All My Children
EXCLUSIVE: Daytime Emmy Silver Circle Inductee, Judy Blye Wilson, Reflects on Casting Josh Duhamel, Cameron Mathison and Billy Miller
Casting director extraordinaire, Judy Blye Wilson (All My Children, One Life to Live, Ryan’s Hope, and The Young and the Restless) is one of the 2025 Silver Circle Inductees. Judy will be honored along with Gold Circle honoree, Jane Elliot (Tracy, General Hospital) and other Silver Circle recipients including, Days of our Lives James Reynolds (Abe Carver) and The Young and the Restless Kate Linder (Esther Valentine) during Friday night’s 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
As outlined by NATAS (the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences), “The Gold and Silver Circle recognizes individuals who have made enduring contributions to daytime television. Each year’s inductees are celebrated for distinguished service, mentorship, leadership, and professional excellence over careers spanning 25 or 50 years. Judy’s inclusion among this year’s honorees reflects her lasting impact on the genre and the many actors whose careers she helped shape.”
Michael Fairman TV caught up with the multi-Emmy Award-winning casting director, to discuss receiving this latest accolade in her distinguished career, and to get some insight on her memories of kicking off the acting careers of the likes of: Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall -1, AMC), Alicia Minshew (ex-Kendall-2, AMC), Melissa Claire Egan (ex-Annie, AMC), and of course, the leading men which included: Cameron Mathison (ex-Ryan, AMC, now Drew, GH), Josh Duhamel (ex-Leo, AMC), Michael B. Jordan (ex-Reggie-2, AMC) and the late Chadwick Boseman (ex-Reggie -1, AMC) and Billy Miller (ex-Richie, AMC, Billy, Y&R, Drew, GH) to name but a few.
Photo: AP
“It’s overwhelmingly, impressively wonderful. I am truly thrilled and very grateful,” shared Judy. Reflecting on her journey, it’s clearly All My Children that remains the high point of her career, “I spent the longest time there, and terms of years, I just got lucky. Certain people walked through my door at certain times and it was cosmic in a way, because it was right for them and it was right for us. I definitely had the most success in terms of people that went on to do very well for themselves at that show,” recalls Wilson.
Photo: Courtesy/JBlyeWilson
Judy worked in the daytime casting arena from 1981 through 2016, when she retired. She had the distinction of packing up her office at Andrita Studios in Los Angeles on the final day of All My Children in 2011 and quickly setting up shop at her new digs at The Young and the Restless in short order, which is how in-demand, Wilson has been for decades.
Photo: JBlyeWilson
Now, Judy shares what she recalls when she first met and auditioned several of soap’s all-time leading men originating from Pine Valley, U.S.A.!
CAMERON MATHISON
“He was just in town (in New York City) from Canada. Cameron was thinking about taping a show in Canada that was an adventure-type show. When he came in and he tested, he got the role of Ryan, and that’s sort of how it happened. I kept him from doing his adventure show!” Wilson also remembers how green Mathison was at the start, “I knew that was going to be a stretch. I absolutely knew it. But, Cameron was smart then. He’s smart now too, but he had a lot to learn. They all do when they come in and learn about camera, and about angles and about lighting, stuff that you don’t even think about. I thought, ‘Well, the guy’s smart.’ So we gave it a run! I had all the faith in the world that he could pull it out, and he did.”
Photo: ABC
JOSH DUHAMEL
“Josh was working in the mailroom at a talent agency in Los Angeles, and we were trying to find this Leo du Pres character,” recalled Wilson. “I looked everywhere, like many searches that we all have to do. So, finally this guy from the agency says to me, “I have this really cute guy that I don’t even know if he can act or not, but he’s in the mailroom here working.’ Now, at this point I’m desperate. I’m saying, ‘Send him my way.’ Josh sent in a tape and I showed it to Jean Dadario-Burke, who was the producer of All My Children at the time. I said, ‘Listen! We got to get this guy here.’ Josh came and he just blew us all away. He has natural instincts and was so appealing. Josh is just an appealing person. We all fell in love with him, and you know that the rest is history.”
Photo: JPI
BILLY MILLER
“Billy was funny. He was naughty … the bad boy that everybody loves. He was sexy,” shared Judy. “I felt like he truly was mine, because I did cast him as Richie on All My Children before he had his major success as Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless. I was devastated when he passed. Billy was such a unique actor and a unique person. It was heartbreaking to lose him.”
