Y&R: Actor Leaving

[Cruising Soaps]

Adios!

[David_Vickers]

WOW, shocked and it's a shame.  I thought Ashland was one of the best new characters on Y&R in quite some time.

[FrenchBug82]

I wouldn't dare speculate why but it is pretty clear that from the way it was announced - an Instagram vid by the actor himself rather than a statement by him or the show - and the wording he chose "I am done with", something happened and this wasn't planned.

[janea4old]

Agreed

[NothinButAttitude]

Not surprised. 

 

I am sure he'll bounce back and land a role in Lifetime or Hallmark movie or playing someone's dad on CW or Freeform. 

 

And the show will go on to try Victoria/Billy for the 100th time. 

[Forever8]

I'm not surprised he's leaving, since we know Richard Burgi has had a successful career in primetime and goes back to daytime when needed. Actually, I thought he would be gone by now. The character of Ashland had potential, but once they never went through with him being the next "Big Bad Businessman" we were all supposed to be frightened of. I knew it was only a matter of time before the character became a non-entity.

 

I guess Victoria will have another marriage ending by April. They do not need to do Billy and Victoria ever again. I'm not too keen on Billy and Lily either. I wish they would have had Billy off the canvas for months until they could get a plan for him. I would prefer Lily and Daniel with a teenage Lucy to come in between them instead. I wouldn't mind a recasting of Cole Howard with a teenage son coming to Genoa City, and he and Victoria getting close again. (I know that would never happen) 

[Cat]

That's how the whole thing sounds to me -- his choice to leave. Maybe he wanted a change in contract or salary and they stiffed him? Clearly CBS is loathe to spend any money on this show.

In any case, it's a shame because Burgi has a lot of charisma. And charisma is badly needed on Y&R -- there is a positive dearth of that amongst Y&R's fan faves pets.

Shame as Burgi seemed to make Amelia Heinle come alive for once.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Cat

[Antoyne]

Well this is a shame. I actually liked he and Victoria together. Back to Billy we go.

[Vee]

Richard Burgi is amazingly talented, has done a ton of primetime and film and it astounds me how two(?) modern soaps have gotten ahold of him but both squandered him.

[Khan]

I swear, anytime AH gives off even the least little bit of spark in her performances, TPTB immediately put a stop to it.  Either that, or AH complains, because she doesn't want to, you know, act.

Frankly, I'm not here for Billy and Victoria's 2000th go-round; and if Jason Thompson is the best they could ever do, then maybe it's time for this show to put a bullet in Billy and end his ass.

[Cat]

FTR, I don't dislike Jason Thompson. IMO he is acting as directed and trying to sell the script. However, I don't really feel anything for the character (and it's not just his character to be fair). A lot of this is the fault of the writing which has been reduced to a load of slick nothings. I can't connect to or really feel for Billy, or the Victoria & Billy 'pairing' (which Y&R lazily hangs onto as some kind of supercouple).

Sometimes I wonder if the Tweets I used to see about a decade ago squealing over Billy & Victoria, or Chelsea & Adam, or (God help us) AbbyBot & Stitch (!!) were actually Russian bots trying their hand at some modest social-media troublemaking before graduating onto the big stuff.

[koos]

Jason Thompson would be good as a different, new character, but then they would still waste him.

[Faulkner]

On a purely skill level, JT is great. I thought he did a nicely nuanced job in that episode where Billy ate some humble pie with Victor. But it’s in service of writing that goes nowhere, and that’s the name of the game for every character on the show.

 

So true. 

[David_Vickers]

Since Y&R has used Ashland so much in story, will they kill off Ashland due to his lung cancer or will they re-cast.  If they re-cast, I suggest William deVry (ex-Julian Jerome, GH).

[David_Vickers]