OLTL Tribute Thread

[Vee]

IIRC Maggie Vega may have been an abortive attempt at a love interest for Andrew. She obviously did not come off. I always found her bizarre.

 

I believe there was another "Antonio Vega" character on the casting books in the early years, but he didn't materialize. Then in '94 or '95 we got the real Antonio. Thanks for this.

[John]

LeAnn was such a witch & Yasmine cannot act

[DRW50]

 

I wonder if Saundra Santiago would have been any better if they'd cast her as I think they had planned to. 

I never knew there was another Antonio. I wonder if Malone ever thought of bringing Maggie back for the Angel Square story...

[Vee]

I had no idea the role was intended for Saundra. That explains a lot. I always liked her. She of course had a bit part as Angelina/Isabella Santi, Antonio's bio-mom in Malone's terrible final story in 2004, before replacing Patricia Mauceri after that whole unfortunate Kish flap. I just loved PM as Carlotta so that made me very sad.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Vee

[John]

I perfered PM as well and given that Cris "Being gay" was one scene mishap could have they just cut the scene

[Vee]

She tried to rewrite the scene and refused to play Carlotta as being accepting of gay people when there was a long history of it. She made her own bed.

[Khan]

I understand one's need to hold fast to religious beliefs (no matter how...misguided those belief would seem to others).  But, like you said, @Vee, it wasn't as if Carlotta had always been homophobic, for lack of a better word.  Plus, I think when you're an actor, you kinda know that portraying characters who don't necessarily hold the same principles as you...well, it comes with the territory.  Otherwise, you're in the wrong line of work (or worse, you're doomed to act solely in faith-based films forever).

[Vee]

We have this convo every few years, lol. Carlotta had been open and accepting on gay issues throughout the 90s and 2000s. When Patricia Mauceri turned fundamentalist she tried to make her character do the same. The scene she protested was a bit campy and silly - Carlotta going all in as a supportive mother when she mistakenly believes Cristian (not his roommate Fish) is gay - but it was ultimately harmless, and it was not a betrayal of the character. The problem was that PM a) tried to rewrite it herself and then b) refused to play it.

 

AFAIK she is now relegated to preaching the gospel in sermons on YT, which is sad for someone with such a long and celebrated career as a character actress. But no, I don't blame the show. OLTL was not without many flaws at that time, but it was on her.

[John]

No no I agree with that but I never got the point of that scene. Carlotta would never think Cris was Gay just because he was an artist

PM was in a film in 1997 I think i do about Gay marriage where she played a character who was pro gay marriage

Edited May 5, 2019 by John

[chrisml]

Mauceri just goes to show that you can't equate starring in a gay themed film as confirmation that the person will be supportive of the gay audience/gay rights. When these actors find religion, gays and lesbians are always the first group they throw under the bus. They could have made their money from working with gay actors/directors, but they don't care. There was a lot wrong with the gay storyline on OLTL (including the tired and offensive "gay man gets emotional so sleeps with woman" trope) but there were a lot of problems with other storylines. I don't recall Mauceri getting offended by Todd punching Tea for ex.

[j swift]

I'm pleased that OLTL set a precedence to no longer have to appease the homophobic bias of certain actors.  As opposed to the 70s when Pete Lemay (who had written for the show for more than three years) had to throw out his entire gay storyline for Another World because the unknown actor hired to play Michael Randolph objected.  I think we need to decide two issues as a culture : (1) Are you homophobic if you have made homophobic remarks, jokes, or tweets? (I would say this is true) and (2) If you were once homophobic than are you homophobic for life? (this leaves room for debate contingent upon your beliefs in the ability of people to change ).

Edited May 6, 2019 by j swift

[DRW50]

 

In Lemay's book he said P&G objected - he never suggested that the actor who played him had a problem with the role. Did he say this somewhere else?

[j swift]

He expands the issue in his WeLoveSoaps Interview, but ultimately you are correct that it was P&G.  Hopefully, you still understand my point.

Edited May 6, 2019 by j swift

[vetsoapfan]

 

Lionel Johnstone, who played Michael Randolph, had been advised about the storyline concerning his character's homosexuality, and he was on board to play it. The problems arose when a nervous P&G vetoed the plot, infuriating Lemay. 

[danfling]

Earlier than the 1970s, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing planned to make Andy Hurley gay.   I think that may have been the reason that actor Don Scardino returned to daytime television after a number of years on The Guiding Light as Johnny.  (with a brief amount of time spent as Hank on As the World Turns).  The network (which owned the show) decided to drop that storyline, and Mr. Scardino was replaced by Rusty Thacker.  Both Mr. Scardino and Mr. Thacker were good in the role, but the character was given an incest story which probably was not as satisfying for viewers.