The soon-to-be-history As the World Turns may be one of the least-watched soap operas in daytime TV but it’s looking to go out with a bang: Sources confirm to EW exclusively that the CBS sudser is in serious talks with Julianne Moore (A Single Man) to reprise her role (roles?) as Frannie and Sabrina Hughes. The Oscar-nominated actress got her start on ATWT in 1985 by playing the half-sisters - a depiction that earned her a Daytime Emmy in 1988, the year she left the show.
It’s unclear how Moore will be woven into the final episodes of the drama, which will end its 54-year-run in September, but it’s not expected to be a significant appearance. CBS declined to comment.
ATWT helped launch the film careers of many young actors. Meg Ryan played heroine Betsy Stewart Montgomery Andropoulos in the early ’80s, while Marisa Tomei moved to Oakdale in 1983 to depict teenager Marcy Thompson (she left in 1985). Other actors who did stints on ATWT include Parker Posey (Tess Shelby, 1991-92), Amy Ryan (1990), Dana Delany (1981), Lauryn Hill (1991), Emmy Rossum (1999), Martin Sheen (Jack Davis, 1965-1970), and the late John Spencer (1988).
As for Moore, the actress has made it clear that she wants to do more work on the small screen: she’s been fielding offers this development season after turning heads as Jack’s Boston gal pal on 30 Rock. Sadly, she turned down one of the higher-profile roles for a woman this fall – NBC’s remake of Prime Suspect. The network has since temporarily shelved the project until it can find the right leading lady.
ATWT was created in 1956 as a sister show to Guiding Light, which CBS canceled last year.
UPDATE: A spokeswoman for Moore confirmed that the actress will appear on an upcoming episode of the soap. She could tape as early as Wednesday.
If I remember correctly, Frannie and Sabrina were cousins.
They were cousins and half-sisters. Bob Hughes is the father of both. Frannie’s mother was Jennifer and Sabrina’s mother was Jennifer’s sister, Kim.
They were half-sisters and half-first-cousins. They shared the same father (Bob) and their mothers were sisters (Jennifer and Kim).
You guys remember correctly, however after Julianne left the show, the popular character of Frannie was played by a blonde actress whose name currently escapes me and Sabrina was played by a brunette/redhead, Claire Beckman (yes???). Anyway, they went from being “identical” which was a HUGE plot point to looking nothing like each other!
I believe Mary Ellen Stewart played Frannie when she went blond and un-identical.
There’s no such thing as “half cousin.” A cousin is someone who has one parent that is sibling to one of your parents. That couldn’t go half.
On the other hand, you can have a double cousin. If both of your parents have siblings who have a child, then their offspring is a double cousin.
It’s Stephen Weber
yeah–they forgot to mention him in their list of famous folks from ATWT. I love Steven Weber.
Wow–you’d never know what awesome actors they are from this horrid scene.
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And your comment has to do with Julianne Moore how? EW, please do something about these spammers.
I sure hope this happens. It will be the end of an era when this once popular show ends.
EW, check the ratings. ATWT is NOT the lowest rated. Its rating is running neck and neck with All My Children, One Life to Live and even General Hospital. They all get between 1.7 and 1.9 on any given week. Why ATWT is being singled out for cancellation while those 3 continue is puzzling.
the other soaps you mentioned are on different networks. cbs seems to be phasing them out.
CBS isn’t phasing out soaps in general. They actually just re-upped both Young and The Restless and Bold and the Beautiful for two more years (and will probably re-up them when that ends seeing as how they are the two highest rated soaps)
Plus, B&B gets HUGE revenues from overseas…it’s very popular outside of the US. Easilyn the most popular soap overseas, and one of the most popular TV shows in general.
Thank you AcaseofGeo for coming to the defense of ATWT. I watched the CBS soaps when I was in high school and college and ATWT was my favorite of the four.
I think it’s truly telling that the two CBS soaps with the most dignity and least sleazy storylines are the ones that have been cancelled. The two with tacky stories and a pair of Dynasty-wanna-be families are the most popular.
Just how many ex-wives and illegitimate children does Victor Newman have? And he usually bounces between Nikki, Ashley or some new temporary character who is about 40 years younger than he is.
Oh, man, Gloria, do I ever agree with you! I was really hoping that during Eric Braeden’s recent contract dispute, TPTB would phase Victor out or recast the role. Unfortunately, he’s still on and Victor is still as icky as ever. Sigh.
I think ATWT is getting the ax because, like Guiding Light, it’s owned by Proctor & Gamble, which clearly considers soaps a dying breed. The other 2 CBS soaps are not owned by P&G but, I believe, by CBS and the Bell family, and neither are any of the ABC soaps, which I think are all owned by ABC. That’s the big difference.
