All My Children
AMC's Michael E. Knight talks Dixie's return, and the past, present & future of soaps!
Courtesy/ABC
All My Children’s Michael E. Knight (Tad Martin) gave a terrific interview to Smashing Interviews Magazine’s, Melissa Parker on his thoughts on the ending of AMC, the return of Cady McClain as Dixie to wrap up their story, and offered his thoughts on what went wrong and what could be done with the soap genre, and some missteps AMC had along the way. Here are a few excerpts:
Knight on the return of Cady McClain as Dixie: “ I was lucky and the positioning was such that Cady could come back and reprise the role of Dixie. I certainly love working with her. She’s been a dear friend for a long time and is a wonderful actress. They’re supposedly bringing her back from the dead (and we’re no stranger to that), but they’re bringing her back to have Tad and Dixie walk off in the proverbial sunset. I think that’s the way they’re looking at it. I always had such wonderful chemistry working with Cady. It will be nice to get a chance to do that. Other than that, I think they’re kind of struggling to give the audience some semblance of closure, bringing down the curtain as it were, but I think they’ll leave it open ended in case the show gets picked up somewhere else.”
Knight on how AMC had changed over the years where they used to give characters a longer development period : “In the old days, 20 years ago, there was a longer period of character development. They would bring characters along very slowly. As we went along there was less and less time for that. I noticed they would bring on major characters very quickly and characters that had only been on the canvas a short period of time would be handed major storylines very quickly. Sometimes the characters worked and sometimes they didn’t. The character would come on, work a lot, and then sort of disappear. Some of the fondest things I remember are some of the character actors I thought were so wonderful; first and foremost being Jill Larson who plays Opal. I have a glowing respect for her. I go back to people like Billy Clyde Tuggle, Phoebe, Myrtle, and Langley. There was sort of a more rounded ensemble. That was when the budgets were bigger and you had room for character actors. As things have become leaner and meaner over the years basically there has been a stripping away of characters that drive story.”
Alan Dysert, who played Sean Cudahy on ABC’s All My Children has died. He was 75-years-old. The news of his passing came from his wife Michele who shared via a Facebook post that Dysert died back on October 23.
“My heart is broken as I share that my beloved husband, Alan, passed away on October 23, 2026. While I am struggling to imagine life without him, I am forever grateful to have experienced what so many people spend their lives searching for — the love of a lifetime,” Michele expressed.
While a cause of death was not made public at this time, Michele admitted that Alan, “faced more than his share of health challenges over the years, yet he continued to approach life with determination, humor, and gratitude.”
Photo: ABC
Dysert wrote about his battle with a rare, aggressive and incurable cancer in his 2023 autobiography, Lights, Camera, Cancer! He spoke of having undergone four major cancer-related surgeries, and many rounds of chemotherapy and CT scans.
SEAN CUDAHY WAS ‘BAD GUY’ PERSONFIED
On All My Children, Dysert played Sean Cudahy, the con man villain to his brother, good guy, Tom Cudahy played by Richard Shoberg. Dysert played the role between 1980 and 1990 returning for multiple story arcs, which included being revealed to be the murderer of Sybil Thorne. He was also involved in several affairs including with the impressionable Devon McFadden (Tricia Pursley).
THE LIVES HE TOUCHED
Alan’s longtime agent Melinda Eisnagule told PEOPLE his death is a “loss to our community and to the acting community at large. He touched so many lives and made the industry and the world a better place every day with his positive energy and kindness.”
Dysert leaves behind his wife, Michele and his two sons Cody and Cooper and will be remembered by those who knew him for a career that spanned the theatre, film, TV and performance coaching, and of course being a part of the legacy of All My Children.
Share your remembrances and condolences on the passing of Alan Dysert, All My Children’s Sean Cudahy, via the comment section below.
All My Children
Mark Consuelos Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s 56th Birthday on ‘Live,’ But Remember When Wendy Williams Outed the Couple as Married Before Anyone at ‘All My Children’ Knew?
On the Friday, October 2 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the morning talk show marked the 56th birthday of Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley Vaughan Santos, All My Children).
