American actor Roger Howarth was born on September 13, 1968 in Westchester County, New York. Exposed to the arts at an early age—his father wrote plays and participated in stage productions—he performed in school plays from his childhood until his high school years. He also played soccer, having gone around the world for games, although he never pursued a professional career in such. He studied political science at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., but dropped out after a semester to join the acting program at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.
Howarth’s first break came in 1992, when he won a nationwide talent search and consequently got a role in the daytime soap Loving. The role was short-lived, but he moved on to one of his most memorable roles: as Todd Manning in One Life to Live. Supposedly a day-player, his role evolved to become one of the most popular and endearing characters on the soap. The character—a villainous one perhaps best known for raping Marty Saybrooke (Susan Haskell)—has been often analyzed, cited and discussed by critics, scholars and audiences alike. It earned him a Daytime Emmy in 1994.
Howarth, however, wasn’t happy with the producers’ direction with the character. He left in 1995, only to return after a few months. He left again in 1998, pursuing several acting projects on Broadway and Hollywood, such as a guest role in the sci-fi series Prey. He returned in 2000, only to finally leave in 2003, intending to pursue other opportunities. He then played a recurring role on Dawson’s Creek, as school professor Greg Hetson.
In 2003, he joined the cast of another soap opera, As the World Turns. He took on the role of Paul Ryan, which was previously played by Scott Holroyd. He is the current husband of Meg Snyder (Marie Wilson), and their on-off relationship has made their pairing popular, giving them supercouple status.