It is NOT P&G. P&G has even been shopping ATWT around to other networks. This was a CBS decision alone.
If CBS had more of a financial interest in ATWT, they wouldn’t have axed it. P&G has ruined soaps repeatedy – you only have to look back at soaps like Another World and Guiding Light and The Edge of Night to see their continued abandonment of soaps. They’ve never put the money into their soaps that the networks do and that’s a big part of the cancellations.
It’s on P&G mostly …they have lost interest in the genre dating way back to when NBC/P&G’s Another World was cancelled…THey aren’t really P&G anymore, they are part of some France based conglomerate.
The other three shows are owned by ABC so with no middleman they bring in more profits for ABC, plus they have additional airings on SoapNet.
Looks like James Franco has started a trend. A very scary trend.
..not a trend , he wasn’t on GH before his most recent stint.
Or should I say “stunt”?!
Let’s give credit where credit is due. Betty White had a role on B&B before James Franco pulled his stunt. Plus, her role was a real one that was tied to pre-existing characters and not just a blatant stunt.
I had no idea Steven Weber had been on ATWT – that’s hot (and his acting is really bad! LOL )
Most soap actors are bad actors so it’s not that surprising that he got his start there.
Chris, most soap actors are not bad, you moron. It’s the material and the writing that’s bad. Soaps are broadcast 5 days a week through out most of the year. So really it’s a tough job for a writer. The night time dramas are better because they only film 23 episodes for an entire, some even less.
It actually has a lot to do with the fact that most times soap scenes are filmed in one take no rehearsal due to the speed by which they have to make them. Which is a reason that many many award winning film actors have said they could never do a soap. They could never pull off the speed and lack of rehearsal without failing horribly.
If they did this same scene now, they’d have to do in half the time….
those pregnant pauses are too costly!!?!
Ok, wait, soap actors are bad actors? Did you read the article? I’d hardly call Julianne Moore and Meg Ryan and Martin Sheen bad actors….
Whoa, Julianne was fine as Frannie, but her English accent as Sabrina was godawful. She’s improved, though. I am a big fan of hers.
She can’t do a Boston accent at all, unfortunately. Terrific actress otherwise.
Had a crush on Bob (Frannie’s dad) back when he was young on the show!
In the late 60′s when I would watch with my mother, a director was heard to shout “Hit it Charlie Baby!” to the organist for the intro to start. (Back when the opening music was an organ.) Not sure why it wasn’t a tape but it is a fun memory.
Julianne Moore is nothing but a class act who has never been ashamed of her soap acting roots…I hope her return to ATWT can happen. And as far as soap actors being bad actors…anyone who thinks that obviously doesn’t watch soaps and has no clue about the long list of stage and screen actors who go to soaps for the great gigs they can get as well as the great stage and screen actors who would not be the talents they are had they not learned their craft thanks to their soap work. The day that soaps go away on television will be the year the industry lets their best training ground for acting talent die right before their very eyes. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face…Hollywood should be rallying around the soap opera branch of their industry to make it stronger and keep it going. Soap operas are the Rodney Dangerfields of the entertainment industry but soap actors have the dedication to their work and their talent always shines through…and because of that they are always the go-to people to cast for featured roles in just about every prime time gig out there. Just watch a top-rated show like “The Good Wife” and you will see.
Very well-put, Maureen. Erika Slezak, Tony Geary, Kim Zimmer, etc. would excel in other mediums if given the chance.
Great post Maureen! People don’t realize that soap actors often times have to do there scenes in one or two takes, have minimal rehersal time, and at times there not even given scripts (just “ideas”)! I’d really like to see how some primetime TV/movie actors would be able to handle that…
What about Mira Sorvino as the lead in ‘Prime Suspect’?
I want some of what you’re smokin’ Susan. Mira Sorvino should stay hidden away ever since that Val-Kilmer-goes-blind-movie. No comeback for her. Maybe Miami dinner theater.
Hmmm…Prime Suspect…Jamie Lee Curtis!
Amy Ryan, maybe? She’s good in everything.
Amy Ryan would be awesome!
i hope that she has scenes with maura west!
i fell for Julianne M when she did this show …though i didn’t “get Really hooked” until Maura West came on ..the First time ….!
Julianne Moore is a fantastic actress, and good for her to go back to her roots and give back to the show that helped give her her start! She’s classy all the way around.
It seems like ATWT is pulling out all the stops. The same thing happened at the end of GL – the bringing back of characters from the past. It really does not change anything as our beloved soap will still be cancelled for some stupid talk/game show. I do not know what CBS is thinking!
I know what CBS is thinking: how can we make more money?
You know, I remember watching Moore on ATWT with my mom when I was a kid. Very class of her to do this.
I wish Lauryn Hill would return to ATWT. She has been M.I.A. far too long.