Why They Really Left

Here, four candid former ABC stars reveal what was going on in their final days at their old jobs, the emotional private conversations with show execs and why they really left.

A Martinez

(ex-Roy, 1999-2002), General Hospital

SOD, Oct 7, 2003

    Roy kind of went from sizzle to fizzle while you were there, but then he was on an upswing during your last few months.  Were you ever frustrated with the writing?

    "I originally went to the show when (Head Writer Robert) Guza was there.  A lot of the earlier ideas about what kind of man Roy was and what he was going to go through on the show tended to get cloudy when Guza left, which was just a couple of months after I arrived.  But the energy and focus that came back into the character once he and (Co-Head Writer) Chuck Pratt resurfaced on the scene was excellent and it made it a wonderful few months for me at the end."

    So then, what was the motivation for you to leave, considering Roy was in a front-burner storyline?

    "Well, I got offered the nighttime show (For the People) on Lifetime.  The role was a lawyer, and I just thought he was a great character.  Plus, I rally liked the whole idea of the show."

    Joining the cast of a prime-time series can be risky, but the payoffs are great.

    "Exactly.  If For the People would have continued, it would have been great because when you're doing a show like that, you're working eight months and then you have four months off to do whatever else you want or to just do nothing.  And there's so much else to do that it's awfully appealing to choose a job like that and make that kind of jump.  So, I rolled the dice, hoping the series would land...but unfortunately, it didn't work out that way."

    Did the writers have big plans for Roy if you chose to stay on GH?

        "I have no idea.  They just told me when I left that they were going to keep him alive and refer to him."

    Did you enjoy your final months on the show?

    "Yes, the writers took great care of Roy and had him in a great storyline.  The way that they set up all of the characters and had (Luis) Alcazar come in was wonderful.  The stuff Kristina (Wagner, ex-Felicia) and I did was quite fun.  Plus, I got to be there when Steve (Burton, Jason) came back, and I've always loved working with him.  You look at the whole experience, and it was just absolutely top-notch.  I mean, to get to spend so many months right there with Tony (Geary, Luke) all of the time...Of course, all of the stuff with Maurice (Benard, Sonny) was really special, too.  It was a great ending that left a lot of doors open."

    Would you return to the role if asked?

    "I would certainly come back if there was something for Roy to do that was cool.  I love the character and I love the show, but I know that there are so many things going on all of the time on a soap opera.  There are so many dynamics on a soap that are playing themselves out.  You just have to wait and let unfold whatever is going to unfold.  I've found that it doesn't serve anyone to push.  They know where I am, and I know where they are... and I keep up with the show, too."

    Moving On:  Martinez is airing in a Lifetime movie called "Killer Instinct: From the Files of Agent Candice DeLong", which is scheduled to air on October 6 at 9 p.m.  The actor has also just wrapped up shooting the movie Isla Bella and has decided to remain in Los Angeles for a while to spend time with his wife and children.  "My son is entering his senior year in high school and my daughter is in high school, so I want to remain close to them."

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