Roger & Holly Fans Speak Out

When this website debuted in 1995, fans shared their feelings about what made Roger & Holly special to them, and what it was about these characters and this coupling that "hooked" them on this "sweet bitter love" story. Email us with your memories and we'll add them here:  rogerandholly@michaelzaslow.com    

Susan:
As a twenty year viewer of Guiding Light, I was aware of and intrigued with Roger and Holly almost from the very beginning. However, I didn't become hopelessly addicted to them until the Jean Wetherill/ Daniel St. John storyline of 1991-92. It seemed as if every time I turned on Guiding Light, there were Roger and Holly in each other's faces. Their scenes crackled with intelligence and sexual tension. I was suddenly enthralled with them. I soon came to appreciate the depth and complexity of their tragic, adult love story. Here were two characters unlike any I had ever seen on a daytime drama. Deeply flawed and painfully human, they were drawn together by a force seemingly beyond themselves. All of this, plus the explosive chemistry between the two actors, made for some of the most riveting viewing I have ever experienced.

Amy:
I really got hooked on Holly first. When she returned to Springfield, I was instantly drawn to this intelligent, funny, complex and fascinating character. She had substance, often a rarity on soaps. Not having seen the show in the 70s when Holly and Roger were married, all I knew of him was what he had done. So, I hated him --- and threw a fit every time a magazine article, or my mom, suggested that they still had feelings for each other. Good writing and great acting started to change my mind. The chemistry between Michael Zaslow and Maureen Garrett was impossible to ignore. After watching the way the characters really came alive in scenes together, I started to like Roger in spite of myself. Costa Verde was a big turning point for me. That was really the first time I saw Roger as a complex individual, rather than the one-dimensional villain.

And after Acapulco, I was hooked. After that , I saw how much it hurt Roger to see the pain he had caused Holly. I came to realize, much as Holly did, that if given the opportunity to change one thing in his life, Roger would choose the rape. Every time he looked at her with that expression encompassing pain, regret, and love, I would melt. And seeing the way they looked at each other in stories like Acapulco, the Daniel St. John mystery, Cliff House, when Billy shot him, etc. absolutely broke my heart. The fact that in the midst of their "storyline" after they finally reunited (which consisted mainly of Spaulding Enterprises discussions), I was still enthralled, is a testament to the obvious talent of the actors. Remarkable as they both are, they're never better than when together. They can communicate more with body language, and their eyes, than can be said in pages of dialogue. Taking advantage of a 20-year story and magical chemistry between two talented actors seems a given to me. Somehow, it eludes the current producers. The idea of Holly and Roger together, working to avoid their past mistakes and create a lasting future, hardly seems the perceived boring, stable, soap couple. But, as someone once said, "it takes talent to write that."

Deborah:
I have watched Guiding Light sporadically for the past twenty years and in doing so fell in love with Michael Zaslow. He is the reason I continue to watch and he is in large part the reason I became hooked on Roger and Holly as a couple. Roger and Holly bring to GL a level of intensity, complexity, and history that is unrivaled. From the moment Roger came back to Springfield after his "fall from grace", I have been drawn into his longing for his one true love, Holly. Every scene they share is filled with an incredible intensity and their chemistry is palpable. I have loved the "softening" of Roger and the continual tenderness and love he has shown Holly despite her often disparaging attitude toward him. For years we have known in our "heart of hearts" that, despite what Holly was saying to the world, she still loved Roger and longed for him as well. The short time they were together and allowed to share their love openly was wonderful. Roger and Holly's history and chemistry can never be duplicated.

Pam:
The first time I got really intrigued with Roger and Holly was probably in October of 1989. (I'd only started watching the show the previous February). It was Holly's birthday. Roger crashed her party at WSPR and ran his finger along the icing of her cake after saying to her, "You still want me!" Then he got into her car and Holly was driving really fast as she was telling him to take his vitamins because he was seeing a younger woman (Sonni Carrera). Holly told Roger that women of her own age haven't even reached their "sexual peak" yet, and Roger responded by reminding her how when he and she were young, Holly would come to his door night after night, "and that was before you reached your sexual peak!" Holly, not knowing the appropriate response, drove faster. She wound up crashing the car, Roger revived her via mouth-to-mouth, then Holly came to and shoved him away, not realizing that he'd been trying to save her life.

