GH: Alternative

[Skin]

No but he did ask her if she wanted to have sex with him, something Jessica admitted to wanting to do.

She has the same cartoonish, over the top tendencies and characterized tics that could be lumped in with all actresses I named above. She's by no means a Robin Mattson, a Kate Collins or a Susan Haskill. She has far more in common with Sullivan, Minshew and Williamson then she does with the former's.

Not at all. Merely pointing out the fact that other actresses haven't gotten the same amount of criticism for their cartoon acting (in some instances they have actually been praised for it: i.e. Minshew, Williamson, Egan). Sullivian is ridiculous, but then again so were Egan, Minshew, Williamson and others whenever they were supposed to be playing hardcore drama or were meant to be playing enraged psychotic characters.

[SweetPea36]

I guarantee I have never praised Williamson or Minshew's acting because I thought they were both awful. I saw too little of Egan to say one way or the other. However, I have seen plenty of Sullivan and her acting sucks just like Williamson and Minshew's. There are some others we could add. LW immediately comes to mind and she may be the worst of all.

I don't know when all the screeching, shriking and OTT scenery-chewing began to be considered real acting, with posters on this board and others bad-mouthing more natural actors who convey emotion, but it seems to have become prevalent.

[DRW50]

I know everyone but me and one other person hates her here, but I think Alicia Mishnew was better than this.

[JaneAusten]

I disliked her a lot but I think that was probably more to do with the fact I liked SMG much more. AM was an awful crier.

[SweetPea36]

It's probably true that Minshew doesn't rightfully belong in the OTT hysterical shrieking category. I'm not a fan of her acting, but I don't she shares this particular flaw.

I've never seen her try to strangle herself, so I'll give her points for that.

[JaneAusten]

Ok I'm confused since when do HWs now not have input in terms of their writers. Yeah I know individuals are bound by contract to ABC or Corday Productions or Sony, but when head writers change on various shows, ultimately they all transition in over time new writers don't they? Hasn't Carvilati for example brought in writers who worked for him. Didn't Gary Tomlin already make writing changes at Days?

I actually thought years back the different was not only were the HWs responsible for the hirings but the writing teams were actually contracted to the HW so that if he got they boot the all went.

[Ann_SS]

Awful crier?! She could not cry for her life. Same with Farah F. Williamson could cry, but she was a damn horrific actress, just like Minshew and Fath.

Laura Wright has been awful as Carly, but she had some decent moments on GL. She stepped up her game when she was paired with David Andrew McDonald (Edmund) who was a much more talented actor than she could ever dream to be.

[EricMontreal22]

I think Egan has proven more range, but I *do* get what you're saying. The difference is even at its most outlandish, like her coming at Erica with a knife in a wedding dress, the writing even then still had more depth, for lck of a better word, than we're getting with Kate (or, frankly, we got for the msot part with Jess' alters). I know I've said it before, but I think Sullivan is far from the worse actress I've seen on tv, but--and more and more--she's given completely unworkable things to do. Sure, a brilliant actor could probably still somehow make it a riveting performance (though with the amount of preparation, rehearsal, etc, actors get on soaps now it might be hard), but...

for the record, I thought haskill was a pretty bad psycho, though I know some loved her (I mean the time RC made her go psycho for her exit over jealousy of John of all things--not when she has had episodes in her classic storylines). In the OLTL commemorative magazine she almost flat out says that she hated the way her character was played and had an impossible time trying to relate it to the Marty she had played all these years and was actually glad to let the character go after that--so I guess that's why.

[EricMontreal22]

I wish I could just print out the whole essay he wrote, I think I'm not explaining it well. And frankly I think he's also overstating the point, though I think there is some truth there.

I suspect execs are largely fine with hiring and firing writers at the suggestion of HWs stil--you're right that at least a few names often come to a show shortly after a HW they've worked with arrives. I guess the point is the execs can still change this--of course up until the mid 80s, on all soaps, the HW would actually handle the finances, etc, for the writers under her, herself--paying them directly from their own paycheque. I think you are right though that this also meant that if a HW was booted they all went (but it must be more complex than that--when AMC made HW changes in the 80s for example, much of the rest of the staff would change--even into the mid and late 90s, though that may have been more due to Agnes Nixon still having a sorta exec HW control).

While she was at times green, I really liked Wright on Loving and The City. Sure, some of it may have been playing a more sympathetic character or better writing, but I feel she may be also an example of one of those actors who does fall into the pit of bad habits once they are on soaps too long.

[JaneAusten]

Oh Susan Haskell probably one of my fave actresses years back was dreadful during her final storyline. I never got the praise at all. It's kind of gratifying to know that she was as unhappy with the writing at the end as many of us were. Sadly it translated on screen but I'm not sure any actress even one motivated could have made that mess work.

[DRW50]

Laura Wright is one of those actresses who benefited from a certain warmth and vulnerability which had gone away by her last few years at GL. The writing for Carly has been such a mess that I'm not sure what could be done about it. I think she is right to play the character as hostile and aggressive and perpetually seeing herself as a victim...I just think the character has seriously declined as a result of having too much money and power.

[Mr. Vixen]

I agree Carl. They need to make Carly dirt poor and desperate, so she can go back to being the trash she is.

I still can't believe they never brought in any Benson cousins or aunts or anything to get in Carly's face and constantly remind her of who she truly is.

[EricMontreal22]

Fully agreed on all accounts.

[DRW50]

That's why I would have a story where Carly slowly loses all her money, loses custody of Joss, and then the culprit is the daughter of some guy whose marriage she broke up in the trailer parks, which destroyed her family and forced her into a horrible life. She could be married to a Quartermaine now, just to complete the irony.

[SweetPea36]

I agree with most of this. My problem with LW is all of the extreme anger (which she tries to convey with contorted facial expressions), the OTT scenery-chewing and her damn screeching. There is never a subtle moment in her performance, no layers, no dimensions, no subtext ever.

If she ever knew how to show honest emotions, she has apparently forgotten and now she resorts to covering and it comes across as being showy and dishonest.