ATWT: Elizabeth Hubbard: Why is she rarely mentioned?

[MTSRocks]

I love this post, and completely agree.

While Leblanc may be an overwrought bitch today, he was a captivating actor back in the 90's/early 2000's. I guess that's the beauty of being a soap actor. Every actor had/eventually has there moment to shine at one point or another. Some actors get lazy, others get better, and the rest become invigorated again. It truly is hard to say who's the best. I might be tired of Flannery today, but there was a point when I absolutely adored her. As well, look at Sarah Brown. Personally, I never really liked her, but she had her moment on General Hospital as Carly, and then she got outshined as Julia on ATWT by Maura West, and has been totally underwhelming as Claudia on GH. Beverlee McKinsey left her mark on Guiding Light in the early 90's, but who knows what people would be saying about her today if she had continued? For instance, the girl that plays Eden on Y&R may suck right now, but if she sticks around, she might blossom into an excellent actress. It also has to do with presence, which is why I think Farah Fath on OLTL has stuck around. She's mediocre, but the girl has onscreen presence. And BEFORE somebody throws Eva Marcille in here, FORGET IT. B'itch got to go!

[All My Shadows]

There was an episode with her from 1981 posted on WoST years ago, and I'm eagerly waiting for it to find its way to YouTube because I still had dial-up then.

Liz Hubbard is just a joy to watch. Fabulous is an overused word, but it basically describes her to a T. She's the ultimate scene-stealer, IMO.

[DRW50]

The abuse storyline was poorly paced, and was an obvious, short-lived showcase. A few weeks or less of pain and anger, and then right back to the old Stephanie. I think she did a superb job in the stroke/amnesia/homeless story 20 years ago. I was sorry when the loose ends of that story, like her romance with the homeless professor, were dropped. That was the last real chance to redefine Stephanie.

I don't have a problem with Liz rewriting her lines. I think you almost have to when you're on a show with so many writers who are ignorant to the show's history. Lucinda is a character who can be put almost anywhere, but they don't bother, because they would have to make an effort.

I guess I should be grateful she wasn't at an ABC soap, or on GL.

[jfung79]

I think that's part of the problem. As for her rewriting of lines, it doesn't seem to incorporate that much history, and the proper way to do that is to advocate through other channels anyway. Her rewriting doesn't just affect her lines, it affects the whole scene -- thus, yeah, "scene-stealer." She hogs all the attention for her tangents. It's not a good thing.

No, I never saw her as Althea on The Doctors. I don't think one should have to rely on glories from decades ago though to show that the soap world underrates her today.

[P.J.]

I think too that if you've seen someone truly grow, whether through different roles, or over a long period of time in the same role, you value them more. As much as I adored Beverlee McKinsey's Alex, I only ever saw her in that role. While Lucinda is (or was in the day) a complex character, she was stuck for years in the thankless role of self-destructive roadblock to the Lilden romance. If I had to rank say, Liz, Eileen, CZP and Maura, in my mind, CZP and Maura are fighting it out for number one because I've seen both those actresses grow in their roles. Liz and Eileen's characters have been pretty static since the '80's.

[Jonathan]

That scene was ok. Erika Slezak is one of those actors who makes a scene big and grandiose.

On a related note, I don't watch OLTL as frequently as most, but I feel like this Victor Lord storyline is neverending and it's getting a little old. I like that they tap into history but this is a bit much.

[SteveFrame]

I am just stating this in general, but why does that apply to actresses and not to shows. I keep hearing people bring up GL's great past as a recent it shouldn't be cancelled.

If we shouldn't base opinions on the total package and more on what is happening today then why should we with the show.

Based on what GL once was I would definitely say it doesn't deserve to be cancelled and give it a chance to build itself again. But if we just look at now then it deserves to be cancelled as well as at least half of the shows on the air now.

When I make my Best of list I talk the actors total package into play. If I didn't people like Kim Zimmer probably wouldn't make my top list at all because Kim Zimmer's best work has been ages ago too along with Susan Lucci, Maeve Kinkead, Eileen Fulton, Kathryn Hays and soooooooooooooooooooo many others.

As far as her stealing the scene and that adding nothing to the history, I totally disagree. Lucinda's history is to make anything and everything about her. She is the center of attention and how things affect her. She wants things her way - so Elizabeth Hubbard is keeping Lucinda true to form.

