OLTL: Robin Strasser exit interview

[DRW50]

Elaine Princi played most of her scenes with an underlying grace and subtlety - even when Dorian was just sniping at the Buchanans - that offset the cartoonishness of the writing for her. The show got away with a lot of odd material for Dorian because of Elaine.

When Robin returned, much of the grace and layering she brought to the role in the 80s seemed to be gone and there was a lot of shrillness which went hand-in-hand with tacky revenge plots (which she, rightfully, complained about) which she wasn't suited for. Elaine was much more suited to stuff like the Emily Haines story, because of her velvet-glove-iron-fist performance. Robin did a good job with the cancer story (there was a good scene where she was in front of her bedroom mirror wearing only pearls), but it really took about a year or more to finally start calming her down and bringing back the multi-layered, stunning creature RS Dorian can be, one that uses and builds on her decades of history in Llanview. Unfortunately it went back to silliness after Malone left the first time (I think Marlena de la Croix trashed that book story as well as Dorian being dressed like Minnie Mouse), but you're right, I do think the Labines had a lot of juicy material for Robin.

I have felt for a while that the material Robin has had over the last 3-4 years has again been much more suited to Elaine Princi, with the exception of the Dorian/Ray stuff. When the writing tells Dorian to get loud, it's time to underplay that. I also think she was more suited to balancing out the bizarro moments where Dorian goes around yelling BIZATCH and behaving like she's auditioning for Real Housewives.

I don't think Robin has ever personally said anything against Elaine and I can understand why she resents that whole time on OLTL but it does make me feel a little sad (not like global warming sad, just soap sad) that Elaine doesn't get more credit. But fortunately the material available on Youtube can help viewers who weren't watching then reevaluate their opinions, as it did mine (like the comment I read that all Elaine did in the role was cry).