Guiding Light’s Vincent Irizarry is a survivor. He has survived working on a soap that often had 15-hour shooting days, a miniseries that was trashed by critics (only to see it grab 50 percent of the ratings), a Clint Eastwood movie that wasn’t a hit, and the death of his original Guiding Light character, Lujack. Then he returned to GL as the mysterious Nick McHenry.

“When I signed on to Guiding Light eight years ago, I told myself it would only be for the run of my three-year contract. When the show asked if I would stay, I told them I really wanted to try other things. I was pleased when it was decided to kill off the character rather than recast. I gave Lujack his first breath, so I was pleased to give him his last one.”

After Lujack’s death in an explosion, Irizarry headed for Los Angeles. Unlike many an actor who has made the trek cross country, Irizarry worked almost constantly.

After filming Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood, Irizarry found himself once again looking for parts. “Acting is filled with good times and bad times. Unless you are part of the chosen 1 percent — like Tom Cruise — you’re always in the trenches.”

Irizarry admits downtime as an actor makes him crazy. “After three weeks I wonder what am I doing here. I’ll let myself feel bummed out for a while, then I just assure myself I will work again. Before I married it was just me, but now I have a wife and daughter, so working is even more important.”

Irizarry married Cigny Coleman, an actress he meet while playing the role of Dr. Scott Clark on Santa Barbara. Coleman portrayed Celeste on SB at the time. “I love being a father. I hate it when I have to leave in the morning while Sophia’s still asleep. I want to wake her up, but Cigny would kill me. So I tiptoe into her room and just look at her.”

After Coleman and Irizarry left Santa Barbara he was tapped to star in Lucky Chances, a miniseries that combined two of Jackie Collins’ books, with Vincent playing casino owner Gino Santagello, the hero who ages and ages and ages. The last night the show played it got a 50 share in New York.

When he’s not acting, Irizarry likes to read. An accomplished photographer, Irizarry also has done a series of photos, which were displayed in a Los Angeles gallery.

Irizarry admits you can only do so much reading or photography when what you want to do is act.

“In July, Robert Calhoun, who was producing GL, asked if I wanted to return to the show. I didn’t want to burn any bridges, so I told him not right now, but let’s see what happens.

“Bob and I continued to talk. The idea to play a character other than Lujack on Guiding Light was also decided. I was really looking forward to working with Bob. Funny thing is his last day as executive producer was the day before I came.”

Even more strange, the new producer was Jill Feren Phelps who produced Santa Barbara when Irizarry was Dr. Scott Clark. “I wanted to work with Bob since he had put this together. But if it couldn’t be Bob, I’m thrilled it’s Jill.”

Unlike the Santa Barbara schedule — in at 7 a.m. and sometimes staying until 10 at night — Guiding Light has most of the cast in by 7 a.m. and often out by 11 a.m. That gives Irizarry time to be with his family, read his books, shoot his photos and dream of what he really would like to do.

“I would love to go to Europe for a year and just read and write.”

Lynda Hirsch is a columnist for the North America Syndicate.

ON TV

Program: Guiding Light

With: Vincent Irizarry

Airs: Mondays through Fridays, 3 p.m., WCIX-Ch. 6 and WPEC-Ch. 12