Jump to content

All Soaps: Unpopular Actors/Characters that you don't mind


Recommended Posts

  • Members

I didn't mind Molly Burnett on DAYS either, btw. It always seemed insane to me that people were so enraged by her. She was a fun, idiosyncratic actress, it was the show and stories that were bad. She should be Maxie on GH again right now tbh, unless they choose to finally rest that character. She was a good temp.

Edited by Vee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 47
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

 

Although Maddie's kidnapping came very, very close.  (But, you're right, @Vee.)

 

Meanwhile, it's no secret how I feel about Joshua Morrow, but I've resigned to the fact that he, like Amelia Heinle, is there to stay.

Edited by Khan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Are you talking about Daniel Jonas in general or Daniel/Melanie as father/daughter?  I pretty much hated Daniel as a character, but I think SC and MB played off one another well.  That whole mess with Daniel's paternity then Melanie's was awful and I think saddling Melanie to Daniel made her less popular lol.  But, if we are specifically talking about SC/MB's chemistry and relationship as family, I think they were decent together and fairly sweet.

 

But if you are talking about liking Daniel himself that is an unpopular opinion.  I do remember hearing he was popular online on facebook or something lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

 

Honestly, I thought Shawn Christian was alright too. Daniel Jonas was certainly no worse than Rafe or Eric while playing the same "sanctimonious male lead" role. And he even had chemistry with some of his leading ladies (though not Melissa Reeves). I think if he'd been cast as an existing character, like Mike Horton, he wouldn't have gotten nearly so much flack from fans. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You lost me there

Please register in order to view this content

 

As far as Lucci- I’m not saying she wasn’t great on AMC.  I just think she was a performer that was so charismatic that part burned a little brighter than her talent as an actor.  I always saw her working harder in drama to sell it (though not in lighter material).  She’s undoubtably more talented than Marrow, I just consider them in the same class of daytime actor.  I also consider Diedra Hall the epitome of this type of performer.

 

But yes, the failure of the (mostly network) execs to push bad material and constant front burner status on these folks over their talented peers is pretty awful and doesn’t help them or in most cases their shows or us as viewers.

 

Look at a show like GL- I love Dylan Lewis, I think Morgan was very attractive and talented enough in that soap hunk kind of way.  But without the other stories featuring people like Billy, Nadine, Roger, Holly, Alexandra, Gilly, etc...  not so fun to watch.  And that sums up a lot of soaps after 1998 or so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Casting him as Mike Horton would have been a great idea.  He even had that same surfer vibe that MTW's Mike had.

I found Daniel more offensive than Rafe or Eric.  SC played Daniel almost smarmy and above everyone else.  Plus he looked dirty like he didn't bathe a lot.  

I just think he was destined to fail when he started wooing his completely age inappropriate patient Chelsea and then his other patient, her grandma Kate.   And then he got that annoying writing treatment where everyone said how awesome and amazing he was.   Daniel was just always a no for me.

 

I would consider most of the popular Days cast this type of performer: Deidre, Drake, Kristian, Peter, and so forth.  I don't think it's a bad thing.  I would say Vanessa Marcil is probably the epitome of this though.  Charismatic as all hell, but never a master thespian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

While I agree with the latter paragraph, the top paragraph would disagree a little bit. There are some times they have great directions on where Nick should go...like his strong drive to be independent from Victor, a trait started when he started Crimson Lights back in the day and started to make it into a franchise...that some writers noticed, but the writers that would come after that writer would totally mess up. More in the vein of a male Nikki if you will...not that I mind him as a sex object. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Definitely agree with this. I started watching for Katie and Simon, but I think she also had great chemistry with the actors that played Henry, Brad and Mike (as boring and plain as Mike's character was in hindsight).

 

I don't know if she was particularly unpopular - but I was a huuuuuuge fan of Jade (Elena Goode). The actress wasn't the best but I loved Jade's scheming ways. Maybe it helped that I never really cared for Will and Gwen as a couple.

