Vee

I'm pretty sure Jill always intended to just port RC over to GH as Skye. But yes, I do recall hearing Gina was up for Carly in 2001 though I also heard (and believe) that Tamara was originally a temp intended to kill Carly off after JFP famously clashed with Sarah and led to her quitting. I also heard they talked to Gina again when Tamara left, GL or no GL. But I'm not clear on the timeline.

I couldn't stand her on OLTL. But I think she did incredible work at both GL and Y&R. She earned my respect. She was also very nearly Carly #2, 3 or 4.

I think Frank let Tony Geary have his way when he started at GH, right as Ron made it his mission in life to reunite L&L. He failed because Tony openly defied them, starting with their attempt to address Luke's alcoholism (by having Luke continue to ad-lib drinking the Quartermaine booze onscreen) and then all the way down the line. I think TG is the only actor Frank would bend the knee to, at least that I know of. He allegedly tried to break Steve's ego in that same period and that led to Steve quitting for years, when FV had allegedly gambled that he could get Steve to come in and out like Kimberly McCullough (who, in fairness, Frank had saved from permadeath onscreen as planned by Garin Wolf). Frank had no reverence for Steve or for most big stars, so he could allow Jason to be made a fool onscreen in 2012. He's beloved by so many of his cast and crew so that can't be discounted, and stuff like what he did for John Ingle I'll never forget. But also I think with most talent FV rules with an velvet-gloved iron fist. The best example I know from OLTL is the urban legend, which I believe to be true, and this part of it definitely is: In 2008, during press screenings/Q&A for the 40th anniversary, a fan asked the cast and crew panel point-blank why Bo and Nora had never reunited. Frank answered that question by promptly throwing it to Bob Woods and Hillary B. Smith. That sent a message. Allegedly, the rumor goes that the next step not long after this was Frank taking the actors aside, telling them the show was in dire straits numbers-wise and it was time to cut the bullshît and reunite Bo and Nora, for good. And the following year the show did exactly that (and it went very well IMO - the actors admitted as much afterwards, with RSW famously saying it was a huge mistake breaking them up and 'we could have been printing money all those years'). So, there's one example.

No, but she's damn good! And Gina is one of the few that could probably outlast the Sarah Webber Curse.

I am not going to get out my 'Gina Tognoni as Dr. Sarah Webber arriving with shady husband and 2.5 kids' portion of my GH bible again, so don't make me.

It doesn't. It's never going to happen again. Which means I would kill Jason, dead-dead. I still want to know WTF happened in Steve's last year. It was very strange. All of a sudden Jasam, which they'd forced down our throats for close to 20 years, was over very quickly, and Jason proceeds to get down with two new women in the same year, one of whom had been the no-go character for Jason by actor demand since 1999. Usually Jason needs a minimum of nine months, a background check and a promise ring to sleep with a woman. But suddenly he was down for both Britt and Carly in the same very quick span right on the heels of Sam. All I can conclude is that something with Steve and Kelly BTS became completely unviable, and I assume it will stay that way.

@DRW50 famously referred to Ava as Jim Carrey's "Fire Marshall Bill" character from In Living Color for years lol. I have never forgotten this description of Maura's outsize performances and tbqh it is at times accurate, especially in the RC years when she was trying poorly to keep secrets and kept playing to the Vegas Sphere with bug eyes and insane smiles. Ava is often campy as hell but MW also delivers genuinely great work that has real weight underneath and elevates the show, so I let a lot slide lol.

I will never buy that Ava is out of the mob, lol. Ava is a stone cold killer. She will always be in the underworld, whatever they have her pulling at this moment.

If Guza was here he would absolutely kill Ava in a blaze of glory and the audience would suck it up. Do I think it's needed any time soon, no, but it's far from unthinkable.

I used to be an avid booster for writing Ava off, but I think at this point in time she is fluid enough to do nearly anything. She's hit that Alex Olanov zone from OLTL. Her relationship with Nikolas started dark, turned saccharine and OOC and then went back to very dark again; that's why she still works for me. The one thing I wouldn't do is defang her or soften her up again. Ava is not a heroine, she should not have sweet bonding scenes to make us weep for her much (though you can play the pathos over Kiki, etc.) or a conventional love story. She should not be buddy-buddy with Sonny or Carly. She has an interesting, unconventional relationship with Trina that is not dissimilar to Robin's bond with the mob in her day; that is the most she gets (and you would have to show that Trina doesn't fully understand her, and is uncomfortable with the rest of her). Like Alex, she has to stay dangerous and be riding the line in a liminal space where she could get written out for her deeds at any moment. I personally feel any story of her would probably be building to a long, long trail leading to her violent exit, but I would leave it open for as long as I could.

