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Robin Strasser on her early OLTL exit & how Dorian leaves Llanview and if she would return!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Daytime Emmy award winning actress Robin Strasser (Dorian) of One Life to Live discusses with TV Guide many questions that fans have wanted to know and to understand since last May when Robin told ABC she’d needed to exit OLTL early to deal with a severely bad back that’s plagued her for years.  Strasser was hoping a schedule could be worked out where she would be seen on air through the fall, closer to the end of OLTL’s network television run.  However,  Strasser has said that the ABC network abruptly gave her her walking papers as part of a major summer cast-cutting and budget measure.

In this very compelling interview, Strasser give her thoughts on what went down with OLTL, plus now that her medical treatment plan for her back has been altered, if she would entertain the thought of making some more appearances on the show before its conclusion, and then if she would move to the web with the series if asked to be part of the online version.  Here are a few juicy  excerpts!

Strasser on if OLTLcalled… would she be up for taping a return appearance before the shows network finale: “Since I am not going to be having an immediate surgery, if the show needed me and I can walk, I’d run to Llanview! If they want, they can consider me part of the recurring group. It’s a badge of honor as far as I’m concerned — that would put me in the company of the fabulous Ilene Kristen [Roxie] and Patricia Elliott [Renee]. I would have been fine about becoming Great Aunt Dorian with the hair and the clothes just getting flashier and crazier as the years go on. I really would! I just love that whole Cramer family of female energy and being a part of it. Just thinking about it, I get all crushy for it! I call myself “the team-playing diva” — an anomaly in some circles but not in my universe. There was a point, about a year and a half ago, where I even volunteered to go off contract and become recurring.”

Strasser on how Mayor Doriane exits Llanview: “She’s going to become a United States senator. They have her being appointed by the governor and going to Washington to replace the current senator who is caught in a scandal. They wanted to do the old thing about the men’s room and the tapping foot and I said, “I will not!” It was in the middle of the Weiner thing, so I said, “Make it a sexting scandal.” I just wasn’t going to do the bathroom thing. [Laughs] I think they were, like, “She’s on her way out. We’re not going to argue with her.” So it was changed. They also say Dorian will be running for the dethroned senator’s seat in November… apparently without a primary. Hey, I just say the words! Mine was not to question why, mine was to do it and die! [Laughs] It’s okay. It’s nice to know that, at least forensically, Dorian is still alive. Did I ever tell you about the time [former OLTL executive producer] Paul Rauch thought Elaine Princi was practically my lookalike twin and told me to my face — to my face! — “They are going to forget all about you, Robin! I have found a woman to replace you!”

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Thanks for posting the link, Michael. Very interesting interview. Well, Paul Rauch–You were WRONG! I recall EP in the role of Dorian Lord and not to take away from the actress but I really missed Strasser as Dorian. She leaves a strong impression. Frank Valentini has been known to work magic with his budget. Since presumably they had budgeted for her to stay through the end of the show, It seems only logical that she return since she no longer needs the immediate surgery. OLTL just isn’t OLTL without Dorian Lord as played by Robin Strasser. If FV for some unknown reason can’t get it together this is a REQUEST to Prospect Park to get us our Dorian back!

she is a hoot

I love me some Dorian!! LOL

There is nobody like her, please Frank and Ron bring her back somehow.

Robin Strasser is awesome. Her Dorian is a delicious blend of good and bad. She is as vital to the pulse of this show as any character. It is a shame that the headwriter and producer fail to recognize or care about the brilliant gem they had in their midst. Fans of OLTL knew it.

In his interview, Ron Carlivati claims Rama and Vimal are popular. Okay. Then he must recognize that RS’s Dorian is immensely popular and has enthralled, angered, and entertained viewers for decades. With that knowledge, penning such a terrible exit is astounding. A possible Senate seat and David and Dorian compromise –to what end? Another break-up or separation? No happy ending or promise of love and romance, just another David rejection or flight for something else? Really?

Dorian languished whenever David took flight; RS had no story until TW returned. Now after chaining her for years to only David, they end them as she leaves? Too late. This show should have invested the same time, care, thought as that of a fan. This is especially true if they foolishly fail to bring RS back for the finale (they will certainly bring back David).

