A New Bi-Weekly Feature

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Janny. Some of you may know me as I have an unofficial fan site dedicated to a pretty terrific actor by the name of Josh Duhamel (anybody here know this guy??). Lori (the webmistress here at jd.com, who has done a fabulous job, may I add!) honored me recently by asking me to do a bi-weekly feature on Josh, from a fan�s perspective and of course, being a fan of Josh�s since the beginning, I was delighted!

This feature section will include opinions on fan events, storylines, awards shows, and more topics as they pertain to Josh. But it won�t include just my opinion! We need yours as well! If you have something you want to say, say it!!

Next weeks� feature will be on SSW 2000. I�d love to hear your stories! Just email me at [email protected] and what you say may be included in an upcoming feature article! Next weeks� feature will be on SSW 2000. I�d love to hear your stories!

Notice: The opinions expressed on this page are my own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of joshduhamel.com.

�

GIVING THANKS

Okay, it�s been roughly one year since the debut of Josh Duhamel as "Leo du Pres" on All My Children. As most of you diehard soapaholics well know, long time fans don�t usually take too kindly to newbies � especially when some of their favorites have just exited the show. What usually exists when a new actor/actress comes onto the show is a lot of pre-built up animosity to this person simply because, in the fans eyes, "the powers that be" have replaced their favorite character, even though this is not always the case. Being an avid soap site surfer, I remember some of the comments that were posted about Josh, long before any of us ever saw him on the show. "Oh brother, here comes another 20-something" wrote one person, "as if we need another." "He won�t last three months" wrote another. It may sound harsh to some of you but there is a real reason for this attitude that stems way beyond resentment over their favorites being replaced. As we have seen time and time again, new actors come onto the show, don�t peak any of our interests, and are unceremoniously written out within six months due to high disfavor amongst the fans.

If you are up on your H.O.J. (History of Josh) then you know that our favorite All My Children actor was a model prior to his acting days. When fans got wind of this, you can imagine some of the comments. They weren�t nice. All the preconceived notions about models-turned-actors bubbled to the surface quickly. Fans figured their favorites were being cast aside in favor of a younger group of actors that were big on looks but (in their minds) short on talent. It got even uglier when one of Josh�s competitors for the role of "Leo" commented not long after he lost out to Josh for the role that All My Children "almost always goes for model-types: the guys who cannot act their way out of a paper sack, but have bulging biceps and �froggy lips.�" While we can watch Josh on 1-hour episodes of All My Children, this guy is currently appearing in a :30 second commercial that probably sponsors the show. Go figure!

Now, let�s take a closer look at Josh. "Uh oh," everyone thought last November. "Here we go again." You could hear the collective sighs all over soapland. You and I, as Internet soap fans, are especially hard on newcomers and Josh would have been no exception, yet, there was nothing to criticize. From his first day on the show, you have to agree with me that Josh made an impact that is still being felt! He was, simply put, marvelous from the word "go". Not that many actors relatively new to the acting craft could come on board and make such an impact so quickly. But life in Pine Valley hasn�t been the same since "Leo" arrived onto the scene and Josh has brought him to life in a way that we know no other actor could or would. One year later and we are still smiling! :-) To go even further, All My Children Casting Director Judith Blye Wilson was honored recently by the Society of America for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Episodic Drama Casting with an ARTIOS award for the third year in a row! Do you know to whom she gave partial credit? I�ll give you a hint: his initials are J.D. ;-)

In keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, why don�t you drop Josh a line and let him know what you think of his past year on the show and tell him "THANKS" for a wonderful, entertaining (dare I say entrancing?) first year. The address to ABC Studios is posted on the homepage here at jd.com. I�m sure he�d love to hear your thoughts! And while you�re at it, throw in a line or two to the powers that be (TPTB) and give them your input on how you think the storyline is going and what you would like to see in the future for "Leo du Pres". THEY DO LISTEN!

Once again, my name is Janny and this has been MY .02 worth. Now what about you??

Bye for now!

Janny

[email protected]

Tune in next week for an SSW5 recap. Make sure to email me your stories! And NO, there is no truth to that rumor that Josh was the one dressed in that "GOOFY" character costume at MGM Studios �. ;-)