Ricky Paull Goldin: Leaving Guiding Light
The following is a letter from Ricky Paull Goldin, who has announced his plans to leave the role of Gus Aitoro on Guiding Light.
To my friends and extended family,
I want you to be one of the first to know that I'm planning on leaving Guiding Light when my contract expires in a couple of weeks. "Gus" has been a huge part of my life and I will really miss portraying him and bringing this character to life for you. My seven years on Guiding Light have been a wonderful experience.
Now it's time for a new adventure, a new chapter in my life. I will especially miss working with Beth Ehlers, since it doesn't get any better than "Gus and Harley."
Thank you! It means so much to me that you have shown your continued love and support for me and the character of "Gus."
I am sure that the powers-that-be at Guiding Light would love to hear from you as well. It is always good to let them know how you feel. That, of course, is your right.
You can write to them at:
Guiding Light
CBS-TV
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
February 27th, 2008 9:40 PM
Why didn't you post the whole letter from RPG, you left off the last two paragrapghs and possibley the most important part where he hints that we will be seeing on daytime again VERY SOON. I sure hope so...he was the last thing that kept me at GL. when Gus and Ricky leave, so will I.
March 28th, 2008 2:49 PM
I enjoyed watching Gus & Harley, and I was very very disappointed when they broke up. I do not understand why there cannot be at least an handful of couples that stay together. Gus & Harley were just fun to watch. Why do they have to kill gus off? Is there a chance that Guiding Light will reconsider and keep Gus. For the record, Harley and Cyrus together I hate. I am also not crazy about Gus and Natalia; the chemistry is just not doing it. Please keep Gus and reunite him with Harley!!!!!
March 28th, 2008 3:05 PM
Gus and Harley were electric! When you put him with someone else it just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if you had left him with Harley he would not have made the decision to leave. Please reconsider letting him go. While I am on a roll, Reva and Josh belong together too. Not all marriages fail. Get with the program before you loose loyal fans of GL.
March 31st, 2008 2:36 PM
I can't get over the shock of GL killing off Gus!!!! Our signature couple,Josh and Reva have been constantly torn apart to the point of ridiculousness and no matter who else you pair them with their chemistry and magic can't be duplicated. The only other couple that has had their heat and passion has been Gus and Harley.They just sizzled onscreen and were a perfect match and kept me watching. Whatever Gus had with Natalia when they were young,it's been DEAD a long time. When I see Harley making love with Cyrus I find myself pretending it's Gus. Feels like my shoes are on the wrong feet. Why kill Gus off and make his departure final????? GL should always leave the door open for such a dynamic and adored character. I don't think I can watch anymore!
March 31st, 2008 2:50 PM
Man...if Guiding Light was hurting for viewers, Gus (RIcky) leaving is going to sink the show. Cindy, you were right that Reva and Josh's on/off relationship has gone whacko...Josh with Cassie is just "weird" for me. Slowly I'm finding it easier and easier to turn back over to General Hospital rather than have to endure the love fest between all the characters on GL. Who "hasn't Olivia slept with/been married to!? Ricky, you will be so sorely missed. The humor and superb acting you brought to GL were a Godsend. Harley and Gus forever!
March 31st, 2008 3:17 PM
I just watched today's epidsode and I just cant believe this is happening. Gus and Harley really were Guiding Light's last chance to get things right as far as I am concerned. I gave up on Reva and Josh a long time ago they have just made that entire relationship to strange. Elizabeth and Billy are a cute little couple but they can not compare to the electricity of Gus and Harley. I am glad they have chosen not to replace Ricky with another actor though because only Ricky and Beth can pull off the chemistry they obviously have. However I am highly disappointed that Guiding Light didnt see the great value of his presence on Guiding Light (if I were them and wanted to save viewer ratings I would have offered him anything to keep him)!
Ricky Paull Goldin and Beth Ehlers were amazing together and to think of Harley with anyone but him is just unthinkable! I really have to wonder how long she will continue with Guiding Light after this blow.
I wish the very best for Ricky and hope he gets everything he deserves. He is an amazing actor!
March 31st, 2008 3:31 PM
OMG!! I just watched GL today after missing Wednesday-Friday and found out that Gus is leaving the show!! I've got two words for this......Not Good! I totally agree with everyone who posted that Gus and Harley were the hottest couple on Daytime and made this show worth watching. Josh and Cassie are a joke, Reva and anybody but Josh is also a joke and other than Dina and Mallet, Gus and Harley had unmatchable chemistry! The humor, spontaneity, passion...OMG!! I may have to find something else to watch. Ricky Paull is one of the finest actors is daytime ANYWHERE!! He's so cool, cute, loyal, funny, the whole nine!! Sorry to see him go and even more sorry for fans of GL.
