As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Khan]

Amen!  Julianne Moore's long past the point of needing to talk any further about her time on ATWT.  Yet, she does so, and without hesitation or shame, too.  That means a lot to someone like me, who's been influenced more by these shows than by anything else out there in the culture.

And I love the fact that she's never referred to her gig as a "stepping stone" to more "legitimate" acting roles.  To her, ATWT was a job like every other she's had in the business.  Not too many former soap stars share that attitude.

Edited January 14 by Khan

[Vee]

I understand why many actors refer to it in that way, as some (like Nathan Fillion, who says Bob Woods and others taught him everything he knows) do approach it very positively in that context. But I also understand why Moore feels differently. Even she acknowledges (including in this interview) that she learned so much as a young and inexperienced actor from being there day in and day out with the veterans and being shown the way by people like Tomei, so a lot of the same stuff is coming across albeit expressed in a different way.

The reality, too, is that a lot of talented actors today like a Jonathan Groff or Melissa Fumero or Amanda Seyfried or Michael B. Jordan or whoever also came up in a much more difficult period for daytime, not the Marland heyday. So their experience may be more about the learning how to be a professional onscreen vs. the heights (or lack thereof) of their material.

[Soaplovers]

Soaps nowadays produce so quickly and out of order that for newbies...there isn't time to learn the naunces of acting.

Back in the 80s, people like Moore and Tomei had the luxury of learning from those around them and had more rehearsal time to work out the kinks in blocking and scenes.

By the 90s, it appeared on ATWT that if you weren't a broadway nor stage performer...you were treated differently...and not in a good way.

[blueberrywaffle]

Is it possible to get Bill Shanks' autograph? I love him so much. :c

[Reverend Ruthledge]

I've wondered whatever happened to him. He seems to have vanished from the public eye quickly after leaving ATWT. 

[blueberrywaffle]

I love him. 

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Is it possible to see this anywhere? :C

[MarlandFan]

After he left acting I believe he became a private investigator?  But he really did fall off the radar.  There is very little in the way of a digital trail for him because he left acting before the internet became the big monster that it is.

btw - I see a couple of his autographs for sale on eBay.

[blueberrywaffle]

I would like an autograph addressed to me. 

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[Mitch64]

That sounds like the premise of a TV show.."Out of work soap actor becomes private eye..watch him don his various disguises to catch the bad guys, and he might actually find love in the real world."

[Khan]

"Coming this fall to CBS...," lol.

[VelekaCarruthers]

Bill Shanks is a well known (age 66) sports broadcaster who resides in Macon, GA. Many links and info about him if you google him, and he has a FB page for his sports show.

[Reverend Ruthledge]

That's not the same Bill Shanks.

[blueberrywaffle]

Yeah I read a post on his Facebook and he is only 54. :c

[Reverend Ruthledge]

There is no way that the Bill Shanks who was on ATWT is only 54. 

[blueberrywaffle]

No the sports broadcaster is 54.