Soap opera recasts

[Daniel Avery]

the producer she bumped heads with was Proctor and Gamble exec Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin who was nicknamed MADD by fans. She had a lot of issues with staff on their soaps, particularly women (older women especially).

MADD had always had a reputation for being a battle-axe, but she really cut her own throat with a remark she made concerning actor Michael Zaslow, who played Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light. Roger was an infamous, multi-layered villain that alternately repelled the viewer and drew them back in over many years. Zaslow began showing the symptoms of ALS and once diagnosed, he asked the show to write his condition into the series. MADD's response was...well, "politically incorrect" just doesn't cover it:
“Roger is a powerful, active, sexual, multicolored villain. That’s who we need him to be on the GL canvas. We do not need a wizened little old man. And that’s what he would have to play in his condition. It really hurts me to have to say that, but all I can do is wish Michael all the best. My heart truly goes out to him.”

Like any Wicked Witch, MADD had the proverbial house fall on her for that remark. The show recast Roger (a thankless job, given how Zaslow was identified with the role) and since Zaslow was still relatively mobile, One Life to Live hired him to reprise a role he had played before, David Renaldi. They wrote David as having ALS, which allowed him to continue working until he was unable to continue. OLTL had their won motives for the hiring, but no one can deny it was a public condemnation of MADD's negative attitude.

 

[DallasFanForever]

When Susan Flannery decided to leave The Bold and the Beautiful, Stephanie Forrester could easily have been recast with an actress ten or fifteen years younger, so that the character could stay on the show for another twenty or more years. I personally thought it was good that Stephanie died, because it was a very strong storyline.

I guess I’ve learned that just about anyone can be recast on daytime but this is one I’m glad never happened. I just can’t see anyone else playing Stephanie for the life of me. I’d rather she died instead as it happened.

 

[ChrisSumner]

MADD had always had a reputation for being a battle-axe, but she really cut her own throat with a remark she made concerning actor Michael Zaslow, who played Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light. Roger was an infamous, multi-layered villain that alternately repelled the viewer and drew them back in over many years. Zaslow began showing the symptoms of ALS and once diagnosed, he asked the show to write his condition into the series. MADD's response was...well, "politically incorrect" just doesn't cover it:
“Roger is a powerful, active, sexual, multicolored villain. That’s who we need him to be on the GL canvas. We do not need a wizened little old man. And that’s what he would have to play in his condition. It really hurts me to have to say that, but all I can do is wish Michael all the best. My heart truly goes out to him.”

Like any Wicked Witch, MADD had the proverbial house fall on her for that remark. The show recast Roger (a thankless job, given how Zaslow was identified with the role) and since Zaslow was still relatively mobile, One Life to Live hired him to reprise a role he had played before, David Renaldi. They wrote David as having ALS, which allowed him to continue working until he was unable to continue. OLTL had their won motives for the hiring, but no one can deny it was a public condemnation of MADD's negative attitude.

I remember that happening but didn't realize it was her who did it. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I believe that is the most evil thing that has been done behind the scenes on soaps. Especially after that man gave them so many years of his life and made them millions. Just awful.

 

[Emelee]

When Susan Flannery decided to leave The Bold and the Beautiful, Stephanie Forrester could easily have been recast with an actress ten or fifteen years younger, so that the character could stay on the show for another twenty or more years. I personally thought it was good that Stephanie died, because it was a very strong storyline.

A recast for Stephanie was never an option for Bradley Bell. He mentions it every now and then. Last time he talked about it was just last week, in a Deadline interview.

He said, regarding soap operas killing off long term characters:

"You’re getting rid of a lot of history. But if the story is that good, it’s important to make that decision,” explains Bell, who recalls what it was like to write off Susan Flannery’s Stephanie Forrester in 2012. Flannery was one of the core four cast members who helped launched the CBS soap in 1987, but at age 73, she was ready to walk away from her storied career in daytime.

Recasting such an icon was out of the question, so Bell fashioned a goodbye that had Forrester dying of cancer in the arms of her daughter-in-law Brooke, who Stephanie used to refer to as the “slut from the valley.”

