Who would you call the worst firing among the stars?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Shawn, Maureen (played by the fabulous Emmy winner, Ellen Parker) "died" in 1993, so I'm sure you were alive.

BTW, everyone should type in "GL Goodbye My Friend" on the youtube search engine, to see Maurren's death and the drama that surrounded it and its aftermath. That was some of the best soap opera EVER created and possibly the best situations surrounding a soap death that I've ever seen. GL truly had the best writing team in the early 90's.

[Soapsuds]

I was about to post this.

Oh Gawd...horribly yes....ughhhhhhhhhhhhh....

She was awful in the role.

[StephanieLover17]

Trevor Donovan from Days of our lives. I really enjoyed him as Jeremy Horton, too bad they are not bringing him back but is recasting Jeremy, bullshit. I am so pissed at days for this, I really liked Trevor as Jeremy. Him and Shelley had great chemistry and with Jeremy returning, i am still hoping for a jeremy and stephanie reunion.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Frons firing Anna Lee and demoting Rachel Ames to recurring always seemed very strange, especially given the relatively exemplary way he's treated the senior cast members from AMC since he took over. He kept Ruth Warrick on contract until her death, even though she didn't make any appearances within the 2 years before her death. He continues to keep the approaching-90 James Mitchell and Eileen Herlie on contract, even though its obvious that they are unable to appear on a regular basis. I wonder how much influence Agnes Nixon has in keeping them with the show, though if she did have any power at this point, it's hard to believe that she wouldn't have intervened in the Julia Barr situation, at least insisting on a proper exit storyline.

[Tishy]

Michael Zaslow is the most distasteful to me

Anna Lee

Suzanne Rogers

Stuart Damon

Ellen Parker

Frankie Frame (I can't think of her real name)

[Paul Raven]

Days 'bloodbath' from 1980 where several castmembers were cut over a few months including Bill ,Laura,Bob,Stephanie,Mike,Margo,Linda,Phyllis,Robert amongst others.

Was this the first of 'the plan to save Days'?

Eileen Davidson's dismissal from Y&R earlier his year.

Robert Kelker Kelly's departure from Days was a big deal at the time as was Brenda Dickson's firing from Y&R.

[DevotedToAMC]

For AMC I would say Julia Barr without an exit story and Cady McClain. I mean they negotiated for a long time to bring her back and just after a year they fire her? Certainly they can free up affording her by firing Del, Ryan, and Jonathan who are all pointless characters (Although I like Jonathan with Ava)

Anna Lee from GH was in very bad taste

[GaerielSky]

For me it was Cady McClain's firing from AMC. I couldn't watch the show after that. They not only disrespected her career on the show, but they totallyl screwed over the fans who waited 18 years for the Kate storyline. Then they tried to erase Dixie's memory from the show. No one mourned her!!!! NO ONE. Not her son, not Tad, nobody! Tad didn't even say goodbye! It was disgusting... and caused me to stop watching AMC, something I never thought I'd do. Haven't watched since Jan 30.

[Cheap21]

I dont see alot of these as firings to me bc simply being taken off contract isnt firing. Its a demotion but its still a job if they want to keep you on a recurring basis. Its the actor's choice to leave and thats quitting, not being fired.

But to answer the question, I would say Cady McClain from AMC. I hated Dixie but as a TnD fan from back in the day we waited YEARS for them to have their daughter and they killed her off before even wrapping up the story. If they had to kill her, they should have at least reuinted her with Kate first.

Another one was Hunter Tylo from B&B back in 2002. Bell killed her off bc they didnt feel there was anything left for teh character bc she was "too good" and he didnt want to mess with the integrity of teh character that his father created. I can get taht but there was plenty for Taylor that could have been done. This seemed even sillier when he ended up resurrecting her just a few years later and went and started writing her out of character and more of a bitch and had her flaws on her sleeves.

[MichaelGL]

Yeah I remember Tylo's firing back in 02. That really sucked. I hated it period. Anyone also remember when Bobbie Eakes was fired from B&B (the first time and Macy had supposedly died in a car explosion). B&B has had alot of controversial firings more than other soaps.

Here's my list:

Michael Zaslow

Ellen Parker (Jill Farren Phelps fires a talented emmy award winning actress for what?)

Grant Aleksander (The current TPTB in charge are complete and utter idiots for firing him and then wanting him to come back)

Alice Barrett(?) was the lady that played Frankie Frame. Another talented actress fired by JFP.

Anna Lee

Lane Davies from GH (along with a few others for the towering inferno storyline)

Stuart Damon (was he fired, and then brought back, or was he simply kept on contract?)

For pure shock value:

Matthew Ashford

Frances Reid

Suzanne Rogers

[Cheap21]

he was killed off but wasnt fired. Alan died in Feb but SD was still on contract through August. I have no idea what the status of that is but he still appears on the show

[ZaraB]

ABC has some really recent short-sighted departures, particularly AMC, which is reaping what it has sown over the last few years, thumbing its nose at history and viewers: letting Julia Barr go (technically she walked, but they weren't even talking contract) and Vincent I, both in short order. OLTL has some as well -- letting DG go as Kevin still boggles my mind. Letting Phil Carey go six months before the 10,000 episode? Stuart Damon from GH is another dumb, dumb move, even if they 'kept' him after all.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

I never understood, and probably never will, why these were so "terrible". Right, age ain't nothing but a number. Note to self: Keep repeating it If I were the EPs (JFP & Corday), I would have done the same thing and not have a moment of regret. Corday experienced regret and changed his mind about Reid.

Lifetime contracts? Hell no. They are financially unwise.

[Cat]

GH:

Genie Francis

Stephen Nichols

Billy Warlock, John Ingle, Anna Lee (the beginning of the end for the Qs)

Stuart Damon

Y&R:

Jerry Douglas

Davetta Sherwood

Victoria Rowell

Eileen Davidson

Adrianne Leon -- for gaining, like, two dress sizes!

But the Michael Zaslow story is definitely the most sickening.

[StevieM]

Matthew Ashford's firing in 1993 was probably the most shocking ever to the industry. He had spent years (very recently at that point) as the most popular actor on daytime. Characters as popular as Jack didn't come along very often. He was right up there with Marlena Evans, Erica Cane, Luke and Laura, and Patch (who was also much bigger then). The firing made absolutely no sense--you don't let go of characters who are that huge.

Many fans today might not understand that because Jim Reilly and Tom Langan, sadly, have succeeded in their efforts to rewrite history. They hated Matt Ashford and set out to destroy his career. And they were rewarded for their reprehensible actions. Had Matt Ashford been there then ultimately there probably would ahve been a spin-off in 99 revolving around the Johnson family, while the Bradys and Blacks kept DAYS. Jane Elliot could have come back from as Angelica, MBE as Kayla and Judi as Adrienne. Admittedly, Steve Nichols and Wally Kurth would have come later (Nichols probably would have bolted GH in 01 like he almost did at the time). Instead, Jim Reilly got a spin-off, made millions and the daytime industry lost the opportunity to have a new, long-term soap opera.

Marlena Evans, Patch Johnson and Jack Deveraux were the heir apparents to Laura Horton and Doug and Julie Williams. But Jack was let go, recast and then shattered after MA finally returned. And Patch&Kayla's return has been a disaster. It's all so sad. Especially because I can't help but wonder what might have been.

Steve