http://community.tvguide.com/blog/TVGuide-...-News/800054969

Noelle Beck Hopes ATWT's Audience Is Patient

Effective May 8, Noelle Beck is the new Lily Snyder on As the World Turns. The actress — most recently of Cashmere Mafia — will replace fan icon Martha Byrne, whose last episode airs April 22. Byrne quit the soap in a volcanic contract dispute, but she's handling the transition like a pro.

"I received an incredible bouquet of flowers from Martha on my first day of work," Beck tells me. "To have her support makes me feel great. She's one very classy lady." Beck is no stranger to daytime suds — she spent nine years as Trisha on Loving — but the mother of three has lately stuck to recurring roles (the conniving Cilla on Cashmere, Tommy's almost-lover, almost-sister Mariel on Rescue Me).

"We had to take a family vote about the ATWT offer," says Beck, who is married to hotshot New York restaurateur Eric Petterson. "Everybody said, ‘Go back to work!' I thought they were going to say, ‘Please, don't work full-time!' I'm such a crazy soccer mom; I think they want me off the field." As for Byrne's controversial exit, Beck says, "I can't get involved with the politics. Hopefully, the audience will be patient and supportive of the change. If not," she adds with a laugh, "I'm back on the soccer field!" — Michael Logan

Edited April 24, 200817 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Boy, there hasn't been such a thankless position since Susan Batten was recast as Connor Walsh.

Good luck. She's going to need it.

I hope she does well but Martha is so hard to replace!

I wish her luck. She's a classy lady and a good actress. Everything will depend on her chemistry with Hensley and Hubbard. My guess is that because she gives off a more glamourous vibe than Byrne, the writers might try and take Lily in directions that they wouldn't have necessarily done with Byrne in the role.

Yeah, I'm just hoping the nuts don't come out of the woodwork with the always-entertaining death threats. Hate Goutman, hate P&G, hate the show - but leave Noelle alone. She just took a job, and will do the best she can. NONE of this is her fault.

Poor Susan Batten - that woman went through HELL for no reason than she signed on the dotted line, something any actress would do.

Does anyone think that Martha will come back? I can't help but think that she'll be back before we know it.

I haven't been watching ATWT (I've found it so dreadful lately) but I do want to see Noelle on her first day. I will be watching on May 8, and I do like her and wish her the best.

Does anyone think that Martha will come back? I can't help but think that she'll be back before we know it.

Just from reading the SOD interview, I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell, unless there's a major shift in management. However, I never thought Ben Hendrickson would return either and he did.

I haven't ever seen her act, so I look forward to seeing how she pulls this off. Martha Byrne is a tough act to follow.

No offense to her, but I have no intention of being patient no matter how good she is. Martha Byrne is Lily. She is an unfortunate sacrifice in a battle that is about to start between the fans and TPTB, and they started it, not us.

Edited April 24, 200817 yr by juppiter

I don't really watch ATWT. I basically follow Nuke on YouTube but I think that Martha is a phenomenal actress and TPTB were idiots to let her go. I also love Noelle Beck and I'm thrilled to see her back on TV. All that being said...

Babygirl is screwed. The audience will not be patient. They won't be kind or decent or understanding. They will tear her to shreds on day one. She doesn't deserve it but that's what's going to happen.

I give it six months.

Eleven on the outside.

With Byrne leaving, I would've shelved the Lily character, and to fill the gap, I would've cast Noelle Beck as Frannie Hughes. That would've given the Hughes family a demographically desirable female character to build story around. Just a thought!

Odds are the audience won't be patient...when a fan favorite walks and is recast, it is very hard to get the audience to be on board and approach this objectively. But I wish her all the luck

i cant wait. i love NB and am excited to see her again.

I will give her a chance. I've only seen two actresses in the role of Lily. It will take about a couple of weeks or so to see if Noelle Beck will work as Lily.