Friday, December 18, 2009

FLASHBACK: World Turning Fast For Teenage Star 1986

World turning fast for teenage star

By John N. Goudas
Toronto Star
December 8, 1986

NEW YORK - Martha Byrne is definitely one of the best teenage actresses currently working in soaps. The 16-year-old plays rich girl Lily Walsh in CBS' AS THE WORLD TURNS and fans have responded to her in a big way.

The current storyline finds Byrne's Lily involved with Brian Bloom's Dusty and Jon Hensley's Holden, and young viewers would give anything to change places with her. Byrne admits that some girlfriends who visited her at work were more interested in meeting her male co-stars than talking to her.

Byrne has been playing Lily for 18 months, having taken over the role from Lucy Deakins, who made Lily more of a tomboy. "Actually, I had auditioned for the part of Lily before but Lucy Deakins got it. Lucy played it like a tomboy, which is what they wanted. However, when Lucy decided to leave, they looked at the tapes of the other actresses who auditioned and called me in. I really didn't understand why because I didn't fit the tomboy image. I learned that they wanted Lily to change her image and start acting more like a young lady on the brink of becoming a woman."

Viewers saw Lily go from a confused adolescent to a determined young woman in the 18 months Byrne has been with the show.

Before coming to AS THE WORLD TURNS, Byrne made two movies and spent two years on the Broadway stage in the musical "Annie."

"When I was 10, I auditioned along with hundreds of other kids for the role of Annie in the Broadway musical. I was among the finalists but I didn't get it. Allison Smith (currently playing Jane Curtin's daughter in KATE & ALLIE) got the part and I was asked to play one of the orphans. Allison and I lived three houses away from each other and I've known her ever since kindergarten. We would go to the theatre together every night and it was such a great time in both our lives."

Channel chatter

Susan Lucci has been a fixture for years on ALL MY CHILDREN, playing the popular and oft-married Erica. Not only is she daytime's highest paid actress, but year after year she is given the juiciest storyline to show her stuff - the envy of many a daytime star.

Her recent foray into prime time with such TV movies as Invitation To Hell, Mafia Princess and Anastasia: The Mystery Of Anna (which concludes tonight) might lead one to think she is going to leave ALL MY CHILDREN.

Christmas has always been a festive time on soaps, where soap families gather around the tree to sing carols and exchange gifts. This scene will take on new meaning when the SEARCH FOR TOMORROW cast celebrates the Yuletide on their show, since the long-running soap will close up shop on Dec. 26.

Plot portents

Matthew tries to explain to a disbelieving Rachel that Mitch saved him on ANOTHER WORLD. Vince is arrested on his return to Bay City. Brittany cracks under the pressures from both Peter and Catlin.

John receives an early Christmas present on RYAN'S HOPE. Siobhan and Max have a lot of reconciling to do. Delia and Maggie have a wild melee.

Mona calls to say that Dr. Charles Tyler has died on ALL MY CHILDREN. Jeremy is released from jail and is rebuffed by Erica. Nina and Cliff decide to remarry.

Jamie escapes, shoots Pete O'Neil, and later turns himself in to the authorities on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Viki has temporary amnesia and thinks Tom is Joe Riley. Brad and Connie get married in Pete's hospital room.

The judge threatens Malcolm not to tell the McCleary brothers what Hobbs had told him on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Sunny rejects Bela's plea that they get together.

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