Then a skunk came by (this was a really funny scene) and Roger panicked, saying he was allergic to skunks. Holly laughed at him and the irony of it (since Roger had been this CIA agent-type hero, plus was always referred to as a skunk) and he laughed along with her, and then they reminisced about how Roger had fainted during the blood test for their marriage because (she claimed) he was afraid of the sight of blood and (he claimed) because he was poisoned by the meal she'd made for him the prior night. They eventually got "rescued" by the police (after Holly refused help from a passer-by, nasty Neil) and Roger and Holly had some other great scenes back in Holly's hotel room ... but what I remember most about what I now call "The Skunk Episodes" was the completely charming and sexy interaction between these two heretofore supposedly alienated characters. Of course I didn't know what, if anything, would be written for them next, but I sure wanted to see whatever it was!

Pat:
What hooked me on the Roger/Holly saga? As a fan for over 20 years who watched this story from the beginning, I would have to say that my becoming "hooked" happened in 3 phases.

*Phase 1 - 1976: Maureen Garrett takes over the role of Holly.
I was already "hooked" on Roger, but couldn't get into his story until Maureen G. came on board. She was a softer, gentler and smarter Holly and seemed to really connect with Michael Zaslow.

*Phase 2 - 1989: Roger and Holly Return.
Wow! The mature Roger and Holly just sizzled with sensual chemistry! But even though they had fabulous scenes together and Roger professed remorse for his transgressions time and again, it was obvious that GL would never give these two a romantic storyline together, so I refused to be completely "hooked".

*Phase 3 - 1993: Cliff House.
Bingo! A fan becomes a fanatic! Unbelievably GL crossed the line -- Roger and Holly had their first real love scene and it was breathtaking. Now there's no turning back! This is daytime's most unique, complex and enduring love story. Roger & Holly FOREVER!

Teresa:
In 1989, I was a few months out of grad school, starting a new career, and hadn't watched soaps for months when I heard someone in a public place utter the name "Roger Thorpe" --- a blast from the past. Just one look was ALL it took --- I was hooked!!! What can I say: Michael Zaslow gets to me, then and now. As soon as GL began tempting, teasing, tantalizing and torturing us with the possibilities that Roger and Holly presented, I couldn't help but root for this extremely sexy couple. Michael Zaslow and Maureen Garrett are MAGIC!! Together, they infuse their unique characters with a history, depth and complexity that is unlike anything else on daytime television.

Lorene:
In 1993, as I wallowed in despair over the departure of my favorite soap couple, General Hospital's Robert and Anna (Tristan Rogers and Finola Hughes), some friends advised me that I could more than compensate for my loss by switching to CBS to see GL's sexiest and most sophisticated couple, Roger Thorpe and Holly Lindsey. I was warned, however, that technically, Roger and Holly weren't a "couple" ... at least not yet. One friend said , "Nevermind, their story has endured for over 20 real-life years. Michael Zaslow and Maureen Garrett have been back on GL for 4 years, and we're destined to see GL finally put Roger and Holly back together any day now. They just HAVE to!!!" Well, I actually believed her!

Willing to try anything once, I "turned on the Light" and was promptly rewarded with a Roger and Holly scene. At the time, I was unaware of what a rare and precious gift this actually was. I still remember the scene to this day: Roger was making Holly a tuna sandwich. Dare I say I was immediately hooked? (Groan). Though I knew almost nothing about these two characters or their incredible history, I sensed there was so much more between them. In fact, the intensity and emotional bond between the two actors was so palpable that they could've been reading the phone book and I would've been no less transfixed. The scene ended with a kiss, and I thought, "Gee, how hard can it be to get these two together?" Of course, I've since grown wise, having been "educated" about GL's unfortunate treatment of Roger and Holly. But that's another sad and anguished story. Sorry to say, but I gave up and quit watching GL several months ago. As unbelievable as it still all seems, what once had me hooked no longer exists.

