Thaao Phenghlis is the nastiest soap star I ever interviewed. Jim Reilly was a nice man who never said anything bad about anyone in public and rarely in private. Thaao only wishes he had the fortune and success enjoyed by Reilly over all his years in soaps. Shame on Thaao for speaking ill of a dead man. Especially one who kept him employed for years!

Connie P. a.k.a. Marlena DLC

In Thaao's defense, the longest JER ever kept him employed was 2 years.

He's hardly "attacking" JER. He's commenting on the influence of Reilly and similar writers on the state of the industry. I agree that one shouldn't settle personal scores with the recently deceased but it's silly to embargo all criticism of the person's work/career.

I agree with Thaao, but note the contrast with another former DAYS star who arguably suffered as much during the reign of Reilly, Matt Ashford, who has NEVER publicly criticised Reilly or Corday or anyone else associated with DAYS. Indeed Ashford still goes to the DAYS fan events, even though Jack Deveraux is no longer a character on the show.

Matt Ashford has class, can you say the same about Thaao?

I too thank Actor87 for Evan's great banner!

I don't think he said anything disparaging, he was actually quite truthful.

I have never been a big fan of Thaao's, but I agree with him here. And I for one have no problems with him speaking his mind. I mean this is America where we have freedom of speech.

Others have said bad things about other dead writers and stars without being raked over the coals. And how often are other dead celebrities, politicians and others talked about. I mean how far do we carry the not speak ill of dead.

I think Thaao has his information wrong about the ones who killed him off as Gloria Monty and Pat Falken Smith killed him off on GH - so it wasn't just Gary or JER. And why does Gary come into it. Gary is not the writer.

This is just another case of Thaao burning bridges where he doesn't need too. He was lucky after what he did the last time that Days let him come back. But they did and fans forgave him - just to be happy to have him back on Days. Now he goes on the attack again. He needs to remember that Days fans are not the most forgiving fans out there. He got another chance with them - he better watch out if he expects another.

What are you talking about, with the whole "they forgave him" angle? What'd he do that needed to be forgiven? I really don't understand this, since I've never seen any Days fan be against them bringing Thaao back for any reasons other than, maybe, the possibilities of over-stretching the cast.

Oh there were many Days fans that were mad about him giving away the secret of the SSK story after all the cast were warned not too. But he did reveal that Marlena was the killer and spoke out angrily about his firing. When he was mentioned to come back there were several fans who were angry about the way he treated Days and was asked back.

That was talked about on several boards.

I'm not trying to start anything, but I have yet to figure out why actors are said to have no class when they speak out about former bosses or writers, etc. or speak their minds.

Many of us say worse stuff about our current bosses or former bosses. Does that make us have no class too?

I personally have no problem with it. It is something I wouldn't do personally but that's me. Plus I wouldn't want to burn any bridges or chances that I might need later. But again that is me and my choice. I am not going to say that someone who didn't choose that route is classless or wrong because they do choose to do it that way.

Everyone is different. It would be boring if they weren't.

It's not as though he needs to worry about burning his bridges. I find it highly unlikely that DAYS will bring him back. Again.

I don't think he said anything disparaging, he was actually quite truthful.

I Agree, Redd!!!

It's not as though he needs to worry about burning his bridges. I find it highly unlikely that DAYS will bring him back. Again.

Yeah and at his age...forget about working the USA.

I don't understand why he's still so nice to Ken Corday and taking it out of Reilly or Tomlin. He does know it was Ken to made the final approval of all 3 of his firings, right? Ken could've kept Thaao, all 3 times, if he really wanted to.

I think maybe he could have worded his sentiment a little more tactfully,

but I don't think he owes any allegiance to the producers of DOOL or the writers who made the conscious decision to kill him off and deprive him of income. How should he feel about JER killing off Tony? Or the latest writer killing off Tony? What perplexes me is Corday's basically telling him "we have killed you off and brought you back before, but not this time.

Now you really are fired, never to receive a penny from us again. Hope you have enough to pay your mortgage, because as far as DOOL is concerned you and your 60 yr old ass can go live in the street." I was kind of hoping this interview would be more bitter, filled with scandalous gossip, and include a scathing appraisal of DOOL from the last however many years.

Thaoo is still a bitter, ungrateful actor. When Mr. Reilly wrote for Days, he wrote for everyone unlike some writers. James didn't care if you were over 40 or under 20, he wrote for you because he wanted to. Like I said, he wrote for everyone. Now if someone spilled the beans to my stories, you bet your ass I'll be pissed at them.

During the summer of '08 Thaoo attended a Days fan event where he went on to insult Mr. Reilly(he was alive during that time). The actor also noted that he's dedicating a chapter in his book to talk about JER. In other words, he'll use a chapter of his book to trash the late Reilly.

I will forever be grateful for James E Reilly. Afterall, he was the one who got me hooked on Days. Unfortunately, I stopped watching that show during the summer of '08. I for one do not believe James destroyed this so call genre and industry. It is not James' fault that other writers tried to copied his work. It is not James' fault that Ken Corday doesn't have the balls to ignore the fans of his show. The actors were supposed to be killed off during SSK and only a few were supposed to come back alive. Corday chickened out and brought everyone back alive. What a loser!

James saved Days back in the 90's and there is no doubt in my mind that he couldn't do it again. Corday should be grateful for Jame's creativity. It is that creativity that saved his parent's show.

Edited February 19, 200916 yr by Rakesh

When Mr. Reilly wrote for Days, he wrote for everyone unlike some writers. James didn't care if you were over 40 or under 20, he wrote for you because he wanted to. Like I said, he wrote for everyone.

Everything he wrote for Matt Ashford, John Aniston and Thaao was designed to get them off the canvas.

The actors were supposed to be killed off during SSK and only a few were supposed to come back alive. Corday chickened out and brought everyone back alive. What a loser!

The SSK sucked from start to finish. There was no rhyme or reason to the murders and few of the suspects had plausible motives. JER's fans like to pretend he had some masterplan that Corday messed up but the story consisted of nothing but random blood and gore. And the ratings were tanking months before the fired actors returned. I have no problem giving JER credit where it's due (Maison Blanche, Aremid, Possesion) but the SSK was pure garbage.

Edited February 20, 200916 yr by Ponz