Just about a year ago, Mateo's first wife strolled into town hoping to reignite the sparks she and Mateo once shared. Raquel was also harboring a big secret: Mateo had fathered her child. So big was this secret that even Mateo didn't know that he had a child. The fallout ripped apart the relationship that Mateo had built with Hayley and the couple is still struggling to get back what they once had.
When things looked like they were heating up, the writers decided to do an about face and drop both Raquel (played by Ara Celi) and Max (Julian Michael Caiazzo). Raquel packed up shop and moved to another part of the state. It seemed like a very strange ending to a storyline that had gone of for many months and only recent started yielding its payoff.
The AMC Pages' Dan Kroll spoke recently to Caiazzo's mother, Denise, about her son's part on All My Children. Caiazzo felt that the storyline was cut short too soon and not just because her son was a part of it. The executives at AMC have hinted that Max might return to Pine Valley from time to time, but it's unclear if Caiazzo's son will still be on board in the role.
"Raquel and Max should remain on the show," said Caiazzo. "Neither of them are a threat to Hayley and Mateo anymore. It would be interesting to see Raquel--a single mother---reenter the dating scene. To me their storyline was very realistic and current."
Caiazzo confessed that she never watched soaps before her son was cast as Max. She also concedes that she isn't a writer and has no idea what the writers are planning for the storyline.
"I would have liked to see Max and Hayley come to terms with their differences. It seems as though the storyline was cut prematurely."
During his time on AMC, Mrs. Caiazzo says that her son and Ara Celi became very close. "She is a wonderful person! She took the