OLTL / The Evans family

[Doyen]

Am I the only one who thinks that the casting department has completely goofed up the Evans family?  The actors who play Shaun and Destiny remain stiff and green.  Sure, I guess they have a certain raw charm…but they are both so limited as performers that I can't imagine them ever being more to the show than what they are now.  They are like dayplayers who keep coming back.

Terrell Tilford is a great actor, and could probably be a good addition to the show, but he looks so visually dismilar to Shaun and Destiny that I just can't suspend disbelief long enough to buy them as siblings.  Every time I see them in scenes together, I don't see brothers and sister.  I see a seasoned slim lightskinned actor, a big constipated looking brut who is physically imposing, and a girl who is awkward with everyone and sounds like she's reading cue cards...all perpetrating this fraud.

Now they've casted the Evans parents and it's even more WTF.  Frankie Fraison works, I suppose...but there is no way in hell that I can ever buy Tonye Patano playing Greg and Shauns mother.   Whose bright idea was  that?  She's their age.

The casting department really needs to start all over again with the Evans family.  TT and FF are fine…but Shaun, Destiny and Mama Evans all need to be recast.  They just don't sink up with each other.  It's like watching a SNL sketch.

[novsag86]

You clearly know nothing about African Americans and how we come in all different shapes, size, and skin tones. Just because Terrell Tilford has a lighter complexion does not mean that he could not be the brother of the other characters! I can look in my own family and find siblings where one is darker and the other is lighter. I have a friend who is brown skinned, but his brother is light skinned, so what you're saying is really just coming from your own ignorance. And as far as Terrell Tilford being slim and the other brother being a bit on the hefty side: now you're really reaching and searching! Have you seen the sitcom Roseanne? Wasn't Roseanne on the hefty side and yet Laurie Metcalf who played her sister was thin. I say this to say, size is not something that is determined by heredity. Some brothers and sisters may be more rotund than their siblings, but that doesn't mean anything! No offense was meant by any of what I've said by the way.

[Juliajms]

My brother runs marathons and I definitely do not, but I think size is certainly influenced by heredity, if not necessarily predetermined by it. Still, I completely agree with you that the Evan's siblings could be related. Close enough for TV anyhow. My brother has green eyes and brown hair, he's 6'0 with a runner's body. I have black hair, brown eyes,lighter skin, I'm 5'2 and definitely do not have a runner's body. So if he and I are whole siblings, Destiny and Greg can be too, although I'm hoping for a twist where we find out they are actually father/daughter.

No doubt, the actor who plays Greg is a much stronger actor than the others. He has that certain something, but I love Shaun and Destiny. I don't think they have to be that much more than they are now. I think Greg will be a lead and the rest will play support. I'm hoping they grow into their roles a bit more, but I like them either way.

[ian]

its sloppy is what it is. Somebody said lets take all these black actors, and make them a FAMILY so we can get some approving nods. We'll be just like the Winters on the Y&R. Go Go Gadget Racial Diversity

[Doyen]

My point was that there is *so much* of a physical/visual dissimilarity between the three actors that it becomes slightly more difficult to apply the usual suspension of disbelief. It would be like recasting Starr with an actress who had jet dark hair, and having her play opposite Todd and Blair. Sure…genetics can be an unpredictable thing…and, yes, in real life sometime immediate family members do greatly differ in looks—but knowing that doesn’t make it any less peculiar to see.

[Vee]

Both Tonye Patano and Frankie Faison come from incredible other work and are about five times as talented as anyone else in the family. Terrell Tilford is okay so far, Sean Ringgold I enjoy, but neither is really amazing, and Ringgold is very green as an actor; you can't hang heavy story on either of these two from what I've seen, though I hope Tilford can really wow me. Shenell Edmonds is absolutely horrific and needs to be recast yesterday if they want to really do a romance with Eddie Alderson. Bottom line, them kids aren't worthy of the parents, much less the fabulous Rachel, who is mo better everyday.

[DRW50]

Frankie Faison played Adrian's father Frank on AMC? Was that him? I loved his work on AMC, especially with Jill Larson.

[Vee]

I don't recall if he was Adrian's dad; I know him best from playing Commissioner Burrell(?) on The Wire. OLTL should thank every deity in the heavens to get anyone from the motherfucking Wire on their show.

