B&B: Susan Flannery

[Queen]

It's common knowledge that SF is the heart and soul of B&B. She's etched her place in the medium.

For viewers who've watched her since the beginning...what did Flannery bring to the Daytime table? What was her contribution?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Outside of probably Bert Bauer on GL, Stephanie is perhaps the only soap opera matriarch that's been the driving force behind major storylines, as well as being the most popular character on B&B. It's almost unheard of for soap opera matriarchs to carry on such a big presence, as Stephanie has on B&B. Soap matriarchs on all the other soaps were traditionally women who were supporting characters that were there to give advice and look after the family. That wasn't the case with Stephanie, although Bill Bell admitted when he created B&B he didn't think Stephanie would be as an important of a role as she morphed into. Flannery has also said something to that effect.

And without Flannery, there is no Stephanie, so it all comes back to that in some way.

[Cashton]

SF is one of the few roles that can never be re-cast. Flannery made such a mark on the role and elevated it to Shakespearian levels of complexity. She wasn't a star till she took on the role. If any other actress on daytime had changed their physical appearance the way she did, they would have been fired for sure. Her metamorphasis from the usual matriarch to a true battleaxe and sometime villain was truly art in motion.

[Paul Raven]

To say that Susan Flannery wasn't a star until B&B somewhat negates her role as Laura on DOOL.

She was most definitely a daytime star due to that role and the Bill/Laura/Mickey story,that under Bill Bell's pen helped Days rise to the top of the ratings.

She left Days and scored a role in the massively successful Towering Inferno,which earned her a Golden Globe.

She had a featured role on Dallas in it's heyday as the #1 show on the air and roles in other TV movies.

I agree her role on B&B has only cemented her reputation and stature.

[Cat]

Queen, I think Nelson Branco said it best (yes, I know he's not highly rated at SON but bear with me) when he called Flannery the Marlon Brando of Daytime. SF turned Stephanie into a complex, multi-faceted character that transcends the usual gender stereotypes (Erica Kane, for example, is definitely female, feminine -- almost drag-queenly so! Stephanie Forrester could have been played by a man or woman. She is the equivalent of Victor Newman for B&.

On YouTube they have some episodes featuring Susan Flannery in the early days of B&B. Her scenes with the very talented Joanna Johnson (Caroline) are especially amazing, in my view. Stephanie appears to be confiding, maternal, loving, scheming, enigmatic, controlling and half in-love with Caroline. All in the space of a few minutes! She doesn't transmit any of this with dialogue. Rather, the emotions flitter across her face and deepen the interaction between the two women above standard soap fare.

Maybe I am reading too much into those scenes but I have not been able to tear my eyes away from Flannery since B&B first began. Stephanie was written as the scheming, jealous wife. in Susan Flannery's hands, the character had so many unspoken psychological dimensions, she became human. And compelling to watch.

[JamesF]

Yes I think Susan Flannery took a very Alexis Colby type role and imbued it with a lot more complexity. There's a wonderful scene on YouTube from around 1988 when she decides to hire a PI to find Stephen Logan. On go the disguise of sunglasses and a fur coat but instead of just being a straightforward trashy plot point of a scene, we see how uncomfortable Stephanie is doing something so ridiculous.

The Caroline relationship was fascinating. Much better than the overplayed "friendship" she had with Taylor. They were two women who often fundamentally disagreed but had a tremendous respect for each other.

[David V]

Legend. Can't be replaced. That's all.

[DaytimeFan]

Bill Bell may have created Stephanie Forrester but it is Susan Flannery who MADE Stephanie come to life. Susan Flannery took a character who was your typical rich bitch (a blond Joan Collins if you will although that isn't fair to Collins who is more a comedienne than anything else in her bitch roles)...and made her into the most complex character in daytime.

Susan Lucci once said that she considered the role of Erica Kane to be the greatest role ever written for a woman in daytime. I feel Susan Flannery proves that Stephanie Forrester is the greatest role ever ACTED by a woman in daytime. She's a tour de force. Stephanie is her creation. An Icon.

[nicknack]

The smartest thing both Bells ever did, grabbing SF, not letting her go and keeping Stephanie in the mix as much as possible (permitting SF's health).

[MTSRocks]

Excellent actress, but over the last couple of years I've been tried of her act. I don't really think she's as extraordinary as people try to make her out to be though.

ETA: I'm not going to discredit Flannery's role as Stephanie Forrester, because she did do a remarkable job, though I find some of the praise to be quite excessive. I wonder what Susan Seaforth Hayes would have done with the role?

[Cat]

Well, I still stand by my opinion of Susan Flannery's talents. Although she has been noticeably more muted in her performances in recent years. No thanks to the poor writing.

Susan Seaforth Hayes would have made a very different Stephanie. Ridge and Felicia would have looked more like her children, for a start. I think she would have been more seductive, perhaps, and sexy, using flirtatiousness and a smile as the mask behind which she would plot and scheme. SF's Stephanie was always much more direct in her scheming. When she hated someone, she owned it. She would come right out and tell them, destabilizing them completely.

Seaforth Hayes would have perhaps been more overtly "Joan Collins" -- picking up what DaytimeFan put in his/her post -- in the sense that she might have made Stephanie more of an Alexis figure. As well as playing up the comedy. SSH is good with the comedy.

[nicknack]

IMO, that is what made Steph unique though. That most of the time she wasn't a seductive schemer. She was like a bull in a china store. And she was capable of loving the ones she elected (Ridge, Amber, Bridget) almost as fiercely as she hated the ones she hated (Brooke, Sheila). She could come across like a true force of nature.

Pity that apart from her dedicating to Eric and Ridge, Stephanie was much worse in being as consistent in her love as she was in her hate.

[MTSRocks]

Sorry if I misdirected my post to imply that other's should change their opinion on Flannery, that wasn't my intention. She is a great actress indeed.

Good analysis on Hayes. She probably would have been all those things. I loved her on Y&R during her brief stints, and you're right, she can do comedy really well. I'd love to see her stack against KKL Brooke lol.

[DeeeDee]

Sue Flannery = Legend.

[JackPeyton]

random q...

what bonded steph and bridgett?