All My Children Tribute Thread

[Khan]

Cliff Warner never had a successful pairing outside of Nina, for the same reason most of his portrayer's romantic relationships flop on Y&R: because Peter Bergman is a wooden actor who has (or had) no chemistry with anyone other than Taylor Miller.  And even where Cliff and Nina are concerned, I would argue that it wasn't the chemistry between Bergman and Miller that sold their romance as it was the IDEA of Cliff and Nina constantly thwarted by outside forces (Palmer, Sybil Thorne, Steve Jacobi, Matt Connolly, etc.).

Edited April 24, 2018 by Khan

[amybrickwallace]

Did Taylor Miller have romantic chemistry with any of her other male AMC co-stars?

[danfling]

I cannot remember any of the co-stars with whom Taylor Miller had chemistry.   She was paired with Benny Sago, but, as I recall, the audience hated it!   (I think that she was playing Nina at the time.)

 

She later married Matt, and I think that they may have been good together.   However, Mr.Tylo left the role, and it was recast with Steve Fletcher (not the greatest actor in the world in my opinion).   By that time, she was beginning to go back to Cliff for a third marriage.

 

I never wanted Nina and Steve Jacobi together.

 

I never cared for Peter Bergman, and I would have liked it better if Sybil Thorne had taken him away from Nina.

 

I agree with the above comments about Peter Bergman being a wooden actor.   I know that he auditioned for the role of Jeff originally.

The show tried pairing him with both Liza and Angie.

 

Up until the departure of Marcy Walker, there was not much romance.   Liza was inwardly scheming, I think, of going after him.   After Liza was recast, Alice Haining (a wonderful actress) was cast into the role.   There was no chemistry.  As I stated, Miss Haining was a wonderful actress, but the soap operas tended to miscast her in bad roles, when I (who saw her in a number of plays as well as attending high school with her) know that sweet, ingénue roles are the best roles for her.

 

I don't think that the show ever intended for Angie and Jesse to be apart long.

 

He also had two other leading ladies (briefly).   One was a doctor.  I seem to recall that she and Steve was both killed in an accident.   There was also a character played by Catherine Christian who was not on for very long. 

 

They even tried Bitsy Davidson (Ann Flood) with Cliff.   He was her physician, and she was simply flirting with him.   I wish that this storyline had lasted longer.  I feel that a veteran such as Ms. Flood may have been capable of bringing out his talents.

 

Didn't Linda Cook's character (the wife of the doctor who was sexually harassing Angie in the hospital) have a crush on Cliff?

[amybrickwallace]

I didn't even know that Steve Fletcher and Linda Cook were on AMC!! Thank you for sharing your insights.

[rlj]

The red headed Nina was paired with Benny, no one liked it

 

Cliff was also engaged to Devon Shepard

[danfling]

I could not remember which of the three Ninas it was who was paired with Benny.   I was thinking that it was the second, but I stand corrected.   Nina and Benny became servants in the Chandler mansion.

 

I do not remember Devon and Cliff together.  I do remember her with Dr. Chuck Tyler.

 

David Canary originally wanted his real-life brother, John Canary, to play Stuart.   However, the show did not think that they resembled each other enough to fool or confuse the other characters, so David Canary was persuaded to play both roles (and he played them well).   The brother, John Canary, was hired instead to play the doctor who was sexually harassing Angie in the Pine Valley Hospital, and Linda Cook played his disinterested wife, whose name, I think, was Lucy.   Lucy, at first, was interested only in making money.   I think, though, that the show decided to use the character to flirt (or maybe proposition) Cliff.

 

Steve Fletcher was a recast, and he wrapped up the Matt character.   He, of course, had been on One Life to Live for a number of years.   After that character was written off (with one of the O'Neill daughters), ABC placed him on All My Children, on Ryan's Hope, and on Loving.   Later, he had a small role on the primetime NBC series Dark Shadows.

Edited April 28, 2018 by danfling

[j swift]

 

I'm guessing this was after his Steve Blizzard re-naming?  What were the details of the name change?  Did it have anything to do with Charles Grant/Flohe's re-naming? Or the Deborah Morehart/Hunter Tylo re-naming?  Were ABC actors in some name change betting ring in the 80's?

[danfling]

No, Steve Fletcher changed his name to Steve Blizzard during his run on One Life to Live.  It lasted around six months or less.

 

Chip Loggia was playing Tony Lord (the third actor in the role).  Tony had gotten involved in car racing.  Ileen Kristen played his girlfriend, Georgia Whitman.  However, ABC wanted to get Ms. Kristen back on Ryan's Hope, so the two shows made a swap:  Nana Tucker left her role on Ryan's Hope (where she had replaced two other actresses as ballerina Nancy Feldman, who had been paired with Dr. Patrick Ryan) and assumed the role of Georgia, and Ileen Kristen retunred to Ryan's Hope playing Delia (following Robyn Millan in the role).

