Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[~bl~]

Which interview with Laura Wright checked last two pages of thread?

[Mitch]

I actually admire that in her..but it does come through very clearly in her acting. Now Zimmer never could hide the fact but Reva was supposed to be overbearing at times...Cassie was treated like a virgin saint and she just came off as someone would cut you if crossed. I wish they had played that up when she first came on, and have her be more antagonistic with Reva and everyone else.

No one could have sold the Cassie/Josh/Reva story..LW always played scenes with RN like a sister...but it would have at least had more impact..all of a sudden this wishy washy woman is with Josh and calling herself Cassie...but she was blond and I am sure came cheap.

 

 

 

[BetterForgotten]

I never thought Cassie ever worked as a character, so LW's supposed value to the show never made sense to me personally. 

[FrenchBug82]

I love LW and I would enjoy watching her but I actually agree that Cassie was not a very compelling character as is.
And I hate everything San Cristobal related so obviously the whole Richard thing says nothing to me.

In all fairness I think it sorta was. It was dropped quickly when she became the romantic heroine and the foil for "mean" Dinah but when she first came in she was trying to survive, it was clearly explained she had to be tough to go through the stuff she had gone through (hence her going along with Alan and Annie's plan) even though she had a conscience. But the "I am tougher than I look" thing was an early feature; it was supposed to be the "fire" that the sisters had in common and I strongly suspect that's why LW was cast in that role since that's something she does always bring to her roles

Edited July 23, 2021 by FrenchBug82

[Liberty City]

According to Wright, that storyline was told to her as an effort from CBS/the soap to get her to stay, not a reason for why she opted to leave.  I do believe she and Robert Newman could have sold the story of Cassie & Josh more effectively, even though I adored Nicole Forester in the role.

[Soaplovers]

Actually Maura West was offered Cassie..and she turned it down.  

I don't get why LW thought she had pull...she was on the lowest rated soap.  And she wasn't the main attraction for the soap.

This is when soaps started decline because performers like LW didn't know deserve any perks.

[DRW50]

Laura had been one of the central heroines on the show for nearly a decade by that point and she was getting offers elsewhere, so I can see why she felt she was worth the effort and money. 

With that said, I do feel like Cassie had run her course as a character.

Edited July 24, 2021 by DRW50

[FrenchBug82]

I think any actor who is on a show for a decade and has been involved in at least two highly popular pairings can think that the show can give them something at contract renewal.
Any employee expects regular raises, regardless of what how their business does. What they do if they are not given that raise, or those non-financial parks, THAT is where we see if they have leverage.
AND a key to this is General Hospital was very publicly courting her for the high-profile recast of Carly. They had approached when TB left. It was an open secret (we fans knew). That certainly gave her a point of leverage with GL and she wasn't a complete fool to think she was in demand. 
And in the end that's what happened. She may have stayed even after their "No dice" if she had no other option. But she had one big shiny one at her disposal and she took it.
I have less sympathy for huge stars like KZ complaining not getting raises. But I don't blame people who have a family to feed in the highly insecure world of show-business asking for improvements to their contracts once they have earned their oats.

[Liberty City]

Where was this revealed?

[FrenchBug82]

 

This strikes me as confusing. She was one of the main stars of ATWT by then. Why did they think she would even think of taking the recast of a second-tier character on another lower-rated soap?

[John]

I could be wrong but maybe Maura was offered Cassie in 1997 before returning to ATWT

[FrenchBug82]

That'd make a lot more sense. 
|I thought they meant when LW left and I was like WTF lol

[Mitch]

I think she would have been much betters as Cassie..(LW always looked like a suburban prom queen to me...and West has a more..earthiness to her) and I think she and Zimmer would have a natural "wariness" which would have made it interesting

[Vee]

Laura Wright had a considerable fanbase from her GL days and was known and liked by audiences at ABC. Everyone knew about them courting her for Carly on GH in 2005. GH was a still reasonably ratings-successful and stable soap opera with a team the critics still hadn't turned on (unlike the fans), and Carly was a central and popular tentpole role tied to all the core characters. LW would've been stupid to go anywhere else.

Edited July 26, 2021 by Vee

[Soapsuds]

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