News Round-up

Sad DAYS, Indeed: A Fond Farewell to John and Marlena
It's the end of an era, as daytime television says goodbye to DAYS OF OUR LIVES' John Black and Dr. Marlena Evans today. Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall, aka John and "Doc," have nearly 12,000 Days appearances between them over the past 32 years.

Oscar nominee Melissa Leo on her time at AMC as Linda Warner
"When I went on ALL MY CHILDREN in 1984," she recounts, "there were people who said, 'Oh, a soap opera,' but I said, 'Wait a minute: This is an incredibly important employer in our field -- actors, crew people. And you get to practice your acting every day. Every day.' And all I tried to do every day was take what was sometimes innocuous dialogue and be truthful with it. Make it real."

OTALIA: Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.
"Fans could probably note the sexual tension between the two, which came to a head when the friends returned home and discussed what the other parents had most likely "been thinking," which culminates in a kiss."

PFLAG Plays Prayers Host
The long awaited Lifetime Networks premiere of Prayers for Bobby is Saturday and PFLAG is hosting the parties. The official PFLAG viewing party is being held in Washington, D.C. After the movie, Scott Bailey (ex-Sandy, GUIDING LIGHT), who plays David, Bobby's boyfriend, will be available to answer questions.

Soap opera actors with two nannies?
Leslie Gornstein, E!'s saucy "Answer Bitch" columnist, is releasing a how-to manual for being a celebrity, "The A-List Playbook," on Feb. 22. When asked if some celebrities really have three nannies for one kid, she responsed:

"Soap opera actors have two. That's an average. But yes, three nannies is considered -- now of course there's the principle of economy, so if you have more than one kid it doesn't grow exponentially from there. It's not like you have three kids and nine nannies, but yes according to interviews -- all the facts in the book are real. Everything is researched from real stuff. So you may see something that is told in a cute way -- because I can't help it -- but it is all real. I'm a reporter. Sure there are a lot of jokes, but it's all based on real world stuff."

Paulette Attie, Singer, Actress, and Author, Dies
Her TV appearances included roles on LOVE OF LIFE, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, ALL MY CHILDREN and GENERAL HOSPITAL.