Simply that. He wouldn't get vaxxed, wouldn't comply with the mandate at the network and put the cast and crew at risk. For me that is a termination offense. Same as the rumors (hopefully unfounded) that Lindsay Hartley's first run as Sam in 2020(?) came about because Kelly wouldn't mask up. I very much hope the latter is just a nasty rumor, but I would've killed both their contracts for that and you would never have seen either character again.

There will be a cartoon tumbleweed in Cameron's space onscreen very shortly. If it was me Steve would never be allowed back on-set after what he did but it was inevitable.

No, just his inevitable yet dreaded return. Nathan Varni was an overly talkative and IIRC somewhat combative PR flack for ABC during the early years of Valentini and Carlivati's reign. He was inserting himself into anything and everything social media online with fans and frankly was an embarrassment. He seemed to me to throw his weight around, drop random spoilers or editorialize, and suggest he was more powerful than he was. I thought they'd disposed of him years ago as he seemed to go quiet, but here we are.

I cannot believe that fool is still employed. I remember Varni's many hijinks a decade ago.

I adored Nik and Gia. They should still bring Gia back.

If GH doesn't make a deal with this COVID denier within six months I'll be amazed. There goes the neighborhood.

I think Coloma might arguably have been the best recast, in his early days. Then he stopped giving a shít. I had a lot of time for CSSM etc. in his teenybopper heyday with Gia, but he never had the authority or imperiousness that even Coloma sometimes had. And since he is in fact a criminal I would never have him back and I think he's too radioactive even for GH.

Uh-oh.

But there's been two sketchy recasts since. Coloma flamed out and Adam Huss is a temp who, while quite talented, just lacks something long-term IMO. Going for Nikolas #5 would be getting into OLTL's Kevin Buchanan or AW/RH recast territory.

I don't see the point in debating Walt Willey or MEK either - these are recurring players who don't have much story activity. Does it hurt the show if Jack Montgomery from Pine Valley appears from time to time for a legal story? He's not demanding story. Does it unbalance the show if Martin does the same or has some C-plot? They're fine, let them do their thing. I would write Obrecht out in a blaze of villainous glory after a time, though. I will never be okay with her just hanging around.

Tanisha Harper is one of the worst actors I've seen on daytime (not since that rappin' twink who played Oscar has there been someone so bad), and Jordan has always been a half-baked character. Write her out. Same with the now endless parade of Mollys for a good long while, same with T.J. (though I might use him in a medical story for a bit and then have him follow Molly). You can always create and hire new viable characters. Jury's out on Kristina. I would lock Hudson West in as Jake, on contract. It's time. I don't consider a lot of these people regular cast. Alley Mills doesn't need to be cut because she only appears off and on on a recurring basis - Heather can go in and out for story. Esme can exit when her story finishes and recur like Heather as a baddie on occasion. Kevin and Lucy, Ned, Scott, etc. are all great characters but again they all appear regularly as is. You don't need to have every vet on contract to keep them active in major story; GH has shown that while having way too many other recurring players as is. Would I put Kevin and/or Lucy back on contract? Maybe. But it wouldn't really change anything, and keeping some on recurring but playing them often saves money. No need to put Wally on contract for Ned to be active in story. Adam Huss, I haven't decided but frankly I'd probably kill Nikolas off permanently in a more respectful way with Tyler gone - there's been too many recasts and while Huss is fine, it is not the same.

I'm not! And Sam would be gone because Sam as a character is just done and burnt out, at least for many years. There's no need to keep her or her unnecessary kids or Maxie's. Some of the kids can return as needed SORASed someday.

It is literally what she's known for on GL. If you've never seen Annie check it out lol.

Why choose? Both must feed the fire. Yeah, Dex would be gone. And yes, Nina vs. Brenda writes itself, especially with the fashion/cosmetics angle in business story that could introduce itself in the beginning with Lucy, Deception, Crimson, whatever before Nina swiftly realizes that this is the one major figure in Sonny's life that she knew very little about and that eclipses her both personally and professionally. You could also have Maxie maybe leave over differences with Nina re: Crimson, Kate's legacy, whatever to begin to build on that.

Tracy Melchior as NuLily is a chilling thought. She's far worse than Noelle Beck, who actually has talent even if the recast was so awkward to watch and poorly handled. I remember her Kelly on OLTL, which was totally unrecognizable and felt like a temp.