Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050015
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY M. REICHARDT
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
AMC is celebrating its 25th anniversary with special episodes this week that revolve around the newly rebuilt home of Joe and Ruth Martin, played by original cast members Ray MacDonnell and Mary Fickett, which had been destroyed in a tornado this past summer. Nineteen former cast members will join in the housewarming. Carol Burnett will reprise her role as Verla Grubbs and will be joined by Diet Coke hunk and model Lucky Vanous.
Burnett will also host the 25th anniversary prime time special airing on Jan. 15, and ABC has released a coffee-table book, ``All My Children: The Complete Family Scrapbook,'' to commemorate the event.
Nixon refers to her vision as ``the real world of make believe.'' It allows her to blend larger than life characters with those enmeshed in day to day reality. The four remaining original cast members - Susan Lucci (who plays Erica Kane), Ruth Warrick (who plays Phoebe Tyler Wallingford), MacDonnell and Fickett - highlight both ends of the spectrum. Warrick and Lucci play characters drawn in broad strokes while MacDonnell and Fickett live in a world akin to a viewer's own.
Lucci is probably the most well-known actress in daytime. She says her ability to keep her character fresh for 25 years is simply that she loves Erica.
Fickett, who won the first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement by an Individual in Daytime Drama (1972-73), has two favorite storylines.
``The Vietnam story we did when Ruth's son was over there opened my eyes, says the actress. I had a dynamite speech that won me the Emmy. I also loved my late-in-life pregnancy story. People sent me pictures of their wonderful children who had Down's syndrome. That will always touch me.''
Fickett adds, ``I've come to terms with not having a storyline, and know Ruth is important to the framework of the show. I took myself off contract so my appearances could be more than contractual obligations.''
Warrick relished the high drama of playing her character during the days when Phoebe drank. She also loved the humanizing of her character by chauffeur Benny Sago, played by Larry Fleischman, in what was originally intended to be a three-day role.
``I think it would be marvelous if Phoebe owned a football team,'' says Warrick. ``Think of all that interaction.''
MacDonnell felt most challenged when his character got emotionally involved with an abused wife.
For the future, MacDonnell says, ``I'd like to see Joe involved in a moral dilemma at the hospital - to see what a virtuous man would do when asked to perhaps tolerate some kind of incompetence in exchange for a new wing at the hospital.''
It was Lucci who summed it all up when she said, ``Whatever happens, I'm sure the best is yet to come.''
Send your questions about soap operas to Nancy Reichardt, ``Tune in Tomorrow,'' in care of the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491. Questions cannot be answered personally, but those of general interest will be answered
United Feature Syndicate
by CNB