Nelson Branco Clarifies Strasser's Contract Drama
TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco called Robin Strasser to clear the air about her intense contract negotiations with the ABC soap opera.
"Robin is worried that the word 'quitting' will make it seem like she is leaving One Life to Live for some flimsy excuse and that is not the case," says Branco. "I think it is very obvious she wants to stay on the show, but cannot accept this insulting paycut."
According to Strasser on her hotline:
I know that it is a bigger paycut than other actors have been asked to take. And anybody who has been asked to take a larger paycut was making two or three times as much as I was. In 2002, when Frank Valentini broke the blacklist and got me back on the show, that necessitated me taking a 63% paycut. What I am seeing is something that feels disprespectful, something that feels inequitable, I know it to be inequitable, and it makes me feel discriminated against."
According to Branco, because of his story in today's Suds Report—which was derived from Strasser's own words on her hotline yesterday— ABC is doing everything they can to come to an agreement with the actress.
"They are trying to do everything they can to keep her," says Branco. "Brian Frons is on vacation now, so she has been asked to take a break from talking until he returns. Initially ABC offered Strasser no negotiations, but now they are willing to go back to the table."
Branco continues on to say, other soaps have contacted him already to find out if Strasser is truly about to become available.
"In her own words, Robin says she is a 'bargain basement diva' meaning she is affordable and a team player," says Branco.
Be sure to check out next week's soap opera coverage from TV Gude Canada for more on this developing behind-the-scenes daytime drama!
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Comments
27 April 2009
2 years 1 week
Love Strasser. ABC would be foolish to lose her, but then this 'daytime' landscape isn't what it used to be. Aggh.
2 April 2009
5 days 9 hours
This is why most of the soaps ratings are in the toilet who told ABC that we'd rather see Todd and Blair get back together again or more Stacy, instead of Dorian! Are they all cra cra?
9 June 2009
3 days 19 hours
One was of the calls asking about RS's availability Goutman? IF so, I guess you got your answer Jamey to your previous blog post! LOL
28 November 2008
1 year 1 week
They lost Robin before, and they are willing to take the chance she may leave again due to this insulting offer.
ABC wake up fast, Robin and Erika are OLTL/ABC Daytime Legends. Both actors have been underused this past year. They both knock any storyline out of the ballpark, no matter how ridiclious or poor the writing.
I know Jamey would disagree, but some actors cannot be sucessfully replaced. Robin Strasser falls into that category. Robin and Erika are OLTL and they are magic. Period.
30 November 2007
3 weeks 5 days
If they do let her go, any soap would be lucky to have her. She might make a good recast for Vivian Alamaine if Louise Sorel wasn't available. I can't think of any other flamboyant diva roles that are vacant right now though.
11 April 2009
3 days 23 hours
OLTL NEEDS Dorian!!! What is wrong with ABC's execs? Those people must get bonuses for destroying their network if they think the constructive firing of Robin Strasser makes sense!
Dorian is the villainess we love. She's not a sociopath just misguided and over the top.
Don't these people understand that viewers LIKE their vets? Hello! Y&R is #1 because fans love its vets. Jeanne Cooper and Jess Walton are over sixty but rule the show!
Looking at the disastrous mess that ABC made of General Hospital when it decided to gut and diminish its vets, why don't those blithering idiots wake up?
8 May 2008
2 weeks 3 days
I want to know if Tony Geary, Steve Burton, Maurice Benard and other male actors taking pay cuts too instead of just Robin S. I don't blame her being mad, but if the show has to budget and I don't blame the network, but if Frons doing this to push Robin out, I don't blame her for quitting or putting up a fight.
11 April 2009
3 days 23 hours
Siomonstuart,
All of the male stars you mentioned are on General Hospital, not One Life to Live. One Life to Live doesn't have any male stars with similar stature as Geary, Burton, and Bernard.
11 April 2009
3 days 23 hours
Jamey,
I think we'll have to disagree about the importance of the Kyle and Oliver storyline's effect on recent ratings. OLTL's over all writing has been the best of all 3 ABC shows for sometime.
8 May 2008
2 weeks 3 days
Yeah, but do we know that if all the top tier stars going to have to take a pay cut or just a few top billing actors that have to take a pay cut?
15 July 2008
38 min 25 sec
Disasterous...thats all I have to say...
10 January 2009
3 weeks 4 days
Robin Strasser is magic as Dorian Lord. She and Erika Slezak are OLTL and should never be subjected to such disrespect.
I join eightiesaddict in saying that there are some actors who are so married to a role that they cannot be replaced. Robin Strasser cannot be replaced.
8 June 2009
2 years 27 weeks
I love OLTL & Robin S. but I would rather her leave then be disrespected and treated like trash. I could see her on Ugly Betty as Claires sister or Housewives as anyone! Stand your ground Robin! You dont deserve this treatment.
