I'm fascinated by soap opera casting (yes, I have a lame social life). Since a character is usually more important to the show than an actor, you often see a character recast after an actor or actress leaves the role. Sometimes, 6 or 7 different people can play one character over a number of years.
Rebecca Budig played Greenlee Smythe on All My Children for a number of years (though she'll always be Michelle Bauer on Guiding Light to me) but left the ABC show and was replaced. Fans wanted her back in the role and now Budig has decided to come back. And she's not the only one: Debi Morgan and Darnell Williams are coming back to reprise their roles as Angie and Jesse Hubbard, even though Jesse died on screen years ago. It was so long ago that even I was watching the show, and I haven't watched it in years.
Remember, a death on a soap opera doesn't necessarily mean that the character is really dead. Even Joey Tribbiani's Drake Ramore came back to Days of Our Lives, and he fell down an elevator shaft and crushed his brain.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-03-2008 @ 9:23PM
Devika said...
If the show brought back Angie and Jesse, then they could surely justify bringin' back Jenny and Greg. I think that the friendship that Jenny and Jesse shared..the connection without the sexual tension, was pure. Does anyone remember those great fire escape scenes when they were on the run in NYC? Also, back in those days, for an all American good "white" girl and a "bad, misunderstood" black guy to share such a deep bond spoke volumes racially.
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1-16-2008 @ 3:26PM
Karen said...
I'm tickled that Budig is returning - I know she'll do a great job. The only problem I have with it is all the INCESSANT promos ABC and Soapnet are running about it; while the poor woman playing the part now is STILL THERE. They've been screaming " The REAL Greenlee is back" at the top of their lungs for weeks, during every airing of the show - they might as well just run commercials that say "this sucky actress you're watching today will be gone soon!" right in front of the poor woman.
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1-17-2008 @ 1:47PM
Karen said...
Im feel bad for the girl that was playing Greenlee. I really warmed up to her when she was in the hole with Zac. I always love to see my favorites return but its sad someone else has to be replaced. I hope she knows what a good job she did.
1-17-2008 @ 2:15PM
Kat said...
Totally agree. I thought the ad campaign was in bad taste, considering the replacement actress was doing a very good job. Nice to see Budig back but there must have been a more tactful way to do it.
1-16-2008 @ 10:03PM
nh said...
I feel bad for the 'other' Greenlee. Good bye no fan fare.
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1-16-2008 @ 6:21PM
BC said...
It's also fascinating when one actor plays the same character for 40 or 50 years running, gradually moving from principal character to recurrent parent or aunt/uncle to peripheral grandparent. And that actors like Ruth Warrick and Anna Lee who appeared in a number of historically significant, if not major box office, classic Hollywood films, later worked for years on the soaps. And I love it when actors go on vacation, and you have the little voiceover when the temp enters the screen, "Today the role of "x" is being played by..."
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1-16-2008 @ 9:27PM
pumpkinhead said...
I think the more interesting story here is the apparent revolt happening among AMC fans that the current Greenlee, Sabine Singh, was unceremoniously dumped with little notice. I know about this only because my wife has been on about it for days. Happily, I don't watch that junk myself. I have a life (which is why I'm sitting here writing a comment on a TV blog website about a show I don't care about at all).
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1-16-2008 @ 10:40PM
Eric J. said...
Call me when Sarah Michelle Gellar comes back.
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1-16-2008 @ 10:46PM
Jojee said...
Ditto!
1-17-2008 @ 12:48AM
ChaCha said...
YAY!@Angie and Jessie coming back...I can't wait =]
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1-17-2008 @ 1:29PM
LRS62 said...
And Jessie has already re-appeared in the past as a GHOST, along with Jenny, so I have no clue how he's going to come back from the dead.
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1-17-2008 @ 1:31PM
Corinne said...
Those promos ABC was running touting the REAL Greenlee were made worse when they were in the corner of the screen during a scene that the current Greenlee (Sabine Singh) was in. I understand that ABC wanted to promote Budig, but they could have used ORIGINAL and still had the same affect without making Singh seem like she was a fake.
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1-17-2008 @ 1:32PM
paula hernandez said...
What about Jeffrey Carlson????? He needs to come back pronto!
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1-17-2008 @ 1:34PM
Ann Marie said...
I think it's shameful that AMC would bend over backwards to bring anyone back when they haven't even given Cady McClain (Dixie) a call. Knowing how disappointed the viewers were when they killed off the character of Dixie so senselessly, she should be #1 on their list of call backs. By the way, I haven't watched AMC since they killed Dixie, and I have no intention of ever tuning in again until they do right by Cady McClain and the fans of Tad and Dixie.
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1-17-2008 @ 1:47PM
Karen said...
Well said! Tad and Dixie fans deserved more than we got. We waited years! They have an easy out. Like David saved her and took her..... Duh. Lets get Tad and Dixie back....like a super couple, Rock solid, nothing comes between them because nothing can. Its not as boring as the writers think.
1-17-2008 @ 1:40PM
Amanda said...
I was one of the fans that wrote an email to AMC and asked whatever happened to Rebecca Budig? Of course, AMC never answered, it is the same exact way in the Radio business. However, I do feel bad for the young lady, Sabine Singh who has had her job stripped from her. She took some time to get use to and I even enjoyed watching her play Greenlee. Instead of saying the REAL Greenlee is back, they should've said Rebecca Budig who was the original Greenlee is coming back to AMC. I watched AMC yesterday and Rebecca appeared to be nervous, but who wouldn't be? Now, I have to get use to Rebecca Budig again. Oh, brother!
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1-17-2008 @ 1:49PM
Amanda said...
Oh, one more thing, what happened to the original Babe? Does anyone know? Please advise. I can't get use to this new actress?
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1-22-2008 @ 4:46PM
Kymberly said...
The original girl that played Babe decided on her own that it was time to leave the show to do others things in her life. I read this comment of hers on her website she has. I can't stand this new Babe she does not look the part in no way.
1-17-2008 @ 1:50PM
Haley said...
I feel really bad for Sabine Singh, I admit it took some getting use to her playing the part but I'd began to like her in the role. The way they all treated her after she kidnapped Spike touched my heart when she felt really bad about it.
Also. being trapped in the cave with Zack and her near death scene which she played the heck out of...gave me a new respect for her. I wish they'd bring her back. Nothing against Rebecca but AMC needs to stick with their actors/actresses if possible!
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1-17-2008 @ 1:54PM
Sandy said...
Yes, they did the same thing to Genie Francis on General Hospital. It doesn't seem to matter what the fans think or want.
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