Y&R Rowell interview

[Sylph]

This is so eye-opening. She will never work on that show again. Pretty much.

But one also wonders why no one else snatched her up. Not necessarily in daytime — why not Shonda Rhimes for that sh!tty show Grey's Anatomy as the glamorous hospital lawyer or something (but not a doctor)?

[MarkH]

It is an interesting question, why Rowell isn't showing up anywhere. She did make a movie in Canada, right? With Samuel L. Jackson? Or am I confabulating?

I do imagine that her writing and speaking engagements have been lucrative, and may have prevented her from going great guns for jobs.

But she is also in a demographic that has difficulty getting cast (over 40 female and African American). When you add to that a (perhaps unfair) "difficult" label...I fear it will be a while.

[dragonflies]

I agree and disagree, she is a great actress, but IMO she seems to think she's better than the show. Sounds like they don't need her, and she doesn't need them

I hate, absolutely HATE this mentality. So should Tamara Braun have shut up about Pratt and what he did to her character and the lesbian storyline she was involved in? So on and so forth(that's just one example)

It's one thing when an actor/actress is trashing the show they used to be on, but different when they're speaking out on something that is hurting their character

[SteveFrame]

The thing that you get into with that mentality though is the hyprocrisy of fans who use personal agendas to okay this actor or actress to speak out because they either like them, agree with what they are saying or it fits their own agenda.

I think if people are going to have problems with some actors speaking out then they should just let it pass when others do it or quit trying to say it is okay in this case and not in the other.

It all boils down to the perception of that person.

Every actor must feel like something is being damaged for them if they do speak out. If you adopt the mentality that it is okay in this case and not in another you forget that it boils down to the perception of that performer too and you are passing judgement on them.

So why try to pass judgement on who is right and who is wrong to speak out or have a problem with something.

Victoria has just as much right to speak out as Tamara did. My point was if they can't handle it or deal with it then they need to move on from the show or the profession all together. And even though I don't think there was enough evidence to convict Chris Engen, I say the same thing about him. If there are parts of his profession he can't deal with then acting is not the profession for him.

[Ann_SS]

If you bitch about your boss, co-workers, company and industry in public even after you quit, there are consequences, usually negative ones. I say bitch away as long as you can deal with those consequences. Early last year, a friend went to one of VR's book signings and said that VR hinted that she would back on Y&R. I told my friend no way that I saw that happening after everything that was said, but VR obviously does not see the situation that way. I wish her luck. It is hard for an older African American actress to find film work, but perhaps she will find something on the stage.

[MoTheGreat]

VR must have a plan to her maddness. Maybe she'll get more creative control over the black characters or something if she comes back.

[MarkH]

You know, I'd like someone to take her up on her offer to write or produce. They could do one of those nine-week trials. Let's see what she has in her.

Maybe, since MAB and Rowell have both said in the press that they have no problems with each other, they could talk, and Rowell could do some consulting on the Winters storyline. That could be win-win-win.

And since the consulting does not require interacting with her castmates (who are at the root of both her Emmy snub and her interpersonal issues), it really could work.

[Ann_SS]

MAB could take on VR as a consultant, but why risk it? MAB may not like VR's work and then be subjected to VR's public wrath and castigation. This is the one of the consequences that I was talking about.

[Cheap21]

except its not their character. It belongs to the show and they can and will do with it whatever they please

[MarkH]

LOL, good point. I suppose she could sign VR to a gag order as part of the consultancy.

[Sylph]

I can't see how Victoria Rowell might get a consultancy. I just can't. Not only would she have to have a smash hit bible or something, even then it wouldn't be all that easy. Furthermore, you can't just bring her to consult on one part of the show.

If she is serious about writing, she must find a different way of doing things. You know, she might try writing specs and original material (that's hot in Hollywood and more and more in demand - stuff like short stories, plays etc.). Then get her agent to shop it around.

[alphanguy74]

Of COURSE the show was all white then, I don't know where you get this from, if you think you can name a black character from the 70's, I'd like to see you try. We DID have a cuban for a short time in 1979, but that's as close as it got. . The first black characters appeared on Y&R in 1982, Brock Peters and Marguerite ray. And YES she basically was a Mammy. She helped raise the Abbott children after Dina left, was a maid... she even wore floral print dresses. The only difference between Mamie (The 1982-86 Mamie) and Aunt Jemima was she didn't wear the doorag, talked with a snotty, condescending tone, and she peddled cinnamon rolls instead of flapjacks.

[MoTheGreat]

Didn't they listen to her with the adoption storyline? Didn't she say that Mr. Bell ask for her opinion on the Dru characfter. To me she was already a consultant.

[DeeeDee]

:rolleyes:

Which invalidates your previous statement & your current argument.

Eh. No.

She wasn't basically a Mammy.

And still NOT Mammy.

Maid yes.

Mammy no.

[All My Shadows]

Based on alphanguy74's description, Mamie was more of an Uncle Charley (My Three Sons!) than an Aunt Jemima...