ALL: They Almost Became

[SFK]

Jane would have done well with the character as originally intended, glamorous '80s soap bitch (Linda was on the Tony Danza Show and he mentioned that her character was based on Jackie Collins, I wish she would have corrected him and said that he meant Jacqueline Susann). OTOH, Linda was very much responsible for the character's signature style. It was also Linda who pushed for the character to become likeable, she didn't want her to be a bitch, which created something rather unique for daytime because women who look and dress like Felicia are usually the anti-heroine. Linda/Felicia really ended up encroaching upon Victoria's/Rachel's territory though, she in many ways became the face of the show with all of her outside projects.

[DRW50]

I wonder if that made the Rachel/Felicia friendship awkward to play...

Linda was probably right though, Felicia being the tragic comedic figure, instead of the diva you would have expected, was a real shot in the arm to AW and I think she and Cass really carried huge portions of the show for long periods of time. AW managed to create very few successful new families after the Frames but Felicia, Cass, and their assorted lovers and friends made a family.

[Paul Raven]

SOW reported the following actresses were in the mix for the recast of Phyllis that eventually went to Sandra Nelson

Yvonne Perry (ex Rosanna ATWT)

Mary Ellen Stewart (ex Frannie ATWT)

Ellen Wheeler (ex Vicky/Marley AW,ex Cindy AMC)

Cindy Ambuehl (ex Kim B&

Linda Dona (ex Nancy GH)

[DRW50]

I can't see any of them as Phyllis. Then again I don't know Linda Dona.

Wasn't Kimberly Simms mentioned for several roles in the mid/late 90s but never actually made it past auditions? I think she auditioned as Jennifer Horton when Melissa Reeves left.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

LOL. Cat Hickland as KWAK.

Really kinda wished that happened. We would probably be KWAK free by now.

Edited June 28, 2010 by weareclouds

[bellcurve]

I read in Digest that Noelle Beck was also being considered for the Jennifer Recast. Typical, cheap DAYS going with Langan's Trainer's Lookalike Girlfriend.

[bellcurve]

This is an unpopular opinion, but I would have loved seeing Ellen Wheeler as Phyllis. She was great as psycho out-of-character Marley.

[juniorz1]

I thought the same thing when I read that. Genzel would have been Ah-friggin-MAZING as Victoria- I've always liked her acting & really enjoyed her take on Skye on AMC. Just imagine going toe to toe with Eric Braeden & MTS.

What could have been is right!

[juniorz1]

I'm LOVING all the Cali Timmins love in this thread. She's one of my faves- I absolutely adored her as Paulina on AW. As popular as she became with the fans, I never accepted Judi Evans as Paulina- Timmins was pitch perfect in the part and to me, could never be replaced. Her chemistry with Tom Eplin was EXPLOSIVE! His chemistry with Evans never touched it.

It makes me remember how hard the summer of 91 was on me as a soap fan. My 3 fave AW heroines at the time- Cali Timmins (Paulina), Anne Heche (Vicky/Marley), and Julie Osburn (Kathleen) all left within months of each other- hell, Timmins & Heche left within mere weeks of one another. Plus, Marcy Walker left Santa Barbara in a horrible exit storyline. The only saving grace for me that summer was in August, when Deidre Hall returned to Days of our Lives.

[juniorz1]

double post

Edited June 28, 2010 by juniorz1

[DRW50]

That sounds like how I felt in summer 92/early 93 with GL, Beverlee McKinsey, Sherry Stringfield, and then Ellen Parker all gone. The show was never the same to me.

I haven't seen a lot of Judi as the earlier Paulina, I've just seen her as the later, crying version who had weight issues, but I really liked Cali as Paulina, I thought she got the little girl lost quality which made up so much of Paulina. I'm sorry she didn't get more soap work after that.

I didn't know she had so many fans either. I don't feel too alone now.

[chuck89]

I was a fan of Cali too,going back to when she was Maggie on Ryan's Hope. I was even in her fan club that she had back then(which I think went away after she left RH). Too bad she hasn't shown up on another soap. Found a recent pic of her with her husband and former RH co-star Geoffrey Pierson from 2008.

http://www.hollywood.com/photo/Cali_Timmins_Geoffrey_Pierson_and_Cali_Timmins/5333078/5333076

Edited June 28, 2010 by chuck89

[kalbir]

Some I've heard for Y&R over the years:

1975 - The late Terry Lester auditioned for Snapper but lost to David Hasselhoff. Five years later Terry originated the role of Jack Abbott.

1982 - Catherine Hickland and Leann Hunley auditioned for Ashley but lost to Eileen Davidson.

1988 - Kimberlin Brown auditioned for Cassandra Rawlings but lost to Nina Arvesen. Two years later Kimberlin originated the role of Sheila Carter.

1989 - Mark Pinter and Jeff Trachta auditioned for Jack but lost to Peter Bergman. Jeff was then cast as Thorne on B&B.

1990 - Alison Sweeney auditioned for Victoria but lost to Heather Tom.

1993 - Kurt McKinney auditioned for Cole Howard but lost to J. Eddie Peck. Eric Braeden's son Christian was also considered for Cole but turned down the role.

1994 - Eddie Cibrian and David Tom auditioned for Nicholas. Eddie was then cast as Matt Clark, and David would join the cast 5 years later as Billy. Joshua Morrow auditioned for Dylan Shaw on B&B but was then cast as Nicholas.

1996 - Cindy Ambuehl, Kimberly Simms, Krista Tesreau auditioned for Ashley but lost to Shari Shattuck. Cindy was then cast as Kim Swanson on B&B.

1997 - Jennifer Gareis auditioned for Victoria but lost to Sarah Aldrich. Jennifer was then cast as Grace Turner.

1999 - David Lago auditioned for Billy but lost to David Tom. David L. was then cast as Raul.

2005 - Rachel Kimsey auditioned for Victoria but lost to Amelia Heinle. Rachel was then cast as Mac.

Edited June 29, 2010 by kalbir

[DRW50]

I didn't know she was married to Geoffrey Pierson. No wonder I thought they had a little too much chemistry when I saw some of the episodes where Frank and Maggie were attracted to each other.

[chuck89]

Maggie even had a fantasy of marrying Frank too,LOL! I remember reading in Soap Opera Weekly years ago,that they reconnected in LA about a decade after they worked together on RH(he left in 1985),starting dating and they've been married since 1997 and have one daughter together.