Soap Stars You Feel Have Been Disloyal to Their Shows

[Max]

It always seems that whenever there is a dispute between soap stars and TPTB, soap fans automatically side with the stars. However, I feel quite differently about this matter, and believe that there have been many instances where the stars themselves are to blame for their disloyalty. Below is a list of some of these instances:

*Eileen Fulton: IMO, Ms. Fulton committed the most egregious act of disloyalty of any (non-fired) soap star I have known. Back circa 2002, Fulton voluntarily called Page Six (a gossip column) of the New York Post, and whined and b*tched that she was hardly getting any airtime. She then proceeded to trash Hogan Sheffer and his tendency to write for just the young actors. Now, even though Fulton was 100% right in her comments, it was so grossly inapproiate for an employee to contact the press and complain pubicly about her employer; if she was so angry, she should have just quit ATWT (it would certainly save P&G a lot of money if she were to quit, since her salary must be so bloated). And, there's no dobut that she should have been immediately fired for her public comments (of course, she was not fired simply because TPTB were too afraid of a backlash from her fans); if you believe otherwise, I suggest you go and publicly trash your employer and see if you get to keep your job.

*Kim Zimmer: Back in 2005, GL underwent massive budget cuts in order to avoid cancellation. Many show veterans (such as Jerry VerDorn) were bumped to recurring status, and all actors were forced to take a pay cut: well, all except one, that is. Ms. Zimmer--who was initially also told her pay was going to be cut--refused to budge (despite the obvious fact that GL was hurting so much financially), and even publicly challenged P&G by essentially stating that they would have to fire her before she would ever accept a pay cut. In a moment of amazing weakness on P&G's part, they completely caved into Zimmer's demand. Of course, in the years since 2005, GL's condition became much more dire, making Zimmer's greed all the more reprehensible. (And, as far as I'm concerned, there will be two good things that will result from GL's cancellation: (1) the show will finally be put out of its misery, and (2) Zimmer will join the unemployment line.)

*Jerry VerDorn: I had alluded to Mr. VerDorn earlier, and the 2005 GL budget cuts that forced him to go from contract status to recurring. Without a doubt, it was wrong to deprive VerDorn of contract status, and VerDorn subsequently jumped ship to OLTL (a desicion that I beileve was the right one). What bothered me, however, was VerDorn's statement to the press (after he had joined OLTL) that GL was a soap in complete chaos, to the point where there was uncertainty as to who exactly was in charge. While VerDorn's statements were completely true, I still felt it was disloyal for him to publicly trash a soap of which he had been a part for 26 years; by making that statement, he not only hurt the TPTB (whom legitmately wronged him), but all of his former GL castmates as well.

*Beth Ehlers: Ms. Ehlers' act of disloyalty happened very recently. After GL made the very stupid decision of dismissing Ricky Paul Goldin, Ehlers was understandably upset. However, it seemed so wrong for her to ditch GL just to join AMC in order to be with Goldin. (Ehlers further fuled the fire by stating that she felt she had to leave because she just couldn't imagine Harley with Gus; a completely absurd statement, given the fact that the character of Harley had been on GL for 14 years prior to Gus' arrival in Springfield.) By leaving GL, I believe that Ehlers put the final nail in that show's coffin, as Harley was the most important character on that soap's canvas (far more important, IMO, than the over-rated Reva). Perhaps the only "justice" from this incident that I can see is that, after moving to AMC, Ehlers' character (at AMC) is one that is on the backburner, and a character whom I expect to be written off the show in about a year.

Before I conclude this post, I'd like to say a word about the general level of greed among today's soap stars: Today's soap stars are still demanding the same salaries that they have always gotten, and often publicly complain to the press when it looks like they may be forced to take a pay cut. These demands are both very arrogant and very unrealistic, since the ratings of all soaps have plunged dramatically. I honestly don't know what gives these stars the right to be exempt from a pay cut, since the situation of each soap was far better back when these soap stars first attanined the level of pay that they currently still receive. (I strongly feel that these stars should be so greatful that their soaps have not yet been cancelled.) Indeed, I consider all salary related complaints to be tremendously disloyal in nature, as it looks like the stars care far more about their own wallets than the financial condition of their soaps.

[Sapounopera]

All the actors you mentioned have/had been with their shows for ages and managed to stay around while headwriters and executive producers changed every few years. They all had the right to discuss the show's situation with the press. When I read the title of your post I expected a different list of names

[All My Shadows]

No offense, but [!@#$%^&*] "loyalty." Where is "loyalty" when Hogan Sheffer writes bonehead plot after bonehead plot on ATWT, completely ignoring the show's central focus and theme? Where is "loyalty" when people who have committed to being on these shows for the long haul simply because they love their job...where is "loyalty" when these people are canned?

