My gast, it is flabbered....

[smiley_b]

To cut a long story short, Greg Vaughan is OUT as GH's Lucky Spencer, and Jonathan Jackson (aka Original!Lucky) is back in.

Greg announced the news on his twitter late last night (early hours of the morning for me!): As of today, with sad regrets, I will no longer be apart of what has been a big part of me and my families life. GH and TPTB have choosen to take a new direction. I THANK ALL of YOU, for the many memories we've shared and new ones to come!!! ALL MY LOVE, & BIG HUGS to YOU the FANS!!! I LOVE YOU ALL MORE!!!!

The official ABC announcement: "Greg Vaughn has decided to vacate the role to explore new opportunities. We thank him for his years engaging our audience and dedication to the show and network. The cast and crew wish him well in all his future endeavors."

I am completely stunned by this - talk about a bolt from the blue!! My honest reaction is that I am devastated for Greg Vaughan, who I think has been treated horribly by ABC. The press release gives the impression that he chose to leave, while his tweet indicates otherwise. And given that JJ's first date back at GH is THIS THURSDAY, I call shenanigans - it looks like ABC managed to convince JJ to come back, and Greg was unceremoniously fired yesterday.

The tweets from his co-stars, incidentally, would appear to back that up - NLG is "heartbroken" and Brandon Barash, Lisa LoCicero and Sarah Brown all expressed surprise and sadness.

I think the thing that I find most annoying about the whole thing is this - now that JJ is back as Lucky, you know that the character is going to be front and centre on GH, which is something that GV / Lucky fans have been pushing for ages. It's been obvious for a long time that TPTB have no interest in writing for Greg as Lucky, and have zero respect for him in the role. The character of Lucky has been thrown under the bus so often - the horrible drug addiction / affair with Maxie storyline is a case in point (I still maintain a Lucky / Maxie affair was viable if it had have been written half decently.... she's devastated after Jesse's death; as his partner, Lucky looks out for her, when he feels insecure about Liz, confides in her, one thing leads to another - that's one way it could have gone, but my main point is that they could have written that storyline without thrashing Lucky as a character). His pairing with Sam is another case in point - Greg and Kelly Monaco had real chemistry together, but the relationship was largely off-camera (and again, a Spencer falling for a Cassadine??? Again, the story could write itself in the hands of halfway competent writers!!)

Man, didn't realise I felt so strongly about this....

There's also a rumour going round that JJ is only back for a six month stint.... if that's true, what happens after that? Do they write Lucky out entirely or are we looking at yet ANOTHER recast??

I just hope that ABC have learned their lesson and don't run any "Real Lucky" promos for JJ's return; for me that would be completely disrespectful (so you just KNOW that they will!)

Have just finshed reading Serial Drama's piece on this - one of the commenters called it "douchebaggery of the highest order"; and I must say I'm inclined to agree...

So in essence, I'm pissed for Greg, but am interested to see what they make of this......

Comments

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

I'm not happy at all. I can't really even put into words why this annoys me so much but I suspect JJ's Lucky won't match Liz anymore and it's all just going to get weird.

GV is Lucky grown up, JJ doesn't look like he has as shallow as that sounds!

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

That doesn't sound shallow at all, it sounds right!! JJ does still look reidculously young, and is apparently only 1 year older than the actress who plays Lulu (and can you imagine the two of them beside Tyler Christopher? The mind, it boggles!!)

And I can't see him matching Liz either, for the same reason!

The more the news sinks in, the more annoyed I'm getting. GV has been royally screwed over, and he doesn't deserve that. He did a great job as a grown up Lucky - it's not his fault that TIIC weren't interested in him or his character.

This whole thing has "trainwreck potential" written all over it...

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

It is very much the Rebecca Budig situation all over again.

If he does leave after 6 months I will be incredibly angry.

I also think it's the height of disrespect to fire an actor then lie about it.

GV has held this role longer than JJ did and he fits in it. As you said, it's not his fault TPTB don't understand Lucky. I highly doubt a recast is going to change that.

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

"I also think it's the height of disrespect to fire an actor then lie about it."

THIS. So true.

And it is the Rebecca situation all over again - one thinng that struck me earlier on (and I think I'm going to have to do a second part to this rant!); Greg's tweet stated "as of today" and JJ's first day back is apparently Thursday, does that mean that his final day taping was yesterday i.e. he was basically told "you're out, clear your dressing room and don't come back"? Cause if so, that's just cold.

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't surprise me if that's how quickly it was done. That does seem to be the way things are done now when it's a firing.

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

Me either (I know that's the way we do it here!)

It just sucks - his few tweets about GH have been so enthusiastic; I wouldn't say he saw this coming either....

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

I get that they had an oppotunity to get back the original and jumped at it but...I really am stuck the fact that GV has played Lucky for longer!

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on that - Greg has made Lucky his own, and I just think the way TPTB have done this is just incredibly mean and disrespectful to him. Especially as Greg has done his best with the rubbish they've given him, I've never seen him tank a scene or phone it in (unlike other actors on the show).

I think it's also going to be bad for morale on set - GV seems well liked, and it's going to shake people up (i.e. If it happened to him, it could happen to me...)

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

Very true, his scenes always seem genuine even when the material isn't up to scratch!

True, seems like there a lot of changes coming their way.

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

Yep, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are more changes over the next few weeks and months; there seems to be a LOT of change happening in daytime at the mo!

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be sad when Sarah Brown goes. Claudia had such potential! :(

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

Oh God, don't get me started or we'll be here all day!! So much potential and they COMPLETELY wasted it by pairing her with Sonny (I thought Sarah and Rick Hearst had mad chemistry together!)

Must say I'm liking the guy they have playing Dante, and I do like Johnny and Olivia together (even though that pairing is probablty doomed!)

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

I actually started to warm to Claudia and Sonny in the last few months!

Too bad the person she had the strongest chemistry with was Brandon Barash! ;)


Dante is fantastic as are Johnny/Oliva but you're right, doomed. As soon as Claudia goes they'll really push her with Sonny!

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

Yes, Claudia and Johnny had WILDLY inappropriate chemistry, didn't they?!?!

I'm hoping that TPTB won't sacrifice Johnny & Olivia for Olivia and Sonny - mind you, I'm on a hiding to nothing there! Sonny always wins!

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

They really do!

I'm with you on that but alas I think you're right! Sonny always gets the girl!

Weird though, I think the only girl I've ever vaguely like him with is Claudia and that's because they're both the same.

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

And it's crazy, because in real life if you has a choice between Sonny and Johnny, who would you choose?

The only pairing I've liked Sonny in with Brenda, back in their first go-round. VM and MB had chemistry in spades! Then again, I also loved her with Jax.... that was one of the great triangles, because there was actually a chance that Sonny would lose!

And now, I shall step off my soapbox....

[misssimm.livejournal.com]

Johnny! Every time! ;)

Very true! I loved her with Jax however not quite as much as I love Carly with Jax.

But that does bring around the point that Jax and Sonny should stop sharing women. They've had Carly, Brenda, Kate...too many!

[jyl22075.livejournal.com]

I'm bummed for Greg but so excited to have Jonathan back.

[smiley-b.livejournal.com]

I think the way they've treated Greg is utterly horrible; but I'm not going to hold that against JJ (just like it's not Greg's fault TPTB didn't write for him as Lucky, it's not JJ's fault that TPTB are completely classless morons!!)

I've only ever seen clips of JJ as Lucky, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with the role.