Ranking The Portrayal

[Quent]

Ok, so many characters have been played by many actors. Sometimes you are sure that an actress is irreplaceable, then are surprised when you start to like the replacement. For example, I hated Hillary B Smith when she took over for Margaret Colin, on ATWT. I was sure Colin was the quintessential Margo, but within a year, Smith became my all-time favorite Margo. But it can go the other way, too. Scott Bryce was a complex, multi-layered Craig Montgomery, who could be a dastardly villain one day (the Steve/Betsy/Craig days) and a romantic lead the next (Craig/Sierra). When Hunt Block took over the role , he turned Craig into a sneering, sarcastic joke. Of course, that's just the way I see it. How would you rank the actors' portrayal of long-time characters?

My choices:

Margo Hughes

1) Hillary Bailey Smith

2) Margaret Colin

3) Ellen Dolan

4) Glynnis O'Connor

Craig Montgomery

1) Scott Bryce

2) Jeffrey Meek

3) Hunt Block

4) Jon Lindstrom

Mike Kasnoff

1) Mark Collier

2) Sean Christian

3) Jon Prescott

Paul Ryan

1) Scott Holroyd

2) Andy Kavovit

3) Roger Howarth

4) John Howard

Lily Walsh

1) Martha Byrne

2) Noelle Beck

3) Heather Rattray

[darraholic]

DAYS:

Jack Deveraux:

1. Matthew Ashford

2. Mark Valley

3. Steve Wilder

(Didn't see the first 2 Jack's.)

Belle Black:

1. Martha Madison

2. Kirsten Storms

3. Charity Rahmer

Billie Reed

1. Krista Allen

2. Lisa Rinna

3. Julie Pinson

Roman Brady:

1. Wayne Northrop

2. Drake Hogestyn

3. Josh Taylor

OLTL:

Kelly Cramer:

1. Heather Tom

2. Gina Tognoni

3. Tracey Melchoir

AW:

Vicky/Marley:

1. Anne Heche

2. Ellen Wheeler

3. Jensen Buchanan

Paulina Cory:

1. Cali Timmons

2. Judi Evans

Passions:

Kay Bennett:

1. Deanna Wright

2. Taylor Anne Mountz

3. Heidi Mueller

4. Gina Marie May

Jessica Bennett:

1. Jade Harlow

2. Mary Elizabeth Winstead

3. Danica Stewart

Gwen Hotchkiss

1. Natalie Zea

2. Liza Huber

Y&R:

Ashley Abbott

1. Brenda Epperson

2. Eileen Davidson

3. Shari Shattuck

Billy Abbott:

1. David Tom

2. Ryan Brown

3. Billy Miller

4. Scott Seymour

Jill Abbott:

1. Jess Walton

2. Deb Adair

3. Brenda Dickson

Mackenzie Browning:

1. Kelly Kruger

2. Rachel Kimsey

3. Ashley Bashioum

4. Clementine Ford

Colleen Carlton

1. Adrianne Leon

2. Lyndsy Fonseca

3. Tammin Sursok

Diane Jenkins:

1. Alex Donnelley

2. Susan Walters

3. Maura West

B&B:

Rick Forrester:

1. Justin Torklidson

2. Jacob Young

3. Kyle Lowder

[SFK]

They have been long gone, but after all these years, I prefer Erin Torpey and Yorlin Madera to Bree Williamson and David Fumero. The former never irked me like the latter, and there was a warmth and charm their replacements lack for whatever they gained in more commercial looks.

[SFK]

I'm doing the mental math on the Kevins and Joeys, and what's making it so difficult is that their through lines seem to be what they are rather than who they are (i.e., being reinvented with every new recast/regime) and a lot of that may come down to individual taste.

Joey

1. Chris McKenna and Nathan Fillion (tie for charisma and believability as Viki's kind, gentle souled son; Joey's best storylines)

2. Don Jeffcoat (not a bad actor, but probably the most obnoxious Joey, given some of that smart ass shading more often attempted with Kevin) and Tom Degnan (could have been a great successor to Fillion if not written as a completely clueless, nose-open dolt)

3. Bruce Michael Hall (dull, stilted line delivery, handicapped by random/wack storyline)

[Soapsuds]

:

Margo Hughes

1) Hillary Bailey Smith...was my favorite Margo.

