As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

I really like the tight close up on Ellen’s face during those scenes where she is trying to piece together the events that led up to finding John’s body. That music and that single tear streaming down her face, just well done work all around.

Other than ATWT and GL, I have never seen Deas’ work. Those who have seen all his work,  would you say that the work he did here with future wife Margaret Colin is his best work? 

[Khan]

Of course, I'm extremely biased, because Justin Deas is my third all-time favorite soap actor (after Larry Bryggman and Michael Zaslow), but I'd say it's a toss-up between his work w/ Margaret Colin on ATWT and his later work w/ Robin Mattson (ex-Gina) on SaBa.  In both cases, Deas was paired with an actress who was brilliant and witty and not at all conventional.  IMO, that is the kind of actress who can bring out the best in Deas, who is himself unconventional in terms of the choices that he makes in his acting.  (It's why I will campaign for him to join GH as Jane Elliot's (Tracy) love interest until GH is cancelled or I am banned from SON, whichever comes first, lol).

I realize Deas isn't everyone's cup of tea (hi, @Mitch64, lol!), but I love that he refuses to "play it safe" in his work.  I've always said I'll forgive a multitude of sins except the cardinal sin of boring me, and Deas rarely, if ever, bores me.

[Soapsuds]

Deas did his best work on ATWT as Tom Hughes. IMO he was awful on GL and SB.

[P.J.]

I will say, having watched him on GL and rewatching (but not exactly remembering) some of his work on ATWT, he got very "yelly" in his acting. He was a young breath of fresh air in his ATWT scenes. I've seen the Tom of the late '70's, who seems almost as old as Bob. Deas is just vibrating with energy. Maybe he needed stronger direction on GL. Maybe his ego after SB made him somewhat "untouchable".  But the last years on GL were not good.

[Khan]

I chalk that up to the same forces that undermined most GL actors' performances in the show's last 5-10 years: poor writing, minimal direction and absolutely zero rehearsal time.

[P.J.]

Memory fails on how long he was on GL, but his lack of nuance started way before Peapack. (Ironically, being "yelly" is the same criticism I have about Scott Holmes' last 15 years on ATWT)

[Vee]

You'll have to tell us in a GH thread sometime what kind of character you think he should play. I do think it could be gold, though I'm not sure he'd be interested in returning to daytime this point.

[Khan]

Will do, lol!

[Soaplovers]

I don't think Justin Deas became over the top until the late 90s.

During ATWT and the period pre-Santa Barbara, there were some performances/roles he played that he had a sexual energy that made me think he was kind of sexy.  There were traces of that when he first started on GL in 1993, but that went away after a short time.

On the GL board, there was talk about the Dobson's and how their GL was almost the exact opposite of their work on GL and ATWT.

I would say ATWT in the 1982 and early 1983 was closer to the tone of Santa Barbara then anything seen from them on Guiding Light, or even their first stint at ATWT.  

For example, you have Barbara having past life dreams about Gunnar/James, you have Barbara in the bull ring, you have Mr. Big, and you have Dr Bob married to Miranda.   All situations that would have been just another day on Santa Barbara

 

Edited January 7, 2024 by Soaplovers

[Khan]

Which was pretty much when GL itself became OTT.  I'd argue, though, that the performances had to be OTT across the board because the storylines had become so unbelievable (and no, I'm not talking just about the clone either, lol).

By the way, I'm not defending all of Deas' work.  I'm more than willing to accept that he lost control of himself at some point there.  But I do believe it likely was the result of not being as happy at GL as he might have been at the start.

Edited January 7, 2024 by Khan

[NothinButAttitude]

OK. I thought it was just me that always felt that. I always felt that Deas gave vibes he didn't want to be there. I do think that he would've been great on a Broadway stage though. 

[Khan]

In a way, he didn't.  He took the gig, however, so that he could be at home more with his kids, as his wife was pursuing film work that often took her out-of-town.  Or, at least, that's the story I heard.

[DRW50]

The late '90s is actually the point where I had grown to accept Buzz. I really couldn't stand him in his first few years on GL. He felt so alien to the rest of the show for me.

Edited January 7, 2024 by DRW50

[Paul Raven]

To me that was the worst of the Dobsons - it just wasn't ATWT. That zany ,larger than life stuff was a turn off.

[P.J.]

Well, if anything could make an actor unhappy, the crappy "Nola pushes you into a cellar and has movie fantasies for like a month" might. As brilliant as Lisa was, that story was straight up awful. Not to mention at some point, chewing scenery with Kim Zimmer.

oh, I recall the 17th century/past life story. YUCK.