Soaps are at their core about love. Dorian should leave on the arm of a man who loves her (how about Mel, Herb, or even Ray) and leave town for a reason that makes sense in the midst of her Cramer women Todd crisis. Dorian fans deserved a happy ending.

At any rate, thank you to Ms. Strasser for the decades of fun, tears, and entertainment. Hopefully this wrong will be righted and RS returns for the final months.

Paul Rauch is an idiot, To me, Robin Strasser is the one and only Dorian. She is irreplaceable.

Ha – no one can replace you Robin.
I do hope that you can return before the end….maybe for the TV finale…
and then for some web shows.
I love your spirit.

robin you ARE dorian! i pray they bring you back to llanview!!

Robin Strasser is the quintessential Dorian in the same way Andrea Evans is the ultimate Tina. That said, Elaine Princi did a fine job in the role of Dorian at a time when Robin Strasser did not make herself available to play the part. ABC treated Elaine horribly in the way she was fired so that Robin could return during Linda Gottlieb’s tenure as executive producer. The least ABC could have done was to give Elaine another role on another ABC series. She’s a lovely woman and a talented actress who got short-shrifted in every respect. I wish only the best for both women.

Dorian and Viki have been the heart and soul of OLTL for decades. I can’t stand to think about Robin’s absence after August 25. Robin, you have provided such satisfying entertainment and incredible performances, thank you. You are so loved and will be so missed.

There is only one Dorian and there will only ever be one Robin Strasser! I hope everything works out for her back and that she rejoins the cast on the new online network. She is the reason I watch OLTL.

Robin (Dorian)

I am 62 years old & have watched OLTL since the first day it came on– always arranging my lunch hour to be home in front of my TV or in later years recording every show! You have always been my favorite actor on the show–even when they tried to fill in with someone else, it never worked and I hated them– they were not Dorian (you)! I just wanted to tell you without “Dorian” the show is already over! I wish you all the best — and if OLTL goes to the web, I will follow. Just one question, I have always wanted to know–do you really speak French?

I am a 44 year old male Family Practice Physician. When I was about 4 years old I started watching the Soaps while my Mother ironed (back then you could let a 4 yo watch the soaps!) . Dorian Lord Riley …etc ….became one of my favorite characters as a kid (which means Robin must have only been about 2yo at the time!). I have never stopped pausing to watch the show in my office or the hospital if Dorian is on…particularly if Vickie is there too! I am glad the Tina, Cord and Jessica are back, but I just cannot imagine OLTL ending without Robin Strasser there. I’d really love to see her back for an amazing Dorian Swansong! We love you Robin!!

Well, let’s see,its been two years, OLTL is BACK and Robin with it, and that bag of dirt Paul Rauch is well,how shall I put it, roasting in hell. I never cared for the way Elaine Princi copied Robin’s performance rather than bringing something new to the role. I always figured she was under order’s to do this, but it showed a lack of ability and integrity as an artist. I think it’s interesting to note that when Robin took off for California she found a lot of work to keep her busy, and Elaine, well, not so much. Poor Elaine. Whenshe got dumped she complained to the soap press that she was stabbed in the back, was lied to and mislead. Ironic considering she was on TV several hundred times a day all over the county assuring us all that she knew everything that was going to happen to her before it happened because she talked to her Psychic Friend every day. The Psychic friends Network canned her ass after that even faster than ABC when Robin wanted to come back east.

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‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Jacqueline MacInnes Wood Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’

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Jacqueline MacInnes Wood

Last week, The Bold and the Beautiful gave three-time Lead Actress Daytime Emmy winner, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, the material to go for a fourth in 2027. In an emotional scenes, Wood showcased her sadness, feeling of betrayal and abandoned by her husband, Finn, to her good friend and co-worker, Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor).

But here’s the catch; Wood, as well as Saint-Victor, played the scenes completely drunk. First, Steffy drinks herself silly on the plane home from Monaco after finding out Finn’s (Tanner Novlan) mother, Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) who she has PTSD about with good reason, boarded the plane with him to Europe and kept it a secret. Steffy had already thrown her ring at her husband and storm trooped to the airport after seeing momma Carter in Monaco.

Later, Steffy somehow stumbles into the Forrester Creations CEO office, and suddenly Carter also shows up. He is also schnokereed from knocking back one after the other over Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) walking out on him.