The problem in this situation is that people want to get worked up about the fact that these folks have spoken out, and that's all they care about. How about actually listening and paying attention to what these people are saying? Especially if it's the truth. You'll have a lot more actors and actresses speaking out if you dont' fix the [!@#$%^&*] problem at hand.

Sorry if that sounded harsh.

kthxbye.

[UKBoi]

I think Ehlers decision to leave GL wasn't about not having Gus as a love interest anymore, but more that Harley was being put it more and more ridiculous storylines and pairings when there was so much story still to do with Harley/Gus. I also think she knew GL wasnt going to be around much longer or the whole no actor working as much as they used to (comments made by Kim Zimmer about only being used to the contract minimum)...the woman has a family to provide for and AMC probably looked like a more stable gig, better writing and more chance of an Emmy. Otherwise, once GL was cancelled Ehlers would have been reduced to playing the mom on teen dramas or Lifetime movies.

However, I do think she (and RPG) should have been curteous enough to let TPTB know they were leaving earlier so they could have plotted a GusH exit from the series, maybe just before the new production model was unveiled.

[SteveFrame]

Max, I think you have a point to a certain degree but not with these people.

For me it is not a fact of them being disloyal this time around as it was the show quit being loyal to them a long time ago. They have all given years to their shows - some of them choosing to stay or come back when they could have gotten better jobs elsewhere. I think loyalty with some works two ways and in all thse instances the shows owed them something and they were not getting it all.

I think of actors being disloyal to shows being like Thaao Penghlis revealing who the Salem Stalker was all because he got mad that his character was one of the victims.

To me what Eileen and Kim did in particular is what is going to have to happen in order to get shows to stop taking the vets for granted and to start using them. Many fans want that and the actors who have played these characters just want to work. they don't enjoy getting a paycheck for nothing. If they did you wouldn't see someone like Eileen Fulton taking every role in plays and all that she can get. She loves to act and if ATWT won't let her then she will do it where she can.

Back to the topic I think of disloyalty being stars who have been given their start by shows and the shows bend over backwards for them and when a better offer comes up they take off. Or a star who gets his start on a show and is given lots of work and gains lots of fans while on that show and then later he/she makes it big and they won't even list their work on that show because they were embarrassed to have worked there.

I respect your opinion on these actors. I just see it a different way.

[UKBoi]

I think Rebecca Budig definately falls into this category. The fact is, if she'd known, even if she'd had the slightest inkling, she was only going to come back for a year and leave when that year was up, she shouldnt have come back at all. If she'd thought she might not have stuck around she should have said no; not only did it cost Sabine Singh a job in the most humiliating manner possible (I'm not saying she was good or anything, just that she didnt deserve to be treated in such a cheap, unfair way towards the end of her run), and let the fans get invested in her performance again only to take off again.

[All My Shadows]

I agree.

I just don't get it. Eileen Fulton, part of ATWT for decades, and someone who should still have a part in the show (not asking for her to be on every.single.day, but she should play the role that she should be playing, she should show up when it's logical for her to show up, and she should be used to her full potential)...she speaks out against what Hogan Sheffer does, and she's being disloyal to the show? Hogan Sheffer barely spent five years as the show's headwriter and turned the show into something that it's totally not...that is disloyalty.

[SteveFrame]

I agree about Rebecca Budig. I have changed my whole tune on her with this. I have even had second thoughts about whether she even wanted to come back but needed the publicity. and boy did she get it.

I also want to throw another category out there. This year when the strike hit all of a sudden we had all these people who had abandoned soaps come back for short stints because there was no pilot season and soaps was where the work was at. I just wonder how long they will stay or if like Rebecca it is short term. I felt that Tamara Braun only took the role on Days because of that, but I have had to rethink that since she took the job on AMC. I will wait to see how long she stays at AMC.

This is just a side note to that but I have said this before but I will still say it again. Although I love some of the actors who have been on soaps and went on to better things, I have more respect for the actors and actresses who have stuck with the genre and have been loyal to it no matter what. Some of them may not be as good of actors or even as good looking as some who come and go, but they know where their loyalties lie and they give 100% to their shows years after year. I will forever be grateful to the Frances Reids, the Helen Wagners, the Jon Hensleys, the Peter Bergmans, the Don Hastings, the John Clarkes, the Kelley Menighan Hensleys, the Tricia Casts, the Erika Slezaks, and the like who got their starts in soaps and stuck around out of loyalty to the shows and to the fans who made them the stars they are.

[Quent]

After watching the abysmal treatment of stars, both veteran (ATWT's Martha Byrne and Scott Bryce) or new (AMC's Sabine Singh), I think you have it backwards.

