From 'One Life to Live' to 'Santa Barbara'
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Nicolas Coster
mark.waltz — 11 years ago(June 07, 2014 02:08 PM)
Never has a soap hop from one character to another been as jarring as Nicolas's switch from playing Anthony Makana (1983-1984) to Lionel Lockridge (1984-1988, 1990-1993). Anthony Makana was a crooked man who wasn't meant to last long in Llanview, but as Lionel Lockridge, he switched from a basic humorless and sleazy character to a sophisticated William Powell type character who had a sly grin for every scheme and a giggle behind each smirk. Even though mother Minx had mentioned him before he popped into town, we had no idea of what kind of character he'd be. When the waiter at a beach-front restaurant described him to Augusta (Louise Sorel) as a "man with a chin that wouldn't quit", you knew it had to be him, and when he appeared behind her and complimented her on her tush (to which she slapped his face), "Santa Barbara" had its first bout with sophisticated humor that would continue through the remainder of the show's run. It's just a shame that the writers couldn't see that the Lockridges were far more entertaining than the Capwells (although C.C. and Lionel's friendly rivalry dominated most of the show's stories), something documented by Coster's Emmy history with the show. His chemistry with Louise Sorel was nothing short of William Powell & Myrna Loy, although Louise added a bit of vinegar to the usual friendly sarcasm which Loy employed in their film work together.
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