CASTING ABOUT
While at Y&R, Judy Blye Wilson was also responsible for bringing the likes of Sally Kellerman (ex-Constance Bingham), Ray Wise (Ian Ward) and Ken Howard (George, the father to Avery and Phyllis) to the CBS soap during her tenure in Genoa City, Here, she opened up about what she thinks makes a good, lasting, revered, and successful casting director in the often unforgiving world of show business.
Photo: JBlyeWilson
“You have to like actors, and be interested in actors, and be interested in what they do, and what they’re trying to do. You have to give them the space and the freedom to do it, to audition. I did everything I could to make it a comfortable place for actors to do what they do and to hopefully do it best. It’s just that simple. If you understand the role, you understand what you’re looking for, and you allow the freedom for an actor to come in and do their best, and that’s what makes magic happen.”
The 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards can be be streamed live exclusively at watch.theemmys.tv and via The Emmys app on Friday night October 17th beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Now below, let us know what you think of some of Judy’s greatest finds, who have made an indelible and lasting impressions on the soaps, via the comment section below.
The only one worth a dam was Billy Miller god bless his soul one of the best
I was blown away by the number of heartwarming tributes Billy received from people in his industry and his fans. He was so well loved and a special person according to those who knew him. He is so missed.
I had never heard of her until I read this and now I understand that she deserves an award but why on earth is ESTHER getting the same award??
All My Children
‘All My Children’ Movie Writers for Lifetime Revealed: Ron Carlivati, Jamey Giddens and Leo Richardson
This week began and as reported with a spotlight article on Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and how their production entity, Milojo, has been teeing up the All My Children reboot with Lifetime.
The L.A. Times featured the married couple, co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark, and former All My Children cast members (where they met and fell in love) about their plans to bring two All My Children movies to Lifetime and how they are working with the Agnes Nixon estate to make it come to fruition,
On Wednesday, it was revealed by Daytime Confidential, that All My Children reboot producer, Andrew Stearn handpicked none other than Ron Carlivati (ex-head writer, One Life to Live, General Hospital and Days of our Lives) and Jamey Giddens (who is the new co-head writer of The Young and the Restless, following his tenures on the writing teams of Beyond the Gates and Days of Our Lives), as the two scribes who will bring the first of two of Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movies to the page.
Photo: IMDb
RON CARLIVATI AND JAMEY GIDDENS CONFIRM THEIR BOARDING THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE PROJECT
The second installment is said to be written by primetime writer Leo Richardson whose credits include: Star, Katy Keene and more recently the Penn Badgley (ex-Phillip Chancellor IV, The Young and the Restless) starring series, You.
Richardson also wrote for three years on the U.K.’s long-running soap, EastEnders. All My Children revival fans will recall Richardson’s name was attached as the writer for the first incarnation of the All My Children movies, entitled, Pine Valley.
Ron Carlivati took to X and confirmed he is indeed boarding the All My Children movie project. Carlivati shared, “So excited to share this news! Thanks to Andrew Stearn, Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos, Albert Bianchini and the Agnes Nixon estate for entrusting Jamey Giddens and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime! Stay tuned!”
Photo: Jeremy Smith/imageSPACE
Jamey Giddens confirmed DC’s announcement by taking to his account on X and expressing, “I’ve been booked and busy in 2026. Thanks to Andrew Stearn, the Agnes Nixon estate, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos for entrusting Ron Carlivati, and me with the first of two planned All My Children movies for Lifetime!”
Some fans seemed to question how Giddens could be writing for the first All My Children movie at Lifetime, when he is the new co-head writer at The Young and the Restless with Dan O’Connor. Jamey answered that head on via X and explained, “We turned in our All My Children script months ago. My sole focus as of this past Monday, is Genoa City, Wisconsin! #YR”
ERICA KANE, MARIA SANTOS AND HAYLEY AND MATEO SANTOS TO APPEAR IN THE ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIE REVIVAL?
In the planned stories, Susan Lucci’s Erica Kane and Eva LaRue’s Maria Santos will be two characters whose lives we will get to see for the first time since the series was canceled by ABC back in 2011 after 41 years on the air. As well, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos confirmed they will make brief appearances on-screen; one could assume as Hayley and Mateo Santos.
