So a long-standing, popular GH Actor jumps ship and leaves some fans scratching their heads and others...well others are just plain pissed off. Some see it as an actor's right to do what he wants. For me, it's a case of follow the hand that feeds you best. Godspeed, Mr. Burton, God Speed.
Some of the brew-ha-ha started on twitter where Steve said he was leaving "soaps" to spend time with his family in Nashville. He actually eluded to Jill Phelps "collaborations" in one of his interviews. A mini-series or something. It was predictable. I personally don't care, think it's his choice but he REALLY screwed with his fan base on this. Most people covering soaps knew the score and said as much, but he acted like he wanted OUT and was going to live in Nashville in harmony with his family forever. Totally his choice-- and I understand the way he did it from a business standpoint.
However, a large percentage of soap fans hate this sort of shit with a passion. Not only did he leave the show at the height of the "JaSam and Baby Reunion"..he left when GH was on an UPSWING. Ratings for the show have climbed all year. Y&R..eh, not so much.
JFP has let so many people go from the show it's a head spinner. We all know the damage done on GH during the she Guza/Frons reign. One would wonder what Y&R is going to look like in another year.
Excepts from his Exit Interview:
"I’m going to take some time off and do nothing but relax, just enjoy life a little bit with my wife and kids. I’ve bought a home in Tennessee, way out in the country outside Nashville."
Project with Franco and Phelps: “It’s looking great. Jill went off and did that telenovela Hollywood Heights [at Nickelodeon] and James did a day’s work there. Suddenly he decides he wants to make one of his own novellas through his production company and we’re like, “Huh?” So the three of us collaborated on an idea and came up with a really good one. Jill will EP it, I’ll produce and star in it and so will James. We’ll be able to get a lot of great cameos and guest stars because of James’ connections. It’ll be a fun show to do.”
Would he go to Y&R? “Listen, Jill is one of my dearest friends. [Laughs] I’m never going to say never because , as soon as I do, I’ll be popping up over there! Here’s the thing: As cool as it was to know I had a nice, cushy place to go every day with GH, I think it’s going to be just as cool to not have a nice, cushy place to go every day. I like not knowing what’s next for a change. I’m jumping off a cliff in a total leap of faith.”
So..there you have it. He was cagey-- and many of us bloggers wrote we were pretty sure he'd make a switch to Y&R.
He COULD just be announcing the novella collaboration with Franco. Or maybe he's going to farm goats. But I doubt it.
Burton's "exciting announcement" will be on THE TALK, which ironically airs opposite GH on CBS. Which is also home to The Young and the Restless.
I don't watch Y&R, even when Genie and Tristan were there, I couldn't get into it. So, if he's there, won't change a thing for the Wubs. Do you watch? If you don't, will you watch because SBu is there? What do you think about how he handled all this?
Other HUGE questions:
Will he a have his black tshirt clause in his contract?
WHAT IS THE FATE FOR the band 'PORT CHUCK' ??????? :giggle:
Will any other GHers follow? Hmmm. that's something to ponder, eh?
Good Article....Very well said
ReplyDeleteJason was my favorite character on GH, and I always had a great deal of respect for Steve. He has a right to work where he wishes, but I don't like the way he did this, saying he was going to TN, and then going to a rival show. He left at an awkward time for GH.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I never could get into YR. I won't follow him.
Jason was my favorite character on GH, and I always had a great deal of respect for Steve. He has a right to work where he wishes, but I don't like the way he did this, saying he was going to TN, and then going to a rival show. He left at an awkward time for GH.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I never could get into YR. I won't follow him.
Everyone wins. SB phone din his perfs the last decade, Jason Morgan was a dull, dead weight character, and GH is better since he left. If he's happy, everybody wins.
ReplyDeleteI always loved Jason. I think he probably got bored with the role. IMO, when he was in the last coma, they should have had him wake up with Jason Quartermaine memories. It would have provided him with more interesting material than taking care of Sonny & his family. He could have reconnected with the Q's, they could have fast-tracked him thru medical school (lol), and gosh, maybe he could have gotten a new wardrobe out it!
ReplyDeleteIf he chose to leave, that's his decision to make. But I agree, if he's just heading over to Y&R, I don't agree with the answers he gave in the interview. Maybe it was an inside trade .... Sean for Steve, one Q for another, lol.
I don't think SB lied. I think there's a lot he couldn't say about what happened during the contract negotiations.He's a smart man. He's not going to bad talk FV or RC. That's a great way to get blacklisted in the soap world.Beside not getting the cushy contract he wanted, I'm guessing he wasn't happy about the direction his character was written. He's enjoyed being top dog for a long time. Once he got married the emasculation of JM began. Egads, Garin Wolf had the hit man dressed in Hawaiian shirts and Keds while stringing shell necklaces on his honeymoon. IMO it was downhill for his character from there.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't lie about his future plans. He did what he said he was going to do. He was going to take off 3 months to be with the family..He did that. Then after that he would see what was out there. He never said no to joining YR. It was obvious that eventually he'd end up there. He and Jill are good friends and he's available. So why not. I'm confused by some of the hate being thrown his way from some of his "loyal fanbase". I can understand being disappointed that your couple is over but to send him ugly tweets is uncalled for.
I'm excited to see him as someone other then Jason Morgan. The man can act...although you wouldn't know it considering the crap he's had to work with all these years. YR is a powerhouse of talent. He will have to bring his A game. I can't wait.
