AMC: J.R. Martinez's Book Full of Heart

[SFK]

!!

[dragonflies]

J.R. Martinez ‏@iamjrmartinez

About to go onto @GMA to talk about #FullofHeart. Ten minutes to live...

[Cat]

I am glad this actor has gone from strength to strength, from soldier to actor to dancer to writer to TV personality because by all accounts of his kindness and commitment, he deserves it. I loved him on AMC, he really exuded warmth and so much good feeling. And I loved that he was like an adopted son of the Hubbards.

[LoyaltoAMC]

I guess I can see where Ehlers was coming from. They switched roles on her at the 11th hour and then gave her a screen partner with absolutely no experience. I can understand why she might've felt insulted and seen the role as an uphill battle. When your screen partner gives you nothing to work with, it's got to be tough to put on a good performance. She was probably also pissed that they didn't pair her with bff Goldin, which was obviously what she was hoping for. But none of this was JR's fault, and it seems very unprofessional for her to have taken it out on him. The irony is that Beth and JR actually worked as a couple IMO. There was a real sweetness about their relationship, and it was actually one of AMC's stronger and believeable plots during Pratt.

[dragonflies]

That still doesn't justify her douchiness

[Khan]

And yet, BE rose to the challenge of working with Mark Derwin on GUIDING LIGHT.

"Best" part about BE's ill-fated tenure at ALL MY CHILDREN: her character didn't receive even an actual sendoff. As far as anyone knows, she's still in that ladies' room.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

That doesn't justify her being a bitch. Plenty of actors have had to work with inexperienced actors and made it work. And if the rumors that she was repulsed by his looks are true than even more so that bitch got what she deserved.

[JackPeyton]

I wouldnt say JR gave Beth nothing to work with, from the start it was clear he put his all into it. He may have been green and not known what to do tech, but id much prefer to work with someone who is invested and trying than someone who may be good but doesnt care to put any effort into it.

[Pine Charles]

+1

[marceline]

Whatever JR's "failings" as an actor, BE's behavior only showed her to be tacky and classless. Martinez put himself in a position of unbelievable vulnerability and he did it with grace while Ehlers responded with entitlement and narcissism. Her actions didn't reflect on who he was as an actor but on who she was as a person.

[DeliaIrisFan]

I have to say - not having read the book, or seen more than a handful of scenes of this actor - that I think sticking one's tongue down someone's throat without their permission and thinking it's funny after they visibly freaked out could be called entitled as well. I'm not an actor either, which is all the more reason I would take pains to find out what is kosher if I were in such a situation. I could see an actress being disturbed by that, especially with a new co-worker whom she would have to trust in such intimate situations.

Admittedly, BE's reaction as described here would have been inexcusable and I can't imagine someone who had been in the business as long as she had and been in some, uh, complicated situations with co-stars over the years would have thought it would be effective. And I have to admit I couldn't see an actress in her shoes taking this kind of tack with a white male-model co-star, sad to say.

We don't completely have BE's side of the story, although she didn't do herself any favors as far as what she did say about the guy in print at the time. I agree that the situation reflects poorly on her, and that's disappointing to me because I associate BE as an actress with some of the best moments of this genre. The storyline with JM's character sounds to me like exactly the kind of realistic, human material she excelled at and should have been doing in what will likely be her final soap role. So I think it's a shame all around that she snubbed it, but especially if such skewed views as to the worth of a person or a professional on her part was the reason.

[JackPeyton]

most actors go over a kiss scene with a newbie and lay out the groundwork. A producer or director should have as well. Clearly, that was a failing all around on everyones part.

[Khan]

Precisely.