“It just seemed like a poetic way for her to go,” explains Bell. “It’s always scary and it’s always difficult to say goodbye, but again, very necessary. You have to kill them every once in a while in order to keep your credibility as a writer. And I promise myself every year, I’m going to kill more people.”

 

[Daniel Avery]

"Here lies Stephanie Douglas Forrester, who died in the arms of that slut from the valley."

I have to agree that recasting such a key role would not have been easy at all. Even if they had found someone worthy of taking on the role, would that actress have wanted to be subjected to that level of daily comparison and criticism? It would be a thankless job, for sure.

When Heather Tom left her role of Victoria on Y&R, the show recast the role with Amelia Heinle, and I still see negative articles about the actress's take on the role and how "Heather Tom would have played that scene differently". Heinle's been playing Victoria since 2005!

 

[DallasFanForever]

"Here lies Stephanie Douglas Forrester, who died in the arms of that slut from the valley."

Ironic that of all the people in that family you would expect to possibly one day die in Brooke’s arms you would’ve never thought of Stephanie.

 

[Daniel Avery]

And given Brooke's....ahem, popularity with the opposite sex it is amazing that none of her men has died in the saddle, so to speak.

 

[ClassyCo]

With Ridge and Taylor on B&B, it was easier because the original actors (while extremely popular), weren't very good. Thorston is very different from Ronn Moss, but he fits and is fine in the role. Krista Allen was the perfect recast for Taylor. She looked similar to Hunter Tylo and could act. Fans quickly fell in love with her. The latest Taylor, Rebecca Budig, is dreadful. Not only is she way too young, but she looks it. The actress also excels at playing vixens so having her as a heroine is not her strong suit.

Now I haven't watched B&B in years, but I cannot imagine anyone other than Ronn Moss and Hunter Tylo as Ridge and Taylor, respectively. They are who I think about when I think of the show and those characters.

I remember the day Thorsten Kaye debuted as Ridge. My Nanny was in the hospital, my Mom and I were there with her. B&B was on the TV (which had become the norm for my Nanny to watch following the cancellation of ALL MY CHILDREN) and we were all casually watching it. We looked over at the TV, just when Thorsten was appearing on-screen as the new Ridge.

My Mom and I both were instantly like, "No, that's not Ridge", but my Nanny hadn't any opinion whatsoever as I recall.

 

[ChrisSumner]

Now I haven't watched B&B in years, but I cannot imagine anyone other than Ronn Moss and Hunter Tylo as Ridge and Taylor, respectively. They are who I think about when I think of the show and those characters.

I remember the day Thorsten Kaye debuted as Ridge. My Nanny was in the hospital, my Mom and I were there with her. B&B was on the TV (which had become the norm for my Nanny to watch following the cancellation of ALL MY CHILDREN) and we were all casually watching it. We looked over at the TV, just when Thorsten was appearing on-screen as the new Ridge.

My Mom and I both were instantly like, "No, that's not Ridge", but my Nanny hadn't any opinion whatsoever as I recall.

Honestly, it isn't the same. I've come to accept Thorston, but the character is no longer interesting to me. Krista Allen I will say was a revelation as Taylor. She looked enough like her and was a stronger actress so it really worked. Rebecca Budig though is really struggling. She looks too young and she just doesn't work as a heroine. She would've been better as Felicia or Kristin Forrester. She is good as a bitchy vixen type of character.

 

[DallasFanForever]

. Krista Allen I will say was a revelation as Taylor. She looked enough like her and was a stronger actress so it really worked.

She looked like her and was stronger as an actress, yes, but somehow it still didn’t work for me. I’m not saying bringing back Hunter was the answer at that point because it wasn’t, but from what I saw Krista kind of ran her course rather quickly. Still, I think she makes for a better Taylor than Rebecca does.

 

[ChrisSumner]

She looked like her and was stronger as an actress, yes, but somehow it still didn’t work for me. I’m not saying bringing back Hunter was the answer at that point because it wasn’t, but from what I saw Krista kind of ran her course rather quickly. Still, I think she makes for a better Taylor than Rebecca does.

I think Lisa Rinna would be the closest to giving us the type of fire Hunter brought to the role. With them bringing on Jessica Forrester's daughter, Rebecca Budig would've made sense there. That role matches her age as well.

