Could you accept another Todd recast?

I don't know. Trevor is the whole reason I started watching OLTL. I had no interest in the show until I saw him. Actually, RH's Todd scared me off completely. I was watching North West afternoon around the time of the Miranda/Ace baby swap when I heard Cindy, the soap host talking about Trevor and she showed clips. I'd seen clips of him before and was intrigued but at the time, didn't have room on my plate for another soap. My fav. actor had left GH and I was considering picking up AMC, as I was dropping both GH and days. Anyway, to make a long story short, Cindy got me interested enough in Trevor that I checked out OLTL about a month after starting AMC. I've been a fan of Trevor's ever since. If RH came back as Todd, I don't think I'd stick around. I know he created the role of Todd and defined it, but I really don't think I'd keep watching if he was the one to come back. I'm just not a fan of his acting style. Watched him on ATWT for awhile 'cause I'd heard so much about him, but I just didn't care for Paul and wasn't a fan of RH's.

Accepting a recast of Todd would depend on who was playing him. Right now, there's just not a lot on OLTL that's interesting me. A couple of years ago, I loved most of the characters, or at least liked them. Now, it's pretty much the opposite. I love Todd, Téa, Viki and Todd's boys. I love Starr when she's away from Cole and I'm loving James. I don't have much interest in Jessica or Natalie anymore and I've never really liked Dorian. Langston is a character I've come to hate, alone with Marty. I was indifferent to John until he covered up Sam's kidnapping so M&M could keep Sam and it's been steadily downhill for him since then.

Right now, Trevor is keeping me watching.

Kral wrote:IA. Todd (and Tea) are really the only reason I continue to watch. There is nothing - literally NOTHING - else on the show that I am interested in. Not really. I used to like Jessica, but look at what they've done to her. Natalie and John, no! The teens, no! Rex and Gigi, hell no! Todd is the only thing the show has going for it.

Far as another Todd recast goes. If I knew that the show tried to move heaven and earth to keep Trevor, but he was just bent on leaving and couldn't be swayed to stay, then I would be open to the idea. But unfortunately I get the feeling that the show wouldn't try and move heaven and earth. They would make him an insulting offer and stick to it, and if he didn't accept it, they'd open the door for him.[/color]

See that's the thing, if TSJ leaves, how much would it have to do with him being fed up with his bosses nonsense (and not being made a decent enough offer to stick around) versus his just having an urge to move on? I'd be open to a recast if he left. but I would really prefer that he didn't.

What bothers me is that I know they move heaven and earth to keep certain actors, even while these actors leak that things aren't going well and they're ready to leave. I don't think TPTB realize what they have in Trevor and I really won't be happy if they do as you said, Chris, and offer him something really crappy, hoping he'll just leave. I just don't have much faith in OLTL when it comes to Trevor.

I am generally of the attitude that any character can be recast. And when I say any, I mean any. That being said, if I felt that the show still had years ahead of it, then perhaps I would be more open to the idea. With it being in its twilight, however, I have to say that if TSJ ever left, then it would be better to simply write the character out. No recast, and no revival of Roger Howarth either.

Kral wrote:If TSJ left the show by his OWN accord (he wasn't fired and they tried everything they could to keep him, but he was adamant about leaving) would you approve of them recasting Todd again?

Yes. As a rule, I have no problem with recasts. I'm 53 years old and I started watching as a young girl (because they were always on my television). Back then, recasts were the norm, not the exception. Recasts were expected, because young actors never stayed once they banked enough money to try for bigger and better things. Most of them didn't even put the soaps they acted in on their resumes. If you look at an extended cast list of every actor who worked on OLTL, you will see that many roles had a dozen recasts over their lifetimes. The earlier in the show's history, the more recasting was done.

As long as the casting department does a good job, recasting has never been traumatic for me. I actually liked Erika Sleza as Viki better than Gillian Spencer and Joanne Dorian. I liked all the Dorians; Nancy Pinkerton, Claire Malis, Dixie Carter, Elena Princi, and Robin Strasser. I liked Jamie Lee Parker and Steve Fletcher as bad boy Brad Vernon.

