Now that short term guest spots on soaps seem to be all the rage, at least with some shows, I was wondering, what are some of the brief turns you enjoyed on a soap? This can either be a soap vet in a short term role (like Elizabeth Lawrence as Bess Lowell on GL), or someone outside of soaps (like Billie Gray as Robert Scorpio's boss/mother figure on GH).

How about Joan Collins as Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light? That was a delightful run she had on the show, paired with good writing and JC's acting talents.

Jessica Tuck as Madeline.

Carol Burnett and Rosie O'Donnell as Vera and Rosie, respectively. Question: Did Carol Burnett return to AMC in 2005 for the 35th?

Linda Dano on GL

Marla Gibbs as aunt Irma on Passions

How about Joan Collins as Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light? That was a delightful run she had on the show, paired with good writing and JC's acting talents.

I wish she could have stayed

Joan was great, although she was lucky to leave when she did as Conboy's stuff for Alex was dreadful.

Carol came back for the 35th anniversary. I think she had a scene with Bianca.

It wasn't handled perfectly, at all, but I still have to admit as a massive fan, that I loved seeing Brooke return, and hope she does again.

One guest stint I loved even though I was NOT much into the show (or even that storyline) otherwise at the time was the divine Lois Smith (who is someone I really wish they hadn't killed off so early on True Blood, and someone who's career on stage and screen is pretty incredible--particularly in East of Eden, thirtysomethinbg, Five Easy Pieces and Minority Report) on One Life to Live (apparently she had a stint on AMC too but I'm not sure I watched when she did...).

Carol Burnett on AMC of course--the one time she really had more than a brief cameo, when I was watching (so post 1991), was her week long stint in 1995--even her ending up with that Coke guy, Lucky V or whatever, was pretty classic.

I'm not really a fan at all anymore, but I thought Rosie O'Donald's first (of two) cameos as Naomi was pretty funny--working at the Chandler's, and it gave the show good publicity with her talking about it on her show. The second one, working at a flower shopon Valentine's Day I remember being less so.

Edited July 23, 201015 yr by EricMontreal22

Joan was great, although she was lucky to leave when she did as Conboy's stuff for Alex was dreadful.

Carol came back for the 35th anniversary. I think she had a scene with Bianca.

Aww I see someone said Carol while I was typing--yeah she came back and mentioned being so relieved that Bianca got her baby back or something.

Who was she on OLTL?

That reminds me of when Kim Hunter was on ATWT for one or two appearances in 1997. The show told the soap magazines she would be playing a nurse. So it just seemed like a filler role. Then the big surprise was that she turned out to be David Stenbeck's adoptive mother and had a lot of highly emotional scenes. It worked very well.

AMC did something like that around the same time when David stopped Liza from getting a TV job in California. The soap magazines said the woman who was playing the owner of the TV station in California also played Lettie Jean, a hooker from back in the Billy Clyde days. I assumed this was a different character and they just rehired the actress, but then Adam called her "Lettie Jean" and blackmailed her into making sure Liza wasn't hired. It was very clever.

Aww I see someone said Carol while I was typing--yeah she came back and mentioned being so relieved that Bianca got her baby back or something.

Didn't they have her say an in joke or something and act like AMC was a soap or her "story"?

Not that I remember, but I don't remember at all wha was said. It's prob online?

I know some of the Rosie O as Naomi is online.

Lois Smith played a great aunt of Dorian's or of one of the Cramer's. It tied into Kelly's brother coming on (the first actor who was awful) as she had a huge inheritance but was wanting to give it first to a male Cramer I believe. Not a great story but Lois was note perfect, and very funny in the role.

Edited July 23, 201015 yr by EricMontreal22

Edit according to IMDB Lois played: Betsy "Aunt Betsy" Cramer (unknown episodes, 2003-2004)

Oh. I'd totally forgot about that Cramer relative. I can't say anything with Paul ever interested me.

I know AMC used to have a lot of quick roles for people. I guess there's a difference between a one episode or one scene cameo (Dom Deluise, Liz Taylor) and a week or a month stay.

I wish that Grayson Hall's weeklong stint in 1972 or 1973 was online.

Grayson was on AMC? Wow

Yeah I know you'd see bit parts interestingly played by Broadway actors like Terrence Mann (who was involved in the awful Tanner story, but was fun to see), etc

I can't find ANY decent Lois Smith clips from OLTL online, but here's the dumb end to her character:

Donna Pescow played on GH for a while in one of those scheming aunt type of roles, aunt to boring Chloe.

Grayson was a magazine editor in New York, I think her story was with Margo.

I guess Rosemary Prinz's work at AMC can also be included in this. Rosemary has done nothing but short term stuff since 1968 or so. I loved her returns to ATWT, especially for the 30th anniversary and for Chris's funeral. I wish she had longer term soap jobs but I guess she either didn't want them or they weren't offered. There was a hilarious line during her appearance at Nancy's 80th birthday party when various stupid new characters were running around on the yacht, ruining the party, and Penny just said, "Who ARE these people???"

ANY time Joseph Bottoms returned to Santa Barbara as Kirk Cranston

double post. shitty laptop

Edited July 23, 201015 yr by juniorz1

What did you think about when Robert Newman played the role?