In the classic GH thread Kim Zimmer came up, and how when she didn’t go over the top she was capable of incredible things. Which made me think of all the non-bombastic soap folks who used to bring it, were popular, but didn’t lose a more grounded nature to their work.

First to come to mind was Julia Barr on AMC. She was good at everything I saw her do- romance, journalism stories, deep family heartbreak, snark, rivalries, comedy. When I first started watching, Brooke had a through line of dignity that just shone through, and I rooted for her. 

Julia Bart’s Brooke is a good choice for this.

I would also have to go with ATWT’s Kathryn Hays as Kim as well as CZ as Barbara at least before 2000. 
 

Tricia Cast as Nina on Y&R is another “quiet one” yet always gives stellar performances even when she had been off the show for years.

2 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

Julia Bart’s Brooke is a good choice for this.

I would also have to go with ATWT’s Kathryn Hays as Kim as well as CZ as Barbara at least before 2000. 
 

Tricia Cast as Nina on Y&R is another “quiet one” yet always gives stellar performances even when she had been off the show for years.

I also thought of both of them shortly after my post! Tricia Cast and Hays, both great. Bryggman’s John Dixon too, even in scenes with Hubbard chewing the stage up he came across as genuine and grounded and equal to her.

Hays had that same kind of city gal weariness in her reactions to nonsense that Julia Barr served on AMC. I think the show made a huge mistake by not centering her more in its last decade.

 

Edited January 5Jan 5 by titan1978

Ronn Moss. 

Just kidding.

Susan Flannery could give fire and make the whole room tremble with her roar... but she was also sooo good at the demure, quiet moments. She has turned some of Bradley's worst scripts into gold by just... taking the less is more approach!

.

I hope I am understanding the topic completely. I am taking it that you mean actors who didn't overact or go into camp territory. Who kept the moments as real as possible. 

 

I'm less than halfway through the available episodes of "The Doctors" but I think I would add Jim Pritchett, at least up to what I've seen of his Matt Powers so far. Even when Matt got angry or frustrated, there was a level of restraint and dignity. I mean, I guess it came with the character; had he been playing Nick Bellini, he might have been the bombastic one.

1 hour ago, Maxim said:

Ronn Moss. 

Just kidding.

Susan Flannery could give fire and make the whole room tremble with her roar... but she was also sooo good at the demure, quiet moments. She has turned some of Bradley's worst scripts into gold by just... taking the less is more approach!

.

I hope I am understanding the topic completely. I am taking it that you mean actors who didn't overact or go into camp territory. Who kept the moments as real as possible. 

 

For me she falls into the category of excellent actors that started going over the top at some point and just stayed there. The show did her no favors. But the Susan Flannery of Bill Bell’s B&B and what i have seen on DAYS is as you describe and incredible. But the version of her last few years often went over the top to me, a caricature of her former glory. But I am also not a good judge because I don’t watch B&B regularly, never have. But I have watched quite a few episodes on their YouTube account of the earlier period and she is incredible, she can be so warm and then also quite cold and calculating, but not hysterical.

Off the top of my head Kimberlin Brown I think is considered one of these. Sheila’s evilness/craziness to me is never OTT or scenery chewing, it’s always just the right amount where she makes her point by still being threatening. 

I think Maureen Garrett and Kathryn Hays own this topic.

12 hours ago, titan1978 said:

For me she falls into the category of excellent actors that started going over the top at some point and just stayed there. The show did her no favors. But the Susan Flannery of Bill Bell’s B&B and what i have seen on DAYS is as you describe and incredible. But the version of her last few years often went over the top to me, a caricature of her former glory. But I am also not a good judge because I don’t watch B&B regularly, never have. But I have watched quite a few episodes on their YouTube account of the earlier period and she is incredible, she can be so warm and then also quite cold and calculating, but not hysterical.