 

I don't know if Mr. Fletcher and Ms. Tucker already knew each other or if they met while both were on One Life to Live.

 

For some reason (I am not sure why), both of these performers (who had become a couple) changed their name.   I gather that Ms. Tucker was more dedicated to whatever reason there was for the name change because she still is known professionally as "Nana Visitor."   However, Mr. Blizzard changed his name back to Steve Fletcher a few months later.  He continued on the show for many years, while Ms. Visitor and Mr. Loggia left the show (marking the death of "Tony").

 

Brad, the character that Mr. Fletcher played, had been married to "Jenny."   He later married the middle O'Neill daughter (who, after having been written off the show, was replaced by Teri Donohue).   He was one the show much longer than Naomi, Will, or Samantha.  Finnally, his character was written off, returned for a funeral, and was seen for the final scene.    ABC then recast him as Matt on All My Children.   He was also on Ryan's Hope (I think as Matthew Strand), who was somewhat obsessed with Jillian, and then on Loving (if I am not mistaken).

 

Ms. Kristen later rejoined One Life to Live in the role of Roxanne Balsom Holden.

 

I do not know why Charles Flohe changed his last name.    Deborah Morehart married her co-star on All My Children (who was the original Matt), so that is why she changed her last name.    I don't know why she changed her name from Deborah to Hunter.

 

At least three actreses on All My Children changed their name upon marriage.  (professionl names)    Who can name this trio?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2018 by danfling

[Soaplovers]

 

In regards to Hunter Tylo.....  Deborah was her first name... Morehart was the last name of her first husband... and Hunter was her maiden name... 

[You're Soaking in it]

 

The two ladies you're thinking of may be the same character, and Steve was gone long before she had entered the story:

 

The doctor was Amy Stone, Nina's psychiatrist during Barbara Kearns' run (Nina #3, the red-head who was boinking Benny Sago). Amy was originated by one actress, but was recast with Catherine Christiansen once she was paired with Cliff and Taylor Miller had returned as Nina. 

 

Cliff & Amy were engaged to be married. But after a chance encounter with Nina at Martha's Vineyard, Cliff confessed to Amy: "We have to face the fact that I'm still in love with Nina."

 

Amy promptly screamed, cried hysterically - "NO!! LET ME GOOOOO! ARRRGGHHH!" - and ran out the front door into the street where she was hit by a speeding car - all in a matter of 5 to 10 seconds! (I remember my head spinning a bit, lol.) She was in a coma and later died in the hospital.

Edited April 29, 2018 by YurSoakinginit

[DRW50]

From what I remember reading somewhere, Steve Fletcher changed his last name because he lost a bet. 

 

I never knew Matt was recast. I wonder if he was any better. I never liked anything I've seen of Michael Tylo in the role - I thought he badly overpowered the part, and he also had no chemistry with Susan Lucci. 

[Franko]

I want to say the anecdote about Steve Fletcher's renaming is in the One Life to Live trivia book.

 

Why was Nina a servant for the Chandlers? Was it some sort of humbling myself to give my life purpose sort of thing, or was she on the outs with Palmer? And while we're at it, did Benny and Phoebe have a falling out?

[You're Soaking in it]

 

It was a really brief, pinch-hitter recast - maybe 2 weeks... But he resembled the character enough and was believable in scenes with Taylor Miller. Basically, Matt was in Pine Valley just for the reveal that Michael was in fact Cliff's son, and not his. Once that cat was out of the bag, Matt was gone for good.

 

I don't recall Nina being a servant for the Chandlers. But if it happened for only 5 seconds, I definitely could have missed it.

[j swift]

Its odd that I don't recall any of the other Nina's but I can remember each of her wedding dresses.  The black and white ensemble at Tavern on the Green and the original one stick out in my memory.

 

Also, I am remembering correctly that Erica was not invited to Nina's first wedding because of her tiff with Phoebe over Mona marrying Dr. Tyler?  Also, why did Mona stay in the same house after her marriage?  I know Phoebe's side of the family had the big bucks but Dr. Tyler must have made a good living.  Does anyone recall if there were issues with Dr Tyler's will?

[amybrickwallace]

Steve Fletcher lost a bet with either then-girlfriend Nana Tucker Visitor or her brother. They were playing winter sports, and he had to legally change his last name to Blizzard. The name was on his driver's license, credit cards, etc. Once the two broke up, he legally changed his last name back to Fletcher.

 

Fun fact - I just finished reading the autobiography of Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters. She named one of her dogs after her favorite AMC character - Langley Wallingford. 😊😎❤