Eden Riegel getting hate mail!

[CassieFan]

How is she holding the show hostage???

The show can recast her, but they don't want to.. their problem..

[Y&RWorldTurner]

If she knows that she's a big a big star to them and she continues to come and go as she likes, and people are sending her hate mail because of that, then that's on her.

The show can and should recast her. But if she thinks her constant coming and going isn't hurting the show, then that's on her. She can't expect everyone to be happy about the way she treats the show.

[Ann_SS]

How Eden treats AMC? You really believe that AMC wants to write a full time lesbian character? Please. If AMC cared about Bianca, they would have recast the role long time ago. They recast the role of Kendall when SMG left. Plus, the rumor was that AMC balked when Eden suggested extending her stay the last time around. We'll see if AMC offers Eden a long term contract as Bianca when both parties are in LA.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

They might never want to explore Bianca being a lesbian character, but Bianca was a frontburner character for years after coming out. Her lesbian stories might have been a joke, but they wrote for her and wrote lots for her.

[marceline]

Exactly. They recast Greenlee and Liza. I don't understand why people think ER owes it to AMC to hang around while they crap all over Bianca. She comes back whenever they ask her to. If she's holding the show hostage that's the crappiest form of hostage taking I've ever seen.

Yes they can and should recast her but they don't so who's really at fault? If her coming and going is hurting the show then [!@#$%^&*] the show because they can stop it anytime they want. Instead they blame her for the crap they put on screen.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think they think of Eden as the definitive Bianca and above recasting, and given how everyone reacted to Sabine Singh, they might be weary of recasting such a popular role.

The fact Eden comes back for months at a time before leaving again, and this has happened repetedly, tells me they want her there to stay and want her long-term, but Eden doesn't want to commit to the show for an extended period of time.

She should not be blamed for the crap they give her character to do either. But if she's getting hate mail from fans of the character for coming and going and leaving certain holes in the storylines and in her character, then I think she has as much blame her that as AMC/ABC. It's a repeated cycle that both Eden and ABC could and should stop, but neither party seems intent on doing that.

[Toups]

Word. I don't see how ER is holding AMC hostage either. I doubt ABC is scared of hurting all the ER/Bianca fans if they recast. If ABC wants to recast, they will recast.

[All My Shadows]

I agree with this. The show could have recast the role 4 and a half years ago when ER first left, but they didn't then, and they haven't since. ER was a very popular performer, but that never stopped them before (Greens! Liza!). All I can say is that if they ever do recast Bianca, the #2 actress better be prepared to lose out to "the real Bianca" if Eden ever decides to return.

[lovely_m]

Here's my crazy theory: I always thought that part of the reason Eden was never recast was because she was playing a popular gay character. They think she's a gay icon and fear gladd/gay community will get pissed. Stupid reason considering they give her dumb storylines.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think that might be part of the reason too.

But if the actress is always getting hate mail for coming and going, then either commit long-term to the show, or tell ABC you have no intention of coming back and not in the way they want you to, and let them take it from there.

If you don't want hate mail or whatever, then stop continuing the cycle you have the power to break. I'm not absolving ABC of any blame, but I think Eden is as much to blame for a lot of this as they are.

[lovely_m]

Don't all actors get hate mail at some point in their careers. I know it's shocking Eden gets it considering she's a beloved character.

[Vee]

Poor, poor Charles Pratt, so put upon by Eden Riegel.

[marceline]

Do we know that she's "always" getting hate mail? It sounds like this is a relatively new thing (not counting the usual homophobic redneck stuff she's gotten since the moment Binks came out). And if she's getting hate mail for coming and going I guarantee she's getting an equal amount of fan mail from people who are glad she doesn't stick around for the Zarf or Reese-based monstrosities that AMC tries to position as Bianca stories. And again I ask why should she commit to the show or tell them she has no intention of coming back? I believe she would commit to the show if they'd stop writing Bianca as some kind of "Girl Gone Wild."

And none of this keeps them from recasting. Face it, if Pratt/Frons could get away with having one of their ex-hookers suck on Jamie Luner's nipples every other ep, Binks would be recast so fast they wouldn't even bother to tell Susan Lucci.

If that's true then I have to say it again: [!@#$%^&*] THEM. They deserve to be shaken down.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Who knows what her intentions for not wanting to commit to this show are. But if she's getting any backlash for coming and going all the time, then she also has the power to put a stop to it, as much as ABC.

Has storyline direction been one of the reasons she doesn't want to commit to the show? Work is work, and outside of her web series, she hasn't been doing much. I also doubt she makes the same kind of money from Imaginary Bitches that she makes from being on AMC, no matter how crappy daytime salaries are when compared to primetime.

I agree, ABC can recast, but Eden doesn't have to come and go as she pleases either.

The ideal situation would be a recast, but given how popular the role is generally and how iconic she is amongst the gay soap opera elite, I think they're very hesitant to go in that direction.

Another ideal situation would simply be leaving the character off-screen, if they only want Eden and know she can't commit to a long-term engagement.

[marceline]

She doesn't have to but she can and as long as she can IMO she should. I love seeing ER as Bianca and I love knowing that as long as AMC refuses to do right by the character, Eden can keep cashing a check. AFAIC, it's the best of suboptimal circumstances.