I always thought it was a combo situation - they couldn't get Wright yet and weren't happy with any other choices, but JFP (and Mo Benard) pushed to put Bransford over for the others anyway and hoped she'd stick.

Edited February 15, 20169 yr by Vee

I always thought it was a combo situation - they couldn't get Wright yet and weren't happy with any other choices, but JFP (and Mo Benard) pushed to put Bransford over for the others anyway and hoped she'd stick.

 

 

I bet Mo pushed for her because she was the weaker/less accomplished actress, he could steamroll over the character with her in the role. Her casting was always baffling to me because she looked so...hard. Carly was never a wallflower but SJB had a softness to her and TB was all willowy and built like a preying mantis.

Edited February 15, 20169 yr by Darn

That was also the thought at the time on Mo, yes.

 

I thought Bransford's Carly had some of the harder and somewhat irrational edge of Sarah Brown's, hence that infamous barfight scene with Kelly Monaco where they really look like they're tearing each other apart. (Monaco said years later she was baffled because JB was allegedly actually hitting her.) But overall I don't think she was right for the role at all. It was JFP slipping another FOJ moment in where she could under the yoke of Frons and Guza, like when the writers' strike hit a few years later and suddenly Jill was left behind to write frontburner stories about Rick Hearst and a pretty immigrant woman.

Edited February 15, 20169 yr by Vee

Yeah I believe JFP and co legitimately thought Jennifer Bransford was going to work. I could kind of see where they were going with her because she had that nasty white trash vibe that SJB could bring, except she had none of the sex appeal and was so hard looking. I remember the ruthless ways she would get dogged daily on SOC 

 

The mistake was thinking that since Carly was already being made less important in favor of Reese's Pieces, they could just repeat the way SJB's leaving was handled and throw in any random chick who looked similar enough and keep moving with the Michael's death/kidnapping story. They needed to get someone with experience to carry all that and JB just didn't have it. She played the hell out of the breakdown though. I remember SOD reporting her and her husband had just bought a new house and then ended up having a miscarriage right around the time she got canned so that always made me feel bad for her.

 

As for being a placeholder for Laura Wright, Laura wasn't even on their radar until her agent called Frons to tell him she was about to renew her contract with GL. Her getting offered Carly was very last minute

When Y&R was getting off the ground John Conboy offered Beverlee McKinsey a role.

They had worked together on LIAMST but Bev decided to accept a contract at AW after initially recurring as Iris.

Can't think who Bev could have played on Y&R?

I think I might be the only person to not have a problem with Jennifer Bransford. Though, I do wonder what Jamie Luner would have done with the role. That still intrigues me.

Reading through a September 1994 Update and they say that both Jed Allan and Joe Gallison had been interested in the role of Alan Spaulding before it was cast with Ron Raines. 

Edited March 11, 20169 yr by DRW50

When Y&R was getting off the ground John Conboy offered Beverlee McKinsey a role.

They had worked together on LIAMST but Bev decided to accept a contract at AW after initially recurring as Iris.

Can't think who Bev could have played on Y&R?

Jennifer Brooks maybe?

wasn't the role of ben warren on guiding light created and offered to james depaiva without an audition and he turned it down? it always struck me odd since rauch and depaiva adored one another!!  then phillip brown won the part and backed out at the last minute!!  anybody have insight to this??

Can't think who Bev could have played on Y&R?

Liz Foster.  Definitely Liz Foster.  Jennifer Brooks (as kalbir mentions above) might have been more glamorous, but from everything I have read, Liz sounds like the meatier character.  Unless, of course, John Conboy DID offer BM the role of Jennifer and Bev decided to sign with AW because Iris was more attractive to her.  Either way, we know it wasn't for Katherine Chancellor, as Bill Bell didn't introduce her until later in order to boost ratings (IIRC).

 

Meanwhile, regarding Charity Rahmer...those "conspiracy theories" about her make sense if we assume her predecessor (Kirsten Storms, right?) had a tremendous fan following.  If that's true, then yes, Charity was hired in order to lower our standards for a Belle recast.  Whoever came after her was bound to look great by comparison -- and for the most part, "Grandma Belle" did.

wasn't the role of ben warren on guiding light created and offered to james depaiva without an audition and he turned it down? it always struck me odd since rauch and depaiva adored one another!!  then phillip brown won the part and backed out at the last minute!!  anybody have insight to this??

I think Brown did tape some but realized quickly it was too much work for him.

wasn't the role of ben warren on guiding light created and offered to james depaiva without an audition and he turned it down? it always struck me odd since rauch and depaiva adored one another!!  then phillip brown won the part and backed out at the last minute!!  anybody have insight to this??

 

I think Brown did tape some but realized quickly it was too much work for him.

Pretty much -- and I have heard, as well, that PB had an on-set breakdown which led to his decision to leave.  Which is too bad, because I think he would have been much better in that role than Hunt Block.

From last week's SOD

Daniel Goddard auditioned for Patrick Drake on GH in 2005, Brad Snyder on ATWT in 2007 and Nash Brennan on OLTL in 2005

Mishael Morgan auditioned on Y&R which could've been for Leslie Michaelson, she also auditioned for Days and B&B

James Lastovic auditioned for a role on GH, which might have been for Rafe Kovich Jr; he also auditioned for another role on Days in 2013/2014

Matt Cohen auditioned for two roles on B&B in 2014, one of the roles didn't go through (could've been the bisexual character) and the other role went someone who was established in the soap world

Donnell Turner auditioned for Andre, and the character was originally a district attorney.

Tom Welling auditioned for Adam Newman in 2014 but Justin Hartley wound up getting casted.

Edited April 2, 20169 yr by cassadine1991

Jane Elliot revealed that she originally tested for Gina Dante on GH (replacing Anna Stuart).

She also was set to play Stephanie on B&B before Bill Bell went with Susan Flannery.