Julia Barr Returns To AMC!
Written By Michael Logan
TV Guide

To say we're shocked is an understatement. Two-time Emmy winner Julia Barr
is heading back to All My Children for the show's 40th anniversary episodes
airing January 4-5. She'll be in fabulous company: Other grads returning for
the celebration include Kelly Ripa (Hayley), Mark Consuelos (Mateo), Eva La Rue
(Maria), Taylor Miller (Nina) and Laurence Lau (Greg). But it is Barr's
participation that's unexpected and pretty damn wild.
Here's why: After a spectacular 30-year run as Brooke English, the actress
got word in 2006 that ABC wanted her to go off-contract and become a recurring
player. Barr balked and chose not to stay with the show under those terms.
That got somebody at AMC so mad that a decision was made not to give Barr a
proper send-off. In fact, she got no send-off at all. Brooke simply vanished
from Pine Valley without a word of explanation. Viewers were furious.
"It was not an appropriate way to go," Barr says. "After being on the show
for so long, the character needed some kind of closure, ad so did the fans. For
whatever reason, that didn't happen. Now, hopefully, it will." Was she
surprised to be asked back after such shoddy treatment? "You bet," she says.
"But this is to the show's credit. It's a good, lovely, positive thing."
Barr admits she was hurt by what happened but has no regrets about her
decision to depart. "Of course I took it personally," she says. "We all like
to think we're invaluable and that the show can't do without us, but you can't
force people to feel that way. I'm fine about it now. Hey, I had 30 years
there. That's a very good run!"