Nelson Branco's new "power players" article mentions DAYS and GH as having the best casting people in soap.

If you had to rank the casting people on soaps today, from best to worst, how would they go?

Or if you don't want to list all seven soaps, just the absolute best and the absolute worst.

*Sorry if that should be casting director.

Edited September 24, 200916 yr by CarlD2

#1. Mark Teschner, GH

Everyone else is unranked because they are all hit and miss. Although I absolutely cannot STAND Julie Madison(especially after seeing her on SoapStar: OLTL and her panting after Mikey F*cking Jerome), I loved her casting on The City and some of her casting on OLTL is okay. I saw the Rachel Gannon chick, of Valerie/McNuggets Lovin' fame, and to my surprise, she wasn't dreadfully BAD.

Worst: Judy Blye Wilson, AMC.

She didn't use to be this bad but, IMO, something changed around the time Jean Dadario Burke became EP. Maybe the hiring of Cameron Mathison marks the beginning of her descent into casting madness. Just a very small sample of her blunders: Schuyler Grant (Camille Hawkins), Paige Rowland (Kit Fisher), Carolyn Neff (Raquel Dion #1...this chick was HORRID. At least Denise Vasi knows her lines), Forbes March, Abigail Spencer (Becca Tyree) and her current-day counterpart Brittany Allen, Jason Olive (Frankie Hubbard), Aiden Turner (who auditioned for Trey and Judy loved him so much she encouraged TPTB to create a role just for him ), Colin Egglesfield (IMO), and of course Denise Vasi and Brianne Moncrief.

Stay in New York Judy. Time to retire.

Best: I'd probably go with OLTL's Julie Madison, despite hating her on SoapStar.

Abigail Spencer! Geez. At the time I used to sort of laugh at her, especially when she went around saying she got her job because she was friends with Kathie Lee. Or did she not say that? It's been ten years.

She was yet another whose character vanished from PV without a trace. It's crazy how many times that has happened on AMC. Crazy and insulting to viewers.

Abigail Spencer! Geez. At the time I used to sort of laugh at her, especially when she went around saying she got her job because she was friends with Kathie Lee. Or did she not say that? It's been ten years.

Haha. Yeah she did say that now that you mention it.

At that time I think Kathie Lee was probably more hated by the public than she may have been at any time, so I was like, "Why are you saying this?"

Now that you mention it, AMC really has had quite a few duds over the past decade. Then when they do find good actors, they never do anything with them. They have let some very good talent, like Sam Page and the guy who played Reggie, and Amanda Seyfried, slip away.

How long has Y&R had their casting director? Just since LML? The casting for major roles on Y&R in the past few years has been shockingly bad.

At that time I think Kathie Lee was probably more hated by the public than she may have been at any time, so I was like, "Why are you saying this?"

Now that you mention it, AMC really has had quite a few duds over the past decade. Then when they do find good actors, they never do anything with them. They have let some very good talent, like Sam Page and the guy who played Reggie, and Amanda Seyfried, slip away.

How long has Y&R had their casting director? Just since LML? The casting for major roles on Y&R in the past few years has been shockingly bad.

The main director since LML was Karen Rea, whose casting and even rumored casting have been putrid. Galen Gering as Nick?! Really?! What the hell was she thinking?

The casting director now is Camille St. Cyr.

Edited September 24, 200916 yr by bellcurve

Galen Gering as Nick? That would have been hilarious. I can imagine the rumors that to scare Eric Braeden into taking a paycut, they were thinking of recasting him with Erik Estrada.

The main director since LML was Karen Rea, whose casting and even rumored casting have been putrid. Galen Gering as Nick?! Really?! What the hell was she thinking?

OMG that is a horrible recast for Nick, I have to ROFLOL

Worst: Judy Blye Wilson, AMC.

She didn't use to be this bad but, IMO, something changed around the time Jean Dadario Burke became EP. Maybe the hiring of Cameron Mathison marks the beginning of her descent into casting madness. Just a very small sample of her blunders: Schuyler Grant (Camille Hawkins), Paige Rowland (Kit Fisher), Carolyn Neff (Raquel Dion #1...this chick was HORRID. At least Denise Vasi knows her lines), Forbes March, Abigail Spencer (Becca Tyree) and her current-day counterpart Brittany Allen, Jason Olive (Frankie Hubbard), Aiden Turner (who auditioned for Trey and Judy loved him so much she encouraged TPTB to create a role just for him ), Colin Egglesfield (IMO), and of course Denise Vasi and Brianne Moncrief.

Stay in New York Judy. Time to retire.

Best: I'd probably go with OLTL's Julie Madison, despite hating her on SoapStar.

Regarding Carolyn Neff and Denise Vasi, I totally agree. That is the ONLY thing separating Neff and Vasi (and the ONLY thing giving Vasi a leg up). While they are both sub-basement level when it comes to emoting, Neff was the first actor EVER in my history of watching this show who would literally start her lines over again after flubbing them. And she flubbed a lot!

But, I agree. Judy Blye Wilson is horrible. She casts for looks.

I went to a symposium where JBW was on the panel and she didn't deny the element of looks in casting, though I got the impression that that's something of less importance to her than it is to her higher ups. She's had casting decisions vetoed in the past based on looks, and she's had to scramble and at times settle for less capable yet more attractive "actors".

There's Mark Teschner and then there's everyone else.

But, if I had to name the best casting director in the history of soaps, that belongs to GL's legendary casting director, Betty Rea. She was the the casting director at GL from the 70's to the late 90's.

I was just talking about the late Betty Rea in another thread, she and Joan D'Incecco deserve mention. There's something to be said for their talent, and the era in which they worked (and were *allowed* to work).