My List of Favorite Daytime Performers

My List of Favorite Daytime Character Actresses

Sometimes focused on in major storylines, these actors cannot be considered the Lucci's, Slezak's, Wyndham's, Flannery's or Cooper's of soaps. Usually, being a character performer gives you better and funnier lines and more of a chance to really explore what your characters idiocincricies will be. So, here goes, with a brief explanation of why they are where they are. I hope to hit at least 25! Here's the top 10.

1: Lois Kibbee ("The Edge of Night"-Emmy Nominee; "Somerset"-Didn't see her on that-"One Life to Live"). If she had been around on the big screen in the 30's and 40's, she would have been a rival of Edna May Oliver with her grand manner and comical way of advising the young folk. "My dear, in my day, some of the things we did could curl your hair!", she told granddaughter Marcia Cross on "OLTL". She had the highest "Q" rating on "EON" because her character always interacted with the young folks like she was one of them, even if her character had started off as a domineering political matriarch. And when she faced tragedy, Kibbee could break your heart, such as loosing son Charles on "OLTL" and especially finding out she killed Logan on "EON".

2: Ilene Kristen ("Ryan's Hope"---beginning to end; "One Life to Live"-Emmy Nominee; "Loving" & "Another World") The "Queen of the Malapropism", Roxie could have you crying with laughter. W.C. Fields could add her to his list of someone never to act opposite because they'd steal the attention away from him.
(Roxy would probably steal his flask, too.) Her "Baby Doll"-like Delia remains one of daytime's best troublemakers, yet quite identifiable.

3: Elizabeth Lawrence (Many soaps, seen by me on "All My Children"-Emmy Nominee; "Guiding Light") Anybody who can stand up to Palmer Cortlandt and live to tell about it (other than Adam Chandler) is a worthy foe, and Lawrence, as Myra on "AMC", was tough, funny, and lovable. Her performance as a recovering stroke victim on "GL" (where she ends up besting Alexandra Spaulding) was a worthy follow-up. An actress with almost 10 soaps to her credit (dating back to the mid 50's), she found a lot of film work late in life, most notably a touching Rebecca Nurse in "The Crucible".

4: Constance Ford ("Another World", as well as brief roles on "SFT", "EON") After being memorably mean to Sandra Dee in "A Summer Place" and duking it out with Jeanne Cooper in "House of Women", Ford turned into one of the most memorable mothers on "AW". Future truth-telling down to earth mothers of vixens like Mona on "AMC" and Liz on "Y&R" could look up to Ford's Ada in studying their characters. Hard to believe Ford was never Emmy Nominated, particularly for her heart-wrenching performance when dealing with stress while hiding murder suspect Catlin Ewing. Check out Ford's array of TV anthology work in addition to her movie roles and "AW" episodes.

5: Marilyn Chris ("One Life to Live", briefly "AMC") As the earthy Wanda Wolek, Chris was a scene-stealer of the highest rank, even opposite such pros as Anthony Ponzini, Erika Slezak, and Robin Strasser. She could even give it to Asa Buchannan as good as Elizabeth Lawrence did to Palmer.

6: Irene Dailey ("Another World"-Emmy Winner, "EON") Liz Matthews on "AW" became more human as Dailey's years on the show went along, and she injected her with a lot of humour and sutelties others might have overlooked. Put her in a scene with Constance Ford, and you've got an Ali/Frazier bout of ladies who have a lot of acting tricks up their sleeves.

7: Norma Connelly ("General Hospital"-Emmy Nominee) Described as an ex-hooker with a heart of gold who had done practically everything twice, Ruby made every person in Port Charles who came in contact with her fall in love with her humanity. You've got to have a heart of gold to put up with Bobbie and Luke for decades, and Connelly gave Ruby plenty. I longed for a cat fight between Ruby and Lucy's Aunt Charlene over lovable hospital administrator Dan Rooney, even though Ruby had basically just snuck Dan away from Jessie Brewer without her even giving it a second thought.

8: Darlene Conley ("The Bold and the Beautiful"-Emmy Nominee) Not a regular viewer of this show, I still was amused every time I saw her on the show, especially when going up against old pro Susan Flannery's Stephanie. I was already familar with Conley from character parts on "Y&R" (a vicious baby broker), "DOOL" (a kindly prison warden) and "GH" (Ruby's former hooker pal who worked at Kelly's for 2 years.)

9: Eileen Herlie ("All My Children"-Emmy Nominee) If her performances on "AMC" aren't enough to convince you of her talents, listen to the Broadway cast albums of "Take Me Along" and "All American". It's a tribute to Herlie's talents that Carol Burnett's "AMC" appearances involved her, making you wonder how the scene-stealing Herlie could have fit in on Burnett's variety show.

10: Janis Paige ("Santa Barbara", "General Hospital", "Capitol") On daytime for maybe a total of 3 years, Paige stole every scene she was in. Her Aunt Iona on "GH" was daytime's answer to "Auntie Mame" (a role Paige had previously played), and even if her Minx Lockridge was far too young to be Nicolas Coster's mother, Paige made her a lot of fun. And remember "Eight is Enough?" "V is for Vivian!"