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ReplyDeleteYou said it best here, he had the right to chose, but It was a terrible thing for GH and the fans. I said this from the very beginning, no one is indespensible, I want the Jason character back, find the right actor. I wont watch Y&R simply because he is on it. I just dont like the soap.
ReplyDeleteSteve was my favorite and if he got bored with the show i'm sure he had enough pull to speak up. Jason was sort of turning into a wimp with doing sonnys bidding all the time. I was hoping he would man up and go on his own with a security company or just chill with sam. I blame GH for not making jason more interesting. He was gorgeous in that T-Shirt but once in awhile i would like to have seen him smile for heavens sake.
ReplyDeleteGH was his job and, like most people in their jobs, you hit a certain age and you want to see what else you can do. He likely had sour feelings because of contracts. Why not take time off, he can afford it, and then get another job elsewhere? He's not the owner of the character, GH can replace him, I think it wouldn't be that difficult, if they really wanted to keep the character. But Jason Morgan, despite being one of my favorites, had become one-note. Probably he was just done in his mind at GH. And figures the door will always be open there because of the character's popularity and he's right. It's not his fault how they wrote the end, a reunion and then they kill him off. And now he's barely mentioned. I agree with the above poster, had they had better story, like maybe he regains JQ memories, the storyline may have been better but I don't think he'd have stayed. I think he just wanted to spread his wings. As for following him to Y&R, I don't think people will. I loved Genie, Stephen Nichols, and a slew of others they brought in but the show isn't the type I like so I won't watch it. It's "old fashioned" in it's stories and not exciting to me. I've tried it and none of those favorites have made me stay more than a week. I LOVED Jason, but Steve is just an actor, not his character, and I'm not invested in him one way or another.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to Steve Burton. Maybe he can show what kind of actor he really is in a new role -- he doesn't have to mimic Maurice Benard's nervous tics anymore or continue to mail it in out of boredom. I also hope his new job allows him to play an age-appropriate character now that he's middle aged.
ReplyDeleteI watch Y and R and I like it. It was great to watch an interesting show, especially when GH was on a downswing. However, I fear for it since JFP took over.
ReplyDeleteSteve wanted out of GH, probably because he was not the center of the show anymore. He was on a couple of times a week, not all day everyday. I'm sure he did not like that, and surprise, surprise less Jason and Sonny and the mob AND the ratings went UP!.
ReplyDeleteWhen he was negotiating his contract, they offered less money, and wouldn't guarantee air time. He did not take it. I think he was planning to go to Y&R as soon as JFP went there. As an actor you want to be on the show that is going to showcase you and GH was not heading in that direction. JFP designed a show around SBu in the past and I bet that within 6 months Steve will be in lead story of Y&R.
I understand why GH fans are upset, but people have to realize that actors are not really invested in their own storylines like the fans. Steve really could not care if Jasam or Liason had any sort of reunion. It is work for them.
I do understand taken a job that offers you more money or leading role in Y&R. But i really feel betrayed as a fan because he finally left when Sam and the baby united.I just felt the story was left short and without any conculsion.
ReplyDeleteI just believe that he betrayed his fan base but regardless i do wish him the best. Hopefully, he will suck in Y&R AND return back to General hospital...
Andrea, I agree with you!Besides moving to Nashville for his family, which he has said he wanted to do for years, I think he was unsatisfied with the fact that his character was outside the major Sonny/jerry jacks storyline. He was back into the jasam/liason war. He has always been vocal about loving the sonny/jason mob storylines.It allowed him the chance to do action/tough guy scenes. The sonny/jacks/infect port charles saw him outside that loop with shawn being sonny's right hand. New characters were front and center. It's not surprising that he felt htis was the time to explore new opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI feel Rebecca Herbst should too. She had to put on twitter that she wasn't leaving GH as fans think. Recent article reveals that she thinks fans thought that because of comments she made at a fan event about shows they would like to see her in. I thought she's out because she has no storyline but as a support for Sabrina. If your status has fallen to being a supporting character for a new character on the show, well, for me, the writings on the wall.
Anyway , I am a Y&R fan for years, and feel JFP will destroy it like she nearly did to GH.I am surprised Steve hasn't tried to get on the show Nashville. It wouldn't surprise me if Scott Reeves tried for Nashville since he sings country music as well.
I just think it's a shame that he left so suddenly, thus leaving Rebecca Herbst and Kelly Monaco at a loss for story. They were really building a big quadrangle with Jason, Sam, Elizabeth, and John and then it all went to pieces. I really hope they recast Jason. With AJ in the picture now, there are so many storyline potentials.
ReplyDeleteI love GH again after JFP made it totally unwatchable for me. After not watching (but just following your blog Karen) I am watching every day. When I stopped watching GH I started watching Y&R again. I really enjoyed the financial intrigue (even if Victor wins all the time, another story). Since she has taken over, it is a TOTALLY different soap. She's fired vets, brought on people I don't care about, and of course immediately made Jack a drug addict who maybe killed a prostitute. What??? I always liked Steve Burton, but I see his addition as another way she is killing Y&R.
ReplyDeleteI think i would have been happier about this move for Steve if they had tied up the JaSam story line a little better..too many things was left up in the air so i feel cheated...As for Steve's move he's allowed to take his career where he feels is best however when i found out i was a little confused cause i thought he quit because he was done with soaps and wanted to be with his family more..he's entitled to change his mind but he did it so fast and that's why i think his fans are pissed..I wish him nothing but the best over at Y&R but i won't follow, i just can't get into that soap.
ReplyDelete