2) Margaret Colin...second favorite as well.

3) Ellen Dolan...Ellen was hit and miss with me.

4) Glynnis O'Connor....the worst...thank gawd Connor was front and center at this time...they actually backburned Glynnis Margo a bit.

Craig Montgomery

Scott Bryce....always will be my favorite....

Jeffrey Meek...Just awful as Craig...no resemblance either

Hunt Block.....liked him but then he got to cartoonish...he is my second favorite

Jon Lindstrom....same as Jeffrey Meek

Mike Kasnoff

1) Mark Collier...this is a tough for me...liked both Mark and Sean in the role...have to call it a tie

2) Sean Christian

3) Jon Prescott...good actor but was miscast.....loved seeing him on screen

Paul Ryan...there were other Pauls you didnt mention...CB Barnes...Danny Pintauro...etc....but

Scott Holroyd...I loved his acting..but he didnt resemble mom or daddy....lol

Andy Kavovit...My favorite Paul...hands down.

Roger Howarth....ugh...[!@#$%^&*]...[!@#$%^&*]....just bad all around

John Howard...the hottest Paul of them all...I liked him in the role...

Lily Walsh

Martha Byrne....my favorite

Noelle Beck...didnt care for her version

Heather Rattray...my second favorite..but real close to be my favorite..at first I didnt like her in the role but she grew on me and I missed her when Martha took over again.

Also...there was another LIly...she is on the dvd release...didnt care for Lucy Deakins....lol

Emily

Melanie Smith...my favorite Emlly..no contest

KMH....only liked her with Royce Keller...Terri Lester

Colleen McDermott...was the first Emily...she was good actually...I wish I could see her again in a future ATWT release.

[SFK]

Myrna Clegg

1. Marj Dusay (some of the most LOL hilariously delicious line readings I've ever heard on a soap, she really made the words--throwaway lines in particular--pop off the page in a way a lot of other actresses wouldn't have had the skill for)

2. Carolyn Jones (fabulously OTT and entertaining, pure camp at times, played the role at sharp angles whereas Marj's rounded corners made the role more human)

3. Marla Adams (brittle and weird)

[SFK]

Frankie Hubbard

1. Alimi Ballard (charismatic, down to earth, the most believable as Angie and Jesse's son and a very good successor to childhood Frankie, Z Wright)

2. Cornelius Smith (same qualities as above, but more polish and 'tude that imo didn't make his as consistentlyand unquestionably likeable as Alimi)

3. Jason Olive

[P.J.]

GL

Dinah Marler

1. Wendy Moniz

2. Gina Tognoni

3. Paige Turco

4. Jennifer Gatti

Alan-Michael

1. Rick Hearst

2. Carl T. Evans

.

.

.

20. the others who stunk

Ed Bauer

1. Mart Hulswit

2. Robert Gentry

3. Richard Van Vleet

4. Peter Simon

Mindy

1. Krista Tesearu

2. Barbara Crampton

3. Ann Hamilton

4. Kimberly Simms

ATWT

Margo

1. Margaret Colin

2. Ellen Dolan

3. HBS

4. O'Connor

Craig

1. Scott Bryce

2. Jeff Meek

4. Block, Lindstrom

Paul

1. Kavovit

2. Hoylrod (this is so close, if he'd had more time in the role, I'd have placed him first)

3. Danny Pintauro

4. Roger Howarth

5. CB Barnes

Lily

1. Heather Rattray

2. Noelle Beck

3. Byrne

4. Deakins

[DaytimeFan]

Y&R

Jill Abbott

Jess Walton - Power Jill, Mother Jill, Mourning Jill, Vengeful Jill, Business Jill, the best actress by far, longest tenured, 2 Emmys

Brenda Dickson - the first Jill, nostalgic, never quite convinced me as 80s 'power Jill', much better in her youth

Deborah Adair - filler Jill

Bond Gideon - who? Exactly.