 

And one that was wildly unpopular - Julia Larrabee as portrayed by Sarah Brown. I must admit it was 100% Sarah Brown's acting that sold me on the character - as Julia was admittedly not very likeable - but Brown just hit all the right notes with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

"Unpopular" to me has two connotations: one being generally disliked and the other being just not a high level of popularity compared to others. The latter makes me think of someone like John Bolger. The first time I experienced him was when he was playing Philip on GL and I was new to the show at the time. I thought he was handsome and a decent actor. I came to learn later that he was a replacement and his portrayal was not considered to be what the character had been or what people expected. Then I saw him on AW, where I really liked Gabe's relationship with Lorna and thought he and Robin Christopher had great chemistry. Then they killed him off in a rather brutal manner; I still haven't forgotten Gabe being shot down and laid out on a table with his guts splayed open like it was CSI or something. Then he was on OLTL as John Sykes, where he was basically a mid-level character. He always came across to me as one of those nice, dependable actors (and probably nice, dependable guy), not to mention quite handsome, that maybe wasn't exciting or dynamic enough to inspire the higher heights of popularity.
 

Edited by applcin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I liked Mia on Days..very low key and deadpan in her delivery.  She was a good contrast to Melanie..when both lived with Maggie.  Maggie did tough love with Melanie, and was nurturing with Mia.

 

And Deirdre Hall was under rated as an actress.  She had a lot more meaty material to play in her early years...and when she isn't saddled with Drake..she's pretty strong as an actress.

 

I liked Jade #1 on ATWT..and rooted for her to break up Will and Gwen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I actually enjoyed MB/Melanie, too. I really liked her pairing with Nathan, who I also thought was quite good, and was very disappointed when they ended that relationship suddenly.

 

I think saddling Melanie as being Daniel's daughter killed a lot of the joy the character bought just by her connection to him.

 

But, the initial relationship between Melanie and Maggie, before they magically made them related, was such as sweet one. I thought that Maggie was especially utilized well during this time by making her a surrogate mother to characters that had no family ties in Salem.  It was great to see a strong, loving inter-generational friendship between two characters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Nah.  If I were to bring back Mike, I would hire either Michael E. Knight (ex-Tad, AMC; Martin, GH) or Kin Shriner (Scott, GH/PC; et al).  Just as I would hire Erika Slezak (ex-Viki, OLTL) to play Laura, and (yes, I'm saying it again) Cady McClain to play Sarah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • There was a huge outcry when we learned that JFP intended to off Donna.
    • Especially children who much more likable characters and are played by better actors 

