One Life to Live's Robin Strasser (ex-Dorian Lord) shares some hard truths about her past addiction and the dangers of prescription drugs.
It's been five years since ABC stopped airing the beloved soap opera One Life to Live, but the lives of the talented actors who brought Llanview residents to life are still in viewers' hearts and minds. That's why it was so distressing for many to learn this week that Robin Strasser (ex-Dorian Lord) struggled with an addiction to painkillers during her time on the show.
When rumors began circling this week that the actress has pneumonia, she took to Twitter to clear up any confusion -- and also took the opportunity to speak about the past, revealing that she was let go from OLTL several months before its cancellation and move to Prospect Park because she needed extra time to recuperate from back surgery.
"I do NOT have pneumonia -- four years ago I did, was too sick for [a Prospect Park] photo shoot. Five years ago One Life [was] canceled but I was let go six months earlier," she began. "WHY? I faced a 2nd back surgery & refused to come back in less than three months [like the show preferred]. I'd fought painkiller addition [sic] after the 1st [surgery] -- I was terrified."
Unfortunately for the actress, she says Frank Valentini (executive producer of General Hospital, who was OLTL's EP at the time) decided not to have her return in light of the situation. And she thinks it cost her former costars Gina Tognini (ex-Kelly Cramer; Phyllis Summers, The Young and the Restless) and John Brotherton (ex-Jared Banks) their jobs, as well.
"Frank Valentini is a warrior for his shows -- felt my 'obstinance' wasn't in best interest of OLTL so Gina Tognoni, John Brotherton & I were off," she writes. "[I was] Written off OLTL [in] July -- Went along w/ published reports that I'd left for 'health reasons' TRUTH -- I wanted to return by October (drug free)"
Fortunately, Strasser was able to resist the temptation of returning to prescription drug use despite a second surgery and losing her job. And she shares she's been clean since December 12, 2008.
"Opioids are treacherous," she writes. "[Fighting my addiction was] the HARDEST but BEST thing I've done in my life!"
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Strasser took over the role of Llanview's love-to-hate-her Dorian in 1979. She played the popular role on-again, off-again until being written out in 2011, but she returned in 2013 when Prospect Park took the show online.
What do you think about what Strasser revealed about her past with prescription drugs? Have you ever battled drug addiction? What did you do to stay strong? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
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