Y&R Question: Alex Donnelley vs. Susan Walters vs. Maura West: Which Diane Was Best?

[TVLegend]

Diane Jenkins is a fictional character from the long running CBS soap opera The Young and The Restless. The role was first portrayed by Alex Donnelley, who debuted in 1982. Diane was originally a two day bit role, but was later developed into a long term character. Donnelley vacated the role two years after her debut; despite returning briefly in 1986 before returning to the role fully in 1996. In 2001, Donnelley left once again in what was supposed to be a storyline dictated departure, however, the role was later recast with Susan Walters, who became the second Diane. After three years in the role, Walters chose to drop to recurring status in 2004, but wasn’t seen again, with the exception of a brief guest appearance in February 2010. Seven months later, the role of Diane was recast a second time with Maura West, who took over in October of the same year. Maura’s Diane was noticed for her rather youthful looks compared to previous actresses.

Diane has had relationships with business tycoons Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). Diane has a son with Jack, Kyle Abbott (Blake Hood, Hartley Sawyer, Lachlan Buchanan, Michael Mealor), who was initially supposed to be Victor’s son before his sperm sample was switched. Donnelley described Diane as “taking herself much too seriously”, while Walters criticized the character for existing solely to advance another character’s storyline. Critics described Maura’s Diane as delusional with a short fuse whose devious plans would always fail. Former head writer Maria Arena Bell was heavily criticized for the writing for West. In 2011, within eight months of joining the cast, West was let go and the character was killed off two months later in a whodunit storyline. It was later revealed that Diane’s arch nemesis, Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) killed Diane in self defense.

A guest appearance Donnelley made on Simon & Simon attracted the attention of the series’s casting department, and she was eventually cast in the intended short term role of Diane. The role was later expanded and Donnelley signed a three year contract. In 1984, Donnelley left the role to pursue a career in episodic television and in feature films, but returned for a brief guest appearance in 1986. In 1996, Donnelley returned to the role fully, mentioned earlier, and remained for an additional five years until it was announced that she would exit in a storyline dictated departure during the February sweeps period of 2001. After her onscreen departure, Donnelley was officially let go from the soap but was said to possibly return at a later date. Instead, the role was recast with Walters due to the writers wanting to take Diane in a different direction. Donnelley commented that it was disappointing not to be returning to the role. In 2004, Walters opted not to renew her contract and was bumped to recurring status, also mentioned earlier. Walters explained that she wasn’t ruling out a possible return in the future. However, she wanted the character to have a storyline of her own instead of existing for the sole purpose of advancing another character’s storyline. After nearly six years offscreen, Walters reprised the role of Diane in a two episode guest appearance in February 2010.

In August of the same year, seven months later, it was announced that ATWT and later GH veteran Maura West would take over the role. West said that the character had potential and was interesting. Despite that, in May 2011, within eight months of joining the cast, West was let go from the role and exited onscreen.

With all this being said, which actress did you like best in the role? Alex Donnelley, Susan Walters, or Maura West?

[TVLegend]

Here’s a bit of work from each actresses’s Diane.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oKk9AmW7UqU


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=izJj5_vQuBU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KzJ5S6...UeJub&index=36

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PGTrbhJ5_yo


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KgF2ZY-Iwtk

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIZtnFgQLno

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6h0Xz419p51

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_VG1Y7Rj0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VnWFR9SDMe8

[Wawwie]

I started watching Y&R after Alex and Susan. So I only knew Diane as Maura West. At the time, it was good to see Maura West after One Life To Live got cancelled. I enjoyed her as "Carly" on OLTL.
It is so sick that Victor bashed Diane's skull in after Nikki killed her. I don't know how Kyle could have anything to do with either one of them.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

I started watching Y&R after Alex and Susan. So I only knew Diane as Maura West. At the time, it was good to see Maura West after One Life To Live got cancelled. I enjoyed her as "Carly" on OLTL.
It is so sick that Victor bashed Diane's skull in after Nikki killed her. I don't know how Kyle could have anything to do with either one of them.