DAYS

Kate Roberts

Lauren Koslow - she's taken Kate places nobody else could have taken her, she's turned a one note character into DAYS' longest running vixen

Deborah Adair - played Kate far more conservatively, quieter, had she stayed longer than 3 years she would have been written out prior to 2000

[Paul Raven]

Y&R

Jack Abbott

1.Terry Lester - one of a kind

2. Peter Bergman

3. Brett Porter - bland fill in for Lester

Ashley Abbott

1. Eileen Davidson

2. Brenda Epperson

3. Shari Shattuck

Phyllis

1. Sandra Nelson

2. Michelle Stafford - hated the actress and character from Day One

Jill Foster Abbott

1. Jess Walton

2. Deborah Adair

3.Brenda La Dickson -better first time around,undeniably entertaining on Round 2 but overall too limited for the scope of the role

Patty Williams

1.Lillibet Stern

2. Andrea Evans\

3. stacey Haiduk (Patty in name only)

Mackenzie

1. Ashley Bashioum

2.Clementine Ford (victim of MAB)

3 Kelly Kruger/Rachel Kimsey

Snapper/Chris/Leslie/Greg

The original performers #1

[y&r_fan]

B&B

Bridget Forrester

1. Jennifer Finnigan

2. Ashley Jones

3. Emily Harrison

Rick Forrester

1. Justin Torkildsen

2. Kyle Lowder/Jacob Young

Felicia Forrester

1. Colleen Dion

2. Lesli Kay

Thorne Forrester

1. Winsor Harmon

2. Jeff Trachta

3. Clayton Norcross

Kristen Forrester Dominguez

1. Tracy Lindsey Melchior

2. Teri Ann Linn

Thomas Forrester

1. Adam Gregory

2. Drew Tyler Bell

Katie Logan Spencer

1. Heather Tom

2. Nancy Sloan

Donna Logan Barber

1. Jennifer Gareis

2. Carrie Mitchum

Storm Logan

1. William deVry

2. Ethan Wayne

3. Brian Patrick Clarke

Y&R

Jill Abbott "Fenmore"

1. Jess Walton

2. Brenda Dickson

Jack Abbott

1. Peter Bergman

2. Terry Lester

Victoria Newman Abbott

1. Heather Tom

2. Amelia Heinle

3. Sarah Aldrich

Ashley Abbott

1. Eileen Davidson

2. Brenda Epperson/Shari Shattuck

Lily Ashby

1. Davetta Sherwood

2. Christel Khalil

Colleen Carlton

1. Lyndsy Fonseca/Tammin Sursok

2. Adrianne Leon

Heather Stevens

1. Vail Bloom

2. Eden Riegel

Gloria Bardwell

1. Judith Chapman

2. Joan Van Ark

Eden Baldwin

1. Jessica Heap

2. Vanessa Marano

3. Erin Sanders

Abby Newman

1. Marcy Rylan

2. Darcy Rose Byrnes

3. Hayley Erin

Adam Newman

1. Michael Muhney

2. Chris Engen

Billy Abbott

1. David Tom/Billy Miller

2. Ryan Brown

3. Scott Seymour

Mackenzie Browning

1. Rachel Kimsey

2. Ashley Bashioum

3. Clementine Ford

4. Kelly Kruger

Diane Jenkins

1.Susan Walters

2. Alex Donnelley

3. Maura West

Malcolm Winters

1. Shemar Moore

2. That... THING

[Khan]

That's why I was so sure she'd make a perfect replacement for Beverlee McKinsey on GUIDING LIGHT.

[DRW50]

ATWT Margo

1. HBS - Other than crying and big emotional scenes, which were a mess (see her reaction to Craig's "death"), she nailed every part of the role. Cop, wife, mother, daughter, complex relationships, comedy. It's easy to overlook just how much Margo changed during her time in the part - I was shocked at how much more lighthearted Margo was from 83-85, and how sorrowful she became in Marland's run. HBS bridged that gap very well, and honestly I'm not sure how many other actors could have made the baffling "Margo runs off to Greece and forces her family to run interference" story work.