During the opening segment, Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo Santos, All My Children) humorously comparing his wife to both Gandhi and Groucho Marx, reflecting on both her comedic ability and peaceful ways.
Later, they went on to discuss the origins of her name and the most popular picks to name babies back in the year she was born, 1970. They were Kimberly, Lisa, and Jennifer for girls and Michael, David, and James for the boys.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Ripa recalled that she learned she was almost named Kim. However, their neighbors at the time had two daughters Kelly and Kim, which is what her parents wanted to call them, but they settled on Kelly and and her younger sister, Linda.
At the conclusion of the episode, Mark rolled out a huge cake for his wife. It was, “Happy birthday from all of us here at Live and at home.” Next, he cut the cake, and Ripa grabbed his face and gave him a “thank you” kiss.
Photo: JPI
KELLY AND MARK TRIED TO KEEP THEIR VEGAS WEDDING ON THE DOWN LOW
All of this brings back memories of how Kelly and Mark’s Las Vegas wedding ceremony went public in 1996 while the two were still on All My Children playing Mateo Santos and Hayley Vaughan. In essence, they were outed by then radio host Wendy Williams! They discussed it on the talk show back in 2024.
In fact, the duo hid their marriage from their All My Children castmates for months, until they found out Williams got wind of the nuptials and spread the intel on the airwaves.
The two recalled their secret wedding on a 2024 episode of Live! “We’d eloped. It’d been a few months at that point. We’d been married for three months, nobody at All My Children knew we were even dating, much less married to each other. We’re brushing our teeth and we’ve got Wendy Williams’ radio show on. We’re listening, and she’s like, ‘I’ve got celebrity dish!”
EYEWITNESS
Next Ripa continued, “The celebrities,’ I guess they had a broad use of the term back then, was the fact that ‘two soap stars from All My Children, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos eloped in Las Vegas.’ There was this eyewitness that worked in the Clark County courthouse that said we eloped, and the news broke, and we had to tell everybody we were married.”
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for times in your area.
Share your birthday wishes for Kelly in the comment section, and let us know your thoughts on how Wendy Williams broadcast the news, unbeknownst to the All My Children newlyweds, that they tied the knot in Vegas? Check out Mark and the ‘Live’ studio audience singing ‘happy birthday’ to Kelly in the post below.
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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.
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Mr. Knight got it right, Pine Valley was a place of great character with great characters, it hasn’t been that place for quite a long time.
can’t wait for tad and dixie to finally reunite
Michael,
I just wanted to say that i have loved your character Tad on AMC since you were just a cad! I hope you will continue with AMC when it goes to PP.
Can not wait for the tad & dixie reunion 🙂
I have come to love many characters and find it unfornuate that abc has used financial bogus to say that they are unable to run these shows. I think it has to do a lot with upper management. But thanks for writing and sharing this article. Your by far one of the greatest humorours characters. Your one of my fams favorites 🙂
I hope now that the show will continue online that both Michael and Cady continue on- such great chemistry!
Much Love to Michael and Cady!!!
I can’t wait Dixie in Reunion. I love AMC…. I love couple Dixie and Tad…..
Ever since you joined AMC I hated when you left and when you came back.. OMG true bliss. You are second only to Susan Lucci on AMC. Loved Tad the Cad. While not so much the Cad these days, the sense of humor is what we need to escape this world. I am not in the best job position of my career, but I will do what it takes to still watch “All My Children”. It is my legacy, not pop culture.
Clearly this interview was done prior to Prospect Park picking up All My Children. Michael was gracious as always. I hope with all my heart he will continue in the role of Tad Martin when AMC moves to Prospect Park. I can’t imagine Pine Valley without him.
Hi Michael,
I have been watching AMC for almost 9 years now and you were the person that got me clued to that TV the moment I turned it on!! You are not only cute (don’t tell my husband) but you are the funniest character on AMC!! I am so happy that AMC has been saved and is going to PP and I truly hope that you will continue as Tad! It just wouldn’t be the same without you 🙂
I meant glued not clued! LOL Oops 🙂
GREAT to see Michael talk so openly! Especially about his hope for someone to pick it up!! I have got to say, the last few days between Jr and Tad going at it with their lines and banter and the whole thing at Oak Haven, I havent laughed so hard in a LONG TIME!!!! THIS is what AMC has needed for a LONG time. Character interaction!!! Great writing again!!!!