26 February 2009
3 weeks 6 days
"Don't these people understand that viewers LIKE their vets? Hello! Y&R is #1 because fans love its vets. Jeanne Cooper and Jess Walton are over sixty but rule the show! "
Jess Walton is just a bystander in Katherine's story now, no material of her own, even losing her money was treated as a laugh. They made Jess take a cut in order to even stay on the show.
I think this is shameful to treat Robin Strasser this way, but on a show ruled by the likes of Todd, Rex, Stacy, John, Gigi, and "Starrcole", I am not surprised. They are probably hoping she will quit.
28 November 2008
1 year 1 week
Love Langston's relationship with Dorian. Wise up ABC!
29 December 2007
8 weeks 4 days
What you saying about this Jamey? I know she didn't actually say "insulting" paycut did she? Is this another one of your primma donna ladies you usually talk about on the podcast?
13 March 2008
2 years 30 weeks
If Strasser leaves, they should bring back Princi.
13 March 2008
2 years 30 weeks
If Strasser leaves, they should bring back Princi.
14 March 2009
4 days 3 hours
Can anyone elaborate on the reference to the breaking of the 2002 blacklisting by Valenti? This wasn't when Strasser initially returned and replaced Elaine Princi. I recall her departure after that period (Dorian was not recast then) when she went on to play Hecuba on Passions. But a blacklisting by ABC/OLTL? I wasnt aware that things were so acrimonious when she left the second time.
5 July 2008
3 hours 9 min
according to Strasser Her and Jill farren Phelps never got along when Phelps was made EP in 1997. When her contract ended in 2000, Strasser said that JFP ousted her from OLTL then made it hard for her to work in Daytime for a while.
Strasser did bounce back with her gig on Passions as Hecuba
Im probably leaving out a lot so someone help me fill in the blanks.
2 April 2009
5 days 9 hours
Strasser as Hecuba was good times on Passions yes the show was crazy most of the time but Hecuba vs Tabitha was some good stuff ugh Jill Farren Phelps needs to just leave daytime the heck alone and go ruin primetime for a while.
11 April 2009
3 days 23 hours
Angela Shapiro blacklisted Robin Strasser according to Strasser's hotline message. It's really disappointing to hear how a woman executive would go after another woman in business. It just shows how terrible some people are.
23 July 2008
12 weeks 3 days
Brian Frons on Vacation? Damn, I never would have noticed.
27 May 2009
2 years 30 weeks
I don't like her they better let her go.
27 May 2009
2 years 30 weeks
after all that money and all those surgeries why doen't she remove that mole.
14 December 2008
12 hours 36 min
Why doesn't Brian Frons stay on vacation? Then Robin can stay and the storylines can get better without his interference. Simple as that!
Seriously, ABC would be killing OLTL if they le go of Robin Strasser! Although maybe that's what they want?
28 November 2008
8 hours 34 min
I found this online:
Here's a run-down of a soap opera actor's typical annual salary for year one, five, and 10 or more years.
1st Year Mark - $72,800 - $156,000/per year
5 Year Mark - $156,000 - $312,000/per year
10 Year Mark - $208,000 - $520,000/per year
These numbers are based on a typical work week of two days per week, times 52 weeks per year, which does not account for holidays, vacations, etc. These numbers are also just estimates, and may or may not be typical of the actual earnings. Also, as mention above there are many other factors which can influence the actor's salary as well, including how much they pay their agent, their current contract status, bonuses, length of contract, and which network they work for. Many soap stars also take time off in the slow months to do movies, commercials or other television projects which certainly adds to their annual take-home pay.
28 November 2008
8 hours 34 min
I found this online:
Here's a run-down of a soap opera actor's typical annual salary for year one, five, and 10 or more years.
1st Year Mark - $72,800 - $156,000/per year
5 Year Mark - $156,000 - $312,000/per year
10 Year Mark - $208,000 - $520,000/per year
These numbers are based on a typical work week of two days per week, times 52 weeks per year, which does not account for holidays, vacations, etc. These numbers are also just estimates, and may or may not be typical of the actual earnings. Also, as mention above there are many other factors which can influence the actor's salary as well, including how much they pay their agent, their current contract status, bonuses, length of contract, and which network they work for. Many soap stars also take time off in the slow months to do movies, commercials or other television projects which certainly adds to their annual take-home pay.
14 February 2008
7 weeks 6 days
Those figures are probably stale given today's economic climate, Soap_Stud. There was a time when Susan Lucci and Deidre Hall made $1M/annum but those days are long gone...
20 February 2008
1 year 17 weeks
Sorry, but those figures are grossly exaggerated.