All My Children News & Gossip
News for the week of 13-Jun-2009
Chrishell Stause (Amanda) was uncertain about her character’s actions in lying to David about the death of their baby boy. It’s basically the same thing Babe did to JR, and she caught hell from the fans for it. Stause reasoned that Amanda’s situation differed from Babe’s in that hers was a more noble cause. Stause said she re-signed through the year 2009 in large part to co-star Ricky Paull Goldin’s (Jake) and their fans’ influence.
Melissa Claire Egan (Annie) never thought she’d still be on AMC in the plum, improved role of a mentally challenged heroine fans have grown to root for. Before new head writer Charles Pratt Jr. took over and practically saved Annie from the departure heap, Egan figured the next step was to follow in her character’s late brother’s footsteps, out the door. But Pratt took Annie and reinvented her with a flawed but vulnerable and complex mental impairment that stemmed from a tortured childhood. Richie had just killed too many people to be saved, but Annie? Egan’s grateful that Annie was still redeemable.
In an May 1st interview with soap fan, therapist/author and Marlena De Lacroix fixture, Damon L. Jacobs, Egan thanked her lucky stars and detailed the steps she took to recreate her character in as authentic a manner as possible. This took research into real-life mental illness—reading up about it online and reflecting on acquaintances who’ve suffered from it, as well as getting plenty of help from the writers, who were able to tap into the real-life staccato of the way the mentally ill communicate.
Egan stressed that the point wasn’t to insult therapists by introducing a villainous therapist out to destroy Annie (Mackenzie Westmore’s character, Dr. Sinclair). She said it’s obvious that therapists don’t do that. But for soap opera purposes, to heighten the dramatic effect, that’s what’s done. The actual point, Egan added, was to show Annie as someone to root for, someone who’s facing so many obstacles. “… I think they were saying, ‘Let’s have another villain try to push her down.’ And so Annie was no longer the bad guy, she was the hero, even though she’s done really bad things.”
In the beginning, the soap newcomer had no idea what was in store for her in the faster-paced entertainment genre. She followed the rules and got with the program, until she saw her more entrenched stars carving out a little moment for themselves to get the scenes right. Alicia Minshew (Kendall) is a huge example. Egan noticed Minshew would ask for a minute to gather her thoughts and get into character for the tougher scenes, and soon began to follow suit.
Despite learning a lot and following suit, Egan still worries about doing her best and coming off real as opposed to camp. When she had to dress up in a bloody wedding dress and walk around babbling with a bloody knife, after having stabbed Erica, Egan worried. But her co-stars were careful and supportive and did whatever it took to ease Egan into the kind of portrayal that would evoke sympathy, not laughter.
Now that Annie seems well on the way to recovery, Egan is torn between gravitating toward full mental health—she loves fashioning up—and maintaining an “edge, … and not to know what to expect next. I want her to be good, but not too good.”
Bobbie Eakes (Krystal; ex-Macy, B&B) used to be all hung up on upholding her character’s likeability. Going through the ups and downs of an AMC character who isn’t always likeable and who doesn’t always do things that are likeable has challenged and grown the hard-working actress. “One of the hardest things for me to do 10-15 years ago as an actress was to show the ugly side of the character,” Eakes told interviewer Damon L. Jacobs for his April 17th interview. “I didn’t want the fans to dislike me. And then I finally realized it’s not a popularity contest, this is not homecoming queen. This is about showing the dark and the light. It is more fulfilling as an actress, and I think more compelling in drama, to show these sides.” It’s interesting how Eakes explained Krystal’s attraction to bad boy David versus an unfulfillment with Tad. David fulfilled Krystal in the bed in a way Tad didn’t, or couldn’t.
Alicia Minshew (Kendall) has heard the criticisms against her trifling, bitchy character of late, and has tried to defend the cold, cruelty that flares up at the oddest of times. It may vex many fans, but Minshew sees it this way: Kendall has never been quite the same since her surgery and lapsing into a coma. She’s awakened new and not improved, but harder, darker. And hopefully, more interesting.
Stephanie Gatschet (ex-Tammy, GL) appears as the DA’s wife, Madison, June 19th. Madison can’t control her gambling addiction and throws Randi for a loop when out and about with her husband DA North.
Gossip for the week of 13-Jun-2009
Word on the street is favorable for the upcoming pairing of Ryan and his cougar babe, Erica. Both characters are popular with fans and the actors who portray them remain pillars of the AMC community.
To the AMC-obsessed: You love everything going on at this soap, great for you. I don’t, and no amount of pestering, lecturing, condescending e-mails is gonna change my mind. So, if you have a problem with that, go outside and toss the ball around, go jogging, save the planet, have a bake sale, just do something, anything else other than pester me about it. I’m only going to mark you for SPAM.
All My Children News & Gossip, Copyright © 2010 Carol Banks Weber. Published by SoapZone.com / Jeff Jungblut. No part of this page may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed on this page are those of the author and may not be representative of SoapZone.com or its advertisers. Don't steal scoops.
