All: In your opinion who are the most over the top actors on each soap

[detroitpiston]

My list

All My Children: Darnell Williams

I know I'm probably alone on this one, but I find Darnell to be one of the most over the top actors on the show. He always, IMO, over emotes every scene he's in. When ever he's in an emotional scene I always have to reach for the mute button. Once again, JMO.

As The World Turns: Roger Howarth

Loved his portrayal on OLTL as Todd, but ever since joining ATWT his acting has gotten so over the top and emotionless that half the time he's on screen I have to wonder if he's even trying to act anymore.

The Bold and the Beautiful: Ronn Moss

21 years and his acting has still yet to improve. Moss is another actor who feels the need to always overact in any scene he's in. But at this point, his overacting has become something that I've learn to except.

Days of Our Lives: Drake Hogestyn

Like Moss, Hogestyn, a long time DOOL veteran has still yet to improve his acting. His constant sniffing of the air and weird facial expressions are DOOL has such a bad reputation when it comes to actors.

General Hospital: Maurice Bernard

5 years ago, if someone would have told me that Maurice Bernard would become one of the worst, and most over the top actors on the show I would have called them a lie. Maurice quickly went from one of Daytime's best leading actors to one of its worst with his now emotionless portrayal of Sonny Corinthos. Now granted, the piss poor writing hasn't helped but Bernard could at least try and you know act. It's gotten to the point where he literally does nothing but yell all day and has to force tears out of his eyes.

One Life To Live: Kamar De Los Reyes

Love Antonio and Talia together, but there is no ignoring Kamar's over the top portrayal of Antonio. In every scene he's in he always has to out act the other person he's with. Put him in a dramatic scene, and he's worst than George W. Bush trying to talk intelligently. But I guess it could be worse, he could be like his on screen brother David Fumero and give a stale emotionless portrayal in every scene.

The Young and the Restless: Cristian J. LeBlanc and Judith Chapman

Ever since Chapman took over the role of Gloria from Joan Van Ark, its been like she and LeBlanc were in a contest to out diva each other in every scene. The only time these two seem to even understand the meaning of a subtle performance is when neither is in a scene together.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

You forgot to list Laura Wright with GH, detroitpiston.

[detroitpiston]

In my best Chris Crooker impersonation LOL. "Leave Laura Wright Alone!"

[leevo64]

This one's going to be fun...

AMC

Darnell Williams &

Debbie Morgan...I'm sorry, I really don't see what the love is all about for these two.

Jacob Young - huffing and puffing through a scene does not an actor make

Alicia Minshew - totally melodramatic

OLTL

Catherine Hickland - I have always found her performances ridiculous

Kamar de los Reyes - detroitpiston said it right.

GH

Maurice Bernard - I cannot stand how epic each performance is.

Laura Wright - can we hollar any louder?

[JackPeyton]

IMHO - actress' like Wright and Chapmen play the roles that arewritten, the way they are written, and the way the show wants them.

doesnt make them bad or overthetop, ameks them damn good at doing a hard job.

[MarkH]

Yahbut...Moss is awful, but I wouldn't call what he does "over-act". I'd call it "simulate wood"...and that's a whole other thread.

The current over-emoter (my definition of over-actor) is Jennifer Gareis. Bar none. With a close second in the "mugging" of Alley Mills and Lesley Anne Down. No restraint--AT ALL--in any of those performances

Totally right...but I agree with JP. The melodrama is in the DNA of the characters...like B&B's Sally Spectra, some characters are SUPPOSED to be larger than life, and the actors actually have to WORK to reach that height. It is not a lack of restraint in performance...it is a deliberate striving to be outrageous.

The over-actor (IMO) on Y&R is Ted Shackleford as vile, disgusting, hateful, evil, torturous, sadist, nasty, cackling Jeff Bardwell. (Can you tell I, ahem, love him?) That cackling all the time...THAT is practically a form of moustache twirling. Totally unappealing.

[DaytimeFan]

OLTL

Kamar de los Reyes : hands down the one actor who makes me want to hurl with his overacting. And I LIKE overacting at times. But there is something about de los Reyes that puts him in a league of his own...just terrible.

GH

Maurice Benard : what happened? He used to be great (circa 1990something) but it seems post 2002 (ie Frons) he's become horrible.

DAYS

Drake Hogestyn : the pioneer of 'smelling the fart' acting.

B&B

Jennifer Gareis : this is one instance where I actually like the overacting. Donna's an over the top ditz, but I love her.

Ron Moss : get out the glaze, we've got ourself a ham of epic proportions.

Alley Mills : again, the point of the character is to be overacted, she's a caricature.

Y&R

Judith Chapman : she does an admirable job with such a whacked out character.

Christian LeBlanc : used to be soooooooo good and subtle. Well, those days are gone because all he seems to do is spaz out day in and day out.

[DevotedToAMC]

AMC

Cameron Mathison

[DeeeDee]

AMC - Walt Willey. Jill Larson.

GH - Tony Geary. Julie Berman.

OLTL - Ilene Kristen. Trevor St. John.

B&B - Jen Gareis. Kyle Lowder.

ATWT - Kelley Hensley. Roger Howarth.

Y&R - Judith Chapman. Christian LeBlanc.

GL - KIMZIMMER. Tom Pelphry.

[Cheap21]

OLTL: Jon Lavoiser (sp)

[Antoyne]

Days: The DH's....Deidre had this awful habit under JER after she did fantastic as the SSK, to huff and puff between every word. At times it seemed as though she was having an orgasm..

And watching old clips, it seems that Drake actually started out decently and just over time as he somehow became the star of the show he forgot how to be a character and not a charicature.

[RoseVioletDaisy]

Darnell Williams does go over the top sometimes, but I'd much rather see that kind of commitment and depth to than the actors who phone it in most of the time. I love that both he and Debbie Morgan are totally "there" in every scene they're in, individually and as a couple.

The biggest overactor, in recent memory anyway, had to be Tom Pelphrey on GL. Ugh. The screaming, the screaching, the punching himself in the head, and constant crying and whining. Oye. Calm down buddy.

[DeeeDee]

Like Mother, Like Son. lol

[Becki]

I don't watch all the shows so I can't judge any but these.

GH...Maurice Bernard

GL...Kim Zimmer (even though I love her)

OLTL Trevor St John,

Y&R Michelle Stafford, Judith Chapman

[DrewH]

AMC

Susan Lucci (Erica)

DAYS

Shelley Henning (Stephanie)

Alison Sweeney (Sami)