Soap Box: Behind-the-Scenes Fun With Typecasting

Posted at 6:00 AM Apr 30, 2009

By Kathleen Willcox

Finance types tend to frequent rah-rah bars with overpriced cocktails populated by beaming, dancing, drink slinging, high-maintenance, buttoned up pretty people who invariably also work in finance (or aspire to marry someone who does) that get as raucous (some might say obnoxious) as the trading floor during a panicked sell-off; creative types tend to frequent smelly dive bars with $2 Pabst specials populated by sullen, dancing, drink slinging, low-maintenance, unbuttoned pretty people who invariably also do the art thang (or aspire to hop into bed with someone who does) that get as raucous (some might say obnoxious) as an art gallery 12 hours before a big opening.

So do soap folks spend their Friday nights in bedazzled outfits bitch-slapping each other, guzzling whiskey on the rocks and swapping partners Dosey Doe? Maybe not, but it seems they're incapable of leaving their penchant for high drama on the set - and they all seem just as content to be typecast as villains and heroes in real life too (especially the folks at The Young and the Restless, God bless 'em):

The Hothead
Nia Peeples recently excoriated co-stars and execs in an interview with BlogTalkRadio Among her complaints: head writer Maria Arena Bell's failure to take or return her calls; fellow star Kristoff St. John's lack of preparation ("he won't remember dialogue") and the lack of juicy scenes during her year-and-a-half stint on Y&R ("I've only had about a handful of really good scenes). Don't hold back, Nia; I'm sure industry execs will be psyched to work with a fired actor who doesn't just set bridges on fire - she bombs 'em!

The Delusional Ditz:
Emmy winner or no, Bryton McClure keeps coming up as being ripe for the chopping block. As rumors that he's already off contract at Y&R float ominously about, McClure has reportedly been doing double duty as an actor and a professional spin doctor, contacting websites personally to assure them that he isn't in fact leaving (but word on the webz is, he just hasn't been told and CBS is staying suspiciously mum on the subject).

The Martyr:
The happiest case of theatrical spill-over: former Y&R actress Victoria Rowell (Drucilla Winters) and current scribe is playing the role of do-gooder by reaching out foster children in honor of National Foster Care Month. Hopeful writers can attend the workshop called "Writing Gives My Heart Wings" that she's holding on May 2 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in L.A.

That's the kind of extracurricular drama I can get behind!