ATWT: Andy Dixon
DJ
Okay, summer is over. I get the tv, remote, and vcr back to myself. I have
some serious catching up to do! First of all, THANK YOU all for your wonderful
post, updates, and comments!
Question: whatever was the "real life" scoop for firing the actor who played
Andy Dixon? Was there a controversy on the set, or was it also for
"storyline purposes" (because if it was for storyline, I don't get the story)???
Where did the actor go? WIll they ever bring Andy back (different actor/same
actor)? I'm so impressed with all of your inside information, and am very curious!!
Elizabeth R Cornwell
On Wed, 4 Sep 1996, DJ wrote:
> Question: whatever was the "real life" scoop for firing the actor who
> played Andy Dixon? Was there a controversy on the set, or was it also
> for "storyline purposes" (because if it was for storyline, I don't get
> the story)???
It was presented to the public as a "storyline" decision - though if the
writers really thought that Andy had no story potential, they were clearly
off in the head. Rather, it appears that the current production team
has no room in their cast for characters/actors who don't fit into an
extremely narrow studly-model-leading-man mold. During his pre-teen
and teen years, Scott wasn't the best looking kid in the world, and the
character had been firmly established as having certain weaknesses. Andy
could never (as he was established and played) have been the
dominant/aggressive/one-track he-man that these people see as the male
half of a workable couple. As Andy was young and single, his character
had to be a viable love interest for the show's young women or else he was
so much dead wood. They saw him as dead wood, and cut him out of the
cast.
Personally, I thought this was the worst mistake I'd ever seen the show
make. First, Scott was growing into a *fine*-looking young man, and was
definitely aquiring young romantic male lead looks. Just a few weeks
before he left, I turned on the TV and found him wearing a black
turtleneck that was fairly tight, and found myself suddently noticing that
he'd lost the baby fat, toned up his physique, and was looking very good.
Second, with his family ties and *because* of his character's softnesses
and weaknesses (not in spite of them), he could have played a very moving
part in a love story - or a friendship story - or a family story. Andy
and Paul in love with the same girl would have been great. Or Andy and
Mike. What if Andy had come to care for Carly and her baby (remember his
love for Aaron?)? Anyway, Scott DeFreitas was a subtle, nuanced
performer. He never took center stage by being over-dramatic - but he
played his quiet emotions effortlessly and believably. I still miss him
more than I can say.
The worst part was the write-out. They gave the character a job offer
shooting fashion photos for a Paris magazine just before Christmas. The
transition between job offer, telling his family, accepting the offer and
leaving town took about an episode - during which time Kim and John
basically told him not to let the door hit him in the butt on the way out
(I *really* felt sorry for all the actors in that terrible scene!). He
then went to a family Christmas party where he took all the pictures (not
once did anyone offer to take a shot so that he could be *in* a picture -
it was as if he were gone already), and then he was gone. When John
humiliated Lisa at their engagement party a few months later, he mentioned
several family members that he missed, but didn't mention Andy at all.
The actor was shocked by the news that he was being let go, though he put
together a very good attitude for his exit interviews - saying stuff about
welcoming the chance to audition for other things, having learned his
craft from the wonderful actors like Larry Bryggman, Liz Hubbard, etc. on
the show, looking forward to new challenges, and so forth.
As for set controversy - nothing concrete has ever been said about it to
my knowledge, though others who read soap publications more closely than I
might know something I don't. Reading between the lines of the interviews
I have read, I tend to think that other cast members were shocked and
upset by the decision, and that Scott DeFreitas was well thought of as a
young actor who had grown into a solid professional team player.
> Where did the actor go?
I don't know if he left New York or not - I haven't seen him surface in
anything since his firing from ATWT. The usual drill seems to be to go to
LA for pilot season, but I think he may have been fired too late to get in
on that this year.
> WIll they ever bring Andy back (different actor/same
> actor)?
Characters tend to return; actors return less often. Actors who are
perceived as audience draws (Scott Bryce [Craig Montgomery], Anthony
Herrara [James Stenbeck], Jon Hensley [Holden Snyder] and Martha Byrne
[Lily Walsh] were all welcomed back when they wanted to return, as TPTB
thought those people would attract viewers. Presumably Scott was fired
because TPTB felt he wasn't and couldn't attract viewers - thus a
re-hire is much less probable. Like the recent Paul Ryan recast, any new
Andy Dixon will most likely be an "actor" who fits TPTB's idea of the new
ATWT player profile (i.e., chiseled and wooden).
Still waiting for the tide to turn...
Elizabeth
D Cunningham
To: D. J.
Supposedly the character of Andy got a job with a magazine in Paris, France.
When Paul hit down recently, he said he had seen Andy in Paris before
returning and gave a message to Kim. TPTB decided to let him go for
"storyline purposes" -- which I thought was D-U-M-B because with a young
single man as a photographer there were so many stories to go with -- Andy
could be involved in mysteries, romances, unexpected witness to an accident
while taking pictures, etc, etc, etc.
Also I really like the actor, Scott DeFries. He was excellent right from the
time he was a child and had very few lines. His face always showed that he
was listening to the adults around him. Even sending the character to
Europe could be a good story--have him run into Courtney again for instance.
I'm for bringing back the same actor in the role, but he's probably gone on
to better things.
DLC
Barbara Wilkie
ITA with you. I know my opinion is just one more grain of sand on the beach,
but I will never understand why they let people who can "really" act leave....
to bring in models who can't relax and do their job, BECAUSE they CAN'T ACT.
BWilkie :-[
D. M. Stillwood
Elizabeth R Cornwell wrote:
>
> On Wed, 4 Sep 1996, DJ wrote:
>
> > Question: whatever was the "real life" scoop for firing the actor who
> > played Andy Dixon? Was there a controversy on the set, or was it also
> > for "storyline purposes" (because if it was for storyline, I don't get
> > the story)???
>
> It was presented to the public as a "storyline" decision - though if the
> writers really thought that Andy had no story potential, they were clearly
> off in the head.
<snip>
During his pre-teen
> and teen years, Scott wasn't the best looking kid in the world, and the character had been firmly established as having certain weaknesses.
<snip>
>
> Personally, I thought this was the worst mistake I'd ever seen the show
> make. First, Scott was growing into a *fine*-looking young man, and was
> definitely aquiring young romantic male lead looks.
<snip>
Anyway, Scott DeFreitas was a subtle, nuanced
> performer. He never took center stage by being over-dramatic - but he
> played his quiet emotions effortlessly and believably. I still miss him
> more than I can say.
<snip>
> Scott DeFreitas was well thought of as a
> young actor who had grown into a solid professional team player.
>
> <snip>
>
Amen to all that. I just want to add that I thought Scott DeFreitas was
fantastic in the alcoholism storyline, and that he was robbed of the
Emmy award, which he so richly deserved for that work. From what I
remember, the buzz in the industry shared that opinion (re: Emmy). His
last "scene" on the show was during the closing credits of the Christmas
show--a close-up of his face during the very last shot (remember?). I
thought to myself, "What a waste of a fine actor," not yet realizing
that this was just a harbinger of much worse things to come.
*Heavy sigh.....*
D.--waiting for ATWT to rise from the ashes...