I’ve been watching All My Children since the show began. I remember when Ruth found Tad. Oh, the storylines that have developed over the years!! Tad & Dixie, a great love story….right up there with Luke & Laura! Thanks for all your great work. I hope to see more of AMC through Prescott Park…..and hopefully, on TV!
I’ve always had affection for Tad. The storyline that ended with Greg in a wheelchair was wrenching, with Tad anguished over his role in causing hurt to his sister Jenny. And that quirky sense of humor! Hard to believe that kid is now one of the few links to Pine Valley’s past. But here you are… I fervently hope you help usher AMC into this new era ,with a chance to bring our favorite American town back to its character rich splendor!
Tad the Cad is one fun person, even when he was a jerk! I hope he remains when they go to the online version. I would love to see them bring in Billy Clyde Tuggle again! Verla Grubbs with Opal too bad Myrtle is not there along with Phoebe.
We want to add more and more memories to our AMC “albums” that reside in our hearts. These soaps have gotten so many of us thru hard times in our own lives.
Keep the faith soap fans, MEK and all our actors and actresses!
I have loved you, Michael, since you first began your character Tad on AMC. I cried with you when you had such a despicable father, and laughed with you when you were with Liza and her mother, Marion Colby, at the same time. You were a great detective for your friends whenever one was needed – you always solved the case most efficiently I might add. I think the best times were when you were the great lover with oh so many Pine Valley Gals – especially Dixie – who is the love of your life. I hope you and Dixie will be able to stay in Pine Valley as the soap continues by Prospect Park on the Internet. However the situation turns out, I wish you Good Luck in the future but will miss you greatly if your character does not continue. Thanks for all the good times we’ve had together in the past – and I’m looking forward to all the good times still ahead!!! A Devoted Fan, Shirley Miller
It is my sincerest hope, that PP works out the best possible deal for the actors – even if that means flexibility to pursue other projects. I’d rather share MEK than lose him. 🙂
Please stay on AMC it goes online,you are a very important part of pine valley!!
I am going to miss All My Children. I will not watch ABC daytime television anymore. I am sick and tired of reality television. I am going to cable stations more and more. That is where I can find more dramatic shows, and interesting movies. The networks are getting more and more unwatchable. I hope AMC will get picked up somewhere else.
Thanks for being Tad the cad, Ted and now Tad the man! If you don’t stick with AMC & go to PP with the show, I will be VERY disappointed. Love your sense of humor … I’m sure it’s not all scripted! I have been a fan of the show since 1972 & a fan of yours since day one on the show.
I left a comment on the news feed posting about this interview. I hope he reads it.. He is a wonderful actor with comedic talent that is off the charts. I’ve been watching him since he first started on the show. He has only gotten better with age. Please read the other comment. My respect and love for him is properly expressed there. I will close with saying “Thank you for all your years of devotion and talent for a show I love and have been watching since 1976-1977”. Much love MEK!
I know it hasn’t been easy these past few years but believe me, MEK, we appreciate everything you do on the show. In my mind, you are AMC. It just won’t be the same if you leave. I really hope that tbtb offer you a fair deal and you decide to take it.
Either way, thank you for the countless hours of great television. Much love and respect.
Liz Arnold
I hope to see the legacy of Tad and Dixie’s love affair continue onto Prospect Park with thew same actors. Tad & Dixie forever!
I’ve been watching AMC for over 40 years! I consider this a kind of entertainment “guilty pleasure”. My children watched with me and my daughter (and her husband) became loyal fans. Tad and Dixie are two of our favorite characters with “fun” and entertaining storylines throughout. We were shocked to hear that ABC and Disney decided to “axe” this show–after forty+ years!! Apparently, longevity means NOTHING! More talk shows and reality shows–boring. I will not be watching daytime television after we say good-bye to our Pine Valley “family”.