Actors & Actresses who were Divas/Difficult on their soap sets

[amybrickwallace]

 

I'm more surprised that Lorenzo appeared in all 227 episodes of FC (the only actor to do so), given all his off-screen shenanigans, but that's another story. He had nothing but kind things to say about her when asked for comment after her passing.

[John]

Tea Please????

[amybrickwallace]

Well, he showed up high on coke to the set before Jane (rightly) reprimanded him. He was in a serious crash on a racecar track, despite the producers warning him not to race cars. He had a relationship with Kathleen Kinmont, the real life daughter of his FC mom Abby Dalton. He got another woman pregnant, dumped Kathleen and married his son's mother (the first of upteen wives), divorced her and eventually married and divorced Kathleen.

 

I think that's the jist of it. I read some of this in the book Soap Opera Babylon by Jason Bonderoff, published in 1987.

[Contessa Donatella]

I never heard of Susan Seaforth Hayes or Flannery or Ehlers being difficult. They were all actually children/actors who put in good hours.

[Vee]

 

Then you're the last person left online who hasn't. Not only did Ehlers flame out at AMC after publicly disrespecting a war veteran who upstaged her, Kim Zimmer all but named BE in her memoir, basically confirming the many, many rumors about BE and her relationship issues with some of her costars. You should know them since they started circulating over 20 years ago and continued until she quit GL.

[Contessa Donatella]

Beth Ehlers had an un-done space at AMC.

[Paul Raven]

Re Susan S Hayes - portion of 1987 SOD interview,talking about them working on separate shows (DOOL/Y&R)

 

SSH -But there is less tension now,absolutely less tension for me.i had a tendency to be more protective and concerned about  Bill than myself. No particular reason to be, he can take care of himself. it probably has a lot to do with the fact that i was an only child and Bill was the first family of my own. I wanted everything perfect for his working conditions. So I'd magnify everything by 50 per cent. If  something was wrong for me or, even worse if I thought something was wrong for you...

 

BH ... and usually I wasn't even aware of it...

 

SSH...I'd get  upset because there were two people involved. Mostly this was my own fantasy. I can admit that now. But Y&R is a show for me. And my first promise to myself was that I would never be that...concerned again. I would do my own work. i would not make judgements on how the script was going, how my character was going, how I looked, whether or not I was getting my quota of shots, whether the shots were from the right angle, whether the director knew what he was doing or whether anybody was paying attention to the integrity of my character

 

BH (teasing) Whew! That was a lot of tension.

 

SSH (touche) Fortunately, I'm working on what is probably the best soap opera in production today with a staff that's outstanding, professionally and a man (Bill Bell) whose  brains and integrity could never be questioned....

... There's something else I want to say. When I signed on to Y&R I made a vow. I was determined to go in with a smile and a happy expression and say 'Good morning' to everyone. It's no secret that our last few years on Days weren't our favorites. I wasn't doing a lot of smiling back then...

 

[hendersonite]

 According to Mary's autobiography, Both of Me, the blowup happened during the summer of 1974.  Mary walked into rehearsal one morning and Tony was already upset about the script. She said she would fix it,  He flew into a rage and threw the script at her.  It lasted ten or fifteen minutes.  They could not rehearse.  She stated she was so upset, she cried all morning.  And he called her an ugly name as they were walking into the scene on air.  She felt a few word changes would shift emphasis, making Tony the strong one.  She had done so in the past and it had worked for both of them.  Tony and Mary according to her did not have anymore cross words, but the situation destroyed the chemistry they had.  I have read that passage many times and have read about Tony having diva like behavior when he was in Hollywood.  Tony wanted out of SFT by that time and this was probably the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[SoapDope]

The more I have read in recent years about behind the scenes of Dallas, a lot of people seem to not care much for Victoria Principal. I read an interview with John Beck (Mark Graison) from a few years ago and he came out and said point blank he preferred working with Linda Gray more than Victoria. He had good things to say about most of the cast.

 

 

[GLATWT88]

Omg, yes! I had a feeling and it may be completely wrong that there was some unspoken tension between Linda Gray and Victoria Principal. VP never reprised her role in the films or reboot even though she was offered the role. The two never acknowledge each other on their insta accounts on any of their flashback posts even though both have acknowledged other cast members. Also, other things I've read gave off that impression but it wasnt anything concrete. I did read that BTS LG was much friendlier than VP, not that VP was rude but she was more standoffish. 

[Soapsuds]

Linda, Patrick and Larry were tight. They were very close offscreen. There were rumors that Larry couldn't stand Victoria. After Victoria left in 1987 she only showed up for one of the reunions and I think she only did as a favor to Patrick. She didn't do the series final episode because VP said she hated the script. I hadn't heard about John Beck but I assume she missed Patrick and that's why the less than friendly attitude towards him.

[soapfan770]

Speaking of Dallas, I think I’ve read Susan Howard really got “extra” during her later years on the show to the point most of the cast said good riddance. I’m not sure if it was the religious/politics activism she was engaged in but didn’t she quit calling her storylines immoral or something? I think it’s only been recent she’s even gotten involved in doing a couple Dallas related reunions.

[Soapsuds]

I remember it being storylines she refused to do. After the dream season the writers had lots of story for her but she refused all of them. One of them I believe was cheating on Ray. She basically did nothing her last season. She was in Washington most of time doing nothing. Since the writers couldn't come up with a story for her they let her go. But the writers implyed that she was leaving Ray for the senator...lol

 

I believe she did get along with cast that wasn't the problem.

 

[Khan]

I've always assumed Susan Howard was "let go," because she defended Philip Capice, whom Larry Hagman held responsible for the show's sagging ratings during the "dream year."

[SoapDope]

I ran across a 1979 interview with Linda Gray. She mentioned the rumors of jealousy between her, Victoria and Charlene. It was implied the tension was because the Sue Ellen character was dominating storyline. She denied the rumors, but mentioned she threw a big party at her ranch and invited the Dallas cast. Victoria and Charlene did not attend, but later phoned apologizing and giving excuses. 

 

I assume Charlene was part of the tight knit group of Linda/Larry/Patrick. Larry became kind of a surrogate father to Charlene since she was in and out of foster care most of her life. 

 

Victoria is a mystery. Some people have nice things to say about her, but a lot of people describe her as cold, aloof, distant etc...Joan Rivers hated her guts and ripped her apart every chance she got. The Gibb family blamed her for Andy's troubles after he and Victoria broke up. There were also domestic violence stories with her ex husband and the story of her pulling a gun on her maid. Patrick Duffy once did an interview where he told Sheree J. Wilson that Bobby & April were a true love story and that Bobby/Pam was a mess.....LOL I laughed at that John Beck interview. He said he wished he had worked with Linda more and they were both hoping that would happen. He just described Victoria as professional. I don't think Morgan Brittany has ever described her working relationship with VP.