I don't think she's ever truly gone over the top. My opinion only. In comparison to all the others in the show, she kept it normal and realistic till the very end. At least I would not describe it as over the top. But I see and understand what you mean and refer to. I would just use a different word in my own commentary. I would say that at some point it seemed like she didn't care as much. The scripts were so, so bad... she was made to yell at Brooke - you whore, you slut, you prostitute every single month... so at one point it felt like the venom was turning into repetitiveness and just... boredom. Just the fact that Brooke started laughing at her insults in the last seasons... is telling. Stephanie stopped having her threatening and powerful presence - she became nothing more than a guard dog for Ridge and his children. They also made her more brutal and inhuman like (arranging a strange man to come in Brooke's house, giving him a key, which is basically accomplice to RAPE). They did give her some of her own storylines... her father's abuse... her mother passing, her cancer... even Pam... but still... the biggest portion of the material was her telling Brooke how she is a ho. It could have worked if it was done more sporadically.

And ever since they made Stephanie to be some kind of... lying ex-slut herself with the 2001 rewrite of Massimo being Ridge's father (incredibly wrong rewrite if you ask me... and made only to serve Brooke and give Ridge a new brother who Brooke can sleep with again)... the whole... high and mighty Matrona-persona just... flopped. Brooke started telling her that she doesn't have a moral high ground anymore and in a way she didn't. And Stephanie yelling at Brooke how disgusting she is... was not hitting the same way. STILL, these two women gave the show a sense of purpose, of continuity, of familiarity even. We loved to see Brooke and Stephanie at it. Of course nothing compares to the original war circa 1987 to 1993. Nothing. There were glimpses of powerful moments (2005 was a great one with Stephanie's heart attack)... but... nothing was ever the same. We all know why. Bradley Bell turned the show into a badly written Jerry Springer episode. 

So I would just say that... there were moments where Susan was not giving her usual 100 percent and I felt it. Even when uttering an insult, it was not the expression of real hate that we used to see. The energy was not there all the time. But she was STILL turning it on regularly when she had to and I will repeat myself -  tranformed sh-t to gold many many times. The show really breathed its last breath with her death.  

Just this last scene... is a testament to that. Susan... giving a quiet, yet powerful performance in her last minutes of a 25 year old role. 

 

Gail Baldwin from GH!

9 hours ago, BetterForgotten said:

I think Maureen Garrett and Kathryn Hays own this topic.

I think the New York soaps really owns the quiet powerhouse. Maureen Garrett really kept a steady hand on Holly through some not very grounded situations.

I remember at the time of the Nursery Rhyme Stalker storyline she gave some hilarious interviews about it and how she approached it. You can tell she cared very much about being grounded despite the ridiculous nature of what she was given, and had a sense of humor about it and didn’t allow herself to take it too seriously just be seen as a “serious actress.” 

Also, I can’t forge Maeve Kinkead whose quiet strength always spoke loudly. 
 

A masterwork in less is more approach. No raised voices. No maniacal facial expressions. No over the top dialogue. Cold as arctic ice, words cutting to the bone, more threatening than anything you can imagine. The power of Beverlee McKinsey. 

Killing... with a smile. ❤️

@Contessa Donatella

Yes, even in her takedown of Roger, she never went for over the top dramatics or histrionics. Very rare jewel Bev was. 
 

This scene between her and Zimmer is also great to revisit, just what contrasting but equally compelling actresses both are:

 

Maeve Kinkead, Guiding Light. When we discussed this in the GL thread, someone described it perfectly--Maeve had the cold, internal seethe down pat. While others (coughcough) would've relied on screaming crying jags, Vanessa would shiv you with an icy stare and a few well-chosen words.

Ditto....

41 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

 

Also, I can’t forge Maeve Kinkead whose quiet strength always spoke loudly. 
 

 

Others:

Maureen Garret

Lenore Kasdorf

Cindy Pickett

Bev McKinsey

Lisa Brown

Kathryn Hays

Marie Masters

Maura West