Is Kelly Monaco Leaving GH?

[Ann Gabriel]

There are rumors everywhere, and I hope they are true.

Kelly Monaco used to be my Favorite GH female actor.  I loved her spunk, independence, and especially the fire she shared with SBu as part of the iconic couple JaSam.  It has been very difficult for me to accept the truth about how Kelly has behaved since SBu's return, but, at this point, I have no choice.  Clearly she was not happy with BM's departure and took it upon herself to openly and unashamedly sabotage the iconic couple that is JaSam.  She apparently did not understand that Sam, and JaSam, are bigger than she is, and certainly more important to GH fans.  What I still fail to understand, however, is how the writers and producers could possibly allow her to get away with this. The blasphemous destruction of JaSam is on them, which is why I am no longer watching the show.  I am hoping Kelly's contract is not renewed, and that Sam is recast and JaSam are reunited. C'mon, writers, grow a pair!

[Jeff]

GH June 2021 Discussion - Page 18 - Discuss The Soaps - Soap Opera Network Community

Decided this needed its own topic...Mmmm. 

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Edited June 28, 2021 by clubkidjeff

[Cat]

It's almost a shame that it has to be the presence of her BF which keeps KM invested. She's been playing Sam a long time and I can see how you'd get burnt out on playing a character who is not really well-defined. However, she's popular with fans and been there so long that basically Sam and Kelly are practically indivisible.

 

When Billy Miller was on the show, I felt like KM stepped it up as an actress, and she had some good SLs where Sam wasn't acting like herself and became rather tough and enigmatic for a moment. I wouldn't mind if BM came back and Sam returned to that grey-area characterisation.

 

Alternatively -- Lindsay Hartley gave the character a shot in the arm briefly last year.

[Liberty City]

I do believe she is the one from the Soap Opera Digest tidbit section... it's beyond clear she has been unhappy since Billy Miller's exit and that horrible Shiloh/Hank storyline.

She looks so disinterested in her work, and is not even trying to make Sam a compelling character; it's high-time TPTB contact Lindsay Korman-Hartley, and if they don't want to bring her on as Cara Castillo, then return her to the role of Sam McCall.

 

 

Korman-Hartley owned her time in the role. She came in, swinging and never stopped for a single section. Never seen her act that hard in my life.

 

[LondonScribe]

I’m going to jokingly suggest that the issue is less to do with Kelly Monaco and maybe more to do with Billy Miller.

 

Remember how much Amelia Heinle threw her toys out the pram when Billy Miller left Y&R and basically sandbagged David Tom?

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[Cat]

 

They got Bickmatized!

 

[slick jones]

She could leave tomorrow and it would be weeks before I noticed.   They could just grab the old Broom with a dark wig they used for Laura when JFP ran things.....

[FrenchBug82]

In all fairness, as discussed in the other thread, I have a kinder theory for why she was pissed about BM's firing.

For years Sam had been tediously written as an extension of Steve Burton and Jason. When the BM version came on and all that happened afterwards, even if she was still in Jason's orbit, Sam was finally written as having some spirit and agency in her own actions which must have been nicer for an actress to play.

So the minute they'd bring SB back she knew Sam would regress - which she did and as OP comments show - and I would be frustrated too

[Skin]

Goodness gracious, she's been on this show for 18 years (in soaps for 21). I don't blame her if she wanted out. Only Maurice, Steve, Genie, Nancy, Rebecca, Anna and Ingo have been on longer than her. While she has the tenure, she is almost never truly treated as a vet on a show she's been on for nearly two decades. 

[KMan101]

 

This. 

 

I don't hate her but Sam has been blah for so long. Monaco has been checked out for a long time. She seemed to be interested in the Dante pairing (and checked back in because she saw she was immediately replaceable with Korman-Hartley) but even now I see she's already checking out on-screen (IMO).

 

My gut says she wants out. She probably got pissy they didn't bring her boyfriend back as Drew (if he would even be interested). Bye. I'm sure Hallmark has a movie waiting. 

 

18 years. My God. Don't forget the few years on Port Charles, so she's been with GH, technically, for over 20.

 

She's likely not treated like a vet because she likes to think about her boyfriend instead of being engaged in the scene (I jest, slightly, LOL)

Edited June 29, 2021 by KMan101

[Taoboi]

Perhaps she is. If it turns out CamMat is nuDrew. 

[David_Vickers]

  Bring on Lindsay Hartley as Nu-Sam.  She brought much life and energy to Sam.  Monaco has been disinterested since Billy Miller was IMHO wrongly axed as Drew Cain.   She mumbles more than ever, seems whiney almost all of the time on the show as well.   I've come to accept Miller being axed, and it DOES make more sense for Cameron Mathison to play Drew, IF that is true, since Mathison and Burton are more the same age and height as well. 

[dio]

 

did you not see her on Passions or DAYS? She's always been a top notch actress, but she got married young and dimed her light so that her bf/husband's could "shine" and by the time he ended up leaving her for someone younger it was too late and she was "too old" for most casting directors. I do agree that she would make the most sense as a Sam recast, she would effortlessly be able to take Sam to places that KM just is not capable. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by dio

[Liberty City]

 

My first experience with Korman-Hartley was on All My Children.

[Soap-princess]

Never knew she was on AMC. Her character on Passions was whiney and manipulative, but I thought she brought a different energy to Sam the character needed.