 

[ClassyCo]

 

[DallasFanForever]

I think Lisa Rinna would be the closest to giving us the type of fire Hunter brought to the role. With them bringing on Jessica Forrester's daughter, Rebecca Budig would've made sense there. That role matches her age as well.

I never thought of Lisa as Taylor. I can kind of see that working. Rebecca just looks too young to play Taylor. It’s even harder seeing her as a grandmother to Steffy’s kids. She looks more like the nanny you would hire to watch the kids. I agree that casting her as Jessica Forrester’s daughter would’ve made more sense.

 

[AndyB2008]

On this subject, how jarring did viewers find some of the big recasts that happened over the years and which were the most seamless? Big characters played by big names. I’m thinking of Guiding Light’s Alexandra Spaulding going from Beverlee McKinsey to Marj Dusay to Joan Collins and back to Marj Dusay. Or headline B&B characters like Ridge and Taylor being recast (I know the recent recast of Taylor has raised some debate).

Pamela Capwell on Santa Barbara was recast 3 times.

Originally Samantha Eggar was to have played her, but pulled out before she taped any scenes, so Shirley Anne Field came in.

Shirley was then replaced by Marj Dusay after a few months.

 

[ChrisSumner]

This was very shocking at the time. Roscoe Born is a soap legend who appeared on many soaps. I believe they were writing his character as having raped his daughter and he refused to play it and immediately quit.

This was an unnecessary recast that the cast was upset about. The actor who replaced Pierson was fine, but it was widely accepted that Pierson was perfectly cast in the role.

The endless recasting of the Ryan kids (plus Delia) was one of the aspects of Ryan's Hope that I hated. I get that sometimes it happened, but the people working on this show (including the creators) could be very stubborn and create problems for themselves.

Mary - This is the role originated by Kate Mulgrew. She was basically the star of the show and hugely popular so I understand why recasting her was hard. The thing is, the first recast was *perfect*. The problem was that the creator was so close to Mulgrew and had decided she wanted to kill Mary off, so they let the woman go. She was followed by a horrific recast and then one decent one before they finally were allowed to kill the character off.

Siobhan - Sarah Felder was the next coming of Kate Mulgrew when it came to popularity and the energy she brought to the show. The network felt the actress looked too "plain" and forced her to cut her beautiful long hair off before firing her. This made no sense because she was so well liked in the role. I enjoyed the second Siobhan, Ann Gillespie, but she mentioned it being a difficult work environment which led to her exit. Marg Helgenberger took over and was the most successful person in the role. Overall I'd say Siobhan probably had the best recasts. None of them were bad.

Frank - This was tricky because Frank was meant to be the leading man of the show. The original Frank wasn't great, but he was cast with the understanding they would kill the character off after the first week. I know he had mental health issues and was difficult to work with. The second Frank, Andrew Robinson, was great. His issue was that he played a killer in a movie so the network didn't want him. His replacement Daniel Hugh Kelly was excellent and I believe he left on his own. That's when we got Geoffrey Pierson after a break.

Delia - They did successfully recast this role when Ilene Kristen left. Randall Edwards played the role differently, but she fit the role perfectly. The issue came in later on when Ilene was in the role and was fired for gaining weight. They replaced her with soap superstar Robin Mattson, but she was completely wrong for the role. I recently watched some episodes with her and it was shocking just how bad she was. Eventually Ilene returned to the show which I found pretty shocking considering how poorly she was treated.

 

[AndyB2008]

This was very shocking at the time. Roscoe Born is a soap legend who appeared on many soaps. I believe they were writing his character as having raped his daughter and he refused to play it and immediately quit.


This was an unnecessary recast that the cast was upset about. The actor who replaced Pierson was fine, but it was widely accepted that Pierson was perfectly cast in the role.

The endless recasting of the Ryan kids (plus Delia) was one of the aspects of Ryan's Hope that I hated. I get that sometimes it happened, but the people working on this show (including the creators) could be very stubborn and create problems for themselves.

Mary - This is the role originated by Kate Mulgrew. She was basically the star of the show and hugely popular so I understand why recasting her was hard. The thing is, the first recast was *perfect*. The problem was that the creator was so close to Mulgrew and had decided she wanted to kill Mary off, so they let the woman go. She was followed by a horrific recast and then one decent one before they finally were allowed to kill the character off.