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos to the LA Times. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”
So, what do you think of Ron Carlivati and Jamey Giddens getting nod to write the All My Children movie #1 script and Leo Richardson #2? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
All My Children
‘All My Children’ Revival Updates: Lifetime EVP Speaks on Why Proposed Movies are Great Fit, Mark Consuelos Wants To ‘Give Back’ to Fans
The All My Children revival via movies at Lifetime is still in the works from former series stars and marrieds, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, through their production company, Milojo.
The co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark were featured this week in a Los Angeles Times article which detailed their efforts to bring some of the citizens of Pine Valley back to your screens.
As previously reported, and reaffirmed by the L.A. Times, the All My Children movies will be set in the present day and focus on what beloved characters such as Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Maria Santos Gray (Eva LaRue) are doing now. In addition, Kelly Ripa confirmed that she and Mark Consuelos will also appear on screen briefly most likely appearing in their signature soap roles as Hayley and Mateo Santos.
Photo: ABC
ALL MY CHILDREN MOVIES BRING NOSTALGIA THAT CAN BE MADE TO FEEL NEW AGAIN
Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movie Network said of the All My Children reboot, “Lifetime is always interested in shows that kind of tap into a powerful nostalgia that can be made fresh for today’s audience. There’s a whole generation of women that have missed these stories and these characters.”
As for working with Kelly and Mark on the Lifetime movie versions of the soap, “They’re exactly the kind of partners you want at a brand,” expressed Bryant. “They’re trusted voices because every day they’re talking to their audience, which, a lot of times, is our audience. They bring a real credibility and have an authentic point of view. You meet Kelly and Mark and kind of what you see is what you get, and I think they bring that same authenticity to their development standards.”
Albert Bianchini, executive producer for Milojo, says he knows All My Children is so wildly popular with the fans of daytime. That was punctuated when seeing it in person, and how the energy was off the charts back in January of 2025 when Kelly participated along with Susan Lucci, former head writer, Lorraine Broderick and casting director, Judy Blye Wilson in a conversation with Andy Cohen at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.
© Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM Credit: AFF/Alamy Live News
“I’ve never seen a crowd like that in my life. People were lined up around the block, recalled the Bianchini. “Everyone wanted to know, ‘When is (All My Children) coming back? We want more.’ We got to see that in real life and Kelly got to feel it in real life, and it made so much sense. I just know that the minute it gets out in the world, people will want more and more and more. There’s just a love there.”
Kelly Ripa added that they are, “working closely with Bob and Sarah Nixon, who are also serving as producers.” She recalled, “She (Agnes Nixon) was so far ahead of her time. She covered topics that weren’t being covered. It was extraordinary the audiences that the show drew, and she served them real stories that were affecting Americans across the country but weren’t necessarily being represented anywhere.”
“It’d be wonderful to give the fans something that they’ve been yearning for so many years,” shared Mark Consuelos. “All My Children gave me my family. I met my wife there. It gave me my start in the business. It gave us so much. It would be a dream to be able to give back.”
THE CANCELLATION AND STOPS AND STARTS OF ALL MY CHILDREN REBOOTS
All My Children aired on ABC from 1970 to 2011. It got a second chance at life when Prospect Park resurrected the show and brought it to The OnLine Network and Hulu for one season in 2013.
Recently, the series made a return through the estate of Agnes Nixon and is streaming internationally on BEONDTV and through their partnership with PlutoTV Canada with episodes starting in 1995. Fans hope original episodes will some day soon be available in the U.S. as well, but that could prove more difficult since ABC owns the rights to the episodes stateside.
Now 13 years later, while there is no word yet on a definitive production start date to the two movies at Lifetime, all the people involved seemed determined to make it come to life.
So, what do you think of the executive vice-president of Lifetime and LMN being enthusiastic about Kelly and Mark’s All My Children movie revivals? Are you wanting to see this come to fruition? Kelly and Mark seem to have made this a very high priority. Do you hope that by 2027 we might be able to get this to the finish the line and into production? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Starting on May 1, All My Children fans in Canada will be able to see classic episodes of the beloved former ABC soap opera when they stream on Pluto TV Canada.
Pluto TV picked-up the All My Children Channel that the Nixon family has created in partnership with BEONDTV +. The show which aired for 41 years on ABC and ended on the network in 2011, had so many memorable storylines and characters; the least of which is the enduring run of Erica Kane played by soap icon, Susan Lucci.
