Characters that ATE their Soaps

[DramatistDreamer]

Has anyone mentioned Cricket on Y&R yet? It wasn’t scenery chewing, it was more like storylines. There was a time when Cricket seemed to be everywhere. I don’t blame the actress per se, it was really the writing that inserted the character into nearly every conceivable scenario, especially if the story line as an active one.

[carolineg]

Absolutely.   Brenda was on everyday except for one in her 6 months on the show.  Hating Brenda doesn't make Skye a good character or fit for GH though lol.  I did think RC/VM played off each other well and RC was lucky to be involved in that story because it gave her good material. 

[dragonflies]

IMO they decimated Skye for Brenda. I liked Skye and Jax together and that all went to hell to prop up VM's 6 month return

[Faulkner]

That still blows my mind. But I loved Brenda so it didn’t bother me.

[carolineg]

it was a lot.  I didn't mind obviously.  It didn't seem to negatively effect the show the way her 2010 return did when she was on much less, but everyone was talking about her.   I don't really have any qualms about her 2002-03 return.  It was crappy for Jax/Brenda fans, but it gave the show the boost it needed at the time and Brenda wasn't the weird, weepy victim she was last time we saw her.  Idk, in 2002 a lot of characters were involved with Brenda and her various stories and it felt more organic.  In hindsight, they should have used Brenda a lot less in hopes of not burning out VM and keeping her.

Maybe?  Skye had a long history of sabotaging herself though.  Skye/Jax isn't a bad pairing.  It got weirdly accelerated for Brenda's return.  Those two weren't even on steady ground much less ready for marriage.  If anyone was decimated for Brenda it was Jax in that story.  That's probably the best story/work RC got in her entire run on GH.  I don't think it ruined her, but YMMV on that.  I always thought like Jax looked the worst.  Dumping Skye after a few minutes of marriage then dumping Brenda at the altar.  Sure, Skye went off the rails, but there was still a sympathy factor for her IMO>

Edited May 6, 2022 by carolineg

[Darn]

WHY do these shows do that? They run off actors who would happily stay if only they weren't played 5 days a week. You give these indispensable stars burnout but get mad when they choose to leave.

They did't ruin Skye, Skye's done so much troubling sh*t that this was nothing really, but Brenda so clearly being the priority is the type of slanted writing that will turn you off of any story.

[Contessa Donatella]

When Beverlee McKinsey pulled her getaway from GL, she had told Jill that she didn't like her story & didn't want to be interfering in her son's love life & that she was tired & couldn't keep working, all day, 4 days per week, but Jill didn't pay any attention.

[Antoyne]

As I was a late soaps fan not truly watching until the 2000’s, I only knew RC as Skye on GH and absolutely LOVED her. She was actually my favorite actress on the show when I was watching. I hated what she did to Lorenzo and I do wish they’d bring her back.

I didn’t realize people really didn’t like her

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[Cheap21]

I was a huge fan of Skye so anyone that didnt like her well...

[Faulkner]

She’s a very good actress, but a lot of the stanning was way overboard. And she was completely, insanely miscast as Lorna. Alicia Coppola is a one-off, a rare talent who was the sole reason I started paying attention to AW, but they could at least gone for an actress who could convincingly play a young woman from the streets. RC always seemed like she was forcing it.

[Contessa Donatella]

She was too delicate.

[carolineg]

@Antoyne@Cheap21I am not hating on people that love Skye.  I thought everyone loved her and I was the oddball that disliked her.  RC's stanning is intense.  She was always robbed of this or that and I always thought not really?  She got pairings, she got to be an insta Q, she had stories and she never fit on GH and overall RC had a long soap career.  Did RC deserve to win the emmy that year?  Maybe.  I think Vanessa's win was flimsy at best and sort of a reward for being super popular.  I can't recall everyone elses work that was nominated because they all were really good actresses IIRC.  It's not really a Skye vs. Brenda thing either. That's about 5 months of both their years long soap careers.  Regardless, she never ate any show she was on, but I do think she was heavily pushed on OLTL and GH for reason I can't discern.  And I know I am opening myself up to Vanessa Marcil/Brenda were hyped to the high heavens comments and that is true as well.  I get that. But at least she was a GH character with a huge fanbase behind her. That's JMO and I honestly wouldn't be mad at Skye/RC returning to soaps or GH.

[Antoyne]

I wasn’t watching GH during the Brenda/Skye feud so I can’t really comment on that. I just know I thoroughly enjoyed watching her. I’d love a return, I might actually watch GH for that. I’ve tried to watch once or twice this year and I literally don’t know the majority of the cast anymore.

[carolineg]

GH's cast is so enormous I don't blame you.  I am a frequent watcher (not everyday) and some times even I am like who is this person?  It doesn't help ME and RH are on their third or fourth character either lol.  I'd be interested to see where Skye/Lila Rae are now I suppose, but the majority of her main screen partners are long gone.  I just GH having a lot of women in a certain age that fill roles Skye could at this point.

[DramatistDreamer]

As The World Turns lost a number of talented actors that way. I’m not even talking about the Marisa Tomei’s or the Julianne Moores who were never going to renew their contracts, but other actors who went on to do commercials, something that gave them more flexibility. 
I understand that a character might be in heavy storyline but when that story wraps, give that character a rest or light work, give an underutilized actor something to do by giving their character a front burner story. Sometimes ATWT had overlapping stories and one character might be involved in both. It was entertaining but you know that actor had to be exhausted, especially since one or both storylines featured some heavy material. Miscarriages and murders, in the space of a week.