Photo: JPI

Suddenly, Steffy opens up her heart to Carter, “I need to be safe, so it’s over. We’re over,” speaking about her marriage to Finn. She says, “I keep replaying this moment. There was this shift. I saw it. I asked him if he was OK. Then, I realized what he was looking at ….Sheila. She was right there. And my husband wasn’t going to protect me… he wasn’t going to be there for me.”

Steffy is full on in upset-mode, that in that moment she put her faith in Finn’s commitment to her, he didn’t come through with “actions”, and that his word meant nothing. Carter winds up sitting next to Steffy on the desk of the office, blindsided by each of their partners.

Suddenly, Steffy becomes hysterical, and lets out all of her rage and Carter takes her in his arms and says “I got you.”  Then, in the pick-up of the next morning, it appeared as if Carter and Steffy had sex together and passed out.

When Steffy came to she freaked out. Realizing, there wer texts from Finn trying to reach her, she wasn’t home for her kids, and she panicked and had to get out of there. When Carter tried to talk to her, she couldn’t in that moment, feeling so guilt-ridden and ashamed for her betraying her marriage like this, when she truly loves Finn.

Photo: JPI

Once she gets back home as a disheveled mess, she runs into her mother, Taylor (Rebecca Budig), before Finn arrives and lays it on thick and begs for forgiveness. Trying to recover from her hangover, her night with Carter and what all went down, as Finn talks, everything is confusing for Steffy, as she cries. She wants to tell her husband what she did and confess. But will she?

By the end of last week, Carter is begging Steffy to keep her mouth shut about their booze-filled night together, but she cries that lying to her husband and it is eating her up. Carter tells Steffy the truth of their night together can never come out for so many reasons; least of all his relationship with her father, Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Daphne. Will Steffy eventually crumble and spill the beans or stay quiet? Stay tuned!

Throughout all the very soapy scenarios, we have to say, we enjoyed Wood’s performances as it showed a more vulnerable, letting her guard down from the often holier-than- thou Steffy Forrester. We also think its material taking out of context that would be just right for many Emmy voters next year. So with all that said, Michael Fairman TV gives the Power Performance of the Week to B&B’s Jacqueline MacInnes Wood.

So, do you agree with our pick as Jacqueline MacInnes Wood as the Power Performance of the Week? Did you think she delivered in the scenes from the time Steffy left her husband in Monaco, through the drunken binge with Carter, to back home and being confronted with Finn wanting her to take him back? Let us know in the comment section below.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Mike Manning Lands Role in Indie Horror Feature ‘Deify’

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Mike Manning

While Smitty tries to hold the fort down in his marriage to congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon)  and their two teenaged children, Samantha (Najah Jackson) and Tyrell (Jaden Lucas Miller) on Beyond the Gates, Emmy-winner Mike Manning has also landed another feature film role.

According to Deadline, Manning has joined the cast of Deify with 6 other new cast members for the indie psychological horror film starring Neal McDonough and Skeet Ulrich, which was previously announced last week.

Joining Manning as the latest cast addition are: Dennis Haysbert, Ashley Greene,  Casey Harnett, Kirk Avecdo, Anji White, anf Nicholas Chimera who’s directing the pic also has a part in the film.

WHAT’S THE STORY OF DEIFY?

Taking to his Instagram with the news of his casting, Manning shared, “A movie about a cult? What could possibly go wrong? Come for the enlightenment. Stay because they won’t let you leave. DEIFY is coming…”

The movie is currently shooting in Chicago and in story, “a cult leader is put on trial after causing his devoted followers to be burned alive. The film is inspired in part by events surrounding the 1993 Waco, Texas, standoff between members of the Branch Davidians church and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, one of the largest civilian firefights ever recorded on American soil.”

MIKE MANNING IS A DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE

In addition, the multi-talented Manning is a producer on the feature. Previously, Mike was nominated last month in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. He previously won an Emmy for his role on The Bay and for being a producer on the digital drama.

Mike’s previous credits include the role of Charlie Dale on Days of Our Lives and the Manny on This Is Us, plus various primetime and screen credits.

So intrigued to find what role Mike will play in the upcoming horror/cult film, Deify? Enjoying him as Smitty on Beyond the Gates? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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