Rodney Van Johnson sits while waiting to answer questions.

Rodney Van Johnson Didn’t Enjoy Playing the ‘Angry Black Man’ on ‘Passions’

Rodney Van Johnson says he is "grateful" for his time on "Passions," but his character was psychologically stressful for him to play.

by Jessica Wick

Published on March 10, 2023

2 min read

If you were a soap fan in the early 2000s, you probably knew about the wild antics of NBC’s Passions. Known for pushing the envelope even by soap standards, you never knew what you’d see when you tuned in to watch the adventures of the Krane, Russell, Bennett, and Lopez-Fitzgerald families. From witches and warlocks to actual portals to hell, the show never ceased to push the limits — and the actors never seemed to mind.

Rodney Van Johnson played the role of T.C. Russell on the show, spanning nearly its entire run from 1999 – 2007 (he was dropped to recurring status in its final year). While he was largely grateful for the opportunity to work in the industry, he admitted that part of it took a personal toll on him — and there was one aspect that was especially challenging.

Rodney Van Johnson hated playing the ‘angry Black man’

Recently, Van Johnson was featured in Soap Opera Digest to promote his stint on The Bold and the Beautiful, where he was cast as Sheila’s attorney. When asked how he felt about his previous work on Passions, he said:

“I enjoyed the supernatural things that went on … but what I didn’t enjoy was being the angry Black man. That really took a personal toll on me because I had to gear up for that kind of energy. I would have to drive one or two hours when I left work just to calm down because I was so hyped up from being this angry Black man on the show.”

What happened to T.C. Russell on ‘Passions’

Van Johnson has a point. For most of the show’s run, his character, T.C. Russell, was seemingly always angry. He despised Julian Crane, especially after learning that his wife, Eve, had previously had a relationship with Julian. After his divorce from Eve, she reunited with Julian and he got even angrier. Fortunately, by the end of the show, T.C. had found his peace and made amends.

Overall, Van Johnson said that he was grateful for the part, even though it took a toll on him.

“I was grateful to have work,” the actor said, “I was grateful to be the patriarch of my family, and that was amazing because you don’t get those opportunities very often.”

“But honestly, it was extremely psychologically stressful,” he continued, “because I had to deal with that anger. I wouldn’t have changed it for anything. It made me who I am today, but there were challenging times playing that character.”

Rodney Van Johnson’s new role on ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’

When it comes to talk of his recent stint on The Bold and the Beautiful Van Johnson is nothing but smiles. Although it had been 15 years since he’d been on a soap, he claimed getting back into it was “like riding a bike.”

“It was great to be back in the environment of soap operas,” he said. “It’s a hard job. It’s a challenging job but it’s also, as an actor, a very rewarding job, and I really enjoy that.”