YR actress returns (spoiler!!!)

[FrenchBug82]

I'd accept that actually. It also would explain why her death featured so little in his character's persona, the way losing a mother at a young age usually shapes people. It had been poor writing but hey if we can retroactively make it an interesting clue, I am all for it.

She won't because she is a professional like that but I'd love to hear her take on Diane being resurrected. Heck, on the entire Y&R fiasco. 

And it is so telling what EB complains about story/HW wise and the stories he suprisingly does not feel the need to be "outspoken" about

[Liberty City]

If I recall, I do remember her talking about how she felt on the set, the sets themselves and the overall experience, and let me tell you: she did not hold back. She agreed with Michael Fairman that the writing for her Diane was bad, and said this as a follow up: "Being on GH has absolutely been a breath of fresh air, and to have people who encourage you, that uplift you, it makes all the difference in the world."

And, in December 2011, she did speak about her experience and subsequent firing:

On taking the role of Diane so soon after the World Turns finale: “Frankly, I did jump in rather quickly because I didn’t want to be the last person to have a seat in this [casting] game of musical chairs. So, I took the first seat available. Yeah, when [my husband] Scott [De Freitas], my agent and I speak in retrospect, we all agree I should have waited for something else. Originally, I didn’t realize Diane was a recast of an existing character. After I found out, I expressed concern about the age discrepancy, but was told the [de-SORASing] was an intentional age change. And that’s cool! For God’s sake, it’s a soap opera. It happens — and it’s not unusual to play with characters’ ages. But I would have asked more questions, for sure. I mean, Diane’s my mother’s age! That should have raised some red flags. But I was excited with the prospect of working with a group of extremely talented people on Y&R. I also wanted a change. [Moreover], I was excited about moving to LA. There were a lot of positive reasons why I took the job, but there were also some reasons why I shouldn’t have taken the job.”

On how she wasn't surprised she was being killed off:  “No, and I’ll tell you why. I may not be a genius but I’m no Forrest Gump, either! It was very clear to me, even by week two, this was not a character anyone was particularly invested in. The second time Diane showed up and dropped her overcoat, I was like, “Oh, I see what’s going on here.” I wasn’t surprised. No, in fact, I was really let go, time-wise, I before all that fun, sparkly stuff with Michael Muhney’s Adam. I already knew I was on the way out shortly after working with Muhney.”

She even told Michael Logan in a separate interview she blocked out her time as Diane, stating: “Honestly, I was at Y&R so briefly that I don’t even think about it! (Laughs) I must have blocked it out! Sometimes I’ll see a magazine article where they’ll say Maura West and in parentheses they have “ex-Carly ATWT” and “ex-Diane Y&R” and I’ll go, “Huh?” I met some wonderful people at Y&R but that experience is not something my heart aches over, not something I miss at all.”

[Vee]

I remember some of the latter interview you posted, but where is this stuff?

IIRC Maura's role on GH was originally supposed to be maybe a couple weeks, tops. I don't know if Ava was just supposed to be a cameo or if she was supposed to die and usher on Kiki and Franco. I'd love to know what was originally planned, but I don't know how anyone could've thought they would bring in Maura West for just a few days, even before we saw her onscreen and it was clear she was phenomenal on GH.

[Darn]

For those who watched at the time, what does she mean by this?

[Vee]

I remember people wondering if hiring Maura was a Sony/CBS move, over MAB's head. It wouldn't surprise me given how she was treated.

[Liberty City]

Maura's stint as Ava Jerome was originally meant to be a five-day stint, but was offered a deal before she even began work.

Diane kept showing up, wearing nothing but an overcoat, and dropping it to entice the male opposite her.

I'm pretty sure it was CBS/Sony Pictures Television's decision to hire Maura West. Maria Arena didn't want it, and reportedly did not find West a talented performer.

[Darn]

That's...hilarious.

Here, I think https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/117123

[Vee]

Oh God! Branco!

She always was a lunatic, even if Maura was miscast.

[Liberty City]

Yes she was, LOL!

[Sapounopera]

From what I understand Edward Scott seemed to think that MTS was all Y&R needed as far as leading ladies were concerned. Everybody else could go as long as Nikki stayed the queen of Genoa City. 

[FrenchBug82]

I do think everyone's reasons for casting MW were sound.

MW was a very good fit for the show, acting-style wise and MW was right to strike when the Carly iron was hot.
The key mistake was casting her as Diane. But as she said, if CBS just rushed to lock her in and randomly assigned Diane to her despite the fact it didn't make sense while having no real plan with what to do with her (which tracks with the several abrupt story changes and story being dropped... remember when Victor was being very creepy with her? Nothing came of it? And those long scenes setting up the details of the prenup, clearly planting the seeds to a future story? That never did anything), there is even fewer reasons to think they would have invested the time in creating a new specific character for her.

I don't quite understand why she says working with Muhney (which whom she had great chemistry btw) is when she knew she was on her way out.
I still think she is talented enough and she had enough chemistry with folks that with a more committed writing regime, even the initial miscast could have been made to work if we ignored that it was supposed to be the same Diane (the way I accept new Ridge over at B&B or the way I think miscast-JT as Billy could be made work if writing was better because the underlying talent is there).

Btw now that Diane is back to being slightly closer to being age-approriate, what's the over/under that even with the triangle with Phyllis clearly teed up, they won't be ever mentioning that she hooked up with Nick for a while?

[dragonflies]

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by dragonflies

[lucaslesann23]

Thank god. But again, she was hit in the head 10 times with a rock. We saw the body. And a nearly years long mystery. Can't wait to see how they explain this.

She showed up in the cdn and is buying Keemos house. She had a fake name. "Taylor Jensen." 

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[Soapsuds]

So she airs here tomorrow. Damn I'm going to have to watch it!

[Liberty City]

From what I've gathered, I think TPTB intended on recasting Diane at some point, because Maura West said: "After I found out, I expressed concern about the age discrepancy, but was told the [de-SORASing] was an intentional age change," which, to me, makes it seem like they were intentionally going for a younger Diane by that point, regardless of casting. The matter of the fact is: CBS and Sony Pictures Television wanted West to keep her from going to ABC or NBC (and she herself said she'd want to stay at CBS out of loyalty), and Maria Arena just slapped her into the role of Diane to save time of creating someone new (from a lack of creativity).

From my recollection, by the time West and Michael Muhney were paired together as Diane and Adam, respectively, it was setting up the outcast of the Newman fortress, and since Diane was pretty much *in* that fortress for the bulk of her return (taunting Nikki about her upcoming marriage with Victor, sleeping with Nick, Diane re-marrying Victor, et al) and then she was getting thrown out of a moving ambulance and being alienated by all of those around her, aside from Adam. The writing was on the wall that Diane's time on the canvas was coming to a close.