Llanview In The Afternoon: An Oral History of One Life to Live, by Jeff Giles out today

[Jeff Giles]

She gave me two questions before saying she'd given me enough and cutting off the call. You know that old Seinfeld routine about how sex for a guy is like being in a car accident where you're thrown clear before you realize what just happened? That's basically what interviewing Robin Strasser was like. But it wasn't combative at all, which is why it was such an unpleasant surprise when she started slagging me on Twitter.

[EricMontreal22]

I don't do twitter, I only read what gets posted on here, but had NO idea she said anything against you or the book on there. That's really too bad, and honestly surprising. As you imply, it seems like she would have been one of the first to dish. Even without knowing what the tweets were, knowing some of her random outbursts it obviously was not anything personal or actually based on her reading the book.

Regardless, I'm sure her baking is not nearly as good as Erika Slezak's.

[cassadine1991]

I am also shocked at this from Robin, yet I'm not really surprised.

[John]

Thanks Jeff

I would have loved to hear from the Kevin's (Joey thrower, Kirk Geiger, Jack Armstrong, Kevin Stapleton & Dan Gauither) & Joey's (Chris L McKenna, Don Jeffcoat, Bruce Michael Hall & Tom Degnan)

Any luck talking to any of them???

[Vee]

If it's any consolation to Mr. Giles, I bet Robin is probably over it, if she remembers being upset (for no reason) at all. Robin remembers all sorts of byzantine lore going back to the days of Rachel Davis on Another World - I was amazed when I saw her find the time to start banging on about her role as Christina Karras on AMC a few years back - but this seems like the sort of thing she'd gloss over in her mind - especially since the book has turned out so well for everyone.

I always felt that being pushed out in 2000 hurt Robin deeply, and that after she came back to OLTL she always seemed incredibly deliberate and yet also gunshy; everything was played to 11 onscreen, and I felt she was often very broad. Part of that was the writing reducing Dorian to a cartoon, but part of it, I personally thought, was Robin Strasser being so determined to never be cast out again that she had decided to make every single second count. And while her hotline is still very Strasser, she's also always hedging and amending things she says, rambling on to give herself an out and make sure she doesn't burn another bridge anywhere. I love her, but I think she's trying to protect herself. And I think that may have been part of the reason she was so closed off about the book, unfortunately. Of course, I don't know the woman at all.

[SFK]

I was a very active poster at WoST back in the day, and a fellow member shared a very similar account of Robin, having interviewed her in the golden age of soap obsession back in the early-mid '80s. I believe that his interview can still be found online, it was with Candy Earley at a college campus in Alabama. The interviewer shared with us on WoST that Robbie snapped at him for "going on so long" with his questions (Robin and Candace were participating in a national college tour of ABC soap personalities). Candace appologized to him for Robin's behaviour, which I found ironic given another WoST poster's account of CE's rudeness when he served her at a restaurant. RS is so forthcoming with her thoughts on her hotline and in interviews with others, so what I glean from this is that she (right or wrong) deems who and what is "worthy" of her time, thoughts, and opinions. If she lumped JG in the "less than" category, I think she made a big mistake.

[SFK]

I mean, I've heard her snap at a cab driver for hitting bumps in the streets of Manhattan post her back surgery mid-hotline recording, so she's certainly no shrinking violet. Maybe it's just that she prefers to share on her own terms, either solo or with reporters that she knows and trusts.

[Vee]

I suspect it's that Mr. Giles wasn't from the usual rotation, yes. I hope someday that's rectified. I'll buy an Expanded Edition, I don't care!

[EastMA2]

Why is anyonne so shocked that Strasser is a nasty, vile bitch? Of course, Vee knows everything. LOL. I've met Strasser many times. She's not a nice person.

[John]

Why all the hate on for Vee? He has never claimed to be a know it all

[Vee]

Forget about me, the comments about Strasser are uncalled for.

[cassadine1991]

That's way out of line

[EastMA2]

Way out of line? How? I've met Robin Strasser and stand by what I say. How is it out of line?

[rhinohide]

I've met her too. Several times and had the pleasure of speaking with her on the phone as well. She's always been polite to me. Perhaps the circumstances were different.

[EastMA2]

Yes, perhaps. But there are too many incidents where people say differently. I'll always give Michael Logan credit for calling her out when it was announced that she was returning to OLTL in 1993. Logan said flat out in his column that people were NOT happy and I understand why. The woman is a nasty human being. I've seen it first hand. I've also heard it first hand by crew members who worked on OLTL. She was NOT nice to them.