Actors who've graduated from daytime have consistently said that working on a soap is one of the hardest things they've ever done; like a crash course in acting.
Julianne Moore (As the World Turns) has repeatedly said this; others who have spoken about how great the training was on soaps are Meg Ryan (ATWT), Marisa Tomei (ATWT), Kathleen Turner (The Doctors), Susan Sarandon (A World Apart; Search for Tomorrow), Tommy Lee Jones (One Life to Live), Kevin Bacon (Guiding Light), Robin Wright (Santa Barbara), Sarah Michell Gellar (All My Children), Judith Light (OLTL), Parker Posey (ATWT), Demi Moore (General Hospital), etc., etc.
Two other things: in the 60s/70s/80s heyday of the soap opera, it wasn't uncommon for aging movie stars to transition to soaps, where they were offered meatier parts than Hollywood was offering: Constance Ford, a reliable character actress from the 50s and 60s, landed the classic role of maternal yet tempermental Ada on Another World in 1967, playing the part until her death in 1993 -- here's a classic Ada moment. Likewise, Kathleen Widdoes (from The Group and Petulia) has played Emma Snyder on As the World Turns since 1986.
Conversely, a number of respected stage actors have worked both soaps and Broadway to great success: Larry Bryggman won 2 Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Dr. John Dixon on As the World Turns between 1982 and 2004 while also earning plaudits for his stage performances, including 2 Tony Award nominations during that same time.
Doesn't anyone remember Elizabeth Taylor's short stint on GH in 1981 as Helena Cassadine? This isn't unheard of.
Additionally, Carol Burnett--a longtime All My Children fan--has appeared on the show several times; and in the early 2000s, Joan Collins played Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light.
Hasn't Scott Evans' mom already come on OLTL to play his mother (I'm hopelessly far behind on Kish...)? Bringing his brother Chris on would be excellent.
Lisa Evans appeared on the show last week; after seeing Scott Evans' hauntingly powerful portrayal of Fish's coming out and his longing for Kyle, it's clear that he has much greater range than his brother. Regardless of the fact that Scott is openly gay, I think he definitely has the talent to make it in film or prime-time TV.
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"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
I love this! James Franco is such a charismatic actor; I've been interested in him since he played James Dean and his performance in Milk should've been nominated last year.
And I agree with Penelope that this could (and should) start a trend. The soap opera genre can use all the help it can get these days -- it is literally dying. I've always wanted Julia Roberts to pop up on Days of Our Lives for a short stint (she's a HUGE fan). If you're already an established actor, why the heck not? Actors who've graduated from daytime have consistently said that working on a soap is one of the hardest things they've ever done; like a crash course in acting.
Doesn't anyone remember Elizabeth Taylor's short stint on GH in 1981 as Helena Cassadine? This isn't unheard of.
Hasn't Scott Evans' mom already come on OLTL to play his mother (I'm hopelessly far behind on Kish...)? Bringing his brother Chris on would be excellent.
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"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
Actually, I hope this is the beginning of a trend. Instead of treading the boards of Broadway, maybe more A-listers will do guest spots on the soaps--an industry that needs as many new eyes as it can get.
Maybe One Life to Live can get Chris Evans for a short-term role as the long-lost brother of Officer Oliver Fish (played by Chris' real-life--and gay--brother Scott Evans).
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
It's a temporary role, but still. This is strange. I've never known such an established actor (talked about as a possible Oscar nominee last year) to go off and spend some time on a soap opera. You definitely can't say he has a predictable career.
Actor James Franco is headed for "General Hospital." He'll play a recurring role on the long-running ABC daytime series for two months staring Nov. 20, coinciding with Nov. sweeps, reports the Associated Press.
And though the "General Hospital" crew is keeping tight-lipped about the particulars of his role, Franco's character will supposedly be the "worst nightmare" for Jason Morgan, a mob crook character who's played by Emmy winner Steve Burton, according to Fancast.com. Insiders say that the fact that Burton and Franco share the same manager is pure coincidence, and deny rumors that Franco will return permanently to the small screen.
Franco got his start on TV with the late '90s cult favorite "Freaks and Geeks," in which he played Daniel Desario, a leading "freak" on the short-lived series.
He's gone on to major roles in films such as "Pineapple Express," Oscar-winner "Milk," and the top-grossing "Spider-Man" franchise. His portrayal of beat-generation literary bad boy Allen Ginsberg, in the film "Howl," arrives on the big screen in 2010.
Franco's arrival in fictional Port Charles is not the only shake-up happening on the daytime drama. Earlier this week, Jonathan Jackson, seen most recently on Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," announced he'd be returning on October 27 to revive the role of Lucky Spencer — a character he originated. Sarah Joy Brown, on the other hand, has made a daring move: she's leaving her role as Claudia on "General Hospital" for rival CBS series "The Bold and the Beautiful."