[SFK]

Well, color-wise my brother and I have a Shawn/Greg thing goin on, but then again we have different fathers. I have cousins who share both parents and one is light bright damn near white, while another is caramel, and yet another brown-skinned, yet they all share similar facial features. So now that you know MY background, let me just say that I too did a bit of a head scratcher when I learned Terrell would be playing Greg. Would have been totally sold had this morphed into a story about brothers with different fathers, Greg's father being Mama Evans' true love and thus she doted upon golden boy Dr. Greg, all the while Shaun was the respectable one with heart and was totally devoted to his mother. Who knows, maybe that is still to come.

We've discussed similar things in the past re: Y&R. I have confidence that black audiences members are well aware of the spectrum of shades their people within the same family can come in. I'm just not that convinced that people behind the cameras are as fully aware or sensitive to the same issues. Color politics are alive and well in the black community, a great issue to at least touch upon, I mean just once for Shaun to tell Greg that he was gonna kick his yella behind is really all I would need.

I love that this family is being expanded and explored, but I do agree that it needs to be handled carefully before the apparent acting weaknesses blow up in everyone's faces. I don't know exactly where they're going here, I just hope the EP/writers pace themselves and create a dynamic and potentially beloved Llanview family.

I don't even "do" romantic stories, they aren't what interest me on soaps, but I do enjoy the Shaun/Rachel/Greg blossoming triangle.

[SFK]

Yes, he was Adrian's dad, Opal's old flame. He was also replaced by Cleavon Little on the interracial couple sitcom, True Colors. I met Frankie once, he sems like a nice guy. He's a friend of an old teacher. Coincidentally, we worked on a show together but at separate times and had never met.

[Vee]

The first thing Darn said to me about Greg is "so their mom had an affair, right?"

I agree the story of him being the bastard by another man is a compelling angle and would explore an issue rarely done on soaps, but ironically so given OLTL's classic history with the "black/white" skin tone angle and Carla Gray. I also thought Greg was an ass, but had a very intriguing scene yesterday where he challenged Rachel on her uber-competent persona (the only one she has had since the '90s and her last contract; it was previously very one-dimensional given her recurring appearances) and how it was a cover for her fears of losing control. What would happen to Rachel if she fell for Greg? Would she backslide into old behaviors?

[LeClerc]

Yes he was Adrian's father Frank on AMC. I liked him with Jill Larson as well. There was some chemistry there IMO. Then they brought on Janet Hubert (Vivian Banks #1 from the Fresh Prince of Bel-air), who I love, as Adrian's "mom" Alice. There was the potential there for a really interesting story with Opal, Frank and Alice.

[Vee]

That reminds me of one very strange old scene between Dixie and Adrian at a Martin family picnic or something, where it was like something was getting started. Maybe someone remembers that. That was hot.

I adore Janet Hubert, but goodness, that woman is straight crazy IRL.

[SFK]

Yeah, that's tough because Rachel has literally been four different people, and anyone who's been watching Rachel since she debuted knows what I mean by that (not the same as there being four Dorians or Tinas), Rachel has had very distinct personality changes with each recast. I could go along with the idea that Rachel is still a little insecure about just who she is really. I don't mind if she breaks down and has a good cry, but I don't want to watch Greg "reveal her to herself" or anything like that. Rachel needs someone fun. Frankly, I am not interested in seeing Rachel lose her grip and revert to shrill on speed Mari Morrow Rachel, nor cracked out Sandra P. Grant Rachel who was just so beyond annoying in my book. Even Ellen Bethea (who had always been my favorite Rachel) almost seems like a space cadet compared to Daphne. I like Rachel when she's got her head on straight.

LeClerc, and of course Janet Hubert went on to play Evangeline and Tayla's mom. There's a funny YouTube video up where Alfonso R. (Carlton) basically calls her batshizzle crazy.

[DRW50]

So much lost potential with Adrian. I know the story did Palmer no favors but I thought the parts about Opal's love child, Adrian learning Opal was his mother, meeting his parents, his early romance with Belinda, this was some of McTavish's better writing during her second AMC tenure. Once she left Adrian seemed to lose any purpose, he was just with that annoying Tina and slowly drifted away.

I agree with Rachel having a different identity with each recast. Even now I think she's more about the people around her than about herself. I hope they don't think they need to have Greg break her down. Enough women have been broken down on this show.