OLTL Tribute Thread

[SoapDope]

I think this is actor Philip MacHale, the second actor to play Tony Lord after George Reinholt was fired.

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[vetsoapfan]

Technically, McHale was the third actor to play Tony Lord on OLTL. After Reinholt left, the show had an actor named Jimmy Jontz play the role briefly, when Tony was in the hospital. Apparently he did not work out and was quickly replaced by McHale.

While I don't think PMcH was a good fit as Tony either, he was a lot better than the final actor cast in the part: Chip Lucia.

[victoria foxton]

How was Tony's character like? It's a shame the character went through so my recast. Given that he was a Lord.

[j swift]

I would propose that one of the flaws in the creation of Tony was that he was predestined to be with Pat so that they could re-play the AW chemistry.  As a result, Tony lacked depth.  He could have had more mysterious motives regarding the Lord fortune, creating more conflict for Vicky by wanting to gamble the fortune and go into riskier investments.  I mean they didn't even play the beat of Vicky's disappointment that Victor was so pleased to have a son.  He could have been an excellent partner in crime for Dorian (much like David was, years later),  He was also into nightlife and fast cars, so he could have been more noncommittal and hard to settle down.  Instead, the writing was on the wall for Pat and Tony to be together after a series of misfortunes, so it all seemed too predictable, and lacked spontaneity.

And yet, spoiler alert, Pat and Tony didn't wind up together after all..

Edited September 18, 2021 by j swift

[victoria foxton]

Thanks @j swift

[j swift]

Any time, in summary he was a prototype for Bo Buchanan (rich son, learns to respect the family, and settle down due to the love of a good woman).  So, once Bo move to Llandview there was no need for Tony to stick around.

[SFK]

Speaking of the Lord family, I would love to see more of Victor’s sister, Gwendolyn Lord-Abbott (played by Arthur Miller’s sister, Joan Copeland, who is still with us at 99). She sounds like a Phoebe English Tyler-type, a meddlesome hoot.

[vetsoapfan]

Tony was more...bombastic when George Reinholt played him (surprise, LOL!), but as @j swift mentioned, the casting of Reinholt and Courtney made it a foregone conclusion that Tony would be romantically paired with Pat, and (back then, at least) ABC did not portray degenerate rapists and murderers as romantic leads, so we knew Tony would end up being a basically-decent character. This limited any potential mystery at the beginning of his time on OLTL as to Tony's true nature and motivations. (Of course, ABC had to pair the two actors together; their chemistry and popularity were too overwhelming to ignore, and I was glad to see Reinholt and Courtney reunited on screen.)

Under Reinholt, at least Tony could be impatient and angry at times. After GR left, Tony became pretty bland and lacked depth. Tom Fuccello was cast as Paul Kendall, Pat Ashley's ex-husband, and he and Courtney had significantly more chemistry together than Courtney had with Phillip McHale or (especially) Chip Lucia, the two longer-lasting recast Tonys. I was rooting for Pat and Paul to get back together, and had no interest in or loyalty to the "fake" Tonys.

Well, Pat and Tony ended up getting married (under Chip Lucia) and then he died, so one could argue that the characters did "get together" until "death did them part," LOL.  But Courtney and Reinholt only got to play the thwarted, star-crossed lovers while GR was there.

[amybrickwallace]

Did GR leave OLTL on his own or was he fired? I don't know much about his OLTL era.

[vetsoapfan]

I think it was a combination of both his not wanting to be on the show (he said OLTL's writing was "even worse than Another World's," YIKES!) and TPTB's realization that he was more trouble than he was worth.

Erika Slezak said that on his last day at the studio, Reinholt ranted and raved his way down the hallways and out the door. She also said he was "crazy" while on the show. but calmed down in later years. When cutting into the soap's anniversary cake that year, the producer at the time "joked" that the cake should have been GR's heart. 

It looked like there was no love lost on either side.

Unfortunately, however, the character of Tony (who should have been a major and influential part of the show) failed badly after Reinholt left. It was a relief when they finally killed him off after three failed recasts.

 

[Vee]

I remember thinking they should've brought Tony back in the 2000s - I believe he vanished in the Middle East on assignment? Presumed dead? I thought it would be interesting if he emerged played by someone like David Selby (who was almost a dead ringer for Reinholt) and had gone native out in the Middle East a la Apocalypse Now, and was back to terrorize people like Todd. The only clue the audience would have about who this mystery unseen figure out in the wilderness was at first would be a crumpled, torn picture of little Brian.

Edited September 18, 2021 by Vee

[vetsoapfan]

Actually, Selby would have made a MUCH better and more charismatic replacement for Reinholt than Jontz, McHale or Lucia did.

And anyone who came aboard to terrorize the repugnant rapist Todd would gain favor in my book.

[Vee]

I felt Trevor St. John's Todd was in need of waterboarding, what can I say. He would go to Afghanistan in search of whoever had been quietly siphoning the family funds for over 30 years and he would discover the truth as painfully as possible. Also, Selby's career was at an ebb at the time (it's been hotter in the last decade or so).

Edited September 18, 2021 by Vee

[vetsoapfan]

Yep, I could have gotten behind Selby as a recast. I knew as soon as I saw the other three on screen that they were not going to work. Selby was sexy, magnetic and charismatic, however, and I believe he could have clicked.

[amybrickwallace]

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