When a role has been identified with one iconic actress for decades, it’s hard to know what to think when that role is recast. When that role is recast with another iconic actress, it takes things into a whole new realm. In the case of Days of Our Lives recasting Vivian Alamain with former One Life to Live star Robin Strasser, we have ourselves pure gold.
First, it’s so easy to see that Strasser is having the time of her life playing Vivian, a character originated and played off and on for decades by Strasser’s real-life good friend, Louise Sorel. When an actress is enjoying herself on screen this much, it’s impossible not to enjoy the experience right along with her.
We’re aware that some DAYS fans have never seen Strasser in any of her other soap roles, although she did make a daytime name for herself with NBC soaps on Another World starting in 1967 as Rachel Davis, and even appeared on Passions in the early 2000s, but the role she is best known for is Dorian Lord on One Life to Live.
This stint as Vivian is about halfway over and we dread when it ends, but if ABC soap fans are watching, we’re sure they’ve noticed the several Llanview-like references. And if ABC soap fans are NOT watching, tune in now because you’re going to absolutely love it.
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First, Strasser is an absolute delight as Vivian, playing her to perfection while adding nuances all her own as an accomplished actress can and should do. But, Friday we got an incredible taste of Llanview when Strasser shared scenes with Kassie DePaiva’s Eve. Although Eve and Vivian barely know one another but do hate each other, it was still an incredible reunion between Aunt Dorian and her beloved niece, Blair.
When Vivian tried to recall Eve’s name and said, “It starts with a ‘B’, right?” we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, Vivian donned a doctor’s white coat to sneak into Kate’s room and finish killing her, and there it was — the name tag. Dr. D Cramer. As in Dr. Dorian Cramer. That was DAYS (and we suspect head writer Ron Carlivati, who once scribed OLTL) paying homage to Dorian’s maiden name and original profession.
We are here for this, DAYS, and we wish there was more. This is a soap fans’ delight and exactly what we needed to liven things up and bring a smile to our faces as Salem gives us one heck of a unique Fall.
You Look As If You've Seen a Ghost - Days of our Lives (Episode Highlight)
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