Sara Bibel has a new interview up with Jennifer Bassey. She gives her thoughts on Marian's exit, killing off Stuart, Pratt, Jamie Luner etc. Nothing too earth-shattering in it but I thought some might find it interesting.

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/2010/deep-soap/deep-soap-all-my-childrens-jennifer-bassey-on-being-the-original-cougar/

A little excerpt:

What do you think of the decision to kill Stuart off?

I thought it was very sad because he’s one of the few characters that everybody loves. He’s kind of like the heart of the show. I could think of other characters it would have been better to kill off than Stuart. But, again, it was the headwriter’s choice. People asked him to please build up Stuart before it happened because Stuart hadn’t been on a lot and neither had I. You don’t get impact if you haven’t seen anybody for a long time and then suddenly they come out and they’re shot. So you’re like, [shrug] “Stuart was shot”, rather then really crying and getting emotional about it.

ABC had to sign off on all of this. Why did they?

I have no idea. I wasn’t in on any of it. All I know is I got called, “Stuart’s dead and you’re playing it.”

"People asked him to please build up Stuart before it happened because Stuart hadn’t been on a lot and neither had I. "

Pratt, doing built up?

Stuart and Marian’s original romance was so original and charming.

We were the most popular couple on ABC daytime. I’ve been told that the new head of ABC daytime came on and said, “I don’t want them to work. I want to use younger people.” So that was that…

Why does this NOT surprise me? It reminds of what Jackie Zeman from GH said about when she asked why Bobbie wasn't in a romance, she was told "No one wants to see old people kissing"

"People asked him to please build up Stuart before it happened because Stuart hadn’t been on a lot and neither had I. "

Pratt, doing built up?

Maybe it would have been too hard emotionally for Pratt to do build-up since he was Stuart's biggest fan ever (or so he claimed ).

I notice Jennifer also basically confirms the rumor that when Frons came to ABC Daytime he didn't want David Canary working. I remember several months later Frons did an interview where he said that the rumors he didn't like David Canary weren't true and that he LOVED Canary. Probably the same kind of love Pratt had for Stuart -- i.e. completely fake.

Everyone thinks I may be submitted for an Emmy this year because I’ve got wonderful footage at the funeral. If I do win it, I’m going to say it’s a great honor to play a role for almost 30 years. It’s also more than a great honor to play a nymphomaniac alcoholic murderess. But to win an award for playing a nymphomaniac alcoholic murderess is the cherry on the sundae. Even to be nominated. This character is a hoot to play. It’s a great gift. She’s crazy. She’s delicious. She’s funny and she’s evil.

She did have some great stuff. But I don't see her snagging a nomination. I think Jill Larson was the true supporting actress of the year.

Wasn't it Shapiro who came in though during the height of Stuart/Marian--Frons was after they had already been backburnered??

Frons is an idiot but I'm glad he's realized a few things (like that at least a couple of vets--except on GH -- are actually very popular parts of the shows )

I wish we'd see Marian more--an that Liza would mention what's happened to her (besides being tucked away at OakHaven she didn't seem crazy enough to go there for the rest of her life...)

I do think pratt felt he set up Stuart's death by suddenly having Scott return before it--and that was somehow enough lol (they had what, two scenes?)

No, Shapiro was a proponent, generally, of the vets. She left ABC Daytime in late 2002, Bassey was taken off contract in early 2003 under Frons.

I don't know if she'll get an Emmy nomination, but I'd be thrilled if she did. She did wonderful material at the funeral and the court house. She is an all around excellent actress and seems like a helluva lot of fun offscreen as well.

I admire the vets who just tell it like it is and have enough money to say "F___ You" to Frons.

You're right about when she was taken off contract. I guess I just assumed it was earlier cuz back when her and Stuart were really popular was a number of years before then.

I always thought all Shapiro was a proponent of was shopping the soaps

I always thought all Shapiro was a proponent of was shopping the soaps

LOL.

Honestly, that wasn't such a bad idea...if it had made the kind of money Shapiro was aiming for. She would have been better served teaming up with HSN or QVC and branding a line of jewelry/clothes/home furnishings 'Shop the Soaps' because you just know a slew of fans would lap it up. That's why Susan Lucci and Linda Dano are such successes on the shopping channels.

Bassey's soap, Nightfall, seems like a hard sell for the afternoon crowd, unless it was syndicated, though that would be odd too. I wonder what a cable network like ABC Family would make of it as a weekly show?

I really wish there was some way AMC would bring her back--they need a character like her cuz of her family ties, her demographic and history and they really are lacking any classic troublemaking older women (Erica doesn't count and Annie's too young) (Though she's right in that interview to chastise the writing, I will point out when she says "We had great headwriters" she's at least partially refering to McTavish's late 90s era... though I think the laast time she had really gret writing was the social climbing storyline Agnes had for her in '99)

It is true that she should be going after Adam--THAT would be a more interesting story, or something. We saw her one episode sad. Then the next she tried to shoot hima nd shot Marissa. then we found out she was in an asylum--that's really not how you do storytelling on a soap (well a daytime one anyway)

Edited February 4, 201015 yr by EricMontreal22

I love how matter of fact she is about things. It's clear she's not at all close with Marcy (who I know is extremely religious) by her comments lol. Or she says how much she liked JL as Liza but can't help throwing in that Pratt cast her and it was his odd/bad decision to not cast a blonde

Night Fall seems... odd. She kinda lost me with Mole People (i never woulda thought she'd be into the supernatural). Still, I'd be all for seeing how it would work/do.

Eric, I know what you mean about the classic troublemaking older woman. I liked that about Vanessa and Mary too. Hopefully they'll fly Anna Stuart out for a few since Greenlee's back. Has there been any word on that?

Edited February 4, 201015 yr by SFK

I'm sorry to hear about how out of touch she and Marcy are, although I'm not surprised, you usually aren't going to be that close unless you work together or live near each other. I remember a hilarious interview they did for SOD 15 years ago where they laughed about the man who played Eric Colby and how he had hair in his ears. They also talked about when Liza was raped by a trucker, which I'd never heard about.

Edited February 4, 201015 yr by CarlD2

Eric, I know what you mean about the classic troublemaking older woman. I liked that about Vanessa and Mary too. Hopefully they'll fly Anna Stuart out for a few since Greenlee's back. Has there been any word on that?

I am so with you.

What I love about Marian is how original, in the most cliched way, she is. The character is plucked right out of every high society group...the woman who doesn't quite fit in but through pluck and humour, there she is, schmoozing with the best of them. The kind of woman who causes trouble, regardless of her age.

Vanessa, in all honesty, had this sense of desperation that was HILARIOUS and rivetting, but it was because she was this older broad that she was so fabulous on the show.

Characters like Marian Chandler and Mary Smythe defy their age, they are ageless because they never stop making mistakes and never stop having fun.

Those kinds of people exist in real life. I hope I'm one of them!

LOL.

Honestly, that wasn't such a bad idea...if it had made the kind of money Shapiro was aiming for. She would have been better served teaming up with HSN or QVC and branding a line of jewelry/clothes/home furnishings 'Shop the Soaps' because you just know a slew of fans would lap it up.

ABC teamed up with QVC back in the early 90s. There was a show on QVC's schedule called All My Children Shoppe and they sold jewelry and accessories with a Pine Valley flair, like an AMC charm bracelet and there was a limited edition signed and framed photo of Susan Lucci (it was the original flying pic). It was very popular, because items sold out very quickly. I think ABC figured they could do it on their own without a middleman so they ended their relationship with QVC.