Questions about Unexpected Soap Actor's Deaths and How The Soaps Handeled Them

[Paul Raven]

Melba Rae died suddenly on SFT in 1971.The show did not deal with her death on air,as it was too painful for the actors involved.A few months later it was referenced that Stu was now a widow.It seems a strange way of dealing with the issue as viewers would have been quite confused.

[august1229]

I once asked on soap zone that shouldn't they have key man life insurance on Maurice Bernard, as they used him so much. Of course one of the literalists there claimed I was hoping for his death just by suggesting that. Which after all was a practical idea. Anything can happen to anyone.

[Cheap21]

well that's B&B's fault for taking too long. Sally should have died years ago. I think the most important players would have been CJ, Stephanie, Thorne and Eric. CJ could always return and Alexandra back, she could be a placeholder for Darla/Macy. I wonder if SF would reprise her role as Stephanie, showing her with Sally in the afterlife (a stand-in seen in a red wig from the back of course)

Amber talked to Sally's portrait and got the idea of stealing the designs based off her history. That didn't require Sally being alive as a live Sally didn't factor into the story. Sally's legacy can still be utilized even if she is put to rest

[DRW50]

Supposedly Thorsten Kaye convinced them.

[SFK]

Ha, pull a Lila Q. I see no problem with just letting an off-camera character stay alive. I think it's kind of a lovely tribute. Eternal flame. Of course if the show lasts another twenty years or whatever, they could always use Sally's inevitable passing for some sort of will s/l (if her kids and associates are on canvas), but for now, just leave well enough alone.

How did they address Michael Fox's passing?

[DRW50]

In early 2008, South African soap Isidingo learned that Ashley Callie, who played one of their central heroines, Leone Haines, had been in a major car accident. She passed away about a week later. A few months later, Leone was killed off (in a car accident), and the show tried to deal with how her friends and family coped with her loss, and tried to incorporate this in the mystery/intrigue/crime plots they had going, even going as far as to have other characters suspect that her father (who was one of the show's major villains) might have killed her.

The whole thing was obviously very difficult for cast and crew, and is one of the most high-profile soap deaths I can think of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6IoJwh3VGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAmM5Z9_L3Q

[DRW50]

Sally and the group found out about his passing. I think they had a memorial. I know Darlene Conley said she would have gone to all the offices and banged on the desks if they hadn't addressed it.

[SFK]

That is very weird and uncomfortable. Maybe not so much if I saw how they handled it. Was Stu off the show for several weeks then? Very odd to work around such a major event in a main character's life.

[DRW50]

Mary Stuart once talked about how she and Larry Haines got the call about Rae's aneurysm (I think it was an aneurysm) and then spent days at the hospital, waiting as she died. I guess I can see why they didn't want to deal with that again. Viewers must have been confused, as Marge was like a family member to many of them.

[SFK]

Thanks Carl. Whenever I think of him I think of how he's the reason for the J. in Michael J. Fox.

[YRfan23]

You know I actually remember seeing them talk about Saul's death on the show! I just remember Sally having flashbacks of Saul and there was one moment during the flashbacks where they showed her crying in Saul's arms and for some reason that made me cry too and I was only 5 year old little boy!......I actually remember i was very upset about that for the rest of the day, haha. I guess maybe I was so use to Sally as "the weird big red headed lady" when I was a child so i

You know I actually remember seeing them talk about Saul's death on the show! I just remember Sally having flashbacks of Saul and there was one moment during the flashbacks where they showed her crying in Saul's arms and for some reason that made me cry too and I was only 5 year old little boy!......I actually remember i was very upset about that for the rest of the day, haha. I guess maybe I was so use to Sally as "the weird big red headed lady" when I was a child so i just thought it was weird to see her cry.

[applcin]

Another World had a double heart attack whammy within about 18 months of each other:

First, Brent Collins (Wallingford) died in 1988. I believe they also wrote Wallingford as having died of a heart attack.

Then, Douglass Watson (Mac Cory) died while he was on vacation in May, 1989. Shortly thereafter, they wrote that Mac died in his sleep while away in Maine. I believe Rachel went there to meet him and was told when she got there.

[ChitHappens]

That's right. I forgot about Brent Collins. I loved Wallingford! They killed the character off at about the same time as when the actor died, right?

[DRW50]

Yes. Just a few months later. Probably the toughest memorial episode for me to watch.

[applcin]

Yes, and with Douglass, too. They did it fairly quickly.

I just remembered Constance Ford (Ada) but she had left the show the year before because of her ill health and died of cancer. They did write Ada's death into the show. I always thought AW handled these things with such dignity and love.