Bye, bye, Asa Buchanan. The cantankerous coot kicks the bucket this Thursday on ABC’s “One Life to Live” daytimer, necessitating a Friday funeral that brings back series grads for the soap’s 10,000th episode. (“OLTL” premiered July 15, 1968, two years before lineup-mate “All My Children” and four years after “General Hospital.”)
On hand for his Friday sendoff will be such ex-“OLTL”ers as “Firefly” star Nathan Fillion (who once played grandson Joey), Dan Gauthier (recently Joey’s brother Kevin), John Loprieno (Asa's son Cord), Tonya Walker (Asa’s ex Alex) and James DePaiva (Asa's “son”-who-wasn’t, Max). [Above in ABC photo: Fillion and Gauthier with "OLTL" star Erika Slezak.]
Phil Carey, the movie veteran who essayed Asa for nearly 20 years, refused the show’s move from regular to recurring status, so off his character gets bumped. Too bad -- his Texan trouble-making was always a welcome shot of adrenaline, even when the 82-year-old New Jersey-born actor was acting from a wheelchair after health woes. The soap benefited hugely from having a presence of his magnitude. Asa’s absence has already been felt, and the character’s official death (though nothing is ever “official” in soapland, is it?) can only dig a deeper hole.
"One Life to Live" airs locally at 2 p.m. weekdays on WABC/7. Repeats can be found on cable's SOAPnet weeknights at 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., and the following weekday at 8 a.m. Weekly marathons air Sunday 6-11 a.m.
Comments (1)
I am sadden by ABCTV/One
Life To Live officials killing off Phil Carey roll
as Asa Buchanan. It is a terrible lost for such a fine veteran actor to be displaced because of health
concerns. Phil Carey you will be missed on OLTL.
Love Ya!!! Rochelle Harris
Frankfort, IL