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Martha Byrne Exits As the World Turns
Martha Byrne by Robert Voets/CBS
This totally sucks. Procter & Gamble has confirmed that two-time Emmy winner Martha Byrne will soon exit As the World Turns. Other websites are reporting that the fan fave — who plays Lily Snyder — nixed an insulting offer to re-sign her contract. Not so, claims the soap’s executive producer Chris Goutman. “We made Martha an incredibly generous offer in hopes that she would remain a valuable member of the ATWT cast,” Goutman says in a statement. “Unfortunately, Martha has decided to leave despite our best efforts to keep her.”
Those close to the situation swear that’s no baloney. “When Goutman says ‘generous,’ he means it — the offer was generous by anyone’s standards,” insists one longtime staffer. “I don’t know what else the show could have done for Martha.”
The actress, who is still taping episodes, will be off the air by April. Word is, a recast is likely. —Michael Logan
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Feb 29, 2008 2:13 PM
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how do you re-cast Lily? She's been on the show since she was a little girl! I feel sorry for any actress with the daunting task of filling Martha's shoes.
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Feb 29, 2008 2:54 PM
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Wow. That's a huge loss among a bunch of huge losses on that have been happening on that show lately...
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Feb 29, 2008 3:00 PM
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We've been hearing Jon Hensley is leaving too - if he is, I don't understand why they wouldn't just send Lily and Holden off together.
I love Lily, and Martha Byrne, but I have to admit, a break for the character might be a good thing. Lily has been spinning her wheels for the last several years.
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Feb 29, 2008 3:08 PM
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Can't remember the actress' name, but the last recast of Lily didn't turn out well if memory serves and Martha was soon back.
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Feb 29, 2008 3:13 PM
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No! This sucks! They can't recast Lily. They did once and it was horrible. My favorite show has gone so downhill. There will be no one left soon except the characters/actors that make me use the fast forward feature on the DVR. As it is now, I watch the show in about 10 minutes.
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Feb 29, 2008 4:27 PM
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Dayum! I don't even watch ATWT and I think this stinks!! That's like replacing Susan Lucci, Erika Slezak or Tony Geary...impossible!!!
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Feb 29, 2008 4:34 PM
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Well, the recast worked SO well last time (Heather Rattray? or however you spell it). [/sarcasm]
Good luck to Martha. I've watched her forever. I'll miss Lilly but I agree with the above poster who said that Lilly has been spinning her wheels for a while now.
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Feb 29, 2008 4:59 PM
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Fire Goutman Now!!!!
I think she is a great actress. Her sls sometimes suck but she's not the writer. Maybe she's asking for a better sl. I hope susan haskil isn't a recast because that would be beyond horrible. We need a strong lily with a great sl but that is probably too much to ask for with these writers who keep writing Lily as a victim, or drug abuser. (pathetic character via current, pathetic writing.)
Furthermore,
Now that Goutman is a reason yet another great actor is gone, I think its time that we get his _ _ _ _ fired. I heard his job was on the line. We need to complain big time. Not just about Martha Byrne leaving, but the exodus of others who have been fired, the sls that don't make much sense, the fact that most of our favorite women characters are dumbed down, slutted up, and victimized and don't even mention how they've messed up Luke and Noah. I don't want anything less than the firing of Goutman who is destroying our great show. Though Hogan Sheffer didn't do well at DOOL, I think he could bring our show back to where it once was and maybe as both EP and Head Writer. I hope others will join me in this campaign to rid our show of this man. I plan on going to other ATWT chat rooms and asking the same. I hope everyone else will do the same.
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Feb 29, 2008 5:07 PM
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Hmmm, but WHY is Martha leaving? Does she want a break? Is she disgusted by what's been done to her character and/or the show lately? Okay, the actress seems too gracious for sour grapes but......At least it seems to be her choice and she wasn't unceremonioulsy dumped the way Scott Bryce was (what a waste) AND the writers aren't killing off her character the way they did Dusty so even if the show does a recast, Martha could ultimately return. I've watched ATWT (off and on, I admit) since she was a teenager and it was the Lily/Holden/Dusty triangle. Sigh--do I feel nostalgic.
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Feb 29, 2008 5:18 PM
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Oh this sucks!
Lily/Martha Byrne is one of the main stars on this show!
Heather Rattray is who also has played Lily. She was Lily when I started watching ATWT in 1991. She was great but Martha IS Lily for me.
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Feb 29, 2008 5:48 PM
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martha has left a few times and come back. they almost always come back.
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Feb 29, 2008 6:07 PM
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Sad news.
This show has lost too many key players, and fired the wrong ones that could have become key players.
I hope they don't lose the ratings momentum they've gained the past year.
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Feb 29, 2008 6:26 PM
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You've done it again.First Scott
and now Martha.So much has changed.
Story lines are a
mess.Couples switching parners
as fast as people
change underware,
gay encounters,and so on. I'm bummed out. Bob
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Feb 29, 2008 6:29 PM
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It's about time. MB is a lousy actress that kept Lily a loser for years. MB wanted the moon and it was denied her. So in true Lily fashion, she's running away. Good riddance brat. When Heather Rattay played Lily for awhile, the character was alive and worthy of screentime. BUT, MB came back and took the character back to her pathetic ways. I'm thrilled. Good news comes infrequently, but this has made my day!
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Feb 29, 2008 6:43 PM
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