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Ellen Holly, Groundbreaking Actress of ‘One Life to Live’, Passes Away at 92

December 7, 2023

Photo: ABC

Ellen Holly, who portrayed Carla Gray on ABC’s One Life to Live, had died at the age of 92. Her death was confirmed by her cousin Grant Shipp via his Facebook page. The groundbreaking actress passed away on December 5th.

Holly appeared on One Life from October 1968 through December 1980, and from May 1983 through December 1985. In his post, Shipp related of Holly, “She was a pioneer in daytime television. Starring on One Life to live for 20 years. Playing Lawrence Fishburns mother on the show. She appeared in several movies, and performed on stage with the greatest black actors of her generation. Sidney Poitier, Harry Beafonte, Cicely Tyson, Robert Hooks, James Earl Jones to name a few. You had One Life to Live and it was amazing Life. You were simply one of the best. Now you know the secret. God rest your soul.”

Following several theatre roles, Holly came to One Life to Live and took on the role of Carla Benari. Secretly, she was born Clara Gray, and eventually went by the name of Carla Gray. Agnes Nixon, iconic creator of the soap opera, wanted to tell an important social issue of the times, when in story, Carla was passing herself as white, in order to get a job. This was also an issue Holly faced in real-life and shared publicly in an essay she wrote for the New York Times, “How Black Do You Have To Be?”

Photo: ABC

In story for the first five months, the audience thought Carla was white. However, in a landmark moment, Carla came face-to-face with her mother, Sadie (Lillian Hayman) who was a housekeeper. Her mother felt she betrayed her race. Carla was embroiled in an interracial relationship with a white doctor, Jim Craig (Nat Polen), who was her boss at the hospital. Caral also was involved with another resident Prince who was Black. After breaking it off with Jim, Carla came clean about her race.

Eventually, Holly would star opposite Daytime Emmy-winner, Al Freeman Jr., and the love story of Carla and Ed Hall, became a fan favorite in the soaps earlier years. The couple adopted a teenaged son, Joshua played by now motion picture star, Laurence Fishburne. When Ed and Carla’s relationship fell apart, she eventually remarried Dr. Jack Scott played by Arthur Burghardt.

Photo: ABC

Holly said in a 1979 interview with Ebony magazine, “There are enormous stretches in this country where they don’t know anything about Black people…Our viewers tend to regard us as neighbors. People at the supermarket, total strangers, will throw their arms around you and treat you as a neighbor…My mother on the show has been a domestic and is now head of the housekeeping staff at the hospital; my ex-husband on the show is a policeman, and Arthur [Burghardt] plays a brilliant heart surgeon…I think we’ve opened up our viewers’ heads a little bit more to the variety that exists in the Black race. And the more that happens, the slower somebody will be — when they’re confronted with any given Black person — to jump to conclusions about who and what that person is.”

After Holly departed the show in 1980, she later returned to Llanview in 1983, at that time, Carla was now an assistant district attorney. She also was reunited with Ed Hall. Ellen last played the role in 1985.

Share your remembrances for One Life to Live’s Ellen Holly via the comment section and make sure to check out Holly speaking on the importance of her early storyline with the Television Academy below.

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Marla Adams, The Young and the Restless’ Dina Mergeron, Dies at 85

April 26, 2024

Marla Adams, best known for portraying matriarch, Dina Abbott Mergeron on CBS’ The Young and the Restless for 37 years, died on April 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. The news came from Y&R’s Director of Media and Talent, Matt Kane.

Throughout her veteran soap opera career, Marla appeared had appeared on Secret Storm (in her other longest running soap role as Bell Clemens from 1988-1974), The Bold and the Beautiful (ex-Beth Logan), Days of our Lives (ex-Dr. Claire McIntyre), Generations (ex- Helen Mullin), General Hospital (ex-Mildred Deal) and Capitol (ex-Myrna Clegg).

However, it was her role as Y&R’s upper crust Dina, who abandoned her children and her marriage to John Abbott (the late Jerry Douglas) that was her most memorable role. Throughout the years, Dina would have several romantic reunions with John, but in 2017, the character returned to Genoa City to reunite with her estranged family. Dina was the on-screen mother to Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman).

Photo: JPI

As for Adams, she joined Y&R in 1982, but left the soap three years later her contract expired. She returned to Genoa City for stints in 1991, 1996 and 2008 before being asked by then Y&R head writer-producer Sally Sussman to return in 2017, which would begin the top-rated daytime drama telling the story of Alzheimer’s disease. Through Dina, the show shed light on a person going through the perils of the illness, and how the family copes and tries to come to terms with its fate.

In fact, Marla took home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 2021 for her work in the storyline, She had previously been nominated in 2018.

Photo:JPI

Speaking with Michael Fairman TV, Marla shared on her final scenes on Y&R when Dina passed away and was reunited with John Abbott, “It was heart-wrenching for me. In the story, Dina died when she went outside and to the front door of the Abbott home. They did not tell me before-hand, and that’s why it was so wonderful. I hope they came in for a closeup of that because I had no makeup on, it was beautiful, and then, Dina said, “Oh, John.” I’ve done everything from movies, to daytime, to nighttime, to Broadway, but that was the iconic moment for me, to do this gig with wonderful, wonderful actors and friends, and to do this particular storyline.

