‘All My Children’ Begins the Spring Cleaning Process

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — In the days following the news of "All My Children's" cancellation on April 14, a person claiming to be Trent Garrett went on Twitter to reveal that certain actors would be exiting early from the ABC soap, him included, to make way for returns. As the news went viral, including on Soap Opera Network, "All My Children's" official Fan Club President Debbie Morris was contacted by the actor who claimed he did not have a Twitter account and did not tweet those messages. Whatever the case, the Twitter birdie was on to something that many fans predicted as a strong possibility once news of the cancellation broke. In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest covering Summer Previews, several sources have confirmed that fans should "expect multiple cast members to exit before [AMC's] September finale to make way for returnees and a focus on long-term characters."

On Thursday, June 2, not unexpectedly Eddie Matos will become the first of those casualties. Matos has played the recurring character of "Reverend" Ricky Torres since December 2010. Matos 6-month run as the undercover hit-man will wind down following a showdown with the object of his obsession, Kendall Hart Slater (Alicia Minshew), this week. The actor reports that he is open to the possibility of a brief return to coincide with the return of Thorsten Kaye's character, Zach Slater, later this summer. Torres, and the rest of Pine Valley, of course are under the belief that the hit-man successfully killed Ms. Hart's husband last November.

As previously reported, Cady McClain returned to "AMC" as Dixie Cooney on May 17. She will begin airing regularly in late June. Kaye is expected back on screen regularly in August. If, like with McClain, scenes of Kaye are inserted into already taped episodes after he begins taping in late June he could begin appearing sporadically before then. "AMC" is also reportedly very interested in luring David Canary and Julia Barr back as Adam Chandler and Brooke English. Famous "AMC" alumni such as Josh Duhamel (ex-Leo) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall) have expressed interest in returns before the end. Talk-show host Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley), her husband Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo), and rising star Shannon Kane (ex-Natalia) are also expected to return in some capacity before all is said and done.

Soap Opera Network will continue to keep you up to date on the future comings and going on "AMC."