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Michael E. Knight Remembers His ‘All My Children’ Parents and the Moments He’ll Never Forget with Jill Larson and Ray MacDonnell (Exclusive)

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: JPI and ABC

Before Michael E. Knight became General Hospital’s Martin Grey back in 2019, he had a long and enduring run as one of soap’s most beloved and treasured characters on All My Children as Tad Martin.

Along the way, Knight won three Daytime Emmys for the role, and was given the now classic speech in All My Children’s final ABC episode where Tad toasts to all with whom he loved. He previously had told Michael Fairman TV, he knew the minute he read that monologue it was written by the iconic creator of the series, the late Agnes Nixon.

Michael appeared on All My Children from 1982–1986, 1988–1990, 1992–2011, and made his last appearance in the role in 2013 in Prospect Park’s online revival of the series in its first and only shortened season.

Photo: ABC

Throughout his journey in Pine Valley, Michael worked with so many towering icons that came out of the ABC soap opera, but during the Michael Fairman Channel’s recent interview with him, Knight spoke on all of his TV parents, Mary Fickett (Ruth #1), Ray MacDonnell (Joe), Jill Larson (Opal) and Lee Meriwether (Ruth #2).

MARY FICKETT

Mary Fickett was the first actress to win a Daytime Emmy as an individual performer on a daytime drama series back in 1973, She won for her impassioned speech as the mother of a young man who was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War.

“Mary Fickett was was something: very first Daytime Emmy winner ever. She won when the Daytime Emmy ceremonies truly didn’t even exist,” recalled Knight. “She was amazing. Talk about heart, and Erika Slezak (Ronnie, GH and ex-Viki, OLTL) has the same thing where it’s just this heart radiating out out of her. You can believe you can hang any kind of family drama on top of that character and it would, because the Martins, were a great little solar system.”

RAY MACDONNELL

Dr. Joe was everything to All My Children, the moral center, but in real-life, MacDonnell was quite the jokester. “I just loved Ray because he had sort of a face like Mount Rushmore. He was always saying (as Joe), ‘Well, we’ve got to do more tests at the hospital.’ But, he was literally one of the funniest people,” recalled Michael.

Photo: JPI

“I think it was my second day and Tad was being picked up. Joe and grandma Kate (Kay Campbell) picked me up at the police station in Central City, after Tad had been arrested. We were doing dress rehearsal and I didn’t know these people at all at this point. I’m in the backseat, and Joe and Kate are sitting in the front of the car. Kate looks at Joe and says, ‘Give the boy a break, Joe.’ Ray turns around in the middle of the scene and says, ‘Shut up, you old bag.’ I started laughing until I was just crying.”

Ray’s impact on Michael was far-reaching, in fact, because of his TV father, there is a connection to this day with Knight’s real-life dad. “It’s so easy to play love for somebody when they make you laugh like that. To this day, because of Ray, I call my father “Pop” because Tad used to call Joe, “Pop”.

JILL LARSON

While Jill Larson and Michael Knight together could find the comedy in any scenes given to them, Opal and Tad loved each other and so did the two actors, who faced the heartbreaking cancellation of All My Children together.

Michael explained, “Jill was the very first person I saw after they announced that All My Children was canceled.  It always makes me tear up to this day. She and I were crossing each other on the set. Brian Frons (ex-ABC exec, Daytime) had just made the announcement on the screen, because he didn’t come to the studio, and told us they were going to call it a day for our show.”

Photo: JPI

In a emotional moment, Knight shared, “We just looked at each other. Jill had tears streaming down her face. It was like losing a piece of your family, because you do it for so long, you think, it’s like the weather. The sun’s always going to come up again. You realize that this family, this thing, this emotional investment is never going to be there again. It just really kicks you in the gut. But to go back to her work, Jill could make you laugh and make you cry, you kno and in the same scene.”

LEE MERIWETHER

Having to connect with another actress as your beloved mother on a soap can be difficult, but as Michael explains when motion picture and TV actress, Lee Meriwether took over the role beginning in 1996, Knight was a bit starstruck having loved her as Catwoman in the motion picture. Batman (1966),

“Lee was great. She’s one of the easiest people in the world to be with,” shared Michael. “Absolutely stunning. I remember looking at her going, and I think she would’ve been her sixties. She is just one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever worked with inside and out.”

When talked turned to how do you replace Mary Fickett the heart and soul of the Martins? Michael expressed, “Recasting Mary Fickett is like trying to replace Tony Geary (ex-Luke, GH). It’s like, if you get this wrong, you are screwed.  I think they just got lucky, lightning in a bottle, you know?  She made it her own. Lee never tried to imitate anybody. They were great with the characters on All My Children. All of the Martins were very, very well scripted, but I think they got really got lucky with Lee. Anybody else that could have been a disaster.”

Watch our full conversation with Michael where he remembers his days as Tad on All My Children, plus his evolution as GH’s Martin Grey below.

Now, let us know, did you love All My Children’s Mary Fickett, Ray MacDonnell, Jill Larson and Lee Meriwether as Tad’s parents through the years? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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I love All My Children and its characters so much. I miss it everyday! Please bring it back in some way! Please!

You are not alone, Ellen.