March 31st, 2008 8:38 PM
I could not believe it when I heard a couple of weeks ago that Ricky was leaving the show. My immediate reaction was that Guiding Light should do whatever it takes to keep him. He is truly the star of the show. I have been watching Guiding Light since I was a child, it was always in my household. I NEVER missed an episode, but now, with Ricky leaving, if he does appear on another daytime soap, I will watch that instead. I totally agree with the comments above. Gus and Harley were the heart of the show. They were the cutest and most electrifying couple. When Natalia was brought in, I thought that would be temporary and that Gus and Harley would get back together. I have not been too happy with the story line in general with the show, and I am not too thrilled with the new format, but this is really doing it for me. I think that if there is still time, Guiding Light should do whatever it takes to keep Ricky. I do agree that they should not replace him--no one could replace him. I really don't like to see him killed off, because then there is absolutely no chance of him coming back as Gus, and really the end of Guiding Light as we know it. This is really a tramautic change in the course of the show. I was actually in tears watching the show today. I record the show daily and plan on keeping these last episodes of Gus. If there is no chance on Ricky staying, I would like to thank him for being a part of our lives and wish him the best. I just can't say enough that with Ricky gone, Guiding Light will be losing a key character and will never be the same.
Please reconsider!
March 31st, 2008 9:14 PM
WOW I am so disappointed with the leaving of Ricky. He is a guiding light actor that will truly be missed forever. He was the highlight of the show, and a good reason for watching guiding light. I just can't imagine what's next. How will guiding light retain from this serious hit to the show? With Ricky gone I'm not sure if I want to continue watching guiding light or not because he was my favorite actor, but who knows what guiding light will do to make up for this devastating loss.
March 31st, 2008 9:56 PM
I have watched Guilding Light since 1980. But with Gus leaving, I'm done. The chemistry Gus and Harley have is amazing. I was so waiting for them to get back together. I am very disappointed in GL.
April 1st, 2008 2:30 PM
All the good characters are killed off. It makes me sad to see him go.:/
April 1st, 2008 2:50 PM
I know that some people love the new GL format but I find it hard to look at and hear...it seems a little jittery and the sound isn't that great. No, I am not deaf nor do I have sight issues. I was getting tired of the "hard to get" back and forth between Reva and Josh and stopped watching for a bit. Now the Josh and Cassie just isn't working for me and here goes GUS!!! Alan...what can I say about that...an on going saga of what child he can steal and control. I think he needs to get married and be a happy person for a bit. Is Phillip coming back? What the heck is going on here? I hope to find Gus on another daytime show so I can move on too.
April 1st, 2008 2:52 PM
I think this is horrible. Gus was the best character on the show. And i don't think it should have ended the way it did. It was just so sudden. And i even feel bad for Allen, he's lost eerything. It's just not fair.
April 1st, 2008 2:53 PM
Well, what a surpise and twist this is. I have been watching Guiding Light since I was 6 years old. I am now 59 years old. So I have been a fan since the 50's. I will no longer be a fan of Guilding Light. I would prefer Olivia (Crystal Chappell) to leave the show. WHAT A WASTE TO TAKE GUS OFF THE SHOW. Gus & Harley should be together. This show will continue to go down hill from here if Gus leaves. Give Gus what he wants. If you want your ratings to stay up, I think you need to keep him.
April 1st, 2008 3:19 PM
I cried through the entire episode. Why was Gus killed off??? I'm trying to find out if it was Ricky Goldin's "choice" or not. I've been a fan of the show for over 20 years and the character of Gus will be missed deeply. BIG mistake GL. :(
April 1st, 2008 3:35 PM
Last episode for Ricky.....last episode for me. Guiding Light, you are dying a slow painful death. sooooo very sorry.
April 1st, 2008 4:42 PM
OMG!!!!! Is right!! I am pissed!! I have been watching GL (very loyal) since the 80's. Everybody is correct Josh & Reva do belong together and so do Gus & Harley. The character of Gus is awesome and the chemistry btwn (Ricky & Beth)is beautiful. I watch it because of the 4. Now without Gus I don't think I can watch anymore. It was refreshing when they added him 7 yrs ago. Why doesn't the big boss see this? I am in shock and very very sad.
GUS IS WORTH WHAT EVER HE WANTS.
April 1st, 2008 8:04 PM
I wrote yesterday when I was in shock and still am in shock over Ricky leaving, but I had to write again because after reviewing the above comments, Jody described the new format perfectly. I find myself constantly increasing the volume to try to hear it. I do not like the new format at all and with Ricky leaving, I will just be repeating myself when I say it is not worth watching. I did a little research on why Gus was leaving, and what I put together was that first of all, he did not like the direction the writers were having his character go. I believe he, too, thought he belonged with Harley. And, then there was a pay cut that they want all the actors to take. I also read where it seems that Harley (Beth), may leave. I thought I read where she wanted another week, to decide, I guess. From what I read in a letter from her about Gus leaving, she put her true feelings about him leaving into these final episodes, and I think we can really see the effect this has had on her. I think you can also see the effect in had on the whole cast when they individually found out about his death today. I think it truly was a death to them, and definitely lowered their morale. I think we should watch the funeral, to pay our respects to Gus, and then we should ban the show for at least a week, if not permanently, for him as well as for Harley and the other cast memmbers.
