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Roger in the Press!

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Soapcity interview - Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin Executive in Charge for Procter & Gamble Productions, Inc. Recasting for the Right Reasons We are always sorry when we lose an actor who is integral to the storytelling. We have been very fortunate in casting some very talented young people. We are all pleased when we can find an effective recast. We brought in a new actress, Jennifer Ferrin, to play Jennifer on As the World Turns because the storyline dictated it when Paul was presumed dead. Then Paul returned, played by a new actor (Roger Howarth). Part of Paul's drive is to take care of his family. It made sense to have his sister there. We cast Roger Howarth because we think he is the actor who is perfect for this role and he is bringing some values to this role that we didn't feel we had before, given the story direction we wanted to take. It is a mistake to think that just because an actor is popular on one soap means that he will necessarily bring fans with him to a new soap. Fans stay loyal to their shows as long as their shows give them what they want. An actor is so integrally wound up in his character that it is "actor as the character" who is popular. When the actor comes to a new show, he plays a different character and if fans come with him they may not recognize this new character. They may be frustrated by what they see. I am always looking for a good actor when I recast. It may be that I am lucky enough to get a recognizable face. That doesn't hurt, but that is not the main reason for doing it. Roger Howarth (Paul) and Jennifer Ferrin (Jennifer) made the recasting process that much easier, having stepped into their roles nicely.
In a surprising announcement, Roger Howarth has made the decision to leave One Life to Live and head over to new grounds at As The World Turns. Many fans have been upset at Howarth over the years for his comings and goings on the show, and it seems now this may come to a permanent end. Josh Griffith and Michael Malone did try to entice Howarth to stay in Llanview but things did not turn out like they expected. "We made Roger a great offer to return to One Life to Live ... but in his heart, Roger didn't want to continue playing the role that he has filled so well," says ABC Daytime President Brian Frons in an official statement. "While we understand his need to be creative and grow artistically, we feel very bad for the loyal fans that are so invested in the character of Todd and in the romance of Todd and Blair." It seems fans are already speculating this was merely a financial move for the actor, yet are surprised Howarth would return to a soap opera rather than seeking primetime or movies. As The World Turns announced they are thrilled with having Howarth joining their cast, but no word yet on which character he will soon play.

After the St. Jude Children's Hospital Charity held October 8th, 2004 a columnist from Soapdom.com had this report on meeting Roger....... This year I was so excited that one of my favorite actors, a man who rarely makes public appearances was to attend. I am talking about Roger Howarth, (Paul, ATWT, ex Todd, OLTL). I have admired this man's acting abilities for years now and I never believed that I would get to meet him, let alone talk to him. When he arrived with his wife, Cari, he was so humorous. I asked him if he had attended the Pre-Event and he came back with 'yup, we walked around the room and talked to the fans.' I expected shyness and someone being overwhelmed and Howarth couldn't have been enjoying himself more. I got the opportunity after my check-in shift to talk to Howarth and his wife. The highlight of MY night was having my photo taken with him and his wife, Cari. I couldn't have been more excited. Thanks, Cari for taking such a great photo and for creating a wonderful memory for me. Actually, Howarth was one of the few actors that stayed till the end. He graciously posed for photos and signed autographs for countless fans.
Soap Opera Weekly, April 12, 2005 issue On the Fly with Roger Howarth by Deanna Barnert 10 questions in 10 minutes Roger Howarth (Paul, As the World Turns) has a plane to catch, having just wrapped up a CBS promo shoot in Hollywood, but the press-shy actor stops for a quick chat before jetting back to New York. 1. Do you wish you had more time in LA? Not really. It's nice here, but my life is there. I got here [two nights ago] so I had a full day with friends and a run on the beach. My friends are eloping next week and I had a little hand in helping thme plan this surprise honeymoon. 2. How are you feeling about ATWT these days? Okay...what specifically are you talking about? 3. For starters, are you hoping for a Paul/Rosanna reunion when she returns to town? I hope there's rooting value in whatever they come up with. I don't have a particular way that I would like to see any story go. 4. Are you surprised some fans are clamoring for a pairing with Emily? That's news to me, but am I surprised? No. I'm never surprised. You never know what the audience is going to respond to. As long as they are responding, you're doing okay. 5. Congrats on yor second Lead Actor nomination. Does this nod feel different? Yes. I don't know, though. I was happily surprised. I was not expecting it at all. I've had years where I felt like I was part of a terrific bunch of work and been disappointed. I'm just glad the show did so well. 6. How did you pick out your scenes for consideration? I had help. Here's why: I don't watch the show. I don't want you to think I'm being..whatever it is you might think. I'm proud of what we do. It's no reflection on that. Everybody works hard and does great work. I just find that if I watch, the next time I work I'm self-conscious and overly self-aware, so I try to avoid it. That being said, I had a lot of help from a producer who has a much broader perspective. 7. Which scenes did you submit? Scenes between Paul and Rosanna that were light and airy and fun to shoot. When actors are having a good time, it gives the audience permission to have a good time. They're allowed to enjoy it. For the second tape, I chose something from an epic show, almost melodramatic. I'm fortunate enough to play a character that has different sides. He's different with different people, so there was a lot to chose from. 8. Any pre-Emmy jitters? I'm not going to tell you I don't get nervous...anxious. But I feel lucky. 9. Do you have more fun with Paul than you did with Todd on OLTL? It's different. Listen, Todd was a great character. I'm even luckier to be able to play another one. Paul's great too. 10. Do you ever watch OLTL to check in on your old alter ego and his new portrayer, Trevor St. John? No. Again, I didn't watch it when I was on it, but if I'm walking by and I see Tuc Watkins (David) on, I'll stop whatever I'm doing and watch him read the phone book. He's the best actor on television.