Soap Actress Fired for Objecting to Gay Storyline

[Jenn! 918]

If you tuned in to the soap "One Life to Live" this week, you may have noticed there's been a change of character. One character in particular. Actress Patricia Mauceri says she was fired and abruptly replaced for objecting to a gay storyline because of her religious beliefs.

Mauceri played the recurring role of Carlotta Vega on "OLTL" for the last 14 years. But when she objected to how the writers wanted her deeply religious character, a Latina mother, to handle a storyline involving homosexuality, she objected. And for that she claims she was fired.

Mauceri, 59, a devout Christian, told FOX News that character Vega's gay-friendly dialogue was not in line with the character she helped create by drawing on her own faith.

"I did not object to being in a gay storyline. I objected to speaking the truth of what that person, how that person would live and breathe and act in that storyline," she said. "And this goes against everything I am, my belief system, and what I know the character's belief system is aligned to."

Mauceri said she was replaced despite offering changes to the script and hoping for a compromise.

An ABC spokesperson said they were not aware of any such claims by Mauceri, adding such claims "would be frivolous."

When asked why Mauceri is no longer playing Carlotta Vega, the spokesperson said the show does not comment on personnel matters. The scene in question was scheduled to air Friday afternoon.

Mauceri told FOX News she is exploring her legal options. AFTRA, the actors union that represents her, did not respond to a request for comment.

Source

[Y's_habibitk 2]

Mauceri played the recurring role of Carlotta Vega on "OLTL" for the last 14 years. But when she objected to how the writers wanted her deeply religious character, a Latina mother, to handle a storyline involving homosexuality, she objected. And for that she claims she was fired.

Mauceri, 59, a devout Christian, told FOX News that character Vega's gay-friendly dialogue was not in line with the character she helped create by drawing on her own faith.

"I did not object to being in a gay storyline. I objected to speaking the truth of what that person, how that person would live and breathe and act in that storyline," she said. "And this goes against everything I am, my belief system, and what I know the character's belief system is aligned to."

Mauceri said she was replaced despite offering changes to the script and hoping for a compromise.

She objected because she thought her character would not react that way? She tried to rewrite the script? It sounds like she was a little too attached to her "character",sorry.

Acting in a soap opera filled with sex,murder,lies ect is ok......but dont ask her "character" to say or act in a way that she thinks the "character" wouldnt behave. seems odd to me. If she had just said, Im not participating in this scene or that and I dont believe such n such....that would be respectable, but this story makes her sound a little touched to me.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Good for her for standing up for what SHE believes in, not what society thinks she should believe in.

[zqt3344 21]

Gays are as discriminating against straight people or more so than any straight person I have ever seen against a gay person!

If you tuned in to the soap "One Life to Live" this week, you may have noticed there's been a change of character. One character in particular. Actress Patricia Mauceri says she was fired and abruptly replaced for objecting to a gay storyline because of her religious beliefs.

Mauceri played the recurring role of Carlotta Vega on "OLTL" for the last 14 years. But when she objected to how the writers wanted her deeply religious character, a Latina mother, to handle a storyline involving homosexuality, she objected. And for that she claims she was fired.

Mauceri, 59, a devout Christian, told FOX News that character Vega's gay-friendly dialogue was not in line with the character she helped create by drawing on her own faith.

"I did not object to being in a gay storyline. I objected to speaking the truth of what that person, how that person would live and breathe and act in that storyline," she said. "And this goes against everything I am, my belief system, and what I know the character's belief system is aligned to."

Mauceri said she was replaced despite offering changes to the script and hoping for a compromise.

An ABC spokesperson said they were not aware of any such claims by Mauceri, adding such claims "would be frivolous."

When asked why Mauceri is no longer playing Carlotta Vega, the spokesperson said the show does not comment on personnel matters. The scene in question was scheduled to air Friday afternoon.

Mauceri told FOX News she is exploring her legal options. AFTRA, the actors union that represents her, did not respond to a request for comment.

Source

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Except it doesn't say that the person/people who asked her to do the storyline were themselves gay.

So an actress is sacked for thinking that she has more influence on the production than the writers and the producers.

[Jenn! 918]

She has played the "religion card". I wonder what the reaction to the story would be if she had played a different type of card.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Not knowing what the storyline is, or being familiar with the character - its very hard to say. Easy to speculate of course.

[SMR 368]

She has played the "religion card". I wonder what the reaction to the story would be if she had played a different type of card.

Well, good for her for standing up for what she believed in. But it's their show. They can fire her if they want to. Her job is to do and say what the script requires. She should have put objections in her contract if she had them. Otherwise, she doesn't have a legal leg to stand on.

[Carlawarla 1]

I don't watch soap operas anymore, however I did in my late teens and early 20's. Unless things have changed, I find this quite funny, in that I have yet to watch a soap opera that didn't have anyone that wasn't in some type of extramarital affair, having sex before marriage, doing drugs, drinking to excess etc. I would suspect that any "Christian" would have difficulty with any of that. Did she object before this about any other story line that would include any of the other things that occur in soap operas as stated above? Just wondering.

[zqt3344 21]

So it is ok to discriminate against her because of her religion? You think it is ok? Maybe she is right after all?

She has played the "religion card". I wonder what the reaction to the story would be if she had played a different type of card.

[Jenn! 918]

So it is ok to discriminate against her because of her religion? You think it is ok? Maybe she is right after all?

She has played the "religion card". I wonder what the reaction to the story would be if she had played a different type of card.

Just noting the difference in reaction between this and other alleged discrimination stories.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

She's a fvcking actress - if she won't read the lines the producers want her to read, she's gone.

[zqt3344 21]

Pike you are a hard man!

She's a fvcking actress - if she won't read the lines the producers want her to read, she's gone.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its a job like any other - if you won't do what you're asked to do you can't be surprised if you get the boot.

The actress has the right to raise her objections, but they're not going to ditch an entire storyline simply because one actress doesn't like it. Who does she think she is - Meryl Streep?

[Peikko 1,575]

I think she just found out she wasn't as important to the soap as she thought she was. Standing up for ones principals is one thing but wanting legal compensation because 'the integrity of a soap character is compromised' is just hilarious. Lady, you are an actress playing a part. The part is whatever the writers want it to be