April 1st, 2008 10:54 PM
I along with my mom and aunt are so upset at the death of Gus. WE LOVE GUS!
WE WANT HIM BACK. I really have enjoyed Guiding Light, but 1st Tammy, Jonathan and Sara, NOW GUS!!!! WE LOVE JONATHAN AND WE LOVE GUS!!!!
I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FAMILY LIFE OF GUS, NATALIA, AND RAFE. I THOUGHT THEY WERE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LOOKING FAMILY, AND WANTED TO SEE THEM GROW. MY MOM, AUNT AND MYSELF FELT NOTHING BUT PAIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT AT TODAY'S EPISODE. GUS WAS A BEAUTIFUL PERSON, AND WE JUST LOVED LOOKING AT HIS SEXY BODY.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN RECOVER AFTER TODAY. WE WANT OUR GUS BACK.
BRING GUS BACK!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! COME ON GUILDING LIGHT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO LET OLIVIA DIE THAN TAKE GUS AWAY FROM US. I AM SO DEPRESSED AND DON'T KNOW IF I CAN CONTINUE TO WATCH THE SHOW. HOOKED ON GUS!!!! I THINK WHAT HARLEY AND CYRUS DONE TO MARINA IS AWFUL AS WELL. I DID LOVE CYRUS, BUT HE HURT ME. I FEEL FOR HARLEY CAUSE I KNOW SHE DIDN'T MEAN TO FALL IN LOVE WITH CYRUS. IT JUST HAPPENED. IT TOOK AWAY FROM ME THO TO SEE CYRUS LEAVE MARINA. WE LOVE JOSH, REVA, CASSIE, NATALIA, RAFE,COOP,FRANK,BUZ,JEFFERY, LIZZY, AVA, BETH,RICK,MEL,BILL, BILLY,ALAN,ASHLEY,MALLIT, AND THE CAST, ITS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT GUS!!!!!!!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU REMOVED HIS PHOTO FROM THE CAST SO QUICKLY. I ONLY LOGGED ON TODAY TO SEE A PHOTO OF GUS.
SINCE Y&R KILLED OFF JI'MEN KIM WHICH WAS ALSO UPSETTING, BRING GUS TO Y&R.
April 2nd, 2008 1:09 PM
I am so upset right now. My #1 fav couple on daytime has always been Gus & Harley. With Gus leaving, I just don't see myself continuing to watch the show. I'm very dissapointed in GL. BAD MOVE!
April 2nd, 2008 3:01 PM
The loss of Tammy and Jonathan just a short time ago and now Gus is giving GL as slow painful death. I consider Jonathan and Gus 2 excellent actors and personalities that GL very much needed to keep the show interesting and exciting. The new Cassie is terrible, Natalia is terrible, Beth and Frank are as boring as they come. The only winners left are Josh, Reva and Harley, lose them and GL is history. The new format, yes I agree is distrubing and difficult to follow at times. A once loyal fan, now very disappointed.
April 2nd, 2008 3:51 PM
Recently the loss of Tammy and Jonathan and now Gus. Jonathan and Gus were two of the best actors and brought much talent and interest. GL should have done something to keep them. Cassie is terrible, Natalia is terrible, Beth and Frank are boring. Better keep Josh, Reva and Harly or you're done. You're dying losing these actors. Need to work on that format too, not easy to follow or hear. A loyal disappointed fan.
April 2nd, 2008 5:33 PM
I have watched Guiding Light sinceI was a child. I have never been so disappointed as I am in the show right now. Not only do I have to sit through the jumpy camera, the dark lighting, and the crappy sound but now my favorite actors are leaving too. I sat by and watched Josh and Reva split up and Gus and Harley. I hated it when Cassie was replaced by this untalented hack. Jonathan left, then they started killing people off. It was hard to watch Jonathan morn Tammy but now watching Gus slip away was the worst thing immaginable. I'm seriously thinking my time with Guiding Light is about to end. Gus was my favorite character. What is worth watching???
April 2nd, 2008 7:29 PM
Everything that I'm feeling has already been said but I still feel the need to say OMG!!!!! What in the $%^& are they thinking? Kill Alan, Nat or Olivia but Gus???? Can you say brain fart? we should let our kids write this show I'm sure they would know who to keep and who to throw away....
April 2nd, 2008 7:52 PM
I am truly upset about the death of Gus. I can't believe just how sad this has made me. I have been a fan since I was 10, and now I'm 30. My boys even know Gus is gone (6&7). I agree Gus and Harley were the best. I must say Gus(Ricky) looked great in those jeans he always wore. What a sexy guy. Will miss you lots. Good luck.