      Please register in order to view this content

      It’s a worse idea than her wanting to become a doctor Well, some of us Italians do prefer trumpets and saxophones over strings  
    • As requested by @P.J. the 1976 summary from Daytime Serial Newsletter. This was the Dobsons. I will be posting it in parts, as it quite lengthy. The Guiding Light premiered forty years ago on radio and now, after successfully having moved to television in the mid-fifties, it continues to chronicle the lives of the Bauer family of Springfield. Bertha (Bert) Bauer, the matriarch and guiding. force behind the family,has proved to be a source of strength and good counsel to all her friends and acquaintances as well as her own sons.  Michael, her older son, an attorney, recently married Leslie, who was formerly married to his brother,Ed, with whom she has a son, Freddie. Michael’s daughter Hope has always felt close to Leslie, but a recent conflict with Mike over her relationship with an older college professor has strained Hope’s relations with her father. Ed married Holly Norris last year but has just learned from her that their infant —daughter, Christina, is not his child but Roger Thorpe’s. Roger, who is deeply in love with nurse Peggy Fletcher, hopes the truth about Christina can be concealed, as he fears he could lose Peggy for good. Holly’s mother, Barbara, has recently married Roger’s father Adam and has no idea of the truth about Christina. Drs. Sara McIntyre and Joe Werner find their marriage is better than ever since orphaned T.J. became their foster child, and they are relieved that he is not the missing son of Cedars patient Ann Jeffers, who is searching for the child her estranged husband took out of town when she ran off with another man. Nurse Rita Stapleton, newly arrived in Springfield, aware of Ed’s personal upheaval, is solicitously offering him friendship and a shoulder to lean on. Dr. Ed Bauer has stunned the Bauer family by separating from his wife, Holly, soon after the recovery of their infant daughter, Christina, from pneumonia. Holly, exhausted by the baby’s illness and her own growing guilt feelings, has confessed to Ed that Christina is Roger Thorpe’s child, not his. Ed, learning that Peggy Fletcher has accepted Roger’s proposal,tells Roger to tell Peggy the truth before he does. Rita Stapleton, R.N., is taken aback when she meets Peggy’s fiancé, as she knew Roger when he worked in the oil fields in Texas. At the time, Rita was private nurse to wealthy oilman Mr. Granger. Roger, under pressure from Ed, realizes he can’t marry Peggy without telling her the whole truth. Somehow finding the courage, he tells her everything and begs for her forgiveness. As he feared, Peggy, stunned, breaks their engagement. Despite Ed’s later assurances that his own marriage was shaky before Roger, Peggy can’t forgive him; there’s no trust left. Holly, who has filed for divorce, goes to Peggy, explaining that she cared for Roger more than he ever cared for her, that she knew Roger loved Peggy from the moment he met her and became a better person for just knowing her. She assures Peggy that there has been nothing between them for a long time now. Leslie Bauer has returned to college to add personal fulfillment to her life as a housewife and mother. Her husband, attorney Mike Bauer, has undertaken a search for Ann Jeffers’s son Jimmy, whom she abandoned when she ran off with another man years ago. Jimmy’s father, Spence Jeffers, was a quick tempered drunk who cheated on Ann repeatedly. Mike offers Ann a job in his office, to help her meet the costs of the investigation. Spence and Jimmy’s trail seems to end in Alaska. Mike seems to resent Leslie’s involvement with school, and she is upset by his long hours and absences on the Jeffers case. Ann, realizing Leslie’s feelings, apologizes to her for causing Mike’s absences and tells Leslie how lucky she is to be married to a man like Mike.  Ed, unable to do neurosurgery after being wounded in the arm last year, decides to go ahead with highrisk nerve-root-resection surgery, despite the fifty-percent chance of total paralysis. In the operating room, Dr. Steve Jackson finds an excessive amount of scar tissue and refuses to continue the surgery, fearing that healthy nerve roots could be severed accidentally. Dr. Jackson closes, over young Dr. Tim Ryan’s objections, and later tells Tim his arrogance is becoming a detriment to his medical career at Cedars Hospital. Ed’s friends and family are upset at his reaction to this disappointment. His assignment as Chief of Staff wasn’t as fulfilling as surgery, and he now realizes that will no longer be part of his life. Rita Stapleton tries to cheer Ed by bringing groceries and consolation, but Ed’s depression isn’t lifting. His mother, Bert. Bauer,fears that Ed, a former alcoholic, may start drinking again. |  When Roger tells Peggy he’s leaving Springfield —for the sake of everyone he has hurt, Peggy, realizing also the suffering of her son Billy, who had grown to love Roger, tells Roger that even though it hurts to know about Christina, it hurts more to be without him. They agree to try again and plan to marry immediately. Barbara