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Legendary Casting Director Joan D'Incecco, Responsible For Casting Susan Lucci & Erika Slezak On Daytime, Dead at 89

Photo: NorthJersey.com/D'InCecco Family

Photo: NorthJersey.com/D'Incecco Family

The daytime world has also lost in December and in 2016, another iconic figure.

Longtime ABC casting director, Joan D’Incecco passed away in New Jersey at the age of 89.

For over 20 years, Joan was the casting director at All My Children.  And it was D’Incecco who is credited with finding Susan Lucci to play Pine Valley’s Erika Kane, as well as Kelly Ripa as Hayley Vaughan.  D’Incecco was honored by Susan Lucci when the iconic soap star finally won her Daytime Emmy after 19 tries and took the stage to accept her award.  She saluted the legendary casting director citing that she “saw me as more than just an ethnic type … and saw that I could play Erica Kane.”

Following the news of Joan’s death, Susan Lucci told NorthJersey.com, “At the time I was told I could not work in television because I was too ethnic looking — I had dark eyes and an olive complexion — but Joan was able to look past that and was very warm and encouraging,” Lucci said, adding that Mrs. D’Incecco made good on her promise to call her back in six months. At the second meeting, with Mrs. D’Incecco, show creator Agnes Nixon and other producers in attendance, Lucci won the part of Erica Kane.

“Joan remained as accessible, warm and smart as the first day I met her,” said Lucci. The actress said she was able to get a message of gratitude to the casting director in the days before she died.  D’Incecco introduced countless actors to TV audiences including a young Laurence Fishburne and Tom Berenger to One Life to Live and the one and only six-time Daytime Emmy-winning Erika Slezak (Viki).

Joan’s film work included the original Mel Brooks movie, The Producers as well as The Subject was Roses, which led to Jack Albertson winning an Academy Award for Best Actor and Patricia Neal being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

She was the winner of the Casting Society of America’s prestigious Artios Award in 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1992, and was nominated for the award three additional times throughout her career.  Longtime fans of ABC Daytime fondly remember seeing D’Incecco’s name in the closing credits of AMC and OLTL.

Joan is survived by her son, John and his wife, Meg, and daughter, Nicole and her husband Ian; and her grandchildren; L.J., Benjamin and Sam and sister, Doris Mueller.  Funeral services were held on December 19th, with amemorial service to celebrate Joan’s life planned for New York City in early 2017.

Share your thoughts on the passing of Joan D’Incecco, and her ability to find some of the greatest talent every to appear in daytime dramas in the comment section below.  But first, watch Susan Lucci’s Daytime Emmy-winning speech where she shares her gratitidude for the legendary casting director!

 

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What a gift she had, and how lucky we were to be the recipient of it.

Beautifully said, boes. Joan, may your spirit soar in the Upper World. You were a blessing to many in this world, those who enjoyed your talents and also those who knew you personally.

What a wonderful eye for talent. Erika Slezak, Susan Lucci, Laurence Fishburne and Tom Berenger!!!!!!!!

Rest in peace Mrs. D’Incecco.

A GREAT eye indeed!

This woman clearly knew how to assemble talented people. We watched those wonderful shows for years, for the writing, yes, but also for the actors/characters that brought those tales to rich vibrant life.

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The characters were so multi-layered and complexed and the actors were wonderful at bring them to life.

I remember when this originally aired. Although I wasn’t a watcher of AMC, I cried right along with Ms. Lucci. I was also happy because the beautiful Shamar Moore handed out the award. Are there any Y&R fans out there who remember when Neil and Malcom use to work out and their sweaty bare chests would be on display for all the world to see. Now to me that is a wonderful way to wile away an afternoon. Soap Opera at its best

Joan was a wonderful and wonderfully talented woman. May she RIP

Daytime must’ve been so exciting back then to work in as well as watch!

In my opinion, I think the late seventies to the mid to late eighties were prime soap opera watching. They don’t make them like that anymore. Everyday after school, from seventh grade to 1984 senior year in H.S was for myself and my older sister, was always General Hospital. From 3:00 to 4:00 Mon-Fri we would be glued to the television set. GH now, I think is a shadow of its former self. The best was its heyday and for me that was the late seventies to the mid eighties. I’m sure we won’t see it like that again anytime soon. There was nothing like David Lewis playing Edward Quartermaine. It doesn’t get any better than that

David Lewis was good in the role of Edward Quatrain but John Ingle did a much better job.

All My Children

Malachy McCourt, ‘Ryan’s Hope’ and ‘All My Children’ Actor, Dead at 92

If you watched Ryan’s Hope through its 14-year-run, you know that Kevin the bartender became a beloved “member’ of the Ryan clan on the defunct ABC daytime drama series. The character of Kevin MacGuiness became so loved by the fans because of the actor who portrayed him, Malachy McCourt.

Sadly, according to his wife Diana McCourt to The New York Times, Malachy passed away on Monday from a heart condition and battling cancer. The actor was 92-years-old.

