ALL: Popular Actors playing Unpopular Characters

[DRW50]

Yes.

Outside of Lois I am not sure Rena ever found a role, although I like her work on Loving. Not sure if she left that show or if she was fired.

[bongobong]

I don't think her MP character was a favorite but she was probably the most successful one introduced in the last 2 seasons - baring maybe Lexi after they revamped her? Low bar for sure, albeit. Her Just Shoot Me character didn't work, but that show was on its last legs, while 24 did rebound creatively after a horrible season 6.

Fair enough if you didn't like Quinn, but she was successful on B&B.

Edited February 22 by bongobong

[DRW50]

To be honest I had long stopped watching B&B by that point, aside from clips here and there. I had forgotten about her being on there. You're right, she was well-liked.

[Vee]

Rena absolutely was one of those actors inserted into every primetime show for maybe 10 years. Carla Gugino had a similar place for a long time, but was much more successful overall (and gets bigger, more prestigious work today). I don't think a lot of the roles suited Rena, but I did enjoy Eve on MP once she went psycho. Without some spark to the character Rena can be a bit flat, which is why Lois still suits her so well.

Season 6 was bonkers on an already nutty show. Truly right wing fantasy camp. I'd forgotten Rena was there.

[Paul Raven]

Lee Paterson was popular on OLTL but his AW/Texas character Kevin Cooke was blah.

Janice Lynde-popular as Leslie on Y&R but no love for Tracey AW or Laurel OLTL

Lynne Herring -Lisanne on Days

[Contessa Donatella]

I liked Lisanne. Another Minority rapport, I guess. 

[Soaplovers]

Lenore kasdorf: Popular as Rita on GL, and a dud as Caroline on Santa Barbara

Maureen Garrett: Popular as Holly on GL and a dud as EJ on Ryan's Hope

Sofia Landon: Flawless as Diane Ballard on GL, but played an underwritten role as Teresa on ATWT (her body got shipped in a trunk by Lillith..I recall).

Robert S Woods: Popular as Bo on OLTL, but played an unmemorable character on Days (named Paul).

I know some people would put Genie Francis, but when I was a little..I remember first seeing her on Days as Ms Colville and she got decent press while on Days.  She even got good reviews at the time as Ceara on AMC.  

[Khan]

Ceara is probably the best role (on daytime) that GF has ever played that wasn't named "Laura."  But I still maintain that one reason why Agnes Nixon wrote the incest storyline for her was because she wasn't working as the gold-digging tramp who was after David Rampal for his money; and once that story concluded, and Ceara had mellowed and wed Jeremy, she just sort of faded away (likely because the network was determined to bring GF back to GH).

[j swift]

It's interesting how AMC, Days of Our Lives, and The Young and the Restless each attempted to cast Genie Francis in roles that were a departure from her iconic "Laura" character. But by the time she arrived in Genoa City, it begs the question—if three out of four of her roles weren't like Laura, had that persona actually become her type?

Though she was often cast in roles outside of General Hospital as schemers (and I'm simplifying here, I know some might take issue with this), most of these characters ultimately became victims. The pattern makes you wonder: what was the driving factor behind this? Was it (a) the audience rejecting her in any role where she wasn't sympathetic, as evidenced by a lack of ratings boost when she was cast? (b) Writers who couldn't help but see her as Laura and were only inspired to write for her as a victim, rather than as Genie herself? Or (c) was it that Genie's range as an actress made her less convincing in schemer roles, making those scenes harder to believe?

It made me think about people like Marcy Walker, Susan Pratt, and Sherilyn Wolter who were successfully cast against their initial types.  As opposed to someone like Lynn Harring or Morgan Fairchild who became typecast in daytime across soaps.

Edited February 23 by j swift

[Efulton]

I do not agree about Lenore Kasdorf's Caroline was a dud on Santa Barbara.  The Dobson's created a character with an interesting backstory and Lenore had great chemistry with Nicolas Coster.  Caroline had the potential to be a long term Lockridge matriarch but Anne Howard Bailey screwed all of that up and then killed Caroline and wrote out the Lockridges.

[Soaplovers]

Actually how Ceara came across was typical of some survivors of incest and abuse.  

Her becoming a gold digger was her way of taking back control from what happened to her...and her lack of attachment to the men was another way to protect and cope.

Genie Francis said she picked going to AMC out of several offers/meetings because Agnes Nixon had come with a character and what the story was going to be..and it appealed to her because she had a character and character arc to play unlike Days.  

[Contessa Donatella]

And, at DAYS, according to what I read that Genie said, which was that finally, becoming impatient with waiting & only getting empty promises, not actual story, she said she was leaving. THEN, suddenly they became motivated to write for her but she said it was too little too late & fled. 

[DRW50]

 

Morgan is an interesting case to me because I don't think her Search for Tomorrow role, which made her famous in the first place, is close to her future work. Maybe you could count her Falcon Crest part, but was that a very well-received part? But then you could argue most of Morgan's fame in the last 40 years has been based on a very smooth, well-maintained "character" she brings from part to part, rather than actual roles. She's essentially an old time movie star, just without the movie stardom.

As for Genie, I think any time she tried to play a campy or bitchy character it came across like a drag queen. What works best with Genie is the quieter and more introspective moments - and also the energy she had when she was first playing Laura, before Gloria Monty and the realities of fame killed her spirit.

Edited February 25 by DRW50

[kalbir]

IMO Morgan Fairchild has never really had a breakthrough/career-defining role.