AW's Charles Keating (Carl) and his co-star Victoria Wyndham (Rachel) spoke recently about the behinds-the-scenes brouhaha at the studio since Keating was released from his role, "You have to understand, this is part and parcel of a player's lot," he said. "What Victoria's been able to do in 25 years, to stay with a gig, is quiet extraordinary. Absolute hats off to it. This (his firing) came up at this time, so clearly the gods have something else in mind and it's what's appropriate. I was delighted to see all those green ribbons (that fans wore to show their support). It is a phenomenal outpouring," Keating adds.
Asked why this decision to write off the character occurred, the actor demurs. "I have no idea," he said. I asked who made the decision, and Mickey (Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin, the executive in charge of production for Procter and Gamble's AW, ATWT and GL) told me herself that it was she, Susan Lee (senior vice president, NBC Daytime Programs), Charlotte (Savitz, executive producer) and Richard Culliton (head writer). They all think Carl would serve AW better as a villain and that Rachel doesn't have a future with Carl. Bingo, that's their opinion. So there it is, and what do you say? What they don't understand is that it's like breaking up a marriage when a death hasn't done it, especially if the players don't want it to happen - and the audience doesn't want it to happen."
Although Keating's final storyline could have Carl suffering from a physical ailment rather than returning to his evil ways, Keating just wishes things were over. "I want it to end - the sooner the better. What's really interesting is that Mickey said to me, 'We don't want the character to die.' It doesn't make any sense to show me the door and then say that. I say, 'Let him die Do what you do. You can write it this way, or you can write it some other way.' We all know soaps. I've been dead a few times myself."
As for specifics on how Carl leaves the canvas, Keating says the storyline is currently leaning toward Carl's disappearance in a fire. "There'll be no body found, or there will be a body found - it doesn't make any difference. They may want the audience to see Carl has survived this. Then he will go off into the wild blue yonder, and peculiar things will happen, and villains and henchmen will show up and do things all in the name of Carl. Thank you very much, but I'd rather not. Not for me," says Keating, who would rather see Carl's ashes end up as another urn on the Cory mantel.
Wyndham delighted fans by revealing some good news about Keating's future: "Charles is doing a new series for HBO. He's not going to let moss collect under his feet." Keating will portray Neville, an artist who paints women's sexual parts, in an upcoming episode of Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth. "I play a mad artist who says all kinds of dirty words," grins the actor. As Neville, he gets to paint Kristen Davis. The show is expected to air later this summer.