Soap Opera Uncensored — Issue 18
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feeling. Prototypes are: younger VIGGO MORTENSON, MARK WALBERG in FEAR, RYAN GOSLING in MURDER BY NUMBERS and EDWARD NORTON in PRIMAL FEAR. ONLY SUBMIT VERY STRONG TALENTED EXPERIENCED ACTORS. RECURRING ROLE.
I say, hire ONE LIFE’s Josh Kelly!
• In story 411, en route to Alamainia, Hope falls into John’s arms… and the married couple share a moment! Will they kiss? Well, if they do — someone will witness it because a stranger is watching them.
• He’s in… and his out again! Revolving door hunk, Bren Foster, tweeted that he has left DAYS. He wrote, “I'm no longer with DAYS. My career path has moved in a different direction and has me extremely busy." No word if it was his decision or not — but with his burgeoning prime-time TV and film work, it sounds like he asked out of his contract. No loss; he never really clicked with audiences or the DAYS cast. He was a decent actor, though.
• DAYS has cast Celeste’s son, Dr. Cameron Davis, who will be played by Schuyler Yancey. The newcomer has appeared on AMC, MY BOYS and CSI.
• Your eyes weren’t deceiving you. Yep, that was Tamara Braun on the Grammy Award red carpet last weekend! Nice to see you, Tam! You’re still as three-dimensional as always!
GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABC/CITY — Sonny shot; Robin “dies!” Easton: Heading Weston; Gilding The Lilley!
•Death doesn’t become her: Yep, Robin dies next week in a series of “heartbreaking episodes,” says Jason Thompson. He tells DIGEST this week that Robin’s controversial exit story has been retooled. “It was a team effort,” he says. While Robin was originally supposed to succumb to AIDS, it looks like she’ll be the victim of an accident or something.
But don’t expect Robin to see Holly before she crosses over to the other side. Emma Samms tells DIGEST she didn’t get to share any scenes with McCullough. No matter; Holly has more important business to attend to in Port Llanview. And you can bet it has to do with a wise retcon of Ethan’s paternity. Nice work, Ron Carlivati.
• Are Jason and Franco twins? Insiders whisper that Heather sold one of Susan’s twins on the black market, but let her keep Jason so she could use him as leverage against Alan.
Also, is Robin coming back from the dead in May Sweeps? The latter is what Carolyn Hinsey hints at in her IT’S ONLY MY OPINION column in DIGEST this week. Turns out Robin will turn up very much alive, say my sources!
• Another shootout: But this time, Sonny is shot when the mobster takes a bullet meant for his son, Dante. Yes, I like that Ron is trying to redeem Sonny and make him somewhat tolerable and vulnerable, but seriously, how often can this calamity father-and-son duo survive bullet injuries?
• Unexpected fan fave Jen Lilley tweeted that she will remain on as Maxie for the foreseeable future. Turns out Kirsten Storms will not be returning due to illness. Lilley took issue with some fans attacking her. She wrote:
‘I had to get twitlonger to answer properly. First, I, Jen Lilley, LOVE Kirsten Storms. I think she’s talented, funny, beautiful, and kind. While I have loved my time on GH, I think it’s under the saddest of conditions that I’m there. Because of unforeseen circumstances, I am staying as Maxie. Please know that as a KS fan, I am really sorry. Kirsten is irreplaceable. To keep GH alive, someone had to step into the role. I cannot change what’s happened. Yes, I love being on the show, but if KS could have stayed all along, I would have wished a thousand wishes that I could have come on as a different character, for her sake and your sake as a GH fan. Change is never easy.
I hope you will find it in your hearts to stop being so hateful toward me personally, because honestly, after 6 months of it, I feel broken, and it’s not helping the show. We have to stand united for the sake of General Hospital’s livelihood and for soap fans everywhere. I think all of Kirsten’s wonderful fans know that she’d want her fans to support GH and fight like hell for its renewal. With utmost sincerity: Jen Lilley
• Condolences are in order for John Ingle, who lost his wife, Grace-Lynne, to a stroke this past week.
According to one of Ingle’s daughters, she “died in her bed, wrapped in her robe, with her cat by her side.” Grace-Lynne and John shared an incredible 58-year love affair, marrying in 1954 and going on to have five daughters and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Grace-Lynne was an accomplished singer and actress in her own right, starring in the Broadway productions of ELECTRA and WINDOW PANES.
