Thursday, January 7, 2010

50 Greatest Soap Actresses: #43 Denise Alexander

NAME: Denise Alexander
RANK: 43
SOAP ROLES: Lesley Webber, GENERAL HOSPITAL (1973-1984, 1996-present off and on); Sister Beatrice, SUNSET BEACH (1997-1998); Mary McKinnon, ANOTHER WORLD (1986-1989); Susan Hunter, DAYS OF OUR LIVES (1966-1973); Emily Sanders, BEN JERROD (1963-1964); Lois Adams, THE CLEAR HORIZON (1960-1962)

AWARDS:
1976 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Thom Racina: (who wrote for Alexander on GH and AW) Denise had a motherly warmth that made you truly believe she was Laura's mother, someone we loved and respected, but what really blew me away personally is that she was also sexy and so compelling in her own love story. Oh, the glory days! On top of that, you could not find a more wonderful human being.

Roger Newcomb: I have only seen clips of Ms. Alexander's work on DAYS OF OUR LIVES but I adored her characters on GENERAL HOSPITAL and ANOTHER WORLD. I will always have a special place in my heart for Mary McKinnon and wish she could have played that role longer.

Damon L. Jacobs: Denise Alexander brought a calm intelligence to her roles that is rarely seen on daytime soaps today.  From the scheming unwed mother Susan on DAYS, to frantic Dr. Leslie on GH, to bewildered amnesiac Mary on AW, Alexander can take the most standard soap staples and turn them into Chekhov.  Perhaps if soaps focused more on the subtleties of human emotions, and less on special effects and weather disasters, then we may see more of Alexander's work today, and much healthier rating.

COMMENTS FROM CO-STARS/CO-WORKERS/INDUSTRY:
Kale Browne: (worked with Alexander on AW) What a champ. A real human, very smart and great to perform with. A terrific sense of humor and a wonderful actress.

Kin Shriner: (worked with Alexander on GH) Denise Alexander is a great, great lady who devoted her life to feeding animals. Great cause and great lady, I always had fun with her.

2 comments:

  1. Denise is one of a kind. She brings, as you said, intelligence to her roles, and was a seriously underrated factor in the ratings rise of DAYS and later GH. And she also brought a very mature sex appeal to soaps.

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  2. i remember denise from a twilight zone episode "third planet from the sun",she played jody the daughter of a scientist from another planet who steals a flying saucer with his wife and another couple to escape their planet which was going to destroy itself in a nuclear war.

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