How Does a Soap Opera Lure the Famous?
Filed under: Casting, Home Entertainment
Usually, soap operas provide the gateway to bigger gigs. One could go on and on about the big-time names that popped up in the overly dramatic worlds of the soaps. Brad Pitt was in Another World; Kevin Bacon drank a lot on Guiding Light; Leonardo DiCaprio spent time on Santa Barbara; and Meg Ryan dealt with life As the World Turns. General Hospital alone let loose Demi Moore, Rick Springfield, John Stamos, Jack Wagner, and Mark Hamill. And now the famous hospital in Port Charles is attracting Hollywood talent.Collective jaws dropped yesterday as word hit that James Franco would be picking up a guest spot on the popular ABC soap General Hospital. We're not talking a 1-off appearance. SoapNet reports that he'll start on November 20 and be there for a number of weeks, making life difficult for Jason Morgan. But that's not the kicker. They claim Franco was the one who came up with the idea. (Although that could just be misinterpreting a quote expressing the surprise that someone of his "caliber would choose to spend some of his valuable time" on the soap.)
None of this makes sense. There's been a lot of chatter about the struggles of soap operas these days, so it's not exactly an irresistible sort of gig. While the economy is bad, Franco has been busy with a lot of projects, so he can't be strapped for cash. So what makes a popular Hollywood actor decide to (maybe) approach a soap opera and sign on for a pretty long stint? There has been mention of Franco having the same manager as Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), but that's a pretty weak reason.
Are we witnessing a new, and baffling, trend?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2009 @ 7:25PM
anonymous said...
I heard two different explanations for Franco's decision. The first was that Franco wanted to do it for the acting challenge. Supposedly soap opera's tape a lot of scenes with minimal rehearsal and little time for the actors to learn their lines. But I also heard that he was doing it for research for some upcoming project or something like that. Both explanations sound semi-plausable since its just a short term run and he is obviously not desperate for work.
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10-02-2009 @ 5:26PM
aeromunch said...
When I read that, I took it that he probably had some attachment to the show (watched it every summer with mom growing up or some such) so decided to go on it just for kicks. I get a feeling that Spider-Man alone has given him more money than he knows what to do with.
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10-02-2009 @ 5:42PM
greatone said...
Maybe Franco doesn't have a negative opinion of soap operas as most people do. Most prime time drama on TV are just soap operas shown in a different time slot. Shows like Grey's Anatomy, 90210(anything on the WB), Ugly Betty, Heroes (soap opera with people who have superpower), etc. are not that much different than soap operas. Several movie stars have appeared in prime time tv shows so I don't see difference in taking a role in a soap opera.
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10-02-2009 @ 6:27PM
Amy said...
If I remember correctly, this kind of disdain was given to shows on cable, yet we see film stars gravitating there and not losing any credibility or respect by becoming a tv star.
The irony is that the soap actor must learn 30 pages of dialogue, sometimes overnight, and are expected to film a perfect first take. A film star has multiple takes to film a few pages of dialogue.
Perhaps Franco is trailblazing a new trend and will help redefine the genre.
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10-04-2009 @ 2:22AM
roman said...
Either he's a big fan (doubtful) or he's dating someone involved with the show. But when has this guy ever played by the rules.
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10-04-2009 @ 8:03PM
Riley Freeman said...
I dont get why this is such a big deal. maybe he just enjoys the show?
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10-08-2009 @ 2:00AM
Rama said...
It's because he's James Frigging France and he's awesome!
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