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Actor David Lynn Selby, best known for his television portrayals of Quentin in Dark Shadows (1968–71) and Richard Channing in Falcon Crest (1982–90), was born in Morgantown on February 5, 1941. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia University (1963–64) and a doctorate in drama from Southern Illinois University (1970). He has received honors from both schools.

Selby has acted extensively on stage, including many Broadway performances. His West Virginia credits include the Beckley outdoor drama Honey in the Rock (1961–62). He starred in the award-winning Sticks and Stones at the New York Public Theatre. In Los Angeles, he received awards for Night of the Iguana and The Crucible. Film appearances include Rich and Famous, Up the Sandbox, Raise the Titanic, and Super Cops.

In 1998, Selby received the first Life Achievement Award from WVU’s Creative Arts College, and he is an honorary member of the university’s Creative Arts Center. He belongs to the Cleveland Playhouse Hall of Fame and the Hartford Stage Company. He received the Shakespeare Theatre’s 1999 Millennium Recognition Award. In 2003, Selby spoke at WVU’s Commencement and received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from WVU.

In addition to continuing appearances on a variety of television programs and stage productions, Selby appeared in the movie Surviving Christmas in 2004. At Ford’s Theater, in February 2009, he portrayed Abraham Lincoln in The Heavens are Hung in Black as part of the 200th Anniversary celebration of Lincoln’s birth. Selby was inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also the author of several books including a novel based on the life of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln’s Better Angel.

David Selby married Claudeis ‘‘Chip’’ Newman of Morgantown in 1963. They have funded a Guest Artist Series at WVU, live in Los Angeles, and have three children.

This Article was written by Sandy Wells

Last Revised on August 17, 2023

Cite This Article

Wells, Sandy "David Selby." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 17 August 2023. Web. 27 November 2024.