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| Back Where She Belongs
Robin Strasser Tells Why She Had To Do A Soap Again . . . In what is unquestionably the biggest casting coup of the year, All My Children has succeeded where many another soap failed, in bidding for the talents of Robin Strasser. As Rachel on Another World for five years prior to Victoria Wyndham’s debut in the role, Robin was one of the most phenomenally successful actresses on the daytime television scene. Actresses in Robin’s position never have to worry about being killed off , but their producers sure worry about these leading ladies taking off one day and with them very possibly valuable Nielsen rating points. Well, one day three years ago, Robin up and left Another World. Her hubby, actor Larry Luckinbill, had landed the starring role in a nighttime series being shot in Los Angeles, The Delphi Bureau, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Thus began the continuing saga of the Courtship of Robin Strasser. As soon as Robin, Larry, and their four-year-old son Nicholas set up housekeeping in the hills of Malibu, the calls started coming in, both from West Coast soaps, as well as ones back East trying to lure Robin back home. But she had made up her mind it was time for a change. “When we decided to move out to California, I realized I could continue playing Rachel for ten more years, but what would I have accomplished?” Robin says. Instead, Robin starred in two ABC Mystery Movies, an ABC Afternoon Playback, and guest-starred on two nighttime series, The Paul Sand Show and The Rookies and had a leading role in a play, “Cross Country", at Hollywood’s Mark Taper Forum. It seems Robin and Larry hadn’t figured on being homesick. “We thought moving to California would be a nifty idea. People warned us, ‘You’ll lose that edge, that impetus for creativity. You’ll sit by the pool all day and get tanned and soft.’ I’m too much of a Puritan to look at life as one long vacation. So, I did keep very busy, but I still found I missed New York terribly. Larry too. It just hadn’t occurred to us that we would miss the tempo of the city itself. What got to me first was the quiet. If you’re used to city noises, that can drive you crazy. Then when Delphi Bureau was cancelled, Larry started going back East to work and coming home with all these tales about how wonderful and exciting New York is, the theater, the ballet… oh, he’d just go on and on. He couldn’t rave enough.” And as Larry’s work in New York increased, it became clear another move was in order. When Robin realized she was coming home, her agent sent out the word she was available for a soap. Needless too say, the offers started flooding in again. But all she had to see was Agnes Nixon’s name connected with one of them to make her decision in a snap. Why Agnes Nixon, the creator of All My Children, and why for that matter another soap? “I’ve always felt a very spiritual bond with Agnes, even before I knew her very well. She always seemed to know exactly how to write for me. My only concern was that Christina would have to be Polly Perfect, this absolutely together lady, when I heard she was a doctor. I have a number of mannerisms and stuff stemming from my insecurities and nervousness, so any character I play has to have some eccentricity and vulnerability built in to work. But Agnes assured me that she had no interest in creating a perfect lady doctor character for anyone to play—that would be boring to her and to the viewers.” Well, we’re not worried about being bored by Robin’s character. We’re just delighted to have her back in town. Welcome back, Robin . . . we missed you! -- Linda Rosenbaum Article is original clipping from Soap Oprea Update 1976. Typed article for this site is credited to cher62. All material is copyrighted to Tms117/Tribute To Daytime Diva Robin Strasser Web Page, ask permission. |