Soapy Suds: Angie Comforts Ryan on All My Children

There is a common belief that masterful actors have the ability to help their fellow castmates reach a higher level when they share scenes.

Well then, I guess Debbie Morgan is a masterful actor.

Morgan, an actor with a career that spans over 25 years in mediums including film and television, returned to All My Children last year, playing Angie Hubbard. Since then, she has helped maintain a somewhat stable ground for the fledgling soap. No matter what kind of crap she is given, she turns it into screen gold, hence her Daytime Emmy pre-nomination.

Her true gift lies in her ability to elevate her costars to her level. Such is the case in last week's episode, where Angie treats Ryan Lavery's injuries after a rough night at the casino. What could have been a fly-by-night scene became a significant piece in understanding the loss that Ryan (played by Cameron Mathison) is suffering after Greenlee's death. While treating his injury, Ryan FINALLY opens up about Greenlee, and instead of spewing unsympathetic garbage about revenge, he expresses feelings of hopelessness, pain, and vulnerability. By the end of the exchange, he breaks down in Angie's caring arms.

What makes this scene particularly special is that for the first time in nearly eight years, Cameron Mathison isn't performing full throttle. His performance here, opposite Emmy-winning Morgan, is quiet and restrained, exposing Ryan's grief far more poignantly than the tirades against Zach that he has been forced to play in the last week or two. He resists the urge to over-express himself, making the scene powerful.

What's spectacular about Debbie Morgan is that, despite her powerhouse acting chops, she lets Mathison take the reigns of the scene, acting with him instead of against him. Their chemistry here is ace, giving Mathison his first viable, non-romantic acting partner since Julia Barr as Brooke English. I'm referring to the scenes with Brooke and Ryan in the hospital after his true love Gillian dies. Just like those, this scene is a truly special moment where everything, as understated as it may be, are terrifically in sync.