Thorpe, Holly’s mother, stumbles upon a manuscript written by her son Andy and, putting the pieces together, realizes that the story of a young woman whose child is not her husband’s is about Holly. Holly makes her mother promise not to tell anyone, which puts a tremendous strain upon her, as Barbara is married to Roger’s father, Adam Thorpe. Barbara is unable to tell Adam why she’s suddenly suffering migraine headaches and constant depression. | Despite Rita’s increasing attempts to reach him, Ed continues to sink further into his depression, until finally she tells him he isn’t half the man she thought —he was. Stunned into taking a good look at what he’s become, Ed admits he’s destroying himself and shows up the next morning at his office ready for work. Dr. Tim Ryan has become annoyed at the number of dates Rita has broken to be with Ed, and upon learning he’s up for chief resident, he rushes to share the news with her, only to find she’s entertaining Ed for dinner. Tim leaves angrily but later returns to apologize and propose marriage to Rita. She politely turns him down and suggests they no longer see each other, for his sake. Tim bitterly accuses her of using him. Under pressure from Adam to explain her strange depression, Barbara finally tells Adam the whole story.She informs him that Roger and Peggy are not welcome in her home. Home from his honeymoon, Roger learns from his father that Barbara knows the truth and has told him. Roger can tell his father only that he regrets what happened and he is a changed man now. He hopes his father can one day forgive him. Adam later tells Barbara she’s put the entire blame on Roger and hasn’t considered Holly’s guilt in the matter, adding, “I can accept the truth, why can’t you?” Feeling that it’s best for everyone involved, Roger prepares to resign as manager at the Metro Restaurant and take Billy and Peggy out of town. Peggy bolsters his confidence by telling him they’ll stay and fight this out together. Tim, upset by Rita’s attitude and rejection, is letting his emotions affect his work. When Ed, unaware that Rita is the reason, warns Tim that his recent lack of efficiency may lose him the senior resident appointment, Tim smarts at his rival’s being his superior. Tim takes stock of the situation and resolves to put personal problems aside and concentrate on his career. More to come...
    • @Tisy-Lish Seems like the bulk of 76 was the Schneiders who I don't believe ever headwrote another soap. I think the Labine/Mayer structured the show well in the time they were there and succeding headwriters used that to their advantage but then began chipping away with their own characters/story. @Franko glad you're enjoying delving into unfamiliar territory And now Part 2.... When a missing person’s report on Ben goes out, the Connecticut state police respond with their unconscious John Doe. When Ben awakens after brain surgery he calls for Betsy, angering Arlene, who gets drunk and goes to tell Meg the truth. Meg’s housekeeper, Carrie Lovett, who is Arlene’s mother (she had no idea of ‘Arlene’s involvement with Ben when she took this job), manages to prevent Arlene from seeing Meg. Ben, still hazy from anesthesia, tells Betsy how sorry he is for the way he’s treated her. Betsy, misunderstanding, assumes he means the gambling. Diana is still feeling sorry for herself, despite Jamie’s efforts to convince her that they can have a full life with children by adoption. When he informs her that his divorce is almost final and they can plan their wedding, Diana refuses to acknowledge that she has any future at all. Arlene, drunk and despondent, starts a letter to Ben in which she refers to herself as his “real wife.” Ray finds it and takes it to Jamie, threatening to give it to Betsy unless Jamie gets his client, Meg, off Ray’s back. Jamie has already warned Meg that Slater is no small-time hood; he has big money and power behind him. Arlene, confronted by Jamie, insists she meant “first wife,” but Jamie gives her seven days to produce a divorce decree or he’ll prove her and Ben guilty of attempting to defraud Meg. Ben, learning this, orders her to get a quickie Haiti decree, but she refuses, reminding Ben that he has told her sometimes he feels happy being married to Betsy and expecting a child. Arlene refuses to be dumped. Ray comes to Ben’s aid with a phony divorce decree. Ben takes it to Jamie for verification while Ray tells Meg that Ben needed false divorce papers from Arlene. Meg confronts her son and agrees to help him out of this mess. She plans to expedite his divorce from Arlene and convince Betsy to renew her marriage vows on their anniversary. Learning that Rick has known about Arlene and Ben’s marriage since the beginning, Meg withdraws her support from their planned ski resort. Rick realizes his dreams have just gone down the drain but can’t fault Meg’s motive. Arlene decides she needs money now to get Ben out of town and sets out to blackmail Meg. Ben, realizing that the only thing left to do is to run away with Arlene, leaves a letter for Betsy explaining why he married her but that he later fell in love with her. At the edge of town, however, he realizes he can’t go