OLTL Outside Llanview: The Cast In Other Roles

[TeeVee329]

!!!

Look how far Oliver "I'm not gay, I'm a cop!" Fish has come!

And the main Primetimer page has an article about just that:

https://www.primetimer.com/quickhits/barbie-scott-evans-one-life-to-live

[TeeVee329]

The "Again With This" podcast has hit Dan Gauthier's (Kevin Buchanan) arc on "Melrose Place:

On one hand, this stint, IIRC, lasts longer than his "Beverly Hills, 90210" run as Steve's druggie friend.  On the other, he's stuck with Brooke Langton's Samantha, who IMO was the pivot point away from peak "Melrose Place".

Edited April 11, 2023 by TeeVee329

[jsbt]

In fairness, DG's (dumb) arc also wrote Brooke Langton out of the show, which helped them clear the decks of several characters at the conclusion of the show's worst season and led to a decent resurgence in quality for Season 7 which def should not have been cancelled IMHO.

[methodwriter85]

On 3/13/2023 at 12:02 AM, jsbt said:

Per his local town paper, Forbes March (Nash Brennan) has been busted for grand larceny for... stealing cooking oil. It says a lot about my memories of FM's extremely extra ass and his on and offscreen behavior that I took one look at the news headlines involved and was like 'yeah, checks out.'

Did not know anything about that. I always wondered why it seemed like Forbes March wasn't able to get another role and that explains it. 

[TeeVee329]

Nathan Fillion (Joey Buchanan) has a small role in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", not so surprising since Fillion starred in director James Gunn's first big feature "Slither" and also appeared in Gunn's "The Suicide Squad".

[Guest]

2 hours ago, TeeVee329 said:

Nathan Fillion (Joey Buchanan) has a small role in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", not so surprising since Fillion starred in director James Gunn's first big feature "Slither" and also appeared in Gunn's "The Suicide Squad".

I believe he was also in one of James Gunn's "PG Porn" shorts 😆

[TeeVee329]

So this from Instagram tells me there's going to be some fun Scott Evans (Oliver Fish) press surrounding July's release of "Barbie":

Edited May 24, 2023 by TeeVee329

[TeeVee329]

Speaking of Scott Evans and Barbie, his Ken is backing up Margot Robbie (who, not for nothing, also started her career on a soap, "Neighbours") in the big Barbie/Ken dance number in the new trailer.

And then the Kens line up and make it clap!

Edited May 26, 2023 by TeeVee329

[TeeVee329]

In non-Scott Evans news, Laura Harrier (nuDestiny Evans) is in the "White Men Can't Jump" remake on Hulu.  She's the Rosie Perez analog in the film.  It's a pretty flat remake and Harrier doesn't get much to do, but she does kinda also get blown off the screen by the other female lead, Teyana Taylor from "A Thousand and One".

[jsbt]

Storied soap vet Billy Warlock (who briefly played Ross Rayburn on OLTL) just did a great, candid podcast interview with SOD. In it he discusses what he describes as his very weird OLTL stint - getting called by Michael Bruno, connected to Frank Valentini, hired and brought on-set all in the same day to play Ross and do 45(!!) pages of material. He was stunned to discover he was replacing Michael Lowry - Billy Warlock is a shorter fellow and "Michael Lowry is six foot two!"

[TeeVee329]

Agreed, great interview, thanks for sharing @jsbt!  That he immediately and correctly clocked that this was a mismatch character-wise and that the fans were going to hate it and Frank being like, "Whatever, it's fine" is pretty classic.

I can't remember, do we know why Lowry couldn't or didn't want to do the return stint?  It sounds like it fell apart at the last minute if they had to rush Warlock in in one day.  But we also know 2010 was a mess BTS at the show.

Edited May 28, 2023 by TeeVee329

[jsbt]

I don't think we know anything about that. I assumed he had another commitment.

[TeeVee329]

Thanks @jsbt.

I mean, why they even brought Ross back at that point was beyond me.  They clearly knew they'd screwed up with the "He destroyed a kayak!" evil-ization of Ross the first time he left the canvas so much that they had to bring him back for a redemptive exit three months later.  But then they decided to throw him under the bus again for two weeks only to be killed by Eli?

But all that matter to Ron and co. then was the crystallization of VicTodd, Tea, and Dani as a family unit, capped off with that embarrassing "Celebrate our grand love" party where Dani sang to them.  Oh those were bad times.

