Greenlee Smythe is a fictional character from the American daytime drama, All My Children. She was originally portrayed by actress Rebecca Budig from August 11, 1999 to November 30, 2005, and was portrayed by actress Sabine Singh from April 20, 2007 to January 15, 2008. On December 14, 2007, it was announced that Budig accepted the offer to reprise the role, and would continue her portrayal of the character. Episodes with Budig began airing again January 16, 2008. The return is one of the most widely reported in the genre's history, with newspapers such as the Associated Press and New York Daily News featuring the story. Budig again departed the role on February 17, 2009,Soap Opera Digest December 2008 issue. the day the character was killed off. In the June 29, 2009 issue of ABC Soaps in Depth magazine, head writer Charles Pratt, Jr. confirmed they had written Greenlee to remain alive, but that Budig would be making no immediate plans to return to the show. On October 8, 2009, it was confirmed that Budig would return to the show in December. Budig returned on December 23, 2009 and remained with the series until its finale on September 23, 2011.
Greenlee became one of daytime television's top bad girls, but later reformed into a heroine. The character's relationships with Ryan Lavery and Kendall Hart feature prominently in her storyline. She is noted as the last currently-airing, major daytime character to be created by show creator Agnes Nixon.Nixon returned from 1999 to 2001, co-writing for All My Children, which was her last stint on any soap opera.
Background Casting and character creation When producers at All My Children were looking for a new villainess to wreak havoc in fictional town Pine Valley, they created character Greenlee Smythe, inspired by the likes of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Kendall Hart (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Executives at ABC were already considering actress Rebecca Budig for the role. Budig, who felt that becoming the character was a great opportunity to expand her range as an actress, sent the show her video reel.
On August 11, 1999, Greenlee Smythe made her debut. After winning the role, Budig further explained her interest in the part and her early portrayal of the character: "This was a recurring role", she stated. "I didn't have to go in and test - the process proceeded swiftly". Judy Blye Wilson, AMC casting director told me that Greenlee was a bad girl who comes to Pine Valley and causes trouble. It was the summer; I figured there wasn't going to be anything going on in L.A. - why not go back to New York? Plus, I never get to play the bad girl and delve into the dark side. I'm always playing the good girl. It's been exciting because the role has really come to fruition these past three months. Her dad's a drunk, her mother pays no attention to her, she lives with her grandmother - she's pathetically desperate, kind of like me. I'm kidding. I love her name; it's so debutante. I think she's going to continue to be a spoiler.
The character later went from recurring status to being a main character. Budig immediately accepted the commitment of being a contract player, saying that she was "very happy" at All My Children. "I don't even know how to describe it; it's just been a really nice experience for me. I'm friendly with everyone", she stated. "I have to tell you, I am in love with Judy Blye Wilson and Jean Dadario Burke [AMC's executive producer]. Jean is like my mother, and Judy is like my best friend. It's been really nice to be around people like that". Budig additionally noted her favoritism for Jennifer Bassey (Marian). "She's taken me under her wing a little bit. She's teaching me all sorts of things. I just look at the people on the show and I'm so amazed. There are so many people to learn from there", stated Budig.
Wilson's take on bringing in Budig as Greenlee hinged on her belief that it was a no-brainer. Wilson had been trying to get Budig at All My Children for years. "She went on to Guiding Light about two weeks before I was going to bring her in to read for the part", stated Wilson. "Since then I'd spoken to her several times and tried to encourage her to come here, and this time we got lucky. I think she's a terrific young lady and a wonderful actress, and I'm really happy that we have her here at ABC".
Wilson felt that Budig brought a special mix of qualities to the table, detailing that "she has this unique way of playing the bad girl, if you will, but making her very likable". Wilson elaborated on Budig's way of showing vulnerability: "You love to watch this bad girl, and that's not an easy thing to make people do. As a person, Rebecca has this wonderful kind of spunky, upbeat quality that is endearing. I've always liked this girl, and enjoyed spending time with her. She's just a lot of fun".
When describing the feeling of portraying a vixen, Budig also used the word fun; she cited her kinship with the character and how it differs from her role on Guiding Light. "Michelle was young and naive. I'm sure I'm still a little naive, but it's hard for an actor who's older to play younger", said Budig. "You have to go back to being somewhat innocent, and it's hard once you're not to go back to being that way. Greenlee's worldly and naughty, and I can relate more to her - not that I'm a naughty girl", she added with humor.
Recast and Budig return In early 2007, nearly two years after Budig left the role in 2005, the writers decided to recast Greenlee. Actress Sabine Singh was selected to step into the role after Budig turned down the offer to return. Viewers, at first, had a difficult time embracing a new actress as the character. There was sentiment that the new Greenlee was "too whiny" and too self-defeatist to be the strong, independent Greenlee they had become accustomed to. Singh, however, managed to gain a fanbase for her portrayal, having made the character somewhat recognizable to viewers again.