Susan was my favorite to be honest. So fun to watch. I provided a few videos with her. Y&R only brought on Maura West because she wanted to move on to a different soap opera after As The World Turns but wanted to remain in the network so CBS brought a proposal to The Young and The Restless and the head writer at that time, Maria Arena Bell casted her as a recast Diane Jenkins. Maura was definitely the best actress for the role but she wasn’t given an opportunity or better material to shine with. Totally miswritten. She really had some really sucky, sideline storylines like her affair with Nick, her affair with Tucker McCall, her short remarriage to Victor only for business arrangement purposes and I could go on and on. They really did do Diane dirty. And I thought it was Deacon Sharpe, Nikki’s ex-husband who crossed over from B&B who hit Diane on the head, but I might be mistaken. I do clearly remember the time Victor threw Diane out of the back of the ambulance onto the ground after learning that she faked her pregnancy. Just unclassy and disgusting. I agree, how Kyle can even engage in a conversation with these people is beyond me.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Susan was my favorite to be honest. So fun to watch. I provided a few videos with her. Y&R only brought on Maura West because she wanted to move on to a different soap opera after As The World Turns but wanted to remain in the network so CBS brought a proposal to The Young and The Restless and the head writer at that time, Maria Arena Bell casted her as a recast Diane Jenkins. Maura was definitely the best actress for the role but she wasn’t given an opportunity or better material to shine with. Totally miswritten. She really had some really sucky, sideline storylines like her affair with Nick, her affair with Tucker McCall, her short remarriage to Victor only for business arrangement purposes and I could go on and on. They really did do Diane dirty. And I thought it was Deacon Sharpe, Nikki’s ex-husband who crossed over from B&B who hit Diane on the head, but I might be mistaken. I do clearly remember the time Victor threw Diane out of the back of the ambulance onto the ground after learning that she faked her pregnancy. Just unclassy and disgusting. I agree, how Kyle can even engage in a conversation with these people is beyond me.

Whoops! I wrote about Maura being on One Life To Live when I meant As the World Turns!
Everyone did think Deacon Sharpe hit Diane over the head and killed her, but it was actually Nikki who killed her and then Victor bashed her skull in after she was already dead. Sick!
I like the videos you posted.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

Whoops! I wrote about Maura being on One Life To Live when I meant As the World Turns!
Everyone did think Deacon Sharpe hit Diane over the head and killed her, but it was actually Nikki who killed her and then Victor bashed her skull in after she was already dead. Sick!
I like the videos you posted.

Oh, okay. Didn’t remember that part. Wow. First with Diane and then arranging Marco to rape Phyllis. Victor is a low key sicko.

And thanks about the video part. I just posted videos from each Diane’s peak that showed their acting chops. Which video was your favorite?

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Oh, okay. Didn’t remember that part. Wow. First with Diane and then arranging Marco to rape Phyllis. Victor is a low key sicko.

And thanks about the video part. I just posted videos from each Diane’s peak that showed their acting chops. Which video was your favorite?

I like the one where Phyllis is wearing a black and white polka dot dress. Is she talking to Alex or Susan?

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

I like the one where Phyllis is wearing a black and white polka dot dress. Is she talking to Alex or Susan?

Susan. Alex’s the one in the very first link at the top with the deeper voice when she finds Phyllis in Michael’s office.

[HuntingtonM15]

I loved Susan, but I give a slight edge to Alex. Maura West is a fabulous actor, but I really didn't enjoy what they did with the character during her portrayal.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

I loved Susan, but I give a slight edge to Alex. Maura West is a fabulous actor, but I really didn't enjoy what they did with the character during her portrayal.

Susan and Alex were both awesome as Diane, but in my opinion, Susan was more fun to watch. Maura was the best actress in the role, but she wasn’t given proper material. Her acting chops were great, but the storylines Maura’s Diane had was out of character compared to Alex and Susan’s.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

I loved Susan, but I give a slight edge to Alex. Maura West is a fabulous actor, but I really didn't enjoy what they did with the character during her portrayal.

Susan was fun to watch on those video links.