RUNNERS UP:
11: Sally Gracie ("One Life to Live")-That voice! She would have been really believable as Beverlee McKinsey's gin-guzzling aunt. A key player in the Karen Wolek baby switch storyline.
12: Julianna McCarthy ("The Young and the Restless")-Another "voice" that unfortunately got sidelined by departures of the original actors and only used for infrequent guest appearances. Still, the original heart and soul of that show, and the one person that kept Jill grounded.
13: Sloane Shelton (Many soaps, most notably "ATWT" & "AW")-Really outstanding as scheming Shannon's pal on "ATWT" (they were the Lucy & Ethel of that show)and touching as Rachel's confidante on "AW" after Ada died. I first recall her as the adoption agency employee on "SFT" and have seen her many times on stage & in a few movies. Looks like a friendly neighbor you'd encounter regularly at the grocery store or at church.
14: Guilia Pagano (best known as Marsha Talbot on "ATWT", day player on "OLTL" & "AMC") As the obsessive Marsha who killed Douglas Cummings, she was so unique and obviously from the stage. Deserved an Emmy Nom. for that part. She brought a touching humanity to her performance of a homeless woman with a young daughter protecting Tina from Ursula Blackwell on "OLTL".
15: Lee Lawson (best known as Bea Reardon on "GL") Like Ada (for Rachel), Mona (for Erica) and Liz (for Jill), Bea was a solid truth teller when it came to the devious Nola. Her red hair & earthy face made me confuse her at times for "One Day at a Time's" Bonnie Franklin. Seemed ideal for Wanda Wolek after Marilyn Chris took a few years away from "OLTL".
16: Jill Larson (Ursula, "OLTL", Opal, "AMC") I also remember her as the nasty gossip columnist Judith Clayton on "ATWT", but first delighted in her psychotic portryal of Ursula. (Even that name rings of psychosis, the female Tod Slaughter!) Taking over the role of Opal seemed a natural if Dorothy Lyman wasn't being offered the part as they highly resembled each other. She turned Opal from trashy to a flamboyant yet good hearted pal that even Phoebe came to like!
17: Barbara Berjer (Leading roles on "ATWT" and "GL" before her long term as Bridgette on "AW") One of the most heartbreaking memories of "AW"'s run was the sudden "mercy killing" of Bridgette, and bringing "Scottie" back as a ghost from time to time showed that her legacy to the show was very important. And to do double duty by coming back to "GL" on a recurring basis while still on "AW" makes her very unique in daytime history!
18: Jo Henderson (the original Kate on "SFT" and sharp-tongued Wilma on "AMC") While her Wilma never got to deal with Janet from another Planet, she wasn't afraid to stand up to Palmer or Adam when defending daughter Natalie. Her Kate may not have been as glamorous as Maeve McGuire's, but she was earthy & lovable.
19: Maree Cheatham (leading roles on "Days" & "SFT", but definately a character performer as "GH's" Aunt Charlene) Remember Maree being shot through the ceiling by "Beetlejuice?" Or telling her commercial audience that "Nobody messes with my Pickles!" (Her dog in a flea collar ad.) As Lucy's Aunt Charlene, she tried to mess around with Aunt Ruby's man, Dan, yet brought on tears when Charlene had to be operated on. For a while, "GH" focused on her family (a niece and two sons), and she was also used nicely for a brief "Port Charles" visit.
20: Madeline Sherwood (many, many soaps) Yes, "Sistah Woman" and "Reverand Mother" was an occassional guest on daytime infrequently over the years (with a few regular stints), seen by me as a bag lady on "AMC" (while Brooke was searching for her mother), a madame on "GL" (named Diamond Lil, no less), a Billie Burke like society matron who frazzled Cecile on "AW", and the employment agency lady who interviews Janis Paige on "Capitol". Listen to the cast recording of "Do I Hear a Waltz?" for a bit of her on Broadway, particularly in the song, "What Do We Do? We Fly!"

Some Others:
Lesley Woods (soap career dates back to radio in the 30's, worked up until the 1990's on "The Bold & the Beautiful"; At least 10 TV soaps!) Was Hilary's mother on "AMC" who blackmailed ex-hubby Langley.
Lenka Peterson (two roles each on "SFT" and "AW", over half a dozen other soaps!)
Joan Copeland (a leading lady on "SFT", but memorable on "ATWT" and "OLTL" in a variety of character parts. Nora's mother on "OLTL".
Pauline Flanagan (Maeve's sister, Annie, on "Ryan's Hope", plus one of the many Sister Mary Joel's on the same soap.) Obviously from the stage!
Molly McGreevy (so memorable in her recurring role of Rae's eccentric friend Polly Longworth on "Ryan's Hope"; I wanted to see more of her. Real life wife of Earl Hindman, "RH's" Bob Reid.)