All My Children

The Pine Valley landscape will once again change somehow when one of the characters on All My Children takes on a fresh new look next week.  Beginning May 7, Colby Chandler will appear older as incoming Brianne Moncrief takes over for the departing Ambyr Childers.

According to Childers, the decision to leave the soap was hers, citing career development as the reason.  However, insiders from the All My Children camp indicate that her exit is actually a result of storyline progression.

"Due to other opportunities that have come quickly into my life, I will no longer be playing Colby Chandler on All My Children," Childers said in a statement.  "This decision took heartfelt consideration and after weighing my options as an actress, the decision seemed to become more apparent to move on within my career."

However, a spokesperson for the daytime drama has hinted that the actress was actually forced out of All My Children because the "storyline dictated the change" and that age seems to be the particular change the series was gunning for.

When Childers joined All My Children in July of 2006, the writers for the soap fast-tracked Colby's age to 16 years despite the fact that her character was only born in 1999.  Childer's Colby originally received less than favorable reactions from All My Children fans for being too spoiled and bratty.  She eventually began to win over the audience after the writers toned down her teen angst and unrest.

The series recently embarked on a casting call for the role of Edie, but with the audition scene an adjusted version of a scene between Dre (Sterling Sulieman), rumors began flying that the show was actually casting a new Colby.

As for Moncrief, who will assume the part Childers leaves behind, All My Children stands to provide her much more experience and exposure beyond her guest-starring stint last year on HBO's The Sopranos.


-Rosario Santiago, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Soap Central
(Image Courtesy of ABC, Soap Central)