Cady McClain: On As the World Turns Departure, All My Children Rumors
Matt Richenthal
at
.
Q: How was Rosanna’s exit?
Cady: Let’s put it this way: As the person who plays this character, it was an emotional hysterectomy. Rosanna’s womb, adopted child, and business exited stage left. Apparently, there was nothing left to take but her dignity.
Q: Why would they do that to this once powerful businesswoman?
Cady: I don’t know. I cannot understand why in a medium that caters to women, intelligent female characters have to be set up to be stupid and emotionally impulsive… “punished” for actions they would never have taken without a gun to their head… and left begging and pathetic.
As an actress, it was not romantic. It was embarrassing. Almost as bad as the pancakes, and that’s saying something. I have to wonder what the hell is going on these days. Are strong, smart women so threatening that they have to be vilified? I think they should be celebrated, but what do I know? Maybe I need a boob job.
Q: Have you been watching As the World Turns? Practically every storyline is fixated on trying to have a baby, I don’t get it.
Cady: I watch sometimes. Look, it’s easy to criticize. All the shows are doing a great job keeping these well-loved institutions on the air despite enormous changes in our industry, and whoever is responsible for that ought to be applauded. I do think, however, that actors are often thought of as egocentric, over-emotional puppets without a brain by the powers that be, and that is too bad, because actors who have lived these roles for 10-plus years can often five insight that could be incredibly useful.
They lived the glory days and often have an instinctual “feel” for what works. They are a resource that is undervalued. Then again, there are some out there who have earned that lousy rep!
Q: What do you want to say to all the Dixie fans clamoring for you to return to All My Children?
Cady: Always and forever, that you. I’m so sorry it didn’t go well last time. I’m sure I am partly to blame. I wish I had been able to better fullfill your expectations. I wish there could be some lovely, loving resolve around the Kate situation, some happy ending, or a chance for things to not seem so bitter, simply for the viewers that invested so much time and energy in that long-running story.
Tad and Dixie were always about stealing happiness, despite everything. Perhaps TPTB are planning that, and if it included me, great., It is doesn’t, I truly hope it is as wonderful as it holds the potential to be. I mean that.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.