I supported TSJ as the Todd Recast. I would support another actor as the Todd Recast if he could find a way to revitalize the role the way TSJ first did. Although, I think he would eventually have the except same problem RH and TSJ did with the hack writers resorting to reducing Todd Manning from a complicated villain to a caricature who is more of a stupid plot device to move the action forward.

I'll admit I was disappointed with the way OLTL handled recasting Todd Manning. They should have had the balls to just do it rather than sneak TSJ into the role as Walker Lawrence. I the show wasn't sure they wanted TSJ in the role, how could they convince the viewers?

Call me old-fashioned, but the traditional voice over introducing the new actor playing the role was the only proper approach to recasting the role RH had vacated with TSJ. This may be fanciful on my part, but there is an order to it, an air of legality to it that would have sat better with the viewers. It would have made TSJ look less like a usurper and more like a legitimate replacement.

If TSJ leaves the role and RH does not return to claim it, then I hope that there is a voice over announcing, "The role of Todd Manning will now be played by ________ _________."

I never say never because I thought no one could replace RH as Todd, but boy was I wrong.TSJ took the role and owned it. If he left solely because he so chose, and was not pushed out I would wait and see because what would the show be without Todd?

stavdash wrote: With it being in its twilight, however, I have to say that if TSJ ever left, then it would be better to simply write the character out. No recast, and no revival of Roger Howarth either.

I agree with this. Great point(s)! Since I started in watching 1998, I have been a Todd fan first while liking and caring about other characters but Todd Manning always was the one most important and entertaining to me. Yet, the writing was so much better back then that even while RH left those couple times, the show was still interesting and good enough to keep me tuned in. TSJ then came on board, I enjoyed Walker and then was rocked by the revelation he was Todd, but TSJ was so amazing he earned his place as "my Todd now." LOL. Fast forward to today, I am now though not just a fan of Trevor's because he plays Todd, but his talent as an actor OVERALL.

Ever since Malone left again and Higley and RC have tried in their different ways to work with Todd's character, well obviousily it has been problematic and far from perfect, that it has been a frustrating ride for this Todd fan, but TSJ has saved it there for me from being a total turn-off. Needless to say, I am not diehard Todd fan as I once was, but I still love watching TREVOR, if that makes sense. I believe it's that way with many viewers, I have come across many other fellow posters on other boards such as for AMC, and many who were once "show fans" are now "character fans" or "couple fans" "actor/actress fans" -viewers who tune in for that one last remaining redeeming feature of the soap for them. Soap writers these days make it really difficult for us sometimes to really get interested or invested in MANY or an abundant amount of different characters and diverse character-driven SL's-because, well, they mostly even cease to exist anymore! Other once, rather complex and multi-faceted characters similar to those as Todd Manning have been reduced to none other than the heavy used to carry out the plot.

One of the ONLY few reasons why Todd still works is because of Trevor's ability to still make viewers care for his character, to still "pull" for the character he portrays to make it through. As of the present his Todd Manning is the "underdog"- going up against most of the town, who still blame him for crimes when he doesn't commit them. Trevor also plainly keeps him entertaining. He's also in TnT, which IMHO actually works for him as a pairing for many reasons.

So, to think after how many problems alone Trevor has had to deal with into stepping such a complicated character that comes with baggage such as Todd Manning, I feel sorry for ANY old fool who would even want to as well at this juncture! After being insanely hated on from RH fanatic groups, dealing with those Blairians who wanted him fired because of Tangeline, having to deal with upset and angry viewers cause of Tarty thanks to the stupida** writers and network, after all of that which TSJ has had to deal with, I think most SMART actors with some common-sense would run as fast away in the other direction. The writers have messed with the Todd character so much, that SIMPLY PUT, soon it will be time for everyone to just cut their losses.


With the state this show is in, whenever TSJ's last day will be pretty much my last as well. He'll be free, I'll be free, and finally it will RIP Todd Manning.

Kral wrote:If TSJ left the show by his OWN accord (he wasn't fired and they tried everything they could to keep him, but he was adamant about leaving) would you approve of them recasting Todd again?

Probably not. It was hard enough making adjustment to Trevor. He won me over, and I am real doubtful of buying a 3rd Todd Manning.

when trevor goes i will weep because lightining doesn't strike thrice and his chemistry with FL is off the charts!