Siobhan - Sarah Felder was the next coming of Kate Mulgrew when it came to popularity and the energy she brought to the show. The network felt the actress looked too "plain" and forced her to cut her beautiful long hair off before firing her. This made no sense because she was so well liked in the role. I enjoyed the second Siobhan, Ann Gillespie, but she mentioned it being a difficult work environment which led to her exit. Marg Helgenberger took over and was the most successful person in the role. Overall I'd say Siobhan probably had the best recasts. None of them were bad.

Frank - This was tricky because Frank was meant to be the leading man of the show. The original Frank wasn't great, but he was cast with the understanding they would kill the character off after the first week. I know he had mental health issues and was difficult to work with. The second Frank, Andrew Robinson, was great. His issue was that he played a killer in a movie so the network didn't want him. His replacement Daniel Hugh Kelly was excellent and I believe he left on his own. That's when we got Geoffrey Pierson after a break.

Delia - They did successfully recast this role when Ilene Kristen left. Randall Edwards played the role differently, but she fit the role perfectly. The issue came in later on when Ilene was in the role and was fired for gaining weight. They replaced her with soap superstar Robin Mattson, but she was completely wrong for the role. I recently watched some episodes with her and it was shocking just how bad she was. Eventually Ilene returned to the show which I found pretty shocking considering how poorly she was treated.

Ironic you mention Andrew Robinson on Ryan's Hope, as he later played Larry Cotton in the first Hellraiser movie, released in 1987, 2 years before Ryan's Hope was cancelled.

The character of Larry's brother was called Frank.

Kathleen Tolan, one of the actresses who played Mary Ryan, went on to be a writer for Loving, the show that effectively ended Ryan's Hope.

 

[ChrisSumner]

Ironic you mention Andrew Robinson on Ryan's Hope, as he later played Larry Cotton in the first Hellraiser movie, released in 1987, 2 years before Ryan's Hope was cancelled.

The character of Larry's brother was called Frank.

Kathleen Tolan, one of the actresses who played Mary Ryan, went on to be a writer for Loving, the show that effectively ended Ryan's Hope.

Loving had a lot of connections to Ryan's Hope. That did play a big part in ending the show, but after recently reading an oral history on the show, the creators also played a part. At the height of the shows success they wanted to make the show an hour, but the creators refused. In the end General Hospital got the hour slot and the rest is history. There were also periods where they were fired and when they'd come back they'd reject everything written when they were gone, regardless of if it worked or not. They were very stubborn, but Loving did put the final nail in the coffin.

 

[AndyB2008]

Loving had a lot of connections to Ryan's Hope. That did play a big part in ending the show, but after recently reading an oral history on the show, the creators also played a part. At the height of the shows success they wanted to make the show an hour, but the creators refused. In the end General Hospital got the hour slot and the rest is history. There were also periods where they were fired and when they'd come back they'd reject everything written when they were gone, regardless of if it worked or not. They were very stubborn, but Loving did put the final nail in the coffin.

Claire Labine was one of the creators, and she later pitched some soap ideas to other networks.

One was to have set in New York City for ABC called Heart and Soul (taped in New York as well) but ABC went with the GH spin off Port Charles, which was to be taped in LA.

There was Union Place as well for NBC, but they chose to go with a new soap from Aaron Spelling.

 

[ChrisSumner]

Claire Labine was one of the creators, and she later pitched some soap ideas to other networks.

One was to have set in New York City for ABC called Heart and Soul (taped in New York as well) but ABC went with the GH spin off Port Charles, which was to be taped in LA.

There was Union Place as well for NBC, but they chose to go with a new soap from Aaron Spelling.

She also had Celebration at CBS, but they went with B&B instead. I think it's such a shame none of these got picked up. She was so good and the things that aired instead I just know were worse than what she would've come up with. Especially Port Charles. I never understood why they picked that show up. You can tell it was thrown together last minute. The first year with the original writers was so slow and they had no stories. It wasn't until Lynn Latham took over that the show finally gained some momentum.

 

[ClassyCo]