The new version of Melrose Place is about to get a first-season revamp, which seems fitting, given the original's early retinkering. Still, it can't be a happy thing for two of its departing actors to realize they're the new, pinkslipped incarnations of Amy Locane and Vanessa A. Williams. Since the news of their firings broke yesterday, both Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield have spoken out. One is sanguine in a statement; the other, not so much.
Simpson-Wentz sent her polite take on the proceedings to Us:
Having the chance to play Violet on Melrose Place has been a thrill. Although I always knew her story would come to a final, insanely unpredictable end, playing a creepy, unstable character was something I always wanted to do, so I jumped at the chance. Thanks to the CW and the entire cast and crew of Melrose Place for allowing me this opportunity!
Egglesfield, though, vented frustration in an interview with E! He put a down payment on a cute Beachwood Canyon one-bedroom and got his chest waxed for this?
How did you learn they weren't going forward with you and your character?
I got the call this morning from our producers, Todd [Slavkin] and Darren [Swimmer]. They were really saddened, and you could tell it was difficult for them to break this news to me. They said it was a network decision, and they said the network thought Auggie was a little too dark, with his alcoholism. They felt like in the landscape of Melrose they wanted to change the tone of the show. So that's the explanation that they gave me.
And this morning was the first you'd heard of it?
They said that it wasn't anything against me or my talent or anything. There was never any discussion that they weren't sure what they were going to do with me or my character. And it wasn't like I was getting in fights with crew members or punching people out. I just got the call this morning and I respect the decision that they have to make creatively to do what they need to do, I'm just frustrated that I'm not going to be a part of it, just because it was such a great job and a fun place to go to work every day.
It's an odd decision, because we did just did a poll yesterday about favorite Melrose Place characters that aren't Ella, and Auggie was the winner.
That's the thing--I don't know. It's kind of crazy. It's like, How?! Why?! I'm not spending too much time thinking about it, because it'll just drive you crazy, if you try to figure something out that you're never going to figure out. I'm just focusing on [other stuff]. I've already got a bunch of auditions lined up.
Auditions already, mere hours after being fired from his biggest job ever! I might have taken a little more me-time to eat my feelings and spray paint something obscene on Katie Cassidy's trailer, but I supposed that's why I'm not a former CW regular. Onward, always!
Update: Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Off of Melrose Place [Us]
Colin Egglesfield Explains His Shocking Dismissal from Melrose Place Egglesfield Explains His Shocking Dismissal from Melrose Place [E!]