[Faulkner]

I think that's terribly unfair. RB had every right to come back to AMC; she was offered the gig, and she had no obligation to protect SS's job. If anyone's at fault in this situation, it's Brian Frons and Julie Hanan Carruthers.

Frankly, the character of Greenlee had become unnecessary YEARS ago. What a disaster she became post-Leo.

[marceline]

What you call disloyal I call protecting one's own interests. I think the concept that stars have to be loyal to shows - or that any employee should be loyal to an employer - quaint to say the least.

People should act in good faith but there's no reason for an actor to stay with a show if they don't like the money. Nor is there any reason for them to not speak out after they leave. Speaking out carries with it certain risks but if the star is willing to accept those risks then that's up to them.

Some people seem to require that actors play into a level of illusion of camera as well as on.

[Skin]

Seriously!

[detroitpiston]

Amen!

[DaytimeFan]

You want to talk loyalty...talk to Jackie Zeman, 30 years on GH, had already taken a pay cut back in 2005 and THEN Frons doesn't renew her contract and she's gotten a dozen episodes this year. Yeah.....see where loyalty gets you.

&*(# loyalty. At this stage of the game it's all about the $alary and everyone taking care of themselves. I don't blame Kim Zimmer (who I've never really been crazy about) for refusing to take the pay cut. A contract is a contract. Nobody held a gun to P&G's head to pay her all that money.

Eileen Fulton has every right to speak her mind about how horribly the show was treating her...she helped BUILD that show, she can say whatever she likes about it. And guess why P&G didn't fire her: they knew she'd sue for ageism because it was BLATANTLY obvious that's what it was.

When Joan Collins joined GL three performers had to be bumped to recurring to pay her contract...is that her fault? No! That's P&G's fault for signing her at such a steep price. She knew her worth and she got what she wanted and she left when she wanted to and still got paid! That's not Joan Collins' fault for being smart. That's P&G's fault for being stupid.

Acting, writing and to an extent producing are financially precarious gigs...it can be feast or famine but it's going to be one or the other so the 'greed' that Max discusses is, in fact, intelligence. These people have families to support, bills to pay and only so many years to make the money they need.

Take a good look at each production company and see who keeps their actors happy and who doesn't. The Bells pay their stars what they're worth. Everyone is paid, utilized in story and treated well. No shock that Y&R and B&B have some of the most stable casts in the business. For all of the negatives with Sony, when it comes to actors they have their heads on straight. Vets get paid at DAYS not for what they're worth now but for everything they bring to the table. At P&G it's dog eat dog, corporate America at it's worst. ABC treats it's 'stars' well...but if you're over 50 and without the last name of Lucci, Geary or Slezak good luck with your negotiations.

[SteveFrame]

Max, these comments are not directed toward you at all - just genealizations. end of dislaimer.

Loyalty and disloyalty is a touchy subject to talk about in daytime.

You basically have 3 sets of fans in soaps.

One - fans of the show. They see anyone who speaks out against their show or says anything about their show in any way form or fashion to be totally disloyal and those actors, etc. are ready to be disowned and forgotten. (i.e. Mary Beth Evans on Days. One day she is loved. The next day she is misquoted saying a joke to Chris Goutman that she should of stayed at ATWT and the message boards light up with bad names for her and she is totally unloved and hated by the very fans who loved her the day before)

Two - you have the fans of the actor/character who are just as die hard as the show fans. Nothing their actor says or does is wrong ever. They will always side with the actor even over the show they love. (i.e. the fans who quit watching ATWT when Martha Byrne was let go or the fans who have quit watching Days because Matthew Ashford was fired) Sometimes even writers like Hogan and JER get these type of fans and will defend their fave to the end and nothing they ever do is their fault but the fault of the other party.

Three - there are the fans who can see both sides and put blame on both sides where it actually belongs at times. Those type of fans are very rare these days. But they are still out there.

And sometimes One and Two can fall into place at times and work together but if push comes to shove they side with their first priority.

So loyalty and disloyalty is going to be a tough game to say - depending on who the one is viewing and posting. Esp. in the world of daytime soap operas.

For instance I have seen long tyrades berating Julia Barr on some boards for being disloyal by not taking AMC's offer of recurring. They called her every name in the book and bid her good riddance because she felt she was too good for recurring status. And then you have the others who still blame AMC for turning it's back on Julia Barr and Brooke.

So I guess it all depends on how you look at it.

I think in the world of soaps for me I can see both sides most times, but I guess when it comes down to it I think the shows owe the stars more loyalty than the stars do them.

the biggest time I blame the stars is when they use the soaps. For instance they use it to get their name out there and turn their backs on it and are ashamed they were ever on that show. If I hear about those type of stars I won't even rent their movies. I forever changed my opinion of Larry Bryggman when I found out he doesn't list his ATWT work on his resume when he is on Broadway. I will never look at him the same way again.