Brytni Sarpy (Elena, Y&R) “I screen-tested for Jordan at GENERAL HOSPITAL. I also screen-tested for a role on DAYS that got pushed back and put on hold, and in the interim, I went back in for Valerie at GH, and booked that.”
Martha Madison (Belle, DAYS) “Well, I tested twice for the role of Marah on GUIDING LIGHT, eight years apart. The second time, it seemed like I was probably going to get it, and then they canceled the show the next week. And then I went almost all the way with Babe on ALL MY CHILDREN. Alexa Havins got that part. There was one on [AMC] that McKenzie Westmore got [Riley]. And then most recently, it was between Chrishell [Stause] and me at YOUNG AND RESTLESS [for Bethany]. So I’m the chronic second runner-up. But that’s okay. It’s nice to get that close. And I got the role I was supposed to get.”
Darin Brooks (Wyatt, B&B) “I had auditioned for Y&R and ONE LIFE TO LIVE at the same time I was auditioning for DAYS [as Max]. I didn’t get a callback for OLTL. Marnie Saitta is the casting director over at DAYS now. I love her. She’s awesome. But at the time, she was trying to cast me on Y&R and DAYS came around. It happened quickly and they made an offer. I accepted and then Marnie called me and she’s like, ‘So, you went to DAYS,’ and I was like, ‘Marnie, I’ve got to get out of my aunt’s house. I’ve got to get a job.’ ”
Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R) “I screen-tested for both YOUNG AND RESTLESS and AS THE WORLD TURNS just months before booking ALL MY CHILDREN [as Annie]. I tested for Colleen at Y&R, my screen test was with Thad Luckinbill [ex-J.T.], who’s the best. And at WORLD TURNS, I tested with Grayson McCouch [ex-Dusty]. It got down to just me and Spencer Grammer [ex-Lucy], and she got the part. Two months after that, I booked ALL MY CHILDREN, which forever changed my life. So it just goes to show, trust the universe! It all works out how it’s supposed to.”
Emily O’Brien (Gwen, DAYS) “I actually auditioned for Sarah on DAYS a few years back and I screen-tested with Greg Vaughan [ex-Eric] and it went great. I was not right for that role. I felt it. It was perfect for Linsey [Godfrey]. And then there was a Persian role [Samira], Turkish, maybe, on GH. And I’m part Persian and speak Farsi, so I went in for that to meet with [Casting Director] Mark Teschner, and they ended up casting an actress who spoke that language.”
Marcus Coloma (Nikolas, GH) “Around 2004, maybe the beginning of 2005, I auditioned for GH. I don’t even know if it was a specific role, but I didn’t know enough about the soap opera world at the time [to pursue it seriously]. I wish I would have because I’m enjoying it so much now!”
Wally Kurth (Justin, DAYS; Ned, GH) “A few years before I got DAYS, I tested for Tad on ALL MY CHILDREN and Danny [Wolek] on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.”