I got to meet the couple during an industry event, and I have to say, they were so in love that it melted this cynical person’s heart on the spot. Thinking of you, John…
• The Dark Knight Leaves Gotham: Michael Easton has put his New York City apartment up for sale, according to THE NEW YORK POST. The actor has listed his one bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom, 984-square-foot condo in the historic O’Neill Building at 655 Sixth Avenue for $1.295 million. The actor will first air in Port Charles as his ONE LIFE character, John “McPain” the week of March 12.
ONE LIFE TO LIVE — Who Needs An Emmy When You Have a Cordero?
•Why didn’t Andrea Evans submit herself for Daytime Emmy Award consideration this year for her kick-ass return as Tina? Well, Evans tells UNCENSORED, “I didn’t know about the deadline. I guess that’s what happens when your show is canceled.” It didn’t stop her co-stars. Considering La Evans is on B&B, you’d think she would have been aware. Alas, I should have reminded her.
• Another ONE LIFER nabs a gig post-Llanview: Brittany Underwood has signed on for Jill Farren Phelps and Josh Griffith’s upcoming, Nick-at-Night teen soap REACH FOR A STAR! According to SOAPS IN DEPTH, Underwood is on board for the show’s entire 80-episode run, yet there's no word on who she will be playing. Previous to this gig, Underwood guest starred on Showtime’s THE BIG C and she can next been seen in HBO’s movie GAME CHANGE on March 10 as Willow Palin. Good girl!
When I was in LA last month, I had drinks with the ingénue, and I have to say she’s incredibly sweet and so non-Hollywood.
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS — Sergeant Williams At Attention! The Planet Of the Great Victor Newman
• The Great Eric Braeden, who starred in the feature film ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES, will be appearing in a panel discussion of the movie franchise on Sat. Feb. 18 along with other cast members from the series between the showings of PLANET OF THE APES which starts at 5 pm and BENEATH THE APES which will begin at 7:30 pm. The panel discussion will take place at 7 pm at The Egyptian Theater located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood. General admission is $11 and parking is not included.
• Like Father, Like Daughter? In story 411, Phyllis comes face-to-face with her father, George Summers, who has suffered a heart attack in prison. Phyllis struggles with seeing her father again because George embezzled money from many investors, and Phyllis turned him in, which has affected her psychology ever since. And we’ve all had to pay for it!
It looks like Michelle Stafford is finally being given some meaty, character-driven material. And what a worthy opponent/co-star. Veteran actor Ken Howard joins the show as George for a two-episode arc beginning Feb 23. I can’t wait to see Stafford and Howard square off! Now this is the kind of casting Y&R should be doing more often. I bet Maria Arena Bell didn’t run into Howard at a lame fundraising event.
• Isn’t it Y&R killing it these days? For those calling for Maria Arena Bell to be fired because she can’t write, let me repeat myself one more time: she’s the reason the show is back to its former self. The mess that was Y&R this past year was because Bell was never around, focusing on her life as a soap socialite instead. Yes, she’d show up on occasion… and cast a D-lister here and there… so it looked like she was doing something (which is why she’d cast actors she ran into at events or she’d hire her pals). But the guilty parties were co-head writers Scott Hamner and Hogan Sheffer, who were ruining the show with their cops-and-robbers gambit. Of course, as the show’s chief, it is Maria’s fault for allowing these out-of-touch scribes dismantle daytime’s number-one show, but as I reported a few months ago,
La Bell got the memo and is taking control of the ship. Now the question is: How long before Maria abandons ship again?
• Salute Sergeant Williams! On February 20, Darnell Williams debuts as a badass physical therapist called Sarge. As UNCENSORED reported weeks ago, William’s character will help Jack, who is paralyzed after being shot by a wacko at his own wedding.
Williams sets up his entry into Genoa City to TV GUIDE, “At first Jack sees Sarge berating one of his [disabled] clients at the hospital and confronts him. He's like, ‘You don't have to be such a dick, dude!’ And Sarge is all, you know, ‘Shut the fuck up and let me do my job!’ But Sarge has a great track record with his patients and, by the end of the day, Jack asks him to be his physical therapist. He knows he needs that kind of pushing and prodding. Tough love!”
Luckily, Y&R is wisely keeping Williams and his AMC co-star, Debbi Morgan, far apart from each other for now. As we all know, on soaps, lightening rarely strikes twice (though I think they’ll be the exception to the rule). He says, “I'm not really sure how they'll spread me throughout the