[jsbt]

3 hours ago, TeeVee329 said:

But all that matter to Ron and co. then was the crystallization of VicTodd, Tea, and Dani as a family unit, capped off with that embarrassing "Celebrate our grand love" party where Dani sang to them.  Oh those were bad times.

I still can't believe that whole party aired, right on the heels of the whole thing where Victor acted repulsively and then ended up in a coma as everyone cried over him again, the second time in like a calendar year IIRC. That was some crazy shit lol.

Edited May 31, 2023 by jsbt

[TeeVee329]

I guess Nora's case load is too full as a lawyer from a different Pennsylvania soap town is heading to Port Charles:

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/exclusive-walt-willey-to-gh/

[Melgaypet]

Maybe Bo and Nora have retired and gone on a several month long 'round the world trip for their second (third?) honeymoon!

[TeeVee329]

Let the Scott Evans (Oliver Fish) "Barbie" promotional tour begin!  Here he is on the cover of Attitude Magazine: 

OLTL does get name-checked in the article...

Quote

From playing an openly gay policeman in US soap One Life to Live, which at the time in 2009 caused a great deal of controversy, to a recurring character opposite legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in hit Netflix series Grace and Frankie, Scott — younger brother to Captain America (aka ‘Chris’ to him) — is ready to make his next big-screen appearance as a ‘Ken’ in the highly anticipated movie, Barbie. 

I kinda wish they had they had interrogated that more, brought up how badly the show buckled.

[Melgaypet]

His face is very, very handsome. (Is his expression supposed to be thoughtful? Sleepy? Mildly amused? Maybe it's just Magazine Cover Face.) Otherwise, the poor man looks RIDIC. I don't blame him, no one can pull off...whatever the heinous-fashion-hell that outfit is.

[TeeVee329]

Given the "Barbie" of it all, I'm expecting a lot of capital F Fashion from the players during the press tour lol.

[jsbt]

Ty Simpkins, the very first(?) Jack Manning on OLTL who has gone on to a long career as both kid and adult in both Marvel movies (Iron Man 3) and arthouse films (The Whale), is reprising his earlier role in the original two for the latest Insidious film. (I'd say he could play Jack again today but he has too strong a career for that, and good for him.)

In other news, Patrick Wilson still has it.

 

[methodwriter85]

I totally did not remember Ty Simpkins playing Jack. He's done pretty well for himself- I caught him having a small part as a bible thumper in The Whale.

Edited July 3, 2023 by methodwriter85

[Melgaypet]

This made me wonder about other Jacks of the Past. Did you guys know that Christian Ashdale, known to us as the Most Adorable Toddler Ever, is now an artist and a sculptor? He apparently assisted with the new WWI memorial due to be finished next year.

Christian Ashdale

[jsbt]

On 7/3/2023 at 9:43 AM, Melgaypet said:

This made me wonder about other Jacks of the Past. Did you guys know that Christian Ashdale, known to us as the Most Adorable Toddler Ever, is now an artist and a sculptor? He apparently assisted with the new WWI memorial due to be finished next year.

Christian Ashdale

Oh wow. I never thought I'd see him again after he unexpectedly turned up in that Peter Jackson movie. We're all getting so fucking old.

On 7/2/2023 at 11:07 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I totally did not remember Ty Simpkins playing Jack. 

In fairness, he was a literal infant. I think he was the very first, during the dead baby lie story in 2001 til sometime in '03.

[methodwriter85]

On 7/3/2023 at 12:43 PM, Melgaypet said:

This made me wonder about other Jacks of the Past. Did you guys know that Christian Ashdale, known to us as the Most Adorable Toddler Ever, is now an artist and a sculptor? He apparently assisted with the new WWI memorial due to be finished next year.

Christian Ashdale

He and Ty Simpkins look like they could be brothers. LOL

[TeeVee329]

More Scott Evans (Oliver Fish) "Barbie" press: 

https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/barbie-scott-evans

I appreciated that this article actually talked about him - as a gigging actor, how he felt getting to work with Greta freakin' Gerwig, etc. - before it got all "Cap's brother!" about it.  And again a passing mention of his time on OLTL.

Edited July 6, 2023 by TeeVee329

[TeeVee329]

On Sundays, Scott Evans (Oliver Fish) wears pink to the "Barbie" premiere in LA:

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by TeeVee329

[Melgaypet]

That's much better! I hated the pink in the pic you posted from the Out article, but I didn't say anything because I'd already made fun of his bleach-accident look in a previous picture. I didn't want to be the person who just complained about his look and then I got mildly paranoid that I was harboring some subconscious "men shouldn't wear pink" nonsense. But I wasn't, it was just a bad shade of pink for him! He looks great in these new pics.

