Seeing this latest trend in best/worst threads, I thought to start my own.

Who are some of your favourite daytime divas, those bigger-than-life, magnetic, super stylish femmes fatales of daytime? It can be anyone from a long-forgotten guest star in the '70s to the main female protagonist on the show. Villainess, fairy godmother, the characters ethics and morality are not the point.

And not to forget: is there a particularly soapy name of a female character you like? Like e.g. Dominique Deveraux (not daytime, but hey), Angelique DuVal, Helena Cassadine, those French/Italian/German/Greek sounding names, that sort of thing.

P. S. If a mod could change the b in the title to a capital, I'd be grateful.

Edited October 19, 200916 yr by Sylph

Nan Kempner, the late New York socialite famous for her extensive wardrobe and lack of fat.

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Nan_Kempner

Every time I read Diana Vreeland's comment, I just... I just love it.

Every time I read Diana Vreeland's comment, I just... I just love it.

Vreeland got it so, so right.

I'm just not sure her flamboyance and energy would mesh well with a tragic role.

It wouldn't, b/c no one would ever believe Joan Collins as a woman who loses in the end. ;-)

She also said that, no, she's never done Hedda Gabler or those other classic stage roles her contemporaries have all taken a shot at but that never really interested her anyway ("So I didn't do Hedda, well, I did Alexis").

Frankly, just about anyone could "do Hedda," but not everyone could "do Alexis." ;-)

Edited March 14, 201114 yr by Khan

Ya got that right. And Alexis looked a lot more fun, like J.R. vs. Hamlet.

I should mention that I saw Judith Light play Hedda.

I know both Jodie Foster and Elizabeth Taylor have commented on sitting in on drama school classes and thinking, "WTF is this!?".

I tend to blame so-called "Method training" -- which has its benefits, granted, but shouldn't be foisted onto every actor. Because, the truth is, there are and were plenty of actors who were damn good and who didn't sit at the knees of Strasberg, Adler, etc.

Vreeland got it so, so right.

Did you see the exhibition?

Ya got that right. And Alexis looked a lot more fun, like J.R. vs. Hamlet.

Hedda is fun, too, b/c her motives are always murky, at best. That's part of the reason why so many actresses would be good at portraying her, IMO. Alexis, OTOH, is more specific as a character; her line of motivation is much, much clearer. Even if you "get" Alexis, however, that's not a guarantee that you have what it takes to portray her successfully.

I tend to blame so-called "Method training" -- which has its benefits, granted, but shouldn't be foisted onto every actor. Because, the truth is, there are and were plenty of actors who were damn good and who didn't sit at the knees of Strasberg, Adler, etc.

Particularly the Brits. And though Strasberg is widely regarded as the genius of that crop of gurus, Adler seems to be the one that a lot of the greats left Strasberg for. She wasn't into all that self-indulgence and believed that the actor should rely more on his imagination than the actual events of his life. She could be a little camp:

Edited March 14, 201114 yr by SFK

I really would have loved to see Nan slap Jeanne Cooper.

Katherine: Dear God in Heaven Nan!

Nan: Oh just shut UP bitch! You wanna see a lady who can handle her liquor? *takes a swig*

Katherine: Stop, STOP!

Nan: *drags a Parliament* Why? For what? So I can degenerate and get even OLDER? *drags on some oxygen* No thank you very much my darling.

Katherine: DAMN YOU NAN!

Nan: I'm marvellous! *slaps Katherine*

Too bad no one ever asked her to guest star, I bet she would've accepted it in a microsecond.

And brought her own wardrobe.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Eileen Brennan...."

You know, I'm accused all the time in acting class - yes, I'm taking an acting class, shut up! - but I'm always accused of not putting enough energy into my performance(s). Fear has a tremendous amount to do with that, I think. No matter how much you give yourself permission to "look stupid" onstage and in front of others, you (or I) still hold back.

Of course, judging from the clip, if Stella Adler is what they're looking for, sorry, but that's beyond even my capabilities.

And brought her own wardrobe.

Yeah. Like Constance Towers. Only, Nan would have played herself.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Eileen Brennan...."

You know, I'm accused all the time in acting class - yes, I'm taking an acting class, shut up! - but I'm always accused of not putting enough energy into my performance(s). Fear has a tremendous amount to do with that, I think. No matter how much you give yourself permission to "look stupid" onstage and in front of others, you (or I) still hold back.

Of course, judging from the clip, if Stella Adler is what they're looking for, sorry, but that's beyond even my capabilities.

Are you pursuing a playwriting degree or something?

As a matter of fact, Sylph, yes. I am. Wanna make something of it? ;-)

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Eileen Brennan...."

I thought the same thing! Didn't she play a kooky acting teacher on Will & Grace?

I know what you mean. Sometimes the character can be freeing when it comes to that, like, if you were playing Opal. The more "real" the character is let alone the closer it is to you, we have a tendency to pull back and play it small. We're afraid of getting "real" "wrong".

Constance Towers wears her own stuff? I didn't know that. She has good taste. Morgan Fairchild wore a lot of her own stuff on The City.

As a matter of fact, Sylph, yes. I am. Wanna make something of it? ;-)

I think that's fabulous. I can see you in a few years writing plays. Not really films or TV, just plays.