Sunday, December 6, 2009

FLASHBACK: Susan Seaforth Hayes Dropped From DAYS Cast 1992

Susan Hayes Dropped From DAYS Cast

by Lynda Hirsch
Daily News of Los Angeles
December 13, 1992

Last week DAYS OF OUR LIVES executive producer Ken Corday informed Susan Hayes that her services would no longer be needed. According to Hayes, who called us last week, "Julie's story has been told. It's on to the next generation." Hayes' last scheduled appearance will be during the second week in January.

"I really didn't want to go," said Hayes. "I appreciate the fans and the kindness they've shown me. I'll miss my Salem family. I asked Ken if they could rethink the situation and even made several offers."

Those offers included a cut in salary and a cut in appearances on the show. She also asked Corday if she might have a meeting with the show's new co-head writer, Jim Rielly. "Ken said he would make the suggestion that he would like to keep me on, but it was the writers and network's decision. A week after our meeting I went back to Ken and he told me the writers felt there was no need to meet with me."

While everyone credits Luke and Laura (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis) of GENERAL HOSPITAL with giving daytime its credibility, they're wrong. Luke and Laura certainly helped garner magnificent ratings for daytime, however, mainstream media first took note of daytime when Time magazine did a story with Susan Hayes gracing the cover.

Hayes would be the first to admit that daytime, especially DAYS OF OUR LIVES, has been very, very good to her. After all, she met her real-life husband, Bill Hayes, on DAYS when they were playing star-crossed lovers Doug and Julie.

Her mother, Elizabeth Harrower, has served as a dialogue writer on DAYS and on YOUNG AND RESTLESS. For a time Hayes appeared on Y&R as Lauren Fenmore's mother. When we asked what her plans were, she said in typical Susan-like humor, "I'll just hone my other skills. I'm very good at ironing shirts. I'll learn to do a better job."

While there's nothing wrong with ironing shirts, Hayes is far too talented an actress to do anything but act for a living.

Other news from DAYS OF OUR LIVES has Patsy Pease being recast in the role of Kimberly. Pease, as you know, recently returned to the show and has been playing three characters.

1 comment:

  1. Great pick. The loss of "Julie" was no less profound than the loss of "Marlena". The soap continued (even succeeded), but it showed that Days was willing to sacrifice anyone--even back then. I guess that dismissal broke the final link with Bill Bell's 1960s version.

    My one quibble is claiming that Doug and Julie earned the "first" mainstream media attention. Irna Phillips was featured in Time in 1940 (albeit not on the cover), and James Thurber wrote a famous series of articles on radio serials for The New Yorker.

    Soaps have drifted in and out of media consciousness always. Roger, your own media campaign (regarding the Nuke kissing drought) got international attention....as did the Drake and Dee firing. A few years ago, AMC's "Zarf" got huge attention.

    Interestingly, this attention appears to be--in the modern era--irrelevant for viewership.

    ReplyDelete