Cynthia Watros - Annie on the witness stand, Annie's intervention, Annie at the cabin with Phillip, Annie gets drunk and destroys Cross Creek

Gina Tognoni - The aftermath of Dinah getting shot in the head (especially the episode she won the second Emmy for)

Robin Strasser - Viki and Dorian are trapped together and Dorian tells Viki about how her mother used to lock her in a trunk

Lynn Herring - It's an odd choice, but Lucy tells Kevin a bedtime story and it was one of the most well-written and acted scenes in GH history,I really don't think another actress could have pulled it off (GH submitted it for the Emmys that year too)

Maeve Kinkead - Vanessa reads a letter from Henry

Kathleen Noone - On Sunset Beach, after Annie's father dies, Bette goes back to the house and breaks down (the only thing that didn't suck on that show)

I'm pretty critical about acting on soaps, but I really liked those performances (I could probably name more, particularly from the GLers, Sarah Brown, Jonathan Jackson, Susan Flannery, Elizabeth Hubbard, Nancy Lee Grahn on SB).

I like VR as an actress, always have. I think this might be a better Victoria Rowell clip (TLW is great in this too)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKo5sNfpRxw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyYypFEEIGs&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

No screaming, no crying needed to get the point across, just psychosis.

That was stunning. And VERY I, Claudius. I wonder how long she had to memorize that. No matter what awful thing came out of her mouth she played it in such a tender way that I as a viewer found myself searching for some thread of sympathy. I don't hate her yet I know I should.

And who says THE STAFFORD© is the only Phyllis?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo-KDriOQJs

Was I supposed to think Sandra Nelson was good in that clip? Terrible. And CLB seemed so cold, like Phyllis had just broken a nail.

I adore Sandra Nelson as Phyllis--she was especially good at portraying scheming and showing how... well, in a way, kinky Phyllis was. She certainly derived enjoyment out of things most people wouldn't. As for that clip... she gave a great vocal performance LOL. She was a bit dead behind the eyes, which I always look for, but the scenes still managed to be incredibly touching (the music doesn't hurt, either).

Some of my favorites:

--Victoria confronting Victor about getting rid of Diego and slapping him.

--Victoria seeing Ryan in her dream and waking up with the wedding ring on her finger.

--Olivia confronting "that Keesha tramp" about her affair with Nathan "You LIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! AAAAAAArghhhhhhhh") and then proceeding to tear the apartment apart.

--Jill finding out that Katherine is her mother.

There are more, they'll come to me eventually!

That was stunning. And VERY I, Claudius. I wonder how long she had to memorize that. No matter what awful thing came out of her mouth she played it in such a tender way that I as a viewer found myself searching for some thread of sympathy. I don't hate her yet I know I should.

She could easily play an evil mother in a costume drama. I love that scene because it is so quiet. Calmness projects strength and status. If you are in control you don't have to yell.

AW: Rachel, Mac, Mitch and Janice in St. Croix. Mac realizing on the witness stand that the baby Rachel is carrying is not his. Practically any '70s scene with any combination of Mac, Rachel and Iris.

DAYS: The sequence of Halloween episodes that culminated in the death of Mary Anderson and the reveal of Jake Kositchek as the Salem Strangler/Slasher/Killer/Whatever (there have been so may of them I can't keep them straight). Bo cradling Roman's body on the beach after Roman falls to his (supposed) death in a battle with Stefano. Doug and Julie giving in to their passion while he is still married to Lee.

GL: Nola's fantasies.

ATWT: The reveal of Lily's parentage.

Santa Barbara: Cruz & Eden's love story, Mason & Julia's love story.

OLTL: Karen on the witness stand.

Everyone in that scene was awesome but Rowell & Donaldson put on an acting clinic.

Edited April 26, 201114 yr by DeeeDee

I adore Sandra Nelson as Phyllis

Sandra grounded the character & gave the character SO many layers.

And when her Phyllis was crazy it was REAL but also allowed you to sympathize with the character despite everything.

--Victoria seeing Ryan in her dream and waking up with the wedding ring on her finger.

Yep.

And people say Heather can only do "bitchy".

Edited April 26, 201114 yr by DeeeDee

Anne Heche when Marley confronts Jake in the hospital after he wakes up from a coma for being shot the night he raped her.

Parts of the "Who Shot Jake?" story were good in their own right.

+1

Heche was AMAZING in those scenes, and I was never much of a fan of her version of Marley. So good that the scene MUST be posted.

I can watch that scene over and over again thanks to Heche's great performance. It's too bad she's just a bad joke now. When OLTL copied this scene with Bree Williamson, it was offensive and embarrasing.

Edited April 26, 201114 yr by Amello

Brooke and BeLief remains my all-time favorite storyline to this day on B&B. This is where KKL truly came into her own as Brooke IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ztAgq-TGjE

Edited April 26, 201114 yr by juniorz1

Anne Heche was good in those scenes; and IMO, it was a pivotal moment in Marley and Jake's lives, too. That's why I could never embrace entirely Jake's relationship w/ Vicky (he finds true love with his victim's twin sister???) or Marley's later obsession with him after Ellen Wheeler had returned to the show.

I could understand with Marley, because she was so broken that she kept fantasizing about the happy life with Jake she'd never actually had - but it did bother me that even before she was so traumatized (by the fire and plastic surgery and being run over) they seemed to be hinting that she still wanted Jake.

Even though I don't think Kristian Alfonso (Hope, DAYS) is the strongest actress, I can only think of 2 times while watching DAYS that I cried and both times were because of her performances. The most recent time of course being her heartbreaking goodbye to "gran" at Alice's funeral last June. The other time being in Spring 2002 when Bo & Hope had to give baby J.T. back to Barb & Glen.

Cynthia Watros from GL. Wow. Yes, she could be over-the-top towards the end of Annie's run, but her emotional moments were so raw and heartbreaking. 1997 was her year (hence, the Emmy!)