New head writers of the series, James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten, in their interview with TV Guide, stated that they helped Singh get into the role by "writing specifically" for her. "We saw some little things in Sabine Singh (Greenlee), so we wrote for her accordingly", stated Esensten, "but you get into real trouble when you completely change the character for a recast. Luckily, Jim and I don't have any trouble separating the actor from a character because the latter is really paramount in our eyes".
With recasts becoming more frequent on the canvas, the audience longed for more familiarity, and often cited old favorites and their portrayals of beloved or hated characters. In late 2007, All My Children again sought to bring back Budig as Greenlee. This time, their offer was accepted; on December 12, 2007, it was announced that Budig would be returning to the role. The announcement was prominently featured in major news outlets. Budig again departed from the role of Greenlee in March 2009; she cited the difficulty of her bicoastal lifestyle with husband Bob Guiney as her reason for the exit. All My Children new head writer Charles Pratt, Jr. said to ABC Soaps in Depth, "I have great belief that someday, at some point, Greenlee will want to come back, and we'll be primed and ready for her".February 9, 2009 edition of ABC Soaps in Depth
Controversy When viewers received news that Budig would be returning to the role following Singh's departure, they were initially pleased; they had been against the network's decision to recast Greenlee and slow to embrace Singh as the character. "Fans were quite vocal", stated All My Children spokesman Michael Cohen. "They wanted Rebecca back as Greenlee. When the timing is right, as it was now, Rebecca was available so we brought her back". Though welcomed back by fans, news of her return was largely overshadowed by reports of what transpired in releasing Singh. "Sabine was fired!" said a note on a MySpace page claiming affiliation with Singh's fan club:
Fans were outraged and conflicted by the news. Viewers pleased with Budig's return now felt emotions of guilt and bitterness; they cited their eagerness for Budig to return while also feeling that they could not fully enjoy it. Viewers who had come to accept Singh as the "bad girl" were disheartened, and both sides felt Singh was treated unfairly. The controversy heightened when ABC ran advertisements promoting Budig's return, claiming that "the real Greenlee is back". This move was seen by viewers as disrespectful to Singh's portrayal, particularly because she was still filming. Fans expressed the network could have had more tact in letting Singh go and that it did not have to unfold the way it did.
Of her return, Budig said the reason she decided to take the offer was because of timing. She stated that her life is in Los Angeles, and that ABC did a lot to make the transition easier for her. Viewers reasoned that Singh's treatment by ABC was not Budig's fault, since she had been approached by Frons himself and could not have known exactly what would transpire in the upcoming weeks. When asked of Singh, Budig praised her work but seemed aware of how the writers had altered Greenlee's character and of the audience's dissatisfaction with the change; in response to this, she hinted that this issue would not be the case with her return. "I think [Sabine] brought in a different perspective on the character", she said. "Obviously, I played this character for six years and I have a different take on Greenlee".
Singh commented on her departure in the subsequent issue of Soap Opera Digest; she said she did not know who the person claiming affiliation with her fan club was but that the information provided was mostly accurate. She later detailed her feelings in full:
Singh further relayed that there was "one thing" that kept her clearheaded and strong throughout the matter — her friends, on and off set. She said "the amazing AMC fans, [who] have been nothing short of supportive, loving and giving on my behalf". Co-star Cameron Mathison (Ryan Lavery) praised her work: "She made a lot of sacrifices for the show and did a great job. We'll miss her around here."
Storylines Leo and widowhood Greenlee Smythe is a young upper class woman from one of Pine Valley's richest families. She has an affair with Scott Chandler at college, and wants to resume it when they return home to Pine Valley. Scott, however, has fallen for Becca Tyree, and Greenlee makes sure Becca sees a video of the former lovers having sex. When Becca ends things with Scott, he initially reunites with Greenlee, though he ultimately ends it when he discovers her scheme.
After her quest to win Scott ends, Greenlee turns her attention to Ryan Lavery. Ryan is in love with Gillian Andrassy, but pursues a sexual relationship with Greenlee. During this time, Greenlee meets fellow schemer Leo du Pres, and the fast friends go so far to make a bet to see if Leo can take Becca's virginity. Greenlee continues to pursue Ryan even as she and Leo are growing closer. Greenlee and Leo would eventually make love, but both insist that it did not mean anything and they go back to their pursuit of Ryan and Becca. When Ryan steals $3 million from his internet company, Greenlee covers for him, by borrowing the money from loan shark Wade Randall. Wade attempts to use his leverage with Greenlee by threatening her grandfather, hoping to have Greenlee convince her grandfather to help him launder his dirty money. When she learns that Ryan took the money to help Gillian rescue Jake Martin from war-torn Chechnya, she turns him in to the police cuts her ties with him.