Unforgettable Performers?

[factsoflife]

As a companion piece to my Unforgettable Stories series i am going to start a series of articles called UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMERS. so i need help, who is worthy of the title UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMER? I need help w/ CBS and NBC performers as i don't really watch them. But also ABC performers are welcome. BUT PLEASE lets not just name anyone, lets name people that have truly made a signifigant impact to the genre of daytime. Thanks in advance.


Heres whom i have so far-
Susan Lucci as Erica, AMC
Erika Slezak as Viki, OLTL
Michelle Stafford as Phyliss, Y&R
David Canary as Adam/Stuart, AMC
Lynn Herring as Lucy, GH/PC
Diedra Hall as Marlanea, DOOL
Alison Sweeny as Sami, DOOL
Susan Flannery as Stephiane, B&B
Nancy Lee Grahn as Alexis, GH and Julia, Santa B
Marcy Walker as Liza, AMC and Eden, Santa B
Peter Breggman as Jack, Y&R and ??? AMC
Robin Strasser as Dorian, OLTL
Kim Zimmer as Reva, GL
Eric Breaden as Victor, Y&R
Juliet Mills as Tabitha, PASS
Micheal E. Knight as Tad, AMC
Sarah Brown as Carly, GH

These are just some of my ideas, i will not neccisarily use all (or maybe any) of them in my article, they are just the ones that sprung to mind right away- Anyone have any ideas? who else is UNFORGETTABLE? It doesn't have to be a lead performer, is there a supporting character that has been in the background far to long that has just captivated you? Is there someone that has made a lasting contribution that has been totally ignored for years by their show and the soap community? who are the MVPS of the soap world?

Thanks in advance- Matt.

[Dr. Jazz]

Do you mean unforgettable performers from the past as well. I noticed all the ones you had listed are currently on their shows.
There were also unforgettable performers from soaps that are no longer on the air. Also, do you mean to recognize soap actors for one particular role they did or for their other roles as well, if they were on more than one soap? Sorry for asking so many questions but I want to get it right before I add my suggestions.

[factsoflife]

Good points Dr. Jazz.

I would love to see the names of performers that are no longer w/ us, even ones that appreared on long-canceled shows. If an actor has appeared on more than one show it is acceptable to name them, this is about CAREER recgonition so yes those who have appeared on more than one show are welcome to be named. I just hope we can see the names of people other than the obvious choices, lets dig deep and find some really godo choices.

Thanks.

[Dr. Jazz]

OK Here's my suggestions. Some of these are obvious choices, some are not, but they are the best of the best performance wise in the world of daytime:


Denise Alexander (Lesley, GH; Susan, DOOL; Mary, AW)
- one of my favorites and often over-looked
Gerald Anthony (Marco, OLTL & GH)
Lisa Brown (Nola, GL; Iva, ATWT)
Phil Carey (Asa, OLTL)
Brent Collins (Wallingford, AW)
- truly unforgettable
Nicholas Coster (what soap has he not been on?)
- a superb actor; fit perfectly into every role he's played
Jacqueline Courtney (Alice, AW; Pat, OLTL)
- when is this woman finally gonna get some recognition?
Stuart Damon (Alan, GH)
- one of daytime's greatest actors
Irene Dailey (Liz, AW)
- one of my personal favorites, Aunt Liz. . . .
Linda Dano (Felicia, AW; Gretel Rae, OLTL; Cynthia, ATWT)
Justin Deas (Buzz, GL; Bucky, RH; Tom #?, ATWT; Keith, Santa Barbara) - comic, dramatic, and everything else in between - he can do them all and has six emmys to show for it
Jane Elliott (Tracy, GH; Anjelica, DOOL; Cynthia, AMC; Carrie, ATWT) - She'll always be known for the scene where Tracy witholds Edwards heart medication. One of the most famous scenes in daytime history. She's in my top 10.
Constance Ford (Ada, AW)
- she was the real deal
Helen Gallagher (Maeve, RH)
Ellen Holly (Carla, OLTL)
Roger Howarth (Todd #1, OLTL; Paul, ATWT)
- One of the very best
Elizabeth Hubbard (Lucinda, ATWT; Althea, The Doctors)
Charles Keating (Carl, AW; Damon, AMC)
- Shakespeare meets daytime
Judith Light (Karen, OLTL)
- One of the greatest actresses ever to grace daytime. She's makes my top 5. Several soap experts agree that Karen's courtroom scene is perhaps THE most famous scene in daytime history. I agree as well.
Dorothy Lyman (Opal, AMC; Gwen, AW)
- Hands down, daytime's best comedic performer. She IS Opal Gardner. Easily in my top 10.
Robin Mattson (Janet, AMC; Heather, GH; Gina, Santa Barbara)
- Nobody plays a psycho better than she does
Emily McLaughlin (Jessie, GH)
- Paging Nurse Jessie. . . a true legend
James Mitchell (Palmer, AMC)
- he's Palmer Cortlandt! Nuff said
Debbi Morgan (Angie, AMC & Loving)
Louise Sorel (Augusta, Santa Barbara; Judith, OLTL; Vivian, DOOL)
Mary Stuart (Jo, Search for Tomorrow)
- She carried that show for the entire 35 years it was on!
Ruth Warrick (Phoebe, AMC)
- The Grande Dame of Daytime. Or the Dutchess as Benny liked to call her. One of my all-time favorites. She was better when Phoebe was a villainess busybody.
Douglass Watson (Mac, AW)
- still missed to this day
Victoria Wyndham (Rachel, AW)
Jackie Zeman (Bobbie, GH)
- BJ's death storyline is enough to get her on this list
Michael Zaslow (Roger, GL; David, OLTL)
- Roger Thorpe. Daytime's greatest villain.
and finally, TV Guide's Michael Logan referred to her as daytime's greatest actress and I would have to agree:
Beverlee McKinsey (Iris, AW; Alexandra, GL)