As previously reported, starting with episodes from the year 1995, which was the 25th anniversary of the soap. Pluto TV Canada viewers will be able to catch 8 episodes on repeat per day. With the success of the venture, the Nixons are hopeful that they will bring viewers many more years of the show to come.
Photo: ABC
Sarah Nixon, producer, shared with Michael Fairman TV exclusively, “We are thrilled that Pluto TV has launched All My Children in Canada! Let’s hope the engagement from our incredibly loyal fans across the border will encourage ABC to bring it to the U.S.! We share what Aggie (Agnes Nixon) always felt, that it is the enthusiasm and love from the fans that has kept this legacy beloved and relevant – to this day!”
In addition, 0ne week ago, during Susan Lucci’s visit to Los Angeles promoting her book La Lucci, she was joined by her former Pine Valley castmates, Rebecca Budig (ex-Greenlee, AMC, now Taylor, B&B) and Eva LaRue (ex-Maria, AMC) and the trio posed for a pic. At that time, LaRue shared via Instagram, “NEW All My Children channel streaming classic episodes 24/7 now on Pluto TV Canada! Fingers crossed to watch soon on Pluto US.”
That was also confirmed this week by TV Watercooler’s Jeevan Brar who took to X and expressed, “The All My Children channel begins streaming this Friday, May 1 on Pluto TV Canada.
So, Canadian viewers, excited about Pluto TV’s All My Children channel? United States fans, hopeful from Sarah’s message that perhaps soon, we can see the beloved soap once again as well? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
View this post on Instagram
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Kelly Sullivan Debuts as Dylan’s Mom; Suspicion is Raised About Carter and Steffy
‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)
‘Guiding Light’s’ Grant Aleksander Shares Heartfelt Remembrance of TV Daughter, Hayden Panettiere On What Would Have Been Her 37th Birthday
Sydney Malekeh Joins the Cast of ‘Days of Our Lives’ in Mystery Role: Who Do You Think She’s Playing?
‘General Hospital’s’ Maurice Benard Talks: New ‘Sonny’ Storyline, His Contract, and Three Characters He Would Want to See Back in Port Charles
How John Oliver’s ‘Days of Our Lives’ Guest Star Turn as ‘Devlin St. John’ Came to an End
John Oliver Recaps His ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘General Hospital’ Soap Opera Experience on ‘Last Week Tonight’
‘Veronica & Julian’ Feature Starring ‘Days of Our Lives’ Alums Nadia Bjorlin and Kyler Pettis Releases Key Art and More (Exclusive)
‘General Hospital’ Alum Bryan Craig Cast in ‘The Weapon’
‘Guiding Light’s’ Grant Aleksander Shares Heartfelt Remembrance of TV Daughter, Hayden Panettiere On What Would Have Been Her 37th Birthday
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ric’s History of Jealousy Where Elizabeth is Concerned Has Come Back Around
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy and Carter Get Lame Excuses From Their Spouses, and Try to Shake Off Their Night Together
‘Veronica & Julian’ Feature Starring ‘Days of Our Lives’ Alums Nadia Bjorlin and Kyler Pettis Releases Key Art and More (Exclusive)
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Maurice Benard Talks: New ‘Sonny’ Storyline, His Contract, and Three Characters He Would Want to See Back in Port Charles
-
Days Of Our Lives1 week agoHow John Oliver’s ‘Days of Our Lives’ Guest Star Turn as ‘Devlin St. John’ Came to an End
-
Breaking News6 days agoJohn Oliver Recaps His ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘General Hospital’ Soap Opera Experience on ‘Last Week Tonight’
-
Days Of Our Lives5 days ago‘Veronica & Julian’ Feature Starring ‘Days of Our Lives’ Alums Nadia Bjorlin and Kyler Pettis Releases Key Art and More (Exclusive)
-
General Hospital4 days ago‘General Hospital’ Alum Bryan Craig Cast in ‘The Weapon’
-
Breaking News7 days agoHayden Panettiere, ‘Guiding Light’ and ‘Nashville’ Alum, Dead at 36
-
Recaps1 week agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Sharon, Nick and Marie Struggle in Aftermath of a Relapse; Jade Harlow Shares She’s ‘Really Proud’ and ‘Grateful’ to ‘Show How Addiction Can Touch Anyone’ (Exclusive)
-
News1 week agoB&B’s Don Diamont Recalls His Soap Start on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and Confrontation with Exec Prod Al Rabin (Exclusive ‘Soapy’ Preview)
