Most Improved Actors From Their Soap Debuts

[Faulkner]

For me, it’s Lauralee Bell, who was appallingly incompetent in her early years as Cricket on Y&R but evolved into a solid, grounded performer who could not only withstand the scenery-devouring (yet undeniably talented) tornado that is Michelle Stafford, but go toe to toe with her.

Who would you pick?

[titan1978]

You know, she really did grow into a good performer and I think her no longer being a main cast member has been a loss for the show. And I could not stand her in the 80’s!

Lots of soap performers start out a little rough, especially the young ones.  Some of them kind of find a groove that works for them, some never improve, and some turn into actual actors.  People like Alfonso were much better than they were when they started, but I wouldn’t say they became more than talented charisma performers.

Jacob Young really did surprise me.  He was awful as Lucky, and he was much more compelling as JR during a really rough few years on AMC.  I also think Victoria Rowell grew into an incredible actor for Y&R.  She became one of those people who you could see thinking in character on the show without saying a word.  Which is not to say she wasn’t competent at the beginning.  She just grew into her justifiable place as a lead in my eyes.  And again, another sorely missed character.

[Soapsuds]

From this

 

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To this

 

[kalbir]

@Soapsuds I think this thread is for acting ability, not glow ups LOL

Edited February 18, 2022 by kalbir

[Vee]

Eddie Alderson on OLTL was terrible for years, playing Matthew Buchanan as what I called "the Ralph Wiggum of Llanview". He was very literally only hired, according to multiple castmembers, because he was always on set with his big sister and they loved the kid and wanted him on the show too. It showed. Marginal improvement happened (much later) but any emotional scene for Matthew didn't really play, including the death of his first dad Sam Rappaport. I remember watching Hillary B. Smith try to get blood from a stone with the little guy and just cringing. He had rapport with the actors playing his parents over time, but beyond banter you could not expect him to do any work with weight.

Then suddenly, around 2009 Eddie woke up one day just in time for his big A-storyline (Matthew gets paralyzed, his parents reunite) and decided he could, in fact, act! It was inexplicable to me and happened very quickly. And within months he was simply the best young actor on the show, period, and stayed that way until the last day on-air.

So of course Frank Valentini backburnered him and gave his love interest to the plastic hunk because young Eddie didn't have an 8-pack.

Edited February 19, 2022 by Vee

[Faulkner]

That’s a good one because he almost felt like a completely different actor. (And he grew into his looks too. Sometimes the cute kid doesn’t become a cute teenager. I won’t be mean about his sister.)

[Soapfan8]

KKL? 

[DRW50]

Ari Zuker.

[DRW50]

Jocelyn Seagrave also improved a great deal by the time she left Guiding Light. She was, by those last months, a delight to watch. 

Tammy Blanchard also came on leaps and bounds during her GL run.

Anne Heche also improved tremendously as Vicky and Marley Hudson  - just astonishing work. 

[BetterForgotten]

Tammy Blanchard was one of those who had Lisa Brown as their acting coach, I believe. 

[watson71]

When she first appeared on AW in the summer of 1987, It took Anne Heche about six months to go amateurish to outstanding.  She greatly improved in 1988 once Tom Eplin's Jake returned and she was playing both Vicky and Marley regularly.

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[DRW50]

Getting to really play Marley as a character (instead of just a bad wig constantly crying about wanting a baby) was a huge help. She always had such presence, as shown here, but getting to sink her teeth into such a difficult character (it's always harder to play nice characters) along with  an increasingly complex Vicky was all she needed. Her work, especially with Eplin, Anna Stuart, PMV, and opposite herself, is just riveting, and a world away from the cliche soap acting that twin roles often have. 

Oh that's right. Yes, that makes a great deal of sense. 

Edited February 19, 2022 by DRW50

[Planet Soap]

Shemar Moore improved as Malcom on Y&R from his debut to later years.

[Cruising Soaps]

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood

 

[Khan]

Yup.  She went from another easily disposable DAYS bimbo to someone I wished was given more to do.