Elaine:
It was really Holly who hooked me on Roger and Holly. The first time I saw her was the day Roger fired her from WSPR. It was a great scene. I had no idea of their history but I could see sparks flying. I was fascinated by Holly. She was coming at Roger with both barrels, but then he mentioned her "suicide attempt" and she was suddenly transformed into this fragile vulnerable person --- nothing like the woman who was breathing fire just a second ago. Holly instantly became my favorite character on Guiding Light. She was so interesting to watch ... so different from other female characters on soaps. After that came Holly's scene with Roger in the diner when she talked about being in the bubble and fearing she would float away. Roger said very little in that scene but you could see in his face how much he loved her and that he regretted the part he played in her unhappiness. By the time Cliff House rolled around, I was hooked. The scene that stands out most in my mind though was the one at Christmas time when she read that poem to him. The look on her face said it all. In all their scenes there was this incredible chemistry and connection between two characters that was unlike anything I had seen before. Their story was so complicated, so adult, so charged with emotion. It was a feast for anyone who loves stories like that, and I do.

Ceil:
I've been reading soap magazines for as long as I can remember.  Back in the early 80s, the mention of Roger Thorpe in the magazines would come up often.  This fact always intrigued me.  I remembered Michael Zaslow very well from his "One Life To Live" days so when the opportunity to receive the "Roger Thorpe-The Scandal Years" video presented itself, I jumped at it.  (My Guiding Light viewing past was only several months back in 1985.)  When I received my Roger video from Procter & Gamble in January 1995, I was completely taken by the two actors. Maureen Garrett and Michael Zaslow, themselves, are the reason I'm hooked on Roger and Holly.  Their chemistry is undeniable.  I couldn't wait to see them working together.  With the help of good friends, I've been able to view many Roger and Holly scenes of the past.   Here's hoping there will be more of Roger and Holly in the future. 

Patricia:
It was "The Wheelchair Fight" that hooked me.  Holly had been visiting Blake at Spaulding and when she left Roger was waiting for her outside the door.   Roger had recently fallen off a horse and damaged his knee so he was in a wheelchair at the time.  Holly: "I want to talk to you."  Roger: "Oh, good, I want to talk to you too." And off they went, Roger wheeling down the hall, Holly walking determinedly behind til they got to Roger's office and started right in blasting each other.  I don't remember the details of the argument -- Holly bashed Roger for dismissing Blake's latest PR idea, and for favoring his new-found son over Blake; Roger gave it back to Holly for her Acapulco conspiracy with Alex, and for grasping at lost youth her new "young doctor boyfriend". 

What I really found fascinating was the body language.  After awhile I completely forgot that Roger was in a wheelchair.  Michael Zaslow maneuvered that thing so expertly, stalking Holly around the room, that you would have thought he'd used one all his life.  Then Maureen Garrett turned on him, grabbed the arms of the chair and started pushing it backwards while she leaned down and stared him in the face to get her point across.  I just sat there with my mouth open, not believing the emotional power of what I was watching!  I had seen Roger and Holly in scenes with other people and always enjoyed them.  But nothing had prepared me for the intensity  of emotion in "The Wheelchair Fight". 

They spent most of the argument playing the blame game, each managing to get in some very funny and sarcastic digs ... but every so often one of the other of them would say something or ask a question as if they were really trying to communicate.   Unfortunately the other one wouldn't respond as openly, and they'd be off on another win-lose tangent.  This fight perfectly illustrated the miscommunication and poor timing that seems to be a hallmark of Roger and Holly's relationship.  Here you have two very damaged and flawed individuals who keep trying to connect with each other.   You know they're probably never going to make it, but you can't help rooting for them anyway, and you love watching them try.  If scenes like this are really a thing of the past, then so is my GL viewing.    

The Roger and Holly Worldwide Webpage  is a group project which first appeared on October 14, 1995.  Check out our "What's New" section to see what's been added, and to keep track of future updates.  If you would like to write us, add your comments to the "Why This Story Hooked Me" section, or contribute anything else to this website, email us at rogerandholly@michaelzaslow.com

Copyright © 1999 by Michael Zaslow's ZazAngels. All rights reserved.
01/04/06 05:14:23 PM