by Dan J Kroll

Posted Wednesday, December 06, 2006 8:27:11 PM

What is your reaction to Fletcher's Erin being killed off by AMC?  I don't understand the need to kill her off. Seems unnecessarily violent.   35%   I was bored to death by Erin, so it's appropriate that she's getting offed.   33%   I'm angry. Why bring on Erin if she wasn't going to be used for anything?   24%   I'm disappointed, but I understand AMC's need to trim the budget.   4%   I have no opinion on Fletcher/Erin's exit from All My Children.   3%   Other   0%     Poll Posted: December 8, 2006

As previously reported, Connie Fletcher's (Erin Lavery) tenure on All My Children ends this week when her on-screen alter ego is picked off my Pine Valley's serial killer. The exit, which is being called a "mutual decision," comes with an ironic twist of fate: Fletcher had planned to ask to be let out of her contract.

"It had recently become crystal clear to me that life, both personally and professionally, was moving me away from this job," Fletcher said in a statement on her official web site. "When executive producer [Julie Hanan Carruthers] called me in for a meeting, I went in to her office with the intention of asking to be let out of my contract.

As is typically the case, Fletcher's fan learned of her firing before an official announcement was made by the actress or network. The actress cited a "responsibility to All My Children" for not telling fans until recently that she would be exiting the show. Due to contracts and the networks' desire to keep storyline twists under wraps, actors are often barred from discussing certain topics with the media or fans.

Fletcher joined the cast of All My Children in August 2005. Since that time, Fletcher has been relegated to more of a supporting role in storylines. Recently, the actress has seen little in the way of face time on the small screen. Even with that lack of air time, it was not easy for Fletcher to get to the point where she felt comfortable in asking to leave the show.

"I had been agonizing about this talk for a few weeks -- my stomach was in knots," Fletcher relates. "So when [Carruthers] told me of my imminent departure, I gave her a big hug and said 'thank you.' Truly, the timing of this could not be better.

What's next for Fletcher is still very much up in the air. Near the top of her priority list is getting married to fiancé Aaron Staton later this month.

"As I begin a new chapter in my life with my wonderful soon-to-be husband, I will take with me the kind words and encouragement that [the fans have] given me," Fletcher beams. "It has, from my first audition, been an absolute pleasure and an honor to work with [a] group of people who have become a family to me. There is so much that goes into creating the world of Pine Valley and the fact that I got to be a part of that, even for a brief time, is a blessing."

Fletcher last airs on December 12th.