2. Dolan - Sad to have to put her second, as she was the Margo when I was first watching and I liked her a hell of a lot. I was so thrilled when she came back in 1994. Unfortunately, 1996 on marked an increasing lack of warmth, a brittleness, and an apathy in the role. It bothered me a lot at how drained of life Margo became in the show's last decade. I wish I could forget all of it.

3. Colin - I think Margaret Colin is a little overrated - very shouty and immature. But she had a great deal of charisma and she was certainly very believable as JD Tom's soulmate and as John's fiery daughter.

4. O'Connor - I was not happy when she took over as Margo. Yet I never hated her the way I hated the awful Billy Lewis recast on GL, or even Graham Winton's dull Caleb. She was a competent actress who lacked charisma and came in at a very bad transition period.

ATWT Paul

1. Kavovit - Even though I've been misspelling his name for more years than he was actually on ATWT, I liked him a lot. He had a believable relationship with everyone around him, a fascinating love/obsession story with Emily, tangled relationships with James and Barbara, a son to Hal, yet not quite a son, and a true blue bond with Andy. I'm not sure how he would have been if he'd stayed in the role.

2. Holroyd - Handsome, talented. Sweet chemistry with Martha Byrne. Not the most charismatic but he had potential, untapped potential. He deserved better than ATWT gave him.

3. John Howard. He wasn't a good actor and was a bit of a lump in terms of charisma but he could have improved given time.

4. Howarth. Awful! Miscast. Awful! Stunt casting at its worst. Awful!!!

Tom Hughes

1. Gregg Marx. Talk about a revelation. A stunningly gorgeous man who was totally and utterly capable of playing a) the strait-laced DA b ) a funny, silly husband c) an angst-ridden husband d) the passionate love. I really, really, really, really, really, really wish ATWT had been able to hold onto him.

2. Scott Holmes. Tom was a character I enjoyed watching for my first ATWT years. I liked Tom and Margo and thought they were believable. After 1997 or so Holmes began YELLING HIS LINES and while he did still have some subtle moments, the lack of spark which I didn't really care about in earlier years began to overtake everything. To be fair to Holmes, they just did not write for Tom, and I don't think they would have even if he'd been more charismatic. Holmes did have his moments, but generally, you would forget he was there. Frankly I'm not quite sure why ATWT even kept him in that last decade.

3. Justin Deas. Haven't seen enough to say. He's certainly very energetic, but not as godawful as he was with his GL hamming.

4. Jason Kincaid. Miscast. I'll leave it at that.

[soapfan770]

I'll stick with some major roles first that come off the top of my head. If anyone wants an explanation let me know:

ATWT:

Lily:

1. Martha Bryne

2. Heather Rattray

3. Lucy Deakins

4. Noelle Beck

Lucy:

1. Peyton List

2. Sarah Glendering

3. Spencer Grammer

Craig:

1. Scott Bryce

2. Hunt Block

3. Jon Lindstrom

4. Jeffery Meek--too creepy

B&B:

Thorne:

1. Winsdor Harmon

2. Jeff Trachita

3. Clayton Norcross

Days:

Billie:

1. Lisa Rinna

2. Julie Pinson

3. Krista Allan

Shawn-Douglas:

1. Brandon Beemer

2. Jason Cook

GL:

Michelle:

1. Joie Lenz

2. Rachel Miner

3. Nancy St. Alban

4. Rebecca Budig

Mindy:

1. Kimberly Simms

2. Krista Teresau

3. Barbara Crampton

4. Ann Hamilton

Y&R:

Colleen:

1. Adrienne Leon

2. Lyndsy Fonsenca

3. Tammin Sursok

Ashley:

tie for #1: Brenda Epperson and Eileen Davidson

2. Shari Shattuck

Diane:

1. Alex Donnelly

2. Susan Walters and Maura West

Mac:

1. Ashley Bashioum

2. Clementine Ford

3. Rachel Kinsey

4. Kelly Kruger

Billy:

1. David Tom

2. Ryan Brown

3. Billy Miller

4. Scott Seymour

Heather:

1. Vail Bloom

2. Conci Nelson

3. Eden Riegel

[quartermainefan]

Is there enough bandwidth to rank the Kevins and Joeys? They have to be the two most recast characters in soap history.