In what has to be one of the most shocking and controversial casting decisions of the year, Another World has fired Emmy Award-winning actor Charles Keating, who plays Carl Hutchins. Keating announced the show’s decision in a prepared statement, which appeared on his Internet site.
"With great sadness, I must inform you that Procter & Gamble and NBC have decided not to pick up my option to continue playing the role of Carl Hutchins", he said. "In short, I've been let go. Fired. Dismissed. Call it what you will. A rumor was circulated immediately that I had quit or resigned. Nothing could be further from the truth. " The actor who won the 1996 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama said he learned of the show’s decision on March 19 after a meeting – during which he was supposed to discuss the character’s future with the show’s top brass – was abruptly canceled.
"I was told a decision had been made to rest the character of Carl Hutchins," Keating said. "I am shocked by this turn of events. I don't know if these things can ever be handled well, its a new experience for me, but my agent described it as reprehensible and very mysterious.
A spokeswoman for the show confirmed that Keating will leave the show in May.
"We have an exciting and intriguing story planned for the character of Carl Hutchins this spring," she said. "however, as with any truly great villain, we felt the character needed a rest, although he will always remain a force in Bay City whether or not on the canvas. His dramatic departure will present a number of possibilities for the character of Rachel and will allow us to explore many fascinating facets of Bay City’s matriarch."
The decision to fire Keating also has presented several possibilities for the show’s fans, many of whom have vowed to boycott Procter and Gamble products and organize a protest in front of the show’s Brooklyn studios, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Former Westporter Victoria Wyndham, who plays Keating’s on-screen wife, said she was too upset to comment. The two have just released a CD called "Couplets", a spoken celebration of love as told through verse, play scenes and song.
Procter and Gamble, which also produces "As The World Turns" and "Guiding Light," has come under heavy criticism in the last year for firing veteran actors over age 40 on all three of its shows.