[CanaryFan98]

 

[jsbt]

Dammit. Andrea Evans has died of cancer.

[jsbt]

My first Tinas were the '90s Tinas, and I am still very partial to Karen Witter. But Witter's Tina is ultimately built on a fusion of the changing times and Andrea's own work - she perfectly synthesized the era to the kind of quirky tics and breathy neuroses Andrea created first.

When I first saw Andrea Evans as Tina I didn't really understand that or appreciate it. I just knew this Tina was incredibly squeaky and mannered and it drove me up the wall for a time. Later, I understood it. Because Andrea Evans offscreen was not Tina Lord - you look at any interview with her, and from voice to presence they were very different people. She transformed when the camera was on in a way few still do; it was a whole performance, full body and spirit. Yet there was a core underneath, it wasn't all artifice or screwball energy. She had humanity and depth. You can see the same in her Y&R work, which I saw during the pandemic - another whole different person.

There is something very sad yet appropriate to Tina that Andrea's last stint on the show had her wearing a gorgeous, flowing blond wig to hide the effects of her illness. I will always remember her smiling at Roger Howarth's Todd and booping his nose, almost certainly unscripted. She always made it look so easy.

Edited July 10, 2023 by jsbt

[Melgaypet]

This is heartbreaking.

"Am I too late?" Possibly the most iconic Andrea Evans' Tina moment (and there were many):

 

[TeeVee329]

Incredibly sad, my first thought when I saw the articles was that she was so young, only 66.

I wasn't watching during any of the Tinas' heydays so I mostly knew the character from Evans' 2011 run and various YouTube clips.  It always struck me that Evans, like an Ilene Kristen, could play big and broad, but could also devastate you if the moment called for it.

Edited July 10, 2023 by TeeVee329

[boes]

This is so sad.  She was so good as Tina for so long.  Gone far too soon.

[Grinaldi]

This is so sad. I remain grateful we were able to get her back toward the end of the run once they had a new studio.

For those that may not know she left the show in the 80s because her longtime stalker attacked her in the lobby of the studio. The trauma of returning to the scene kept her from the show. Once the show moved she was able to come back. Loved all her shenanigans with doggy David Vickers.

She was one of a kind performer. And will always be the one true Tina.

[Grinaldi]

"Am I too late?" Is a top ten moment in all of soaps. I think Karen on the stand is the only OLTL moment that tops it.

[jsbt]

Erika speaks.

Quote

I am absolutely shocked and devastated by this news and I send love and deepest sympathies to Steve and Kylie - they were her whole life. Andrea and I worked together for so long - on her first day at work, she was living 1 block away from me and I walked her to work. She was just a child - never been to NYC - so sweet and kind and loving - amazing that she played such a complicated, confused and selfish character so well. When she and Steve got married and then got Kylie, it seemed her life was finally complete. She was so happy. So very very sad.

Oh, these are getting difficult. John Loprieno:

Quote

Working with Andrea Evans was one of the highlights of my acting career. From the day that she first welcomed me to the set of One Life to Live, through the final reunion episodes that we shot when the show was ending, Andrea continued to be a generous, blissfully comedic and insightful scene partner. I reference Andrea many times in my classes and often talk about our times on the set.

[...]

I think my finest memory of performing with Andrea was not standing in our bathing suits in the Iguazu Falls in Brazil but working on the Banner newspaper office set on rolling chairs in a playfully choreographed love scene that was directed by legend David Pressman. It was one of my earliest appearances on the show. The magic in the room was palpable, and it offered promises of the great fun that was to be created and enjoyed in the years that followed. We will all miss Andrea and her mischievous looks toward [the] camera at the end of the scene.

Edited July 11, 2023 by jsbt

[jsbt]

Ron Carlivati:

I am absolutely heartbroken to learn of the untimely passing of Andrea Evans who played the iconic Tina Lord Roberts on One Life to Live and is one of the reasons I fell in love with soap operas in the first place. Andrea brought such a sense of guilelessness and fun to a selfish and scheming character and made you fall in love with her. After watching her as a fan for many years, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to write for her and it was one of the most satisfying experiences of my professional career. I will treasure the memories of Tina trying to misappropriate the Crown Jewels of Mendorra with her beloved dog David Vickers under her arm. She survived a trip over the Iguazu Falls and made her way back to Llanview to crash Cord’s wedding to Kate Sanders with a stolen baby in her arms, and that’s how I will always remember both the character and the actress: resilient and resourceful, but also so warm and kind. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. Rest in peace, dear Andrea. #RIPAndreaEvans #onelifetolive #oltl #soap #soaps #soapopera #soapoperas

 

[buffynut]

I feel like I only log into this site now when an actor or celebrity dies.  I think the last times were John Aniston and Barbara Walters.  Both were much older, though, than Andrea Evans. 

