined, nor has the duration of his stay.

Though a Guiding Light spokesperson remains tight-lipped about the news, soapcentral.com has learned that Emmy winner Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan Randall) has returned to work on the show.

The first airdate is not yet known for Pelphrey's on-air return. But the actor has already taped his first scenes; they're expected scenes to air later this month. For now, Pelphrey's return is slated to be only short-term, with the actor once again exiting the show this fall.

Nevertheless, Pelphrey's return is apparently a big deal for the CBS soap. In September, Simon and Schuster will publish a book that chronicle's Jonathan's life after he staged his death. The book, "Guiding Light: Jonathan's Story" will be available from all major book retailers.

The release of a book surrounding a soap opera storyline is nothing new. As The World Turns, which, like Guiding Light, is also produced by Procter & Gamble, released a tell-all book, "Oakdale Confidential," last year.

Other soaps have also published books. All My Children's fictional Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) released a real-world autobiography, "Having It All" and One Life to Live featured a whodunnit story that was based on a book called "The Killing Club" that was penned by one of its characters.

General Hospital and Passions have also featured book tie-ins.

It's unclear at this time which came first: the idea for "Jonathan's Story" or Pelphrey's decision to return. It's also unknown right now whether or not the show would have recast Jonathan if Pelphrey had not agreed to return or if the book and storyline would have been scrapped.

Pelphrey joined the cast of Guiding Light in September 2004. He received a third consecutive Daytime Emmy nomination this year. In 2006, Pelphrey was named Outstanding Younger Actor.