Soaps may be remembered for more than just the writers` strike this year. They should be remembered as the Year of the Comeback.
The latest returnee to the daytime fold is Eddie Earl Hatch, who recently joined ”All My Children” (noon on ABC-Ch. 7) as financial investor/nightclub co-owner John ”Remy” Remington.
Hatch`s last go-round on a daytime soap was as ”saintly” Tucker Foster on ”As the World Turns,” a role he played from 1982-85. Why did Hatch come back after a three-year absence?
”As an actor, I want to do one more roles in daytime-as a very strong, powerful and dynamic character-that makes a kind of statement,” he said.
”And my new role allows me to do that. I was determined to do something on daytime that is the total opposite of what I was doing on `As the World Turns.”`
Although most daytime actors insist that their working atmosphere is
”supportive,” Hatch unfortunately found the opposite to be true while toiling on ”ATWT.”
”I didn`t care for the politics of the powers-that-be at my last soap,” he said candidly. ”I didn`t like the kind of role I played, so I didn`t get to do the work I wanted and could respect.
”I don`t usually make these kinds of statements, but on `As the World Turns,` the people in charge really limited me in my role as a black male on the show. I think `AMC` is a better place for an actor, not just a black actor. The people who run `AMC` have a much different mentality than the one that prevailed at `ATWT.”`
As for the future of ”Remy” on ”AMC,” Hatch denied that he was brought in to fill the void left by Darnell Williams when he quit his popular role of Jesse Hubbard.
”Darnell and I are totally different energies,” Hatch said. ”So it`s silly of people to think that I was hired to fill his shoes. I`ve been brought in to create my own place, and that`s what I`m doing.”
Now that Angie (Debbi Morgan) has been widowed as a result of Jesse`s recent shooting death, it seems likely that ”Remy” will hook up romantically with her. But Hatch hopes that it might not be too soon.
”It would be too predictable, too obvious, for Angie and Remy to get together right now, since it`s what everyone expects,” Hatch said. ”I`d love it if the writers came up with some incredible twist in the story.
”Angie and Remy should get together somewhere down the line, but it would be fun to have it happen just when the audience thinks they`ll never wind up together.”
During his absence from soaps, Hatch garnered featured roles in the films ”Hot Shot” and ”Street Smart,” the latter starring Christopher Reeve. He will soon be seen in the movie ”Melanie Rose” with Sally Kirkland.
Hatch has also kept busy with TV commercials, industrials and regional theater roles.