Playing Kevin on Ryan’s Hope was not much of a stretch for McCourt, because in his lifetime, he was the owner of 1950s Irish pub Malachy’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan. Known as one of the city’s great story-tellers, patrons from longshoremen to the actor Richard Harris would stop in and talk all things Irish with . On Ryan’s Hope, Kevin was best friends to “Ryan’s Bar” owner, Johnny Ryan (Bernie Barrow) and he tried to keep Delia (Ilene Kristen) on the straight and narrow.

Photo: ABC

In his soap opera career, McCourt also was widely-known for his role of Father Clarence McCourt on All My Children especially come Christmastime. Was Clarence, actually St. Nick? That was always the proverbial question. McCourt also appeared on the New York soaps: One Life To Live, Search For Tomorrow and Another World. Other roles included: Devil’s Own, Brewster’s Millions, The Molly Maguires, and Starman, to name 

Later in 2006, Malachy ran for governor of the state of New York as a Green Party candidate. He tackled social issues of the time including being an advocate for gay and lesbian groups to march in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Photo: ABC

McCourt’s childhood was recounted within his brother Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes, which detailed their mother’s attempt to raise the four of their surviving seven children in poverty in Limerick, Ireland. Later, Malachy wrote his own memoirs: 1998’s Monk Swimming, and 2000’s Singing My Him Song.

Malachy is survived by his aforementioned wife, Diana, daughter Siobhan McCourt; sons Malachy Jr., Conor and Cormac; stepdaughter Nina Galin; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Share you remembrances and condolences for Malachy McCourt via the comment section, but first check out this scene from a 1983 episode of “Ryan’s Hope” featuring the late actor with Ilene Kristen.

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All My Children

‘Live with Kelly and Mark’s’ Annual ‘After the Oscars’ Show Brings Backstage Interviews, Fashion Review and Red Carpet Arrivals from Movie’s Biggest Night

Monday morning, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the talk show’s annual Oscar post show.

However, this time it would be Consuelos’ first time as the co-host of ‘Live’ for an Oscars episode. Mark took over the gig from Ryan Seacrest to team with his wife back in April of 2023 and since then the show has seen a ratings spike hitting several all-time highs.

The After the Oscars show opened with a tribute to the movies were the former All My Children stars took on iconic roles from: Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct to Barbie and Ken in Barbie, to the Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller role’s in the romantic comedy Something About Mary and more.

Courtesy/DisneyABC

During After the Oscars, Kelly and Mark were shown in clips backstage as the first stop for the newly-anointed Academy Award winners including: Finneas and Billie Eilish and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The Bachelor host, Jesse Palmer was the talk show’s guest correspondent who spoke to the nominees, and celebrities as they were entering the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night.

Singer Andy Grammar took to the stage and performed on Live’s  After the Oscars show as well, and Project Runaway’s Elaine Welteroth shared her thoughts on the night’s Oscar fashion.

You can watch the full ‘Live with Kelly and Mark After the Oscars’ show below, plus the full movie parody below that. Now let us know, what do you think of Kelly and Mark’s first post-Oscar show together on ‘Live’? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

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All My Children

EXCLUSIVE: Jacob Young, Joan Collins and Nadia Bjorlin to Prague to Film ‘Murder Between Friends’

On Thursday night during the Michael Fairman Channel’s livestream interview centering around Jason Cook’s (ex-Shawn, DAYS and ex-Matt, GH) latest movie Four For Fun which stars Brytni Sarpy (Elena, Y&R) and Jacob Young (ex-JR, AMC, ex-Rick, B&B and ex-Lucky, GH), revealed another upcoming film project with some very familiar faces.

Jacob Young shared an exclusive that he is set to direct, produce and star in a Agatha Christie-like murder mystery feature film aptly tiled Murder Between Friends.

Speaking on the upcoming project, Jacob said, “I’m flying at the end of the March to Prague to direct, produce and star in a film with Joan Collins (ex-Dynasty). Nadia Bjorlin (ex-Chloe, Days of our Lives) is in it, and Toby Alexander Smith from Eastenders (ex-Gray Atkins). Plus, a couple of my Broadway friends and a very well known Czech actress (Hana Vagnerova).”

Photo: BBC

According to Jacob, the production start date is April 1st. He added on the premise of the film, “It’s very Agatha Christie sort of ‘Knives Out’ without having a hundred million dollars to shoot it, but still will be a lovely film nonetheless.” Young said the plan is to finish all principal photography by April 17th.

Photo: JPI

IMDb has more on the film. It shared that former All My Children star Trent Garrett (ex-Asher Pike) is listed as co-directing the feature. Mark Rozzano is listed as writer of Murder Between Friends.

So, what do you think about this upcoming feature from Jacob that will feature Joan Collins, Nadia Bjorlin et al? Share your thoughts in the comment section. 

Then below, check out the full livestream conversation with Jason Cook, Brytni Sarpy and Jacob Young on ‘Four For Fun’ and their notable soap roles.

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