All My Children

‘All My Children’ Episodes to Stream on Pluto TV Canada

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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.

 

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All My Children

Mark Consuelos Mourns the Loss of His Father

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Saul Consuelos, the father of All My Children alum and Live with Kelly and Mark co-host, Mark Consuelos (ex0-Mateo, AMC), has died. During an emotional moment on this mornings, April 6 edition of the syndicated talk show, Mark shared, that his dad, “passed away peacefully” back on March 23 following a long illness.

His wife and co-host, Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC) paid tribute to her her father-in-law expressing, he was, “the greatest person I’ve ever known. I can honestly say I will miss him every day for the rest of my life, as I know you will, as our children will. He really is so symbolic of everything you are.”

Kelly and Mark’s children, Joaquin, Michael and Lola Consuelos are said to be taking this extremely hard. Ripa added, “This is the first loss they’ve ever experienced in their lives. And I said, ‘By the time I was 8, I had no grandparents. You got to grow up (with grandparents). You got to have deep, meaningful conversations (with them).”

Photo: KRipaIG

In another moment, Mark reflected on his dad. “It’s funny, I used to make a joke about my dad … if you asked him what time it was, he would tell you how to build a watch. There were a lot of lectures, a lot of lectures and I learned so much. If he was fixing something in the house, he’d make me watch and do it. And I didn’t know at the time why he was doing that. But now at the house, I’m able to do at least half of the stuff that he did. I learned the most by just watching him.”

Mark added that Saul Consuelos came to the U.S. from Mexico in his early teens and served our county for decades, detailing, he “Ended up at Special Operations Command in Tampa. This young kid from Mexico just got his education from the navy. Was always going to school. Was brilliant. Got his Masters while I was a kid.  He loved his country so much, If you’re going to put a face to an immigrant, he would be the prime example of what this country promises people.”

In a very heart-tugging moment, Consuelos shared that now its important they be there for his mother, Camilla. “We gotta take care of mom. We’re trying to convince my mom to move to New York. She’s such a character, she’s stubborn. What do you think, a cooking segment here on Fridays with Camilla?”

Now below, watch the very touching and emotional moments as Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa mourn the loss of Saul Consuelos.

Let us know, what you thought of the remarks made by Kelly and Mark on the death of Mark’s father via he comment section.

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All My Children

Sarah Michelle Gellar Visits ‘The View’ Where Hosts Sidestep Controversial ‘Buffy’ Reboot Axing, But Talk ‘All My Children’

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On yesterday’s March 17 episode of The View, All My Children alum, Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall Hart), was the special guest. Since Monday, Gellar has been the subject of a hot-button issue since about the surprising turn of events that the highly-anticipated Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, in which she stars, and which was directed in the pilot by Oscar-winning director, Chloé Zhao, was no longer moving forward.

Gellar‘s appearance on the ABC morning talk show was devoid of any mention of Hulu cancelling its planned Buffy: New Sunnydale, in which Sarah was set to appear along with Ryan Kiera Armstrong. However, Gellar did discuss her new movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come from Searchlight Pictures.

It should be noted that both Hulu and Searchlight Pictures are owned by The Walt Disney Company, while The View is produced by ABC News, which is also owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Courtesy/ABC

During the awkward interview, when it became clear the ‘Buffy’ reboot topic was off the table, The View co-host Sunny Hostin, talked about the “intense fight scenes” that have become a staple of her TV and film career starting with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scream 2, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

The ladies of The View also brought up Sarah’s beginnings on All My Children as Kendall Hart (1993-1995), showing a scene with her and her on-screen mother, the iconic Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci. The discussion sprung out of another All My Children alum, Michael B. Jordan (ex-Reggie Montgomery) winning the Oscar this past Sunday for Best Actor for his role in Sinners. The View’s Joy Behar was quick to point out with Gellar, the All My Children alums that have gone on to great fame.

Photo: ABC

Previously on Monday, Gellar opened up to PEOPLE about being blindsided before while at the SXSW Film & TV Festival premiere for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. “I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie. And it’s also the weekend of Chloé going to the Oscars as a best director nominee for Hamnet. For them to call us on the Friday of what should have been Chloé’s victory lap for an incredible film, and my world premiere of something that I worked very hard for is… that says something.”

She went to say, “We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him.” Deadline reports that “multiple sources” identified the executive as Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich.

“I loved the duality that we had with this new, younger slayer who was where Buffy was when the show started, and then we would pick up with where Buffy was now,” Gellar told People about the setup.  However, according also to Deadline “After the pilot was completed and delivered, according to multiple sources, Hulu’s main note was that it played too young, with some indicating that the streamer also felt the show was too “small.”’

In the rewrite, sources also told the outlet that the writers did not take big enough swings, so they set out to do a rewrite it again. The last revision was more adult, featuring a lot more of Gellar’s Buffy, and was described as a more of a streaming show than a network one. When all is said and done there is hope that another Buffy IP will be up and running within the next couple of years.

You can check out Sarah Michelle Gellar’s full segment on The View below. Now let us know, bummed there is no Buffy reboot? What do you think about how this high profile Hollywood saga was side-stepped on the morning show? Did you love Sarah as the original Kendall Hart on All My Children? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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