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Ryan's Hope Discussion Thread


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Yes, he did.

 

Just came across this in an old file. Michael Levin(Jack)  talks about the different Mary's and mentions Helen bringing Kathleen in for the role of Siobhan. I don't know what publication and can't recall why I only have these few paragraphs and not the whole article. I don't think this was from one of Carl's magazines, was it? 

They aren't  the clearest to read

 

When Kate Mulgrew left "Ryan's Hope," Michael gave no thought to what adjustments would have to be made with a new actress playing his wife. But, as actress followed actress over the last year and a half, Michael realized there WERE adjustments.
 
"It took me a year to learn how to work with Katey, to learn what a spunky fireball she was. It was very exciting to work with her. You could trust her dynamic, alive and take whatever you threw at her and throw something back."
 
"Mary Carney, Kathleen Dolan, and now Nikki Goulet all had different qualities. As they replace each actress, they try to fill whatever weak spot the one before had.
 
"It was easy with Mary Carney, she had the craft, but it was kind of low-keyed thing after Katey. I didn't spend much time worrying about Mary or how she would change  or change my acting,
 
"Kathy was exciting but was a constant problem in the sense of a new girl breaking into the form. Helen Gallagher brought her in to play the other daughter, Siobhan, but the powers that be cast her as Mary, the bigger part. Kathy herself is anti-establishment, and it was hard to get the old Mary Ryan from her. Especially since Kate had created a Mary that was part child-woman, aggressive, yet a nice person, and a very female person, all that is Mary Ryan and Kate Mulgrew, as well, but Kathy had her own special qualities."
 
Michael feels Mary Ryan as played by Nikki Goulet has a sweeter qualities. "She also has the life and pizzazz of Mary."
 
 
I had led Michael into this discussion and he didn't flinch from the verbal dissection of his various TV wives, any more than the original bluebeard flinched from real dissection.
 
He admits that when Kate was leaving, he felt it would be best to kill the character of Mary rather than try to replace her. he thought it would be interesting, Fenelli left with the baby he hadn't wanted. The powers-that-be on the show disagreed.
 
"With Nikki I've decided- you see, I'm learning - not to try and teach, which I tried to do with the others. It's almost like a good father, letting the person develop and you just watch and once in a while say something or do something when you're sure exactly what you're gonna say
 
 
can and let it happen.
 
"It has been impossible for me to do that on the show for a year and a half now. With a new person you must be conscience of the fact they're new, you must get used to the form. Then you're concerned with how to make it work.
 
"You go through a break-in period first, then you find yourself in a different situation with each of the women. Easy with Mary Caney, electric with Kathy, but a problem I couldn't figure." (Eventually Michael decided it was that the role of Mary was so different from Kathy herself. What gave Kathy her zing was her attitude of having broken away from tradition, yet Mary is tradition bound.)
 
He's learned to relax and enjoy working with Nikki.
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Here's some of what I recall from Louise Shaffer's Locher Room YouTube interview 
 
 
 
Louise's favorite role was Serena/ Josie on The Edge of Night
 
She had watched Ryan's Hope and wanted to be on it
 
Claire wanted to bring a bitch character on to the show
 
Louise told her she wanted Rae to show no conscience and just go after what she wanted...freedom to not be evil or bad but  just driven
 
She was brought on to screw up Frank and Jill's story and then be gone
 
RH writer Jeffrey Lane came up with the Rae has a daughter, Kim, story that kept her around
 
Louise shared a dressing room with Kelli
 
Louise thought Kelli had charisma and as long as Kelli stayed on the show Louise would always  have a job
 
She said Kelli was 17 or 18 ..guess she doesn't know about Kelli saying she was only 14 when she started on RH
 
Louise felt Michael Corbett and other men on the show didn't get enough appreciation
 
Michael was a smart actor and physically beautiful
 
Talks about when Rae slapped Kim. They rehearsed and was getting late and Kelli said to Louise "just hit me"
 
Said good things about Helen Gallagher and how Helen always played the characters backstory 
 
 
Other things
 
She called taking the role of Stephanie on Search For Tomorrow a the mistake of a lifetime but she needed the job and the money ... and with a character and actress as popular as Stephanie and Maree there should have been more time between when she left and the role was recast
 
She was terrified of Mary Stuart during her first run on SFT...second time she and Mary had more in common including how they both liked writing
 
When Louise was there she felt Lisa Peluso was ready to move on
 
 
She had fun playing Goldie on All My Children
 
She hated writing for daytime
 
She said her favorite soap characters to write for were Kathryn Hays and Martha Byrne's characters on As the World Turns
 
Said James Mitchell (Where the Heart Is) was amazing and he gave her some help for one of her books
 
She'd take the right acting role if it were offered today
 
 
 
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