Can being a long-time soap actor be a burden?

[teplin]

I think Kim a) liked to be the star, as she was at GL, with all the adulation that entailed, and liked to work. Neither of those things were fulfilled for her in the relatively short time she was in Hollywood, so she hightailed it back to NY. Could she have fashioned a prime-time career for herself? We'll never know. Deidre Hall is another actress from who tried her luck in prime time. She booked a wealth of guest appearances as well as the female lead in a series that lasted two seasons (Our House). But she, too, went back to her soap -- maybe for the same reasons Kim did, I don't know.

[DRW50]

She actually did get very close to being the lead female on Evening Shade, which she then lost, and said she didn't really like to talk about. I think her lack of bigger success likely came down to her age as well as her big ego.

[John]

It depends if u want to be a STAR than ur not gonna wanan be on soaps long but those STARS are so far & few. Being on a soap is the hardest work there is next is probably theater. PT & film are easy you have so much time to do ur work. I look at daytime soaps like repatory comapnies. Where else over a 4 year contract do you get to work with hundreds of actors and multiple directors. I also subscribe to the fact that an actor never stops learning. When ever you act with someone new in daytime an actor has to adkust their acting. Acting is not just acting but also reacting to your scene partners.

I am also so sick of people knocking soaps and its acting. I find it very sad that there is a lot of the slamming coming from so-called soap fans in this topic. SAD

[Errol]

While I do agree with most of what you said, I do disagree that theatre is harder than a soap. Of course this is just my opinion, but theatre work is easy compared to being on a soap. You say the same lines and wear the same clothes show after show. You are given ample lead time in rehearsal (sometimes months in advance), which means you are more prepared and in tune with your character or role. On the other hand, I'd say being on a soap is harder than theatre because you have to learn your lines just one night before you say them on camera (in most cases), are not allowed rehearsal time (in most cases these days) and are thrown to the wolves without really getting much chance to learn who your character is as a) the writers mostly don't even know and you get hired today, and tomorrow you're already on set filming.

I'd say the easiest acting gigs begin in this order:

- Theatre

- Primetime TV

- Soaps

- Movies

Ultimately though each of them are their own beasts and only those in each genre knows how much work is needed to get the job done.

[frequentsoapfan]

Considering the dialogue on soaps nowdays and the lack of characterization they say the same lines everyday as well!

[John]

I think Movies are easy well depending on the film u r doing. Id say soaps are the hardest and most like theater because of its large casts. i said theater is the next hardest. Thats why I see soaps like repatory companies for TV. I hate that soaps still get no respect and they have been around longer than Primetime

[Errol]

Well that's another issue altogether, lol. That's the fault of the writers not necessarily the actors portraying the characters. Still doesn't change the fact that words are written and must be said (in most cases) line by line the next day on camera and hairstylists and clothing designers have to get an actor to appear differently each day or the same (depending on the progression of an episode based on the writers' script).

[SFK]

I tend to agree with Ann's earlier post, as well as Errol's post about theatre being easier than soaps. In theatre, we have weeks of rehearsal and memorization time. The emotional demands of a well-hewn character in a fine piece of theatre may bring challenges that a soap character may not, but again, an actor in a play has the luxury of time to work out these things. There are also the physical demands, particularly when doing the classics. The vocal and body strains can be significant. Perhaps what's hardest about theatre is keeping it fresh and organic night after night. Making discoveres and having revelations that you've had to do eight times a week for say six weeks, and making it feel like the first time every time. Also, if you had a bad performance you get the chance to do it again... and again... Soap actors basically get one chance to knock it out of the park, which I imagine is equally frustrating and envigorating.

Of course a newbie on a soap makes in one day what a theatre actor with one of the highest paying Equity contracts makes in a week.

Some people, like Erika Slezak, really enjoy the soap grind. As much as I love soaps, I know they're not for me. When Joan van Ark talked about breaking down her scripts like plays and burning out, I could see something similar happening to myself. I think soap acting requires more shortcuts, more on your feet, in the moment acting and not a lot of heady choices. Knowing your lines seems to be the highest priority, then being able to make good acting choices quickly, flying off the seat of your pants and just going with it, trusting your instincts without a lot of time to second guess yourself.

