Antony Ponzini's Vince was the most interesting, vibrant, memorable version of that role. Recasting Ponzini was tough, because he was unique and magnetic. Jordan Charney was adequate in the part, but he was so different than Ponzini, Vinnie felt like a different character altogether. Poor Michael Ingram was woefully miscast as the final Vince. It was sad to see. Vinnie was already gone before he was killed off.
OLTL had the same issue trying to recast Anna Craig. Doris Belack was a unique and striking, quirky actress. Kathleen Maguire...was not. Her Anna was non-descript and faded into the background. Thankfully, the final Anna, Phyllis Behar, had energy and pep. IMHO, she was probably the best choice possible to replace Belack. The character's fading away without explanation in 1982 was frustrating, since so many long-time, core characters were dismissed in the early 1980s.
What can I say about Carla, Sadie and Ed? Ellen Holly, Al Freeman, Jr. and Lillian Hayman were solid pros and beloved by the audience. Performers of this caliber deserved a permanent place on the show's canvas. Al Freeman, Jr was... AL FREAKIN' FREEMAN for heaven's sake. The fact that Paul Roach treated these actors so atrociously and then fired them (while butchering the overall show, but I digress) is egregious.
You sadly missed out on what I consider to be the show's magical, golden years (1968-1983).
By
vetsoapfan ·
Create an account or sign in to comment