[jfung79]

I love the GL of today and my posts show that. You do look at the total package, yes, but present included not excluded. I do not point to stories or characters from before the last few years as major reasons why GL is underrated today, although I am proud of its 72-year legendary status.

The other difference is that I am not calling for Hubbard to be fired, as supporting GL's cancellation is analogous to.

Zimmer's work with the cancer in 2006 was great and she won an Emmy that year or the year before because of her interaction with Jonathan. Now that the cancer story is heating up again, she's back in fine, sometimes even subtle, dramatic form.

LOL. Clever way to spin it. How do you know she can't still be the center of attention without ruining the flow of the scene if she simply follows the script instead of adding tangents? The "At least I don't have a gay husband" scene remains a great exhibit to me of how a scene was already about her but I think it's pretty likely she was adlibbing and this led to a loss of dramatic tension and made Jade's key line come out of nowhere. Going back to watch it, I see Lucinda doing her hemming and hawing, which is a tipoff to me.

[All My Shadows]

IMO, when you're constantly refused a decent storyline that you can really use to show your abilities, it's more than okay to steal the scene whenever you are on. If It creates such a problem with TPTB, then maybe they should take another look at how they run their program.

[DeeeDee]

Poor CZP, Kathleen Widdoes, Kat Hayes rarely get props too.

[Soapsuds]

Yup

I disagree. I haven't seen one scene she has done where it ruined the scene. Who better would know her character than Liz herself.

Ok....West is good but better than Hubbard?? Ummm...sorry PJ but Nope....LOL. CZP is much better than Maura too. I am still upset CZP hasn't won an Emmy. Oh and you mentioned Lisa Brown on another post. I was going to add her to my list. But she wasn't on ATWT that long. She was vital to the show and is missed. But Brown's non-presense hasn't been felt as would a Pinter does now.

I gave them props on my post Deeeeee

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It's not like she totally shifts the scenes she's in into something different. She adds her personaloty into her lines, but keeps the overall content. I see no problem with her adlibs.

I think West is one of those rare talents that can sell any crap they throw her way, and she's been doing it for years, and they've essentially been writing the same storyline for her for like a decade now.

CZP is good, but sometimes, she can be very over the top, but they don't write her anymore, sadly.

Lisa Brown has a wholesome everyday woman quality to her - which is perfect for roles like Nola and Iva. But I didn't like Iva during her last couple of years on the show, and I hated what GL did to Nola during her return in the 90's.

[jfung79]

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The adlibbing making it impossible to write a nuanced story, or the supposed lack of decent story leading to adlibbing?

[All My Shadows]

I'm not sure if Liz adlibs because of her lack of story, but if that was the reason, I think it'd be 100% valid. Liz could read her lines exactly as they are written, and she wouldn't get decent, frontburner material. Ask Eileen Fulton. Ask Kathryn Hays. Ask Kathleen Widdoes. Ask Marie Masters. Ask Don Hastings. Ask Colleen Zenk. Ask Larry Bryggman. Ask Ellen Dolan. Ask Scott Holmes. Ask Tamara Tunie. The list goes on.

[SteveFrame]

Mags have been reporting since the 1980's that Tony Geary has been adlibbing. I think then it was to add humor to his role which was really lacking in daytime. It just wasn't that often done. And Geary made Luke have a touch of humor with his one-liners and it was always reported that he added those on the spur of the moment. Even the way Luke dressed was his doing. He didn't like the clothes that the wardrobe department chose and he was allowed to wear his own clothes on the show.

As others said I never saw where his ad-libbing bothered anyone or messed up scenes. And I don't remember seeing any scenes where it looked like people were lost because of something someone said. I have seen poor actors look like that way simply because they have no talent. And in that scene that you were referring to with Jade or whoever - who is not to say that if there was a problem it was simply because the young girl lacked teh talent that Hubbard has.

The girl that played Jennifer before Jennifer Ferrin (I always forget the gilrs name) used to complain that Kathryn Hays was the unprofessional one to the press. She said that she always came to the set unprepared and even demanded that Hays be fired for her unprofessionalism. When all the time it was the girl and she ended up losing her job.

And again unless I have the script in front of me how in the world would I know or anyone for that matter when or if a person adlibs in a scene. It is not if Hubbard suddenly says oh that ends what the writers have written now I will go off on my on.