I don't remember a lot about her time as Tina, as I didn't watch OLTL as regularly as some of the other soaps, but I absolutely recognized her name when I saw it trending on Yahoo News, and was saddened to see why.  Another actor around my age gone.  ☹️  

Edited July 11, 2023 by buffynut

[jsbt]

In somewhat lighter news, Nathan Fillion (Joey) is playing Green Lantern Guy Gardner in James Gunn's upcoming/umpteenth Superman reboot.

 

[TeeVee329]

I can see Fillion as Guy (although I'm leery they're already racing to set up a universe instead of just telling a good Superman story, but that's OT).

Some additional sunshine through the rain just for me: 

[TeeVee329]

Meghann Fahy (Crazy Hannah) got nominated for a supporting actress Emmy today for her work on "The White Lotus".

Edited July 13, 2023 by TeeVee329

[TeeVee329]

JPL (Rex Balsom) is going back to "Days of our Lives".  I feel like I remember that not working out so well for him last time, but...sure?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/days-of-our-lives/john-paul-lavoisier-returns-to-days-of-our-lives-as-philip

[Panopticon]

Ugh, what a shame. So they’re going to acknowledge John Aniston’s death without Victor’s most famous kid (Bo) and with the bizarro recast version of Victor’s other kid (Philip). I don’t dislike JPL, but I felt like Philip was not exactly in his wheelhouse and he did nothing to convince me otherwise. 
 

Can I blame this on Ron Carlivati? These episodes would have been written by him pre-strike. 

[boes]

On 7/14/2023 at 1:25 PM, TeeVee329 said:

JPL (Rex Balsom) is going back to "Days of our Lives".  I feel like I remember that not working out so well for him last time, but...sure?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/days-of-our-lives/john-paul-lavoisier-returns-to-days-of-our-lives-as-philip

Ugh.  He was awful.  Every tic of his that he indulged in on OLTL, he doubled down on during his short stint on DOOL.

Full disclosure, I can't stand the man, eithe on OLTL or on DOOL, but at least we were spared seeing him paired up with Farah Fath on DOOL.  Some horrors shouldn't have to be lived through twice.

[TeeVee329]

Friends, I have been Barbenheimer-ed.

No spoilers (though given the huge box office, it's likely a bunch of you have already seen it lol), but it was super fun seeing Scott Evans (Oliver Fish) on the "Barbie" big screen as one of the Kens.

And given the large cast of White Men of a Certain Age, it's kinda surprising a Brian Kerwin or Tuc Watkins or John Brotherton didn't sneak into "Oppenheimer".

[Handywood38]

On 7/16/2023 at 1:07 AM, boes said:

Ugh.  He was awful.  Every tic of his that he indulged in on OLTL, he doubled down on during his short stint on DOOL.

Full disclosure, I can't stand the man, eithe on OLTL or on DOOL, but at least we were spared seeing him paired up with Farah Fath on DOOL.  Some horrors shouldn't have to be lived through twice.

Since he and Farah broke up 11 years ago, we'll probably never see it again. 

[boes]

4 hours ago, Handywood38 said:

Since he and Farah broke up 11 years ago, we'll probably never see it again. 

As long as she never turns up on Days again when he's there, sure.  Breaking up in real life doesn't carry over to fictional portrayals.

[Panopticon]

Apparently Kassie is back on Days too. I actually grew to love her portrayal of Eve (another bizarre recast but Kassie specializes in making bizarre recasts work). Still, I kind of hate that she’s coming back as part of an influx of “the ABC head writer will have his ABC stars.” Never mind the backdrop of the outrageous behind the scenes sexual harassment scandal there. Will probably dovetail nicely with whatever “funny” stuff Ron no doubt wrote about how Steve Burton’s character was the real victim when he had sex with teenage Eve as part of a bet and Eve attempted to kill herself in response. 

[jsbt]

In fairness, Kassie was hired at Days long before RC came to the show.

[Panopticon]

The first time, sure. But this time she’s popping up as part of a perceived package deal with JPL, Tamara Braun, and Steve Burton—all of whom have also been on the show previously, but are much better known for their ABC roles— so it has a certain vibe. Especially since I wouldn’t say any of these four has an independent Days fanbase. 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Panopticon