Born in Ocean City, New Jersey, on August 28, 1938, Adams’ love for the stage was ignited after winning the Miss Ocean City and Miss Cape May pageants and finishing as a runner-up in the Miss New Jersey pageant. She also fondly remembered being the Miss Diamond Jubilee Queen during the 1954 celebration of the 75th anniversary of Ocean City’s founding. A student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Adams appeared on Broadway in the 1958 production of The Visit at the Morosco Theatre with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and starred as June in the 1961 feature film, Splendor in the Grass

Over the span of her decades long career, Adams starred in more than 40 productions including television’s: The Golden Girls, Hart to Hart, The Love Boat, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Harry O, Adam-12, Starsky and Hutch, Marcus Welby, M.D., Barnaby Jones, and the feature film, Beneath the Leaves.

Photo: CBS

In a statement, Y&R’s current head writer and executive producer, Josh Griffith expressed, “On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to Marla’s family. We’re so grateful and in awe of Marla’s incredible performance as Dina Mergeron as both Marla and Dina made an unforgettable mark on Y&R.

Marla is survived by her daughter, Pam Oates, son, Gunnar Garat, grandchildren, Gefjon and Stone, and her great-grandson, Remi.

Photo: JPI

Michael Fairman TV sends our condolences to Adam’s family, friends and co-stars. Now below, share your remembrances of Marla Adams, and watch a few of our interview with Marla from the set of Y&R during the show’s 45th anniversary celebration and on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys below.

Breaking News

REPORT: Nicholas Chavez Not Returning to General Hospital

April 25, 2024

For those who were holding out hope that Daytime Emmy winner and fan favorite, Nicholas Chavez would be returning to General Hospital after filming his leading role in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters anthology, it looks like those hopes have been dashed.

According to a report from TV Line, although unconfirmed from General Hospital or a representative for Chavez, the actor will not reprise his role as Spencer Cassadine on the long-running ABC soap opera and continue the love story of Sprina opposite Tabyana Ali (Trina, GH).

Chavez was cast as Lyle Menendez over the the summer of 2023 for the second season of Murphy’s limited Monsters series on Netflix. In the upcoming season, the series will focus on the the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the two well-to-do Beverly Hills brothers accused of murdering their parents in 1989.

Photo: ABC

After word from Chavez casting was revealed, GH fans were concerned over the fate of the Sprina story, a spokesperson for GH shared, “We support Nicholas’ endeavors and look forward to having him return to General Hospital once this project is wrapped.”

In story, the series “killed off” Spencer when he went overboard with Esme to the steely waters below after being injected with a drug, thanks to Esme and falling into the Seine River in France. However, his body was never recovered, and believed to have drowned or washed away. Thus, leaving an opening for Spencer to return in the form of Chavez or be recast down the line.

Photo: ABC

TV Line shared that ‘multiple sources’ are confirming that Chavez is not returning to the ABC soap opera, which is what many had suspected might be the case once he left for this major starring role in a Ryan Murphy project. Chavez has been relatively quiet on social media for months.

Photo: ABC

The Michael Fairman Channel spoke with Nicholas Chavez for a virtual interview when he first joined the show in 2021, and spoke to him right after when he won the Daytime Emmy in 2022 – you can see those below.

No word yet on when Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story will debut on Netflix, but it is assumed later this year.

So, what do you think about the news of Nicholas Chavez not returning to his role as Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital? Comment below.

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‘Neighbours’ EP Jason Herbison on Series Daytime Emmy Nomination: “It’s a Huge Honour to be Nominated Alongside Such Iconic US Daytime Dramas”

April 24, 2024

When the 51st annual Daytime Emmy nominations were revealed last Friday, the iconic Australian soap opera, Neighbours, made the grade as one of the nominees for this year’s Outstanding Daytime Drama Series going up against U.S. titans such as General Hospital, The Young and the Restless et al.

That is because the revival of Neighbours, which is now seen in the United States streaming on Amazon Freevee, is now eligible under the rules from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

Not only did Neighbours receive its first Daytime Emmy nomination for Drama Series, but also for one of its legendary stars, Guy Pearce, who returned for a stint in the revival as Mike Young. Pearce is nominated for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series.

Photo: Freemantle

Throughout its run, Neighbours has received several nominations and wins in Australian and the UK, with this being its first nomination in the U.S.

Neighbours Executive Producer Jason Herbison shared on this momentous moment for the series: ‘Neighbours has been on an incredible journey these past few years and a Daytime Emmy Award nomination is the icing on the cake! It’s a huge honour to be nominated alongside such iconic US daytime dramas. This news is an exciting moment for our hard working cast and crew and a wonderful recognition of the new chapter of the show on Amazon Freevee.”

Photo: Freemantle

For those who need a bit of a refresher on the revival of Neighbours. The series streams exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the UK and U.S. and on Prime Video in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. New episodes air daily Monday-Thursday on Amazon. The new series launched on 18 September, 2023, and picks up two years after the finale left off. In Australia, Network 10 retains first-run rights in Australia for the new chapter of the series.

Photo: Freemantle/AmazonFreevee

The series is known as the longest running local drama of all time in Australia and has launched the careers of so many celebrities including: Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, the aforementioned Guy Pearce, and Liam and Chris Hemsworth, to name but a few.

Long running series star Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodbridge shared their many thanks on Neighbours Daytime Emmy nominations in a video message below.

So, what do you think of ‘Neighbours’ being nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards? Could they be the spoiler in the category? Weigh-in below.

Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne would like to share a special message regarding our incredible #Neighbours Daytime Emmy Award nominations 💛 @DaytimeEmmys pic.twitter.com/wWWo5PxmfD

— Neighbours (@neighbours) April 23, 2024