As initially reported by Michael Fairman TV, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation recently held a live daytime drama casting directors panel which featured: Greg Salmon (The Young and the Restless), Marnie Saitta (Days of Our Lives), Christy Dooley (The Bold and the Beautiful), and Kim Coleman (Beyond the Gates).

The four soap opera casting directors traded behind the scenes stories, their process to help actor’s in the audition process, the most difficult and important recasts to their respective shows during their tenure, and the challenges of casting under-five roles, which surprisingly can harder than finding the series regulars.

When the talked turned to a major recast that Greg Salmon had to find it was to fill the shoes of Justin Hartley who exited the CBS soap to star on the NBC drama, This Is Us.  The role of the black sheep of the Newman clan was previously played by Chris Engen and Michael Muhney, before Hartley. Salmon knew they found their man to be the fourth Adam when Mark Grossman entered the picture.

Photo:JPI

THE SEARCH FOR ADAM NEWMAN

Salmon explained, “That was a really tough role to recast. Before Justin, there were two other people who played the part. Adam Newman is central to the show. This is Victor Newman’s son, so it’s an incredibly important character. I remember Mark came in and read with Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) and a few other members of the Newman family. His energy was just off the charts. It felt like this is how Adam should be. Eventually, I think the audience really accepted him. Mark has playing the role for several (7) years now and he’s completely made the role his own.”

However, in an ironic twist, it appears that Grossman came very close to joining Y&R’s sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful in the part of Thomas Forrester played most recently by Matthew Atkinson, and before that Adam Gregory and Drew Tyler Bell.

THE SEARCH FOR THOMAS FORRESTER

Responding to Salmon, The Bold and the Beautiful ‘s casting director Christy Dooley revealed that Mark Grossman was once in the running for the role of Ridge and Taylor’s son. “He tested for us,” she recalled. “Mark came in and read for the role of Thomas Forrester, and he was my choice for the role,” Dooley shared.

Dooley added, “The role wound up going to Matthew Atkinson. But then Mark came down (the hall) to read for The Young and the Restless.”

Fans of The Young and the Restless know that during his 7-years as Adam Newman, that Mark Grossman has become one of the most popular stars on the show. So it’s difficult to wrap you head around that B&B might have nabbed his first as Thomas, and if so, we wouldn’t have gotten to see him turn out those stellar performances in Genoa City .

So, what did you think of this casting tidbit? Could you have seen Mark Grossman as Thomas Forrester? Glad that Y&R had him firmly as their Adam Newman? Let us know via the comment section and you can check the full daytime drama casting director panel below.

The Thursday June 4 episode of General Hospital paved way for the end of the line for Jenz Sidwell’s (Carlo Rota) butler/fixer, Pascal (Marc Forget).

In the pick of the June 3 cliffhanger, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) was the hero and stopped the evil-doer from fleeing Port Charles for his part in aiding and abetting his boss with the cover-up of the murder of Professor Henry Dalton (Daniel Goddard) among other crimes.

Today’s episode did indeed mark the final appearance of Marc Forget who joined the ABC soap opera when he debuted back in July of 2025. Viewers met met Pascal when Kelly Thiebaud returned to the soap opera as Britt Westbourne and she was being blackmailed to work on Faison’s final project while at the Five Poppies in Dalmatia.

Courtesy/ABC

A General Hospital rep confirmed to Soap Opera Digest, that the June 4 episode, “Will be the last viewers will see of Pascal for now, but notes that in the world of Port Charles, comebacks are always possible.” So, how did Pascal get written-off the canvas? Here’s what went down:

PASCAL GIVES LUCAS KEY INFORMATION BEFORE BEING DRAGGED AWAY

After Sonny intercepted Pascal on his desperate attempt to get out of town, Sonny informed him hat Sidwell would stop at nothing from trying to get retribution for whoever killed his son, Marco, and promptly turned around and said that he would help Pascal flee the country, only if he turned on Sidwell.

An absolutely terrified Pascal had evidence for Sonny that he could use against Sidwell. However, he feared he would get killed on sight if he tried to retrieve the incriminating photos of Sonny and Laura from the safe at Wyndemere. So instead, Pascal gave the combination to the safe to Lucas (Van Hansis), so he could get the blackmail photos himself. But, did Pascal just set up Lucas to be killed since he loathes him for being the man to win the heart of the late Marco?

In the end, Sonny had one of his henchmen drag Pascal away and whisked off to an airfield to fly away to parts unknown, and hopefully never to be heard from again. But what now? Is Lucas going to end up being pegged as Marco’s killer and taken down by Sidwell if he gets his hands on the incriminating photos for Sonny and Laura? Stay tuned.

So, what did you think of Marc Forget’s run as Pascal? Sad or happy to see the character go? Do you think he will be back down the line? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

Eva Basler, who served as the longtime communications executive for Bell-Phillip Productions’ The Bold and the Beautiful has exited the long-running soap opera after more than 20 years.

For over two decades, Basler was a key member of the behind the scenes team at the CBS daytime drama series. Eventually, she earned the title of VP Communications and Talent Relations for Bell-Phillip TV Productions, where she was in charge of publicity, marketing social media and more.

According to Deadline, Basler was one of several B&B employees who were quietly laid off recently from the company and that as a beloved member of the team, “worked tirelessly for the organization, even through illness.” In the last few years, Eva has been going through a difficult health journey, where the cast and production team had rallied around her.

Courtesy/CBS

In fact, Basler co-authored, along with Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer), The Bold and the Beautiful: In Celebration of Twenty Years on Television, a photographic look at the history of the soap released in 2007 for its 20th anniversary.

EVA BASLER’S IMPRESSIVE WORK IN TELEVISION

Before her long run at B&B, Basler’s TV credits began with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she served as a publicist for the annual Oscar telecast for over 10 years. Later, she was invited by the producers of the inaugural SAG Awards and telecast to create and write their official rules. Her contributions to the industry also included her role as the Awards Show Consultant for the SAG Awards, where she oversaw the competition and managed the selection of third-party public relations firms.

In addition, Eva has been an active member of the Television Academy since 2000 where she currently serves as the Governor of Daytime Programming and has participated in the Executive, Primetime Awards, Daytime Awards, Budget, Governors Ball, and Creative Arts Committee, plus she chairs the Membership Committee. Basler led the Governor’s Award Committee for two consecutive years, during and was member of the National Awards Committee for NATAS, which manages among others, the Daytime Emmy competition,

Before coming to The Bold and the Beautiful, Eva was the publicist for the defunct NBC soap opera, Passions from its series launch in 1999 all the away through its conclusion in 2008.

In January 2024, Basler started a three-year term on the NATAS Board of Directors, making her the only person to serve simultaneously on the boards of both the West and East Coast television academies.

Upon learning the heartbreaking news of Basler’s exit, Cassandra Creech (ex-Grace Buckingham, B&B) took to her Instagram and shared, “This goddess…thank you Eva You see me. ​Beyond her immense gifts, she is someone who treated me with the utmost kindness and respect from day one. Working with someone of her caliber and character is a rare privilege, and her warmth at CBS meant the world to me. ​She is going to be a massive loss to the daytime community, where her presence always elevated the work. While this chapter is closing, her extraordinary talent ensures that whatever she does next will be brilliant. I am entirely in her corner and cannot wait to watch her next move. Ya’ll give this woman her flowers.”

So, share your thoughts on The Bold and the Beautiful’s decision to part ways with Eva Basler during their recent round of internal company layoffs, given her long-running tenure with the soap via the comment section below.

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