Thursday, January 14, 2010

50 Greatest Soap Actresses: #30 Victoria Wyndham

NAME: Victoria Wyndham
RANK: 30
SOAP ROLES: Rachel Cory, ANOTHER WORLD (1972-1999); Charlotte Waring (1967-1970)

AWARDS:
1986 Soap Opera Digest Awarn nomination for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor/Actress to the Form of Continuing Drama who is currently on a Daytime Serial
1979 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
1978 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Thom Racina: (wrote for Wyndham on AW) Utterly unique, so talented, so willing to take risks and chances, she made the writing process (which often can be hell) worth it.

Connie Passalacqua Hayman (Marlena De Lacroix): Vicky Wyndham and Connie Ford. Real women, real intelligence, amazing acting a deux as the moody Rachel and her blunt talking seamstress mother Ada on ANOTHER WORLD.

Roger Newcomb: Wyndham stepped into a role made famous by Robin Strasser and made it her own. The relationship between Rachel and Mac was very special to me and Wyndham's mix of moxie and vulnerability as Rachel was pitch perfect.

Damon L. Jacobs: Ms. Wyndham defined the elegance, class, and dignity which demonstrated what a true soap heroine could embody.  She always made the plots on ANOTHER WORLD seem very much like they could be happening in THIS world, no matter how outlandish they became.  Rachel Cory was one of the inspiring characters of daytime I could turn to when I was having problems in my own life.  Even if I wasn't having the same exact conflicts, I could identify with the never-give-up fighter spirit that Rachel personified, and that helped me figure out what to do when I was struggling.  She may no longer be on our screens, but Rachel lives on every time we hope and dream for another world of our own.  It is a tribute to Wyndham's legacy that the daytime landscape still has a such void without her. 

COMMENTS FROM CO-STARS/CO-WORKERS/INDUSTRY:
Kale Browne: (worked with Wyndham on AW) Always on top of her game, very funny, and VERY big hair. Oh, wait...now that I think about it, I watched some old episodes on YouTube...we all had big hair back then.

Sandra Robinson: (worked with Wyndham on AW) I always think of Victoria as a particularly strong influence on me at the start of my career. I was drawn to her confidence and her ability to command a room ( or a set! LOL). She has a fantastic quirky fun side to her personality, too, which endeared her to me forever!

8 comments:

  1. Victoria Wyndham -- I could not take my eyes off her! Her Rachel was pure fire and pure ice, all in one body and soul. I loved when Rachel would turn against someone. She actually scared me. Yet she was a fierce mama bear and true friend. She was a complex character and the years AW showcased her were their best.

    The little catch in her voice when she would cry also moved me. It's stayed with me, years after AW's passing.

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  2. Without a doubt one of the best! A class act all the way. It's a crime that she never won a daytime Emmy award. Her partnership with Douglass Watson was a true Daytime Gold Mine - the chemistry between them was raw yet magical and has not been matched by any couple on Daytime TV since. Victoria Wyndham will always be at the top of the list for me for THE greatest Soap Actress of all time.

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  3. She was the reason I watched Another World.. I just happened to tune in, and it was during the Mac/Rachel/Iris triangle and I was soooo intrigued with Rachel, a quality I can't put into words. Powerful, genuine and hard working

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  4. Victoria Wyndham was the guest on an April 15, 2010 edition of blogtalkradio. The focus of the interview is pursuing new career opportunities. Following the cancellation of Another World, Ms. Wyndham turned her attention to the visual arts including a stint as a student at UCLA.

    Now back on the East Coast, Ms. Wyndham is pursuing her artistic passions through painting, sculpting and mixed media. This is a must listen for all Another World fans. There is also a reference to an upcoming exhibit and an appearance with Charles Keating.

    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/silas-kain/2010/04/16/acting-art-discovering-your-passion--a-conversatio

    Link to Ms. Wyndham's artistic work, including a striking self-portrait and images of Mr. Keating.

    www.wyndhamstudios.com

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  5. Your list of the Top 50 Actors in Daytime prompts me to request a reevaluation of Victoria Wyndham's standing on this list. Ms. Wyndham's Another World acting partners Charles Keating, Douglass Watson and David Canary all made the top 10. There is something to be said about an actress who more than held her own with these acting giants, not to mention the late, greats Beverlee McKinsey and Constance Ford. Just watch the scene between Ms. Wyndham's Rachel with Linda Dano's character of Felicia during the latter's alcohol intervention storyline. Ms. Wyndham should be in your top 10!

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  7. Definitely should be in Top 10. Always gave a realistic performance, made you feel you really knew her characters, whether chief villainess on Guiding Light or chief heroine on Another World. Wyndham should be acknowledged for her dynamic and riveting work in the '60s and '70s. This actress defines "pro."

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  8. Should be number one. She was the central character on AW. Wish she'd show up on another show or movie.

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