Christopher Bernau Christopher Bernau as Alan Spaulding Christopher Bernau ( born Herbert Augustine Bernau , June 2 , 1940 - June 14 , 1989 ) was an American actor . Life and career Bernau trained in the drama department at the University of California before getting his big break , appearing in the New York Shakespeare Festival 's production of Antony and Cleopatra in 1962 . He continued in that role until 1964 , when he toured nationally in the production of Who 's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? These roles , in addition to performing at Canada 's Stratford Festival , led to an appearance in a story arc on Dark Shadows in 1969 and 1970 . His most famous role , however , was that of villain Alan Spaulding on the soap opera Guiding Light , a role he played from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1986 until shortly before his death in 1989 . Bernau is considered to be one of the only truly `` out `` soap opera actors , as it was fairly well known by both the actors he worked with , and the soap press at large , that he was gay . Death Bernau was diagnosed with AIDS but continued to work on Guiding Light . He left the show when he became too ill to show up at work , and he died of a heart attack brought on by complications from AIDS. He is buried at Santa Barbara Cemetery , Santa Barbara , California . External links Christopher Bernau at the Internet Movie Database Categories : 1940 births | 1989 deaths | LGBT actors from the United States | American soap opera actors | AIDS-related deaths | Dark Shadows actors | People from Santa Barbara , California Christopher Bernau 0076578 