Whew!! Hope this helps, factsoflife. I've watched just about every soap at one time or another and these people above are the best of the best. I'm sure I left some good ones out. If I think of any more I'll post them later. I'm like you, I'm mostly loyal to the ABC soap, but I've watched a couple NBC & CBS soaps as well.


Dr. Jazz

[factsoflife]

Thanks for the help Dr. Jazz. I will take these suggestions into consideration when perparing future articles.

Here are some more i've thought of-

Ruth Warwick, Phobee, AMC
Ray MacDonald, Joe, AMC
Rachel Ames, Audrey, GH
Steve Bearindino, Steve, GH
Susan Seaforth-Hayes, DOOL
Eden Riegal, Bianca AMC- In her short time at AMC she has elevated the entire cast to their best performances and that includes Susan Lucci, who as Erica has become a much more jintresting performer to watch.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ex-Kendall, AMC- She may not have been there long but in her short stint, Ms. Gellar brought AMC to a level it had never seen before, and hasn't seen since. She brought a level of talent well beyond her years and far exceeding many cast member twice her age. She is such a rare talent.

Fiona Hutchison, Gabrielle, OLTL, Jenna, GL- As Gabrielle on OLTL, Ms. Hutchison was so captivating that we just couldn't get enough of her. Which is why its so odd that her one and only Emmy nomiation ever was for her role on GL.

[Mickey]

Larry Riley - (Frank Williams, Knots Landing) - if only for the courage of his last few performances.
Frances Reid - (Alice, DOOL) - Got to get a mention, hasn't she?! She has such grace.
Louise Sorel (Vivian, DOOL) - For the comedy, especially combined with Ivan G'Vera.
Sarah Buxton (Annie, Sunset Beach) - Just hilarious. I've seen few better comedy performances on a soap.
Clive Robertson (Ben/Derek, Sunset Beach) - Dual role, one of them an hilariously depraved madman. Wonderful stuff.

Stuart Damon (Alan, GH)
- one of daytime's greatest actors

So that's where he ended up. He did a little known British cult fantasy series in the sixties called The Champions, but I've never seen him in anything else. Try to find it if you can - it's great fun.

[Pentimento]

I'm not really a big fan of the soaps (too much of a commitment required) but there are two that I watched for a few years each, solely for one actress/character:

Marg Helgenberger (Siobhan Ryan, Ryan's Hope)
Finola Hughes (Anna Devane Scorpio, General Hospital)

Once they were gone, I stopped watching.

[Moondance]

I'm going to add a few of my personal favorites:

Fiona Hutchison - (ex-Gabrielle Medina, OLTL) Her performance last year during Al's death, was nothing less than phemonenal and she deserved an EMMY for it! She portrayed a mother's loss of her only son to the "T" - that was an OSCAR performance that OLTL/ABC ignored...I would also like to add that Fiona Hutchison's Jenna Bradshaw, on GL in through 1992-1998 was outstanding! She really should have taken home an Emmy in 1994 and 1999! Jenna's death scenes were so real and touching...how can such a notable talent go SO unnoticed?