[MrQuartermaine]

No one ever told the veterans that they couldn't retire. The reason people like Anthony Geary, Leslie Charleson, Jeanne Cooper, etc., are all still working is because they want to.

[DaytimeFan]

It all comes down to age, the one thing that every actor, be they Al Pacino, Joan Collins, Eric Braeden or Bernadette Peters, has to face and suffer through. The fact of the matter is American movies and television are extremely ageist and the roles just aren't there for older actors.

Then you have a problem relatively unique to soap actors: because they are in a regular grind, on a contract that doesn't always allow for outside work, they aren't exposed to casting directors and have tiny resumes even though they have thousands of hours on tape. Erika Slezak is the perfect example, she has 3 credits on IMDB, one of which is OLTL. That's it! Thousands of hours on tape, but such limited exposure to the rest of the business.

People underestimate how important casting directors are, particularly in television for pilot season, by not being exposed to these people soap actors face a hellish taks of breaking into the business. Former 'PASSIONS' actress Kim Johnston Ulrich (she played Ivy Crane) is married to a casting director and she has zillions of television credits to her name and is, in comparison to Slezak, far more successful in mainstream television.

[Errol]

This I get! This would be the only reason one could look at a soap as a detriment and why it would be considered a stepping stone. In most cases, if you get a soap gig it's likely because it's your first gig. There are thousands of actors who can't even get on a soap much less bypass the genre and make it big, so I get this. Mark Teschner is possibly the most well renowned casting director in the soap business today, but he can't get you a gig with Al Pacino or even Bernadette Peters. He sure as hell can't get you Spielberg.

[SFK]

I think it's also important to remember that many soap actors are happy, thankful, and perfectly content with the careers they have. I remember going to an open house for an acting studio years ago, and something one of the instructors said that stuck with me is that a career in acting doesn't have to be all or nothing. We can't all be A-list box office gold. If that's the ONLY kind of actor you'll be happy being, you've got you work cut out for you, and best of luck (and frankly, maybe acting's not right for you). But if it's the acting you love first and foremost, you can be happy doing soaps, Indie flicks, NY theatre, regional theatre, or performing in your local community theatre. And contrary to popular belief, thousands of actors are happy doing any of the above.

If you are a whiz at memorization and you don't mind an acting gig that's more like a 9-5, soaps are great. If you are someone who needs adulation, you'll get that too. We all know how devoted crazy ass soap fans are.

[SFK]

Well as a CD and not an agent or manager, he can only get you a gig with whatever producer/director HE's working for. He can make a referral, but all he's good for is getting you on GH. Soaps would be more career friendly for actors if they had more down time and less restrictive contracts. Someone like Erika Slezak carried her show for the most part, but unlike Lucci, she never branched off into outside projects. She never had the same buzz/marketability as Lucci, but if she REALLY wanted to get on a primetime show shot in NY back in the day, it could have happened. I think she was content to go home and be with her family after work and just focus on all that Viki had to do. Linda Dano is another person who marketed herself and her agent got her an audition for Homicide, which she booked when AW was still on the air. Beverlee McKinsey auditioned for and booked Bronco Billy. But notice that these are names at the top of the soap game. They are less generous about letting valuable newbies do outside projects. I seem to remember one of the reasons why SMG left AMC is because she wasn't allowed to take a potentially lucrative audition.

[DaytimeFan]

Yes, that's very true that the casting directors are limited to the projects they themselves cast...but that's the point, not being able to get in front of a casting for Job A will lead to an actor not even being considered for Job B. Casting Directors keep amazing contact books and have great memories. Plus, casting directors can work for studios more generally, so getting in front of the big ones is key.

At the same time, there are people who market themselves like Lucci and Linda Dano who had the names which made it possible for them to market themselves. And then you have the Erika Slezaks who liked the 9-5 aspect of the job, the family time, the regularity of television. It's very different in the UK, a job in the soaps is the brass ring countless television actors strive for, regular work, amazing exposure and good money.

[Mr. Vixen]

As an actor, I thought soaps are harder than theater.