As the World Turns (Page 14)

Noelle Beck has been named as the replacement for As the World Turns' exiting Martha Byrne, whose last day at work as Lily was March 14.

Before the announcement, Byrne offererd advice for the actress who will take over her signature role:

"Have fun. You’ll be working with an incredible group of people who will support you and love you and make you feel at home and help you."

Beck's first air date has not yet been released. Her previous television credits include Rescue Me and Cashmere Mafia.

Great news for fans of Julie Pinson:

Not long after she left the role of Billie on Days of Our Lives, Pinson has joined As the World Turns. We hear she'll be playing the recurring character of Janet Ciccone and will first air on May 8.

This should be interesting for Days followers, as the actress will be joining her former on-screen brother Austin Peck who plays Brad Snyder on the CBS soap opera. We can't wait to see how it all unfolds!

Coming up this week on As the World Turns...

• Barbara's condition takes a dangerous turn.

• Gwen and Will bid farewell to their friends and family.

• Luke (Van Hansis) must think quickly to keep Noah and Ammera's secret.

• Katie (Terri Colombino, pictured) is shocked when Brad asks for her hand in marriage.

What can you expect next week on As the World Turns? Here are a few spoilers...

• Henry (Trent Dawson) and Vienna come to terms with the past.

• Parker is found guilty.

• Brad (Austin Peck) and Katie are drawn to one another.

• Carly and Jack (Michael Park, pictured) enlist the help of a homeless woman.

Now that Martha Byrne has shot her final scene for As the World Turns, the actress is free to discuss her controversial exit from the show. That's exactly what she recently did with TV Guide...

TVGuide.com: Your fans are furious about this, and I know because I'm one of 'em! What the hell happened here?
Martha Byrne: This was the situation: Last year, I was asked to take a tremendous pay cut, and I did so willingly because I love As the World Turns and understood the financial situation the show was facing. I was willing to do anything to keep the show going, including giving up money, so we worked out a one-year contract. One year later, we go into this new contract negotiation and I had only one request.

I thought it was only fair — and I wanted it on paper — that I would work the same amount of days this year that I did last year. I considered it a gesture of good faith on their part. I asked for nothing else. Zero. But I was told that this could not be put into my contract and, that same day, the show sent out a breakdown notice to recast my role.

TVGuide.com: Was that supposed to be a scare tactic?
Byrne: Maybe. But I thought it was inappropriate. That shouldn't happen in the middle of negotiations. My request didn't warrant that kind of tactic, if in fact it was a tactic. After that, things went from bad to worse. I can't get into those details but it solidified my decision to leave the show.

I never intended to speak about this but I now feel I must after Chris put out that press release saying they did everything they could to keep me. I do not feel that was the case, and I feel the fans deserve the truth.

Read the full Byrne interview now.

Soap Opera Digest is reporting that Martha Byrne's replacement has been hired and it is a "name" actress that didn't even have to screen test.

The series is not giving out this star's name yet, however, because Byrne had not taped her last scenes yet when the magazine went to print. Noelle Beck and Susan Haskell are the names that have most frequently been mentioned.

When Casey was released from jail on As the World Turns, he wasn't the only one starting his life over; his roommate Matt flew the coop, too.

CBS.com caught up with his portrayer, Eric William Morris who filled readers in on Matt, life in Oakdale and more.

CBS.com: Tell me about Matt.
Eric William Morris: Matt grew up in a different part of Illinois because he was in the state prison with Casey, which you'll learn as the plot unfolds. I think he's a really interesting character. He's not fully bad and he's struggling to become a good guy, but he has a lot going on and he has a lot of influences pulling at him. He's got a really interesting struggle so it's really interesting to play.

CBS.com: Do we know why Matt is in prison?
Eric William Morris: You will, eventually, so tune into As the World Turns, weekdays on CBS.

Read the full interview with Morris now.

Please Note: As the World Turns will be preempted Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21 due to CBS Sports coverage of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

• Vienna and Henry's (Trent Dawson) lives are put into danger.

• Carly (Maura West) gets a break in Parker's case.

• Margo receives a threat.

• Cole returns and causes trouble for Gwen and Will.

Martha Byrne shot her last scenes for As the World Turns today.

As for how her character will be written out of the show, sources say Lily will suddenly realize that she's traumatized by Dusty's January death and will leave town in May.

Byrne's immediate plans include spending time with her family (retired NYPD Sgt. Michael McMahon and their three kids Michael, Maxwell and Annmarie) and hosting a live chat on her Web site (www.marthabyrne.net ) Sunday night at 7, when, she promises, "all your questions will be answered."

""A door has been closed, but I have always found"it"to be"true that another one soon opens," Byrne said. Watch this space for her next gig - and for the name of the new actress hired to play Lily.

As previously reported, Jon Prescott joins the cast of As The World Turns in the role of Mike Kasnoff on April. Here's a bit of background on the character:

Kasnoff arrives in Oakdale ,hoping for closure with ex-wife Katie... but finds himself in the middle of another on-again/off-again couple's relationship. Of course he does.

The role of the good guy contractor was previously played by Mark Collier from July 2002 through January 2007. Prior to that, Shawn Christian - new Days of Our Lives hunk - was the original Mike from 1994 to 1997.