ALL: Popular Actors playing Unpopular Characters

[dragonflies]

This goes for all soaps past and present

Anyone think of very popular actors who played an over all unpopular/disliked(etc etc) character

I'd say Scott Clifton on BOLD, he's very popular but Liam is very hated even so much that Scott keeps his foot on Liam's neck lol

Maybe Rebecca Budig on AMC? Was Greenlee ever super liked? lol 

[applcin]

On GH, Tony Geary's return to GH as Bill Eckert was pretty unpopular, mostly due to people wanting him to have returned as Luke. It also didn't help that Bill wasn't a likeable character; he was a jerk. Bill was sacrificed when Luke (and Laura) came back to town but at least went out a hero.

Mary Beth Evans was hugely popular on DOOL as Kayla but I don't think her Katherine character on GH was particularly popular. She started out as a villain alongside Damien Smith, had an ongoing jealousy feud with Lucy, a boring relationship with Mac, and GH tried to recreate MBE and Stephen Nichols' chemistry on DOOL by pairing Katherine and Stefan.

Sharon Gabet was on fire on EON but my vague recollection, and Gabet's own words, is that her character, Brittany, on AW sucked. I don't think her time as Melinda Cramer, on OLTL was all that much better. The biggest thing I remember about her is having her turn, after Dorian and Cassie, in a fling with Jon Russell.

 

Edited January 3 by applcin

[Khan]

I feel like Sharon Gabet was on OLTL just to play out storylines that had been intended for Robin Strasser.  Her Melinda seemed to be nothing at all like the Melindas that came before or afterward.

For sure, Genie Francis has had a tough time with any character that isn't Laura Spencer.  She had some success playing opposite Drake Hogestyn on DAYS, but AMC's Ceara and especially Y&R's Genevieve don't seem to be remembered very well by fans.

[Liberty City]

Loved her as Genevieve. But they ruined that character.

[Paul Raven]

Kin Shriner was one of daytime's hottest actors when he signed up for Texas.

But Jeb wasn't a popular character, even in the Texas universe.

[Vee]

Greenlee was popular. Then she was overexposed and unpopular, but she still had a considerable fanbase with the general audience.

I think it's safe to say Cameron Mathison has not set the world as Drew on GH. They have profoundly mishandled him.

Both Michael Easton's non-McBain roles on GH flopped. Same with Roger Howarth's non-Todd roles despite endless attempts to cement Franco. Same with his deeply unpopular ATWT run.

Edited January 3 by Vee

[DRW50]

I don't think Cameron was very popular in his second AMC run either. 

A few others:

Eileen Davidson (Kelly, SB)

Marcy Walker (Tangie, GL)

A Martinez (Roy, GH)

Jensen Buchanan (Melissa, GH)

[Franko]

DOOL: Lynn Herring as Lisanne Gardner

Santa Barbara: Kim Zimmer as Jodie Walker

[Liberty City]

Except, Kelly was a popular character. Don't think she was ever unpopular.

[DRW50]

Not when Eileen was in the part. 

[Liberty City]

But was Kelly unpopular or just Davidson in the role? Because, to me, there's a difference. Because, honestly, while miscast she was the strongest actor in the role from my POV.

[DRW50]

I would say at that time both, but you'd have to ask more hardcore fans.

[Contessa Donatella]

I kinda really like this premise. And, now, here we go or possibly said another way, on with the show!

Oh, absolutely, Greens was definitely well-liked. Her whole family was even in the ranks of those "popular" people. Her grandparents probably best liked & had been for the longest time. Then Greens herself. Now it's not like she was much beloved like Bianca was. Her parents were more of an acquired taste. Anna Stuart's Mary Smythe (if I'm remembering her name right) anyway, I'm sure some people found her to be acerbic but I found her delightful. Yes, she was another snob but she was still fun & definitely messy when it came to her relationships with most of the people she could claim to have one with. 

Greens with Leo both made me happy, and challenged me & eventually broke my heart.

Now some people disliked Greens for no better reason than that she dubbed our sweetheart LesBianca. Me, I thought it was funny. 

BTW, recently during the time that AW's 60th anniversary was being celebrated, Anna spoke about her time at AMC & according to her Susan Lucci would have preferred it if Anna disappeared from Lucci's sight. I have no idea what to say about that, so I'll stop. 

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm back!

Santa Barbara, this is how it breaks down. Only one Kelly & she is Robin Wright. Second verse, only one Mason & he is Lane Davies. Zimmer there, her whole family was disliked. 

Mary Beth Evans when they tried at GH to tap into the popularity of Kayla & Steve, first thing they did wrong. They had Stefan accidentally shoot her, not a good beginning. Anyway it wasn't an epic failure but it certainly was nobody's idea of a success.

Genie has been very clear. From her perspective at least, all these shows wanted to hire her & they promised her whatever they could think of to entice her. To be fair they did create characters for her but she said they would never really write the stories for her that they should have. She gave the example where at DAYS when she got fed up & announced her intention to leave THEN FINALLY they had a fire lit under them but inho it was too late.

Steve Burton at DAYS. Largely his Michaels Harris was unpopular. For one thing no one cared a lick about this Harris guy leftover from the 80s. Next up, the perception (correct or not) was that Burton had to be paid royally & that would be money not being paid to actors & characters that DAYS fans thought belonged on the show. He had a contract when many popular people did not. Also people thought they're making him an ex Navy seal, was just a little too cute? hero? Etc. But, to give credit where it is due, he & Tamara Braun worked hard, dug deep & their pairing to me at least was a success. 

BTW, TB herself is not without problems where many fans just do not accept her & she also has those problems of perception about the big bucks & also that she's taking up space where someone more popular & thought to be more integral to the canvas could be in that space. 

Edited January 3 by Contessa Donatella
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[applcin]

Few more...

Beth Ehlers as Taylor on AMC

Gerald Gordon as Dr. Mark Dante on GH. I didn't see his first stint and barely remember his second stint. It probably didn't help it came in the early 80s, during the period where most people were hooked because of Luke, Laura, and the storylines that immediately followed. (At that point, I'd only ever heard about Dr. Nick Bellini and The Doctors from my mom so I experienced him reverse-aging, seeing him first older on GH.) But seeing him younger in such a dynamic role where he had chemistry, charisma and such a natural ease with the character was an eye-opener. 

What about Kale Browne on OLTL? I know there was a lot of hate towards the Sam Rappaport character...whether because he was a FOJ, a spoiler for Bo & Nora or both...