Justin Deas - (Buzz Cooper, GL) He's another one of the greats. He can take any scene, no matter how small it is, and make it into something steller! Justin Deas has also won the most Emmys of any Daytime soap actor! - Six Emmys!

Feen

[TGirl]

I was going to say Robin Mattson (Heather Weber, GH; Gina Capwell, Santa Barbara) -- but it looks like Dr. Jazz beat me to it!

Also Eileen Davidson has to be remembered for playing the most roles ever at one time on DOOL (Kristin DeMira, Susan Banks, Sister Mary Moira, Thomas, Penelope).

[dandelion wine]

Though I'm only naming a few from General Hospital, I agree with many of the choices for other soaps already listed.

General Hospital:

Genie Francis (Laura Webber Baldwin Spencer)

Tony Geary (Luke Spencer)

Kin Shriner (Scotty Baldwin)

Leslie Charleson (Monica Quartermaine)

Stuart Damon (Alan Quartermaine)

Billy Warlock (A.J. Quartermaine)

Jane Elliot (Tracey Quartermaine Williams)

Finola Hughes (Anna Devane Scorpio)

Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber Lansing)

Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe Jones Quatermaine Baldwin Santon Collins)

Jonathan Jackson - GH's first Lucky Spencer

Anna Lee (Lila Quartermaine)

David Lewis - GH's first Edward Quartermaine

Robin Mattson (Heather Webber)

Brad Maule (Dr. Tony Jones)

Kimberly McCullough (Robin Scorpio)

Stephen Nichols (Stefan Cassadine)

Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos)

And a million others, but I'll stop there.

[factsoflife]

Thanks to everyone for your help. all the choices listed are perfect, just the type of people i wanted to name. Keep them coming.

[Sean Snow]

-- Jed Allan (Don, DAYS; C.C., SB; Edward, GH)

-- Nancy Addison Altman (Jillian, RH; Kit, GL; Debroah, LOV)

-- Kristian Alfonso (Hope, DAYS)

-- Judith Barcroft (Lenore, AW; Ann, AMC; Barbara, RH)

-- Julia Barr (Brooke, AMC)

-- Nancy Barrett (Carolyn, DS; Kathy, DOC; Faith, RH)

-- Bernard Barrow (Johnny, RH; Louie, LOV)

-- Joan Bennett (Elizabeth, DS)

-- Roscoe Born (Joe, RH; Mitch, OLTL)

-- John Clarke (Mickey, DAYS)

-- Joel Crothers (Joe, DS; Julian, SOM; Miles, EON)

-- Louis Edmonds (Langley, AMC; Roger, DS)

-- Judi Evans (Beth, GL; Adrienne, DAYS; Paulina, AW; Bonnie, DAYS)

-- Ann Flood (Nancy, EON)

-- John Gabriel (Seneca, RH)

-- Maureen Garrett (Holly, GL; Elizabeth Jane, RH)

-- Bill Hayes (Doug, DAYS)

-- John Ingle (Edward, GH; Mickey, DAYS)

-- Ilene Kristen (Delia, RH; Roxy, OLTL)

-- Michael Levin (Jack, RH)

-- Kate Mulgrew (Mary, RH)

-- Thaao Penglis (Tony, DAYS)

-- Rosemary Prinz (Penny, ATWT; Amy, AMC; Mary Joel, RH)

-- James Reynolds (Abe, DAYS)

-- Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, DAYS)

-- Louise Shaffer (Rae, RH; Serena, EON)

-- Mary Stuart (Jo, SFT)

-- Ellen Wheeler (Vicky, AW; Cindy, AMC)

[JT]

Charita Bauer (Bert, GL)
Larry Haines (Stu, SFT)

[factsoflife]

Again thanks to everyone. The names i'm seeing are great, exactly what i expected. You all rock. keep it coming.

[dandelion wine]

All My Children:

Peter Bergman (Dr. Cliff Warner)

Larkin Malloy - AMC's first Travis Montgomery

Taylor Miller - AMC's first Nina Cortlandt Warner

Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard)

General Hospital:

John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy)

Rachel Ames (Audrey Hardy)

Jack Wagner (Dr. Andrew "Frisco" Jones)

David Mendenhall (Mike Webber)

Ingo Rademacher (Jasper Jacks)

Chris Robinson - GH's second Dr. Rick Webber

Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio)

Amber Tamblyn - GH's first Emily Quartermaine

Constance Towers - GH's second Helena Cassadine

Kristina Wagner (Felicia Jones)