All My Children Tribute Thread

[Jonathan]

This interview made me laugh because it reinforced why I was so frustrated by Esta / Gillian.

 

First, I thought Ryan & Gillian were a great couple and it was Cameron's best on-screen pairing. However, I remember Esta having so many problem getting her lines out of her mouth. It was so frustrating to watch. And now, watching this interview, she's the same way! Maybe it's because English is her second language. I'd like to see the word count in this interview because it seemed Cameron did all the talking.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Jonathan

[Jonathan]

I could not stand the character of Homeless Laura. (I call her that to distinguish her from the Laura who was killed by the drunk driver.)

First, why d'f'k did the writers have to confuse the audience by giving her the same name? I think it would have been enough for the Homeless Laura to be the same age as Laura for Brooke to feel that nostalgia and loss. No need to give Homeless Girl the name Laura!

Second, I could not stand Lauren Roman. Girl never cracked a smile. She always seemed angry. Plus, as I have written on these boards previously, I get PTSD every time I see an EXTREMELY-curly girl on TV, including Irene from the Real World, Julianna Margulies on ER -- she straightens her hair now, but once a curly girl, always a curly girl, and of course Alicia Minshew!

Third, I also could not stand Laura Allen's take on Homeless Girl Laura. How many personalities did this Laura have? I was getting whiplash week to week. I also got uncomfortable watching Laura Allen. It was something in the way she pursed her lips ever time she recited her lines.

To top it all off, there was some obsession with the show and all the Lau-girls.  Laura, Homeless Laura played by Lauren, Laura Allen's Laura. I'm exhausted! 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Jonathan

[marceline]

I remember how people on Mediadomain used to call her "Squooshy" because of the way her face contorted when she was trying to do serious acting. 

She's a much better actress now. One who's constantly working. I feel like she has played a wife, girlfriend, or victim on ever first responder show for the last ten years.

Edited July 31, 2021 by marceline

[Pine Charles]

 

YES!! That’s it!!

I forgot what it was until your mention.

I miss Media Domain.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Pine Charles

[Jonathan]

YES! That's what annoyed me!

[Pine Charles]

I prefer Janet’s smile (if we’re talking funny facial expressions.... of course, Janet’s was intentionally funny).

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Anyhow,  I came across this Laura Allen KTLA interview from way back in 2007 (5 years after her AMC departure) in which she is promoting the short-lived FX series d!rt; she portrayed a pill junkie on the show.

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Edited July 31, 2021 by Pine Charles

[Jonathan]

Anyone attending this Zoom reunion? It's in honor of the late John Callahan.

 

https://soaphub.com/general-hospital/all-my-children-actors-reunite-to-honor-the-late-john-callahan/

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-my-children-zoom-reunion-sunday-august-1st-tickets-158018909813

[DemetriKane]

@Pine Charles she was good in “Dirt”.

 

@Jonathan nope! Let me know if that added Julia Barr at last minute.

Edited August 1, 2021 by DemetriKane

[DRW50]

Initially I liked Lauren Roman, but after a while she  became so bitter and angry all the time that it was just impossible to watch her. Life's hard, I know, especially given Laura's background, but she had a loving mother and a gorgeous boyfriend and a future ahead of her.  Yet it did not matter. She even played a Santa Claus story like she'd just gotten out of a knife fight. The show at that time was extremely directionless and grimy, and she got lost in the shuffle. 

Toward the end of her run I began to care about her again, as I thought Roman did a good job in a very gross story with Jim Thomasen, but by that point she was already leaving.

[Kane]

Ugh, I'd forgotten about the Jim Thomasen storyline. Poor Julia Barr, Brooke went from Jim Thomasen to Elliot Freeman, which was gross in its own way.

[Pine Charles]

Well, Barr did receive an Emmy for her work in that storyline.

But, yes - it did  seem like the writers loved continuously torturing poor Brooke.

Imagine going from dating a child pornographer, who took images/video of your adopted daughter (later going on trial for his murder), to dating the drunk driver, under a new persona, who killed your biological daughter.

That seemed unnecessarily cruel - especially since I believe there was only a few months (possibly a year) between the two storylines.

 I’m surprised she didn’t have a complete mental collapse (which actually would’ve been organic, and much more interesting than having her dating monsters or having men constantly leaving her for other women; they should’ve done this after the Jim Thomasen trial. Brooke could’ve fallen in love with a fellow patient in rehab, LOL - a quirky fellow journalist who’s unlucky with women).

Erica would’ve gotten in a few good jabs, too - “Well, my goodness, Brooke - a rehab romance??  It didn’t work for Liz Taylor, and I doubt it will for you.... but at least he isn’t one of my leftovers.”

While Julia Barr is a brilliant actress, and this is a “Daytime Drama,” I’m sure Brooke fans were fed up regarding how she constantly seemed to be put through the wringer.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Pine Charles

[Jonathan]

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[DemetriKane]

Imagine having every guy you dated betray you in some way for about decade. That cruel strike started in 1988 went they killed her child as plot point, to turn around and put her in another storyline, where she not only lost her husband and family but technically another child. I would have loved a mental break storyline, I wanted something like that for her! The every woman that loses it all.
 

I came to the conclusion that maybe it was the focus groups, that began her down fall. Even online she’s viewed as having a easy road because she had a rich aunt, maybe viewers resented the fact so they (writer’s) started to make her suffer more to gain sympathy but it went too far. 

LOL based on that small piece of dialogue you should write for the show.

Yes Us STANS were highly pissed about her constantly getting cheated out of life.

[FrenchBug82]

Counterpoint: even those tragic storylines were better than being left to disappear unceremoniously.

[danfling]

I, too, really liked Laura Roman as Laura Kirk in the beginning of her run    I thought that she was a fresh talent, reminding me of a young Judy Garland in the Andy Hardy-period.     However, by the time they were introducing Jim Thomasson - I saw that she had no talent and seemed to have no idea about how to act.

 

I suspect that she attempted to act during the time of Jim's introduction, but that the directors of the show told her that (after seeing her attempts at acting) to show no emotion if that was the best that she could do.