If I were a long time cast member on a soap opera I think I would want to pull my hair out when soaps are called 'training grounds'. Yes many actors who go on to movies and night time television began on Soaps, but many actors remain. I really don't think David Canary and others require any further training.
I have never watched more than a few seconds of 'As The World Turns' except when I flick by it with the remote. At the same time, the shows cancellation and Julianne Moore's return to the soap this week are significant to me. I have talked before how I used to spend my afternoons after school doing homework in the living room while my mother watched her soaps. (Her favorite was Another World). I think many kids who had stay at home moms have similar memories. I would suspect most soap watchers began with a parent.
I find it sad that many of these shows are going off the air. Yes, television is changing, but whether you like soaps or not they are scripted dramas which hire hundreds of actors, writers, directors and others. The fact these shows are being replaced by more reality type shows (I cannot stand the new trend of Dr Phil's, The Doctors and other reality shows pretending to be talk shows) is sad to me. So many of these shows have decades of history. It is too bad that CBS did not keep both ATWT and Guiding Light and alternate them on the schedule, keeping the history yet cutting down the costs of producing two shows to one. The shows are still making money, that is not the question. They are simply not making enough money for the networks.
So many actors play down their days on soaps or don't discuss them at all. Julianne Moore is not one of them. She always happily discusses her time on the show and the hard work that it was. Julianne is one of the best actress's working today. (Even with Streep and Kidman it was Moore who tore at my heart in 'The Hours'). She excels at every role she takes. Kudos Julianne for returning to the show that began your career. Maybe Demi Moore who hasn't had a decent role in years should take your lead....
Below: Steven Weber and Julianne Moore.
