Briscoe was born Cecil Donald Briscoe in Yalobusha County, Mississippi in 1940. He attended prep school in New Hampshire before attending Columbia University in New York, where he obtained a Master's Degree in English literature. Briscoe also played Tom's twin brother Chris Jennings (a werewolf), Tim Shaw in the 1897 storyline, and family lawyer Chris Collins in the 1970 Parallel Time storyline before abruptly leaving the show in April of 1970 due to personal/medical issues. He appeared in a total of 97 episodes, as well as the film House of Dark Shadows as Carolyn's boyfriend Todd Blake.