AMC: Actress leaves!

[Adam]

Exactly, marceline. The time is now for Egan tro spread her wings. I am very happy for her new opportunities (whatever they are). I mean we all know and I am sure the actors/crew know as well, this show is on its last legs as is daytime. They need to think of themselves their families and their futures. AMC is hardly a stable job at the moment.

[R Sinclair]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Amazing Kreskin!

Anyway... I wish MCE luck. She's turning 30 this year and probably wants to do something different as an artist entering this new stage in her life. I'll miss Annie, but life goes on.

[DRW50]

I'm not sure if it's so much about looking for something for family or future. There are few, if any stable jobs out there for actors, especially when they have to start all over. In that sense AMC is actually more of a stable job, as they can rely on the paycheck and also know they have enough time to still go out and do other things for if/when AMC is cancelled.

I do understand why MCE would want to leave. I don't believe there has to be a daytime stigma if you stay over a certain amount of years, I think that making it is something which involves many factors beyond duration of soap work - Tamara Tunie managed to show that quite a few times over the years, then there's Eva la Rue, who got the CSI Miami job soon after leaving AMC for good. But I can see why MCE left. Even if AMC stays on several more years, it's constantly in a state of upheaval and working a grueling schedule with a character as schizophrenic with Annie must be very difficult.

[marceline]

People looking for stable work don't become actors. Just like in every other workplace some of them simply get used to the stability and paycheck become complacent. But the younger ones know that simply isn't an option anymore. They clocked their time and are moving on. The fact that so many of them are doing it right now says to me they want out before the rest of their coworkers become competition. When GL and ATWT ended, there was a glut of out-of-work soap actors. IMO, MCE is just showing some foresight and good for her.

True but that doesn't change the fact that the stigma is there. Some people beat it but it's there. Some of these actors are smart enough to work other projects while they're on these shows and that gives them credibility but the ones who just sit on the soaps, renew their contracts and never audition for anything else and never try to stretch their wings are screwed. They are the entertainment equivalent of steel workers. It doesn't matter how good you are at a business that doesn't exist anymore.

[Mr. Vixen]

Wow MCE is just turning 30...Poor thing, she looks at least 35 already. Not good in this business. :/

[marceline]

I love her but yeah there are some times the child looks like she's spent too much time in the sun smoking Pall Malls. I blame some of that on the lighting and makeup. Same for Chrishell. Some days she looks radiant and others she looks like those old twice-divorced sububran women who spend their days accidentally opening their robe for the UPS man.

[Marley]

Anyone but Marissa which I guess is the same as death.

I hope MCE will be back. I wish her all the best but I'm selfish and want to watch her as Annie everyday on my tv. AMC won't be as interesting with Annie not around.

[DRW50]

You're right, acting isn't a stable job. I think some actors do believe they will eventually find stable work. Stable at least in the sense of being able to save up until the next lean period and to help fund projects they know won't be big money. I do agree with most of what you are saying - but I'm not sure if younger actors are leaving soaps because they know soaps are dying. ATWT and GL both kept most of their younger cast in their last few years, and with AMC, both Chriselle and possibly Shannon Kane (I can't remember if they've said she's leaving for good) may stay around in some capacity. I think with this economy a lot of actors are going to take money while they can if they can. I think with some of AMC's younger cast, there's just a very strong and very depressing turnover process. AMC has been unable to find strong young characters, or long-term faces, for 10-15 years now.

The stigma is still there, but I think the stigma was stronger in an era when there was no reality TV and when there were higher standards, or should I say when there was the veneer of higher standards.

I can never tell whether or not staying with a soap too long hurts or leaving quickly is the best option. It's sort of chicken and the egg for me, because I feel like Rebecca Budig and Cameron Mathison were lucky to even have major roles on anything, so I wasn't exactly shocked when they weren't bigger outside of their soap work.

[Pine Charles]

LMAO!

Everyone knows how much I adore MCE, but, yeah -- she does look older than 29/30.

Kate Collins always looked older than her age, too.

[Jonathan]

I read Chrishell's tweets and every once in a while, she'll tweet something about her and Missy going out and having a good time. They probably need to stay in more often because it does show, especially on Chrishell.

[SFK]

And remember they said they both bought convertibles? Sun. But yeah, sometimes when they smile they have a Pamela Anderson look about them, particularly CS. But I still think Amanda is the prettiest girl on the show in terms of looks and wardrobe (Natalia a close runner up when they dress her like she's hookin').

[marceline]

I love them both and I'm glad they're living large but I want them to keep getting jobs. Maybe DaytimeFan can make some recommendations for how they can undo some of the effects of that.

[Jonathan]

Case in point. Just today:

[Cheap21]

LOL....around the time MCE first joined, I was surprised to hear her say she was 26 on the View, bc I thought she was at least 30 and closer to Cameron and Rebecca's age. I did not think she was a few years older than I was (about 23 at the time)

[ER Tosh]

RH is around four years older than her but looks younger.