Stefan Schnabel, the Berlin-born character actor whose career spanned from London's Old Vic to American radio dramas, Broadway, films and a TV soap opera, died March 11 of a heart attack at his home in Rogaro, Italy, the New York Times reported.

Mr. Schnabel, 87, was the son of pianist Artur Schnabel and singer Therese Behr Schnabel. The family moved from Germany to Italy, and then Mr. Schnabel moved to London, where he joined the Old Vic company in 1933, working with the likes of John Gielgud, Charles Laughton and Maurice Evans.

In 1938, he moved to New York and performed radio drama with Orson Welles and had a flourishing career over the next four decades, playing in classics (The Cherry Orchard with Eva LeGallienne in 1944), musicals (Plain and Fancy) and new plays (Mike Nichols' production of Social Security in 1986).

He might be best known in North America for playing Dr. Stephen Jackson on the CBS soap opera, Guiding Light, for 17 years. Mr. Schnabel and his wife, actress Marion Kohler Schnabel, founded the Rainbow Theater in Norwalk, CT., the Times reported. The couple moved to Italy in 1992.

Mr. Schnabel, whose credits range from Hartford Stage Company to Lincoln Center Theatre to films such as "Journey Into Fear" and "Houdini," is survived by a brother, pianist Karl Ulrich Schnabel, of New York City and Italy; two sons, Peter H. Schnabel of Italy and David A. Schnabel of Sand Francisco; daughter Susan Schnabel Ross of Seattle and three grandchildren. -- By Kenneth Jones