through with it. He tells Arlene he loves Betsy and wants to be there with her when their child is born, and he gets out of the car and calls a cab. Arlene, furious, races back to Meg’s house, where she tells Betsy the whole story. Betsy, disbelieving her, rushes to her bedroom, where she finds Ben’s letter confirming everything Arlene just told her. In shock, Betsy calls her brother, Dr. Tom Crawford, to come right away. Ben arrives and is truthful with Betsy, who no longer wants anything to do with him. Realizing that Meg stands in the way of his being a man, Ben moves out. Betsy is unmoved when Ben and Arlene’s divorce comes through; she won’t expose herself to that kind of hurt again. When Meg cajoles her to live with her until her grandchild is born, Betsy tells Meg that in the eyes of the court this isn’t her grandchild and she’ll never allow her child to be corrupted by Meg’s money, as Ben was. Meg, full of self-pity gets drunk and manages to get Rick drunk when she tells him Skyler Mountain is out. She then reminds him of how their relationship used to be and renews his passions, now affected by liquor. After they spend the night together, Meg decides to go ahead with the Skyler Mountain project after all. Rick makes it clear, however, that he still loves Cal and his relationship with Meg will be strictly business. Betsy continues to refuse to see Ben and is determined to be self-supporting. When she inadvertently mentions Ben’s letter to Bruce Sterling, the mayor of Rosehill, he has to turn it over to the district attorney. Meg is furious upon discovering that her own brother in law is the one who found the evidence against Ben. Dr. Joe Cusack is quite concerned about a teenaged alcoholic patient at the clinic, Lynn Henderson, who is determined not to be helped. She tries a sob story on Vanessa Sterling, but Cal, Van’s niece, overhears and warns Lynn not to put the bite on her friends and relatives. So Lynn, who refuses to heed Joe’s warning that alcohol has so destroyed her stomach lining that she could die from another binge, steals money from Van’s fund-raising folder and takes off. She later turns up at Van’s to apologize for stealing charity money and explains she was the ugly daughter of a beautiful mother and grew up feeling unloved. Van persuades Joe to let Lynn stay with her instead of returning to the halfway house she hates. Bruce, Van’s husband, sees Lynn as another of Van’s strays and asks Lynn not to take advantage of Van. Cal. is concerned to learn Rick will again be involve in business with Meg. He assures her it will be okay and that Meg is his last chance to fulfill his dream of making it big. When Meg overhears Cal telling Ben that she and Rick are engaged, Meg tries to tell Cal that Rick’s not the marrying kind and she’s wrong for him. Seeing that Cal is serious and Rick apparently is too, Meg threatens to tell Cal everything, including their most recent intimacy, if Rick doesn’t call it off immediately; she gives him twenty-four hours. Rick, for Cal’s own good, he feels, tells her he’s not the monogamous kind and she’d be better off without him. Cal, knowing she really loves him, refuses to let  go easily. So. he uses Cal’s knowledge of the fact that his son Hank dearly wants his parents to reconcile and tells Cal he and Barbara are planning to try again, for the boy’s sake. But Cal later runs into Hank and mentions that he must be glad his mother’s coming home. Hank has no knowledge of this and is confused. Rick, therefore, has to tell the child he used this as an excuse to get out of marrying Cal. But Hank, miserable at having his hopes raised and dashed, spills this to Cal when she tries to cheer him up. He tells her it was all a lie. Jamie warns Rick that his Skylar Mountain contract with Meg has so many contingencies that if anything happens, he’ll be holding the financial bag. But Rick, wanting this success badly, signs the papers, and Meg releases the money.
    • I genuinely in my 20 year history of watching Days can’t recall a single Bo and Phillip scene though I’m assuming there had to be one or two? Phillip was always much more presented as Lucas’ brother due to Kate’s involvement in their love lives and closer age post SORAS. I will say my favorite thing about PR though is he made Bo the only Kiriakis to actually pronounce it like Victor/John Aniston despite Papa Brady obviously being the dad he was associated with.
    • OK 1976 GL coming up   As none of those shows aired in 1976...
    • Thank you, @Paul Raven! I chose Love of Life because it's a show I don't have a lot of familiarity with, so I thought it would be interesting to look at this period with a more or less unspoiled view.
    • 40 years ago this summer.  To me this is the GOAT CBS daytime promo and the yardstick to which all CBS daytime promos are measured.

      Please register in order to view this content

       
    • That would be a good plot point to add more tension to the situation.
    • Some hot sports guys from tennis and football.

      Please register in order to view this content

       

      Please register in order to view this content

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy