a GOOD READ

James Read is a far cry from his villainous alter ego on DAYS.

- Janet Di Lauro

JUST THE FACTS

Born: July 31

Hails From: Buffalo, NY, but was raised in Schenectady, NY

Family Guy: Read married actress Wendy Kilbourne in 1988; they have two children: a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Sydney.

Talking the Talk: Read modeled Clyde's accent after The Band's Levon Helm. "He was from the Ozarks himself and one of my favorite musicians. He was a drummer who's passed on now. There's plenty of footage on YouTube of interviews he's given over the years."

Easy Rider: When he's not working, Read is "a big cyclist. For the last 20 years I've been on a bicycle. I recently came back from Portugal, where I was on a bike tour. I've also been on bike tours in Spain and all over the U.S. That's my big go-to activity."

Guitar Man: “I just started playing the guitar a couple of years ago, right before Covid started. It's a rare day when I don't stop and pick up and play for at least 15 minutes or so. I wish I had done it years earlier."

It's Showtime: "I tend to binge-watch. I'm really enjoying the limited HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers [WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY]. It's about that Magic Johnson/Jerry Buss era, when the Lakers were the transformational team in basketball."

Games On: "I'm a voracious and habitual daily reader of The New York Times online and an addicted Wordle player. I do the crossword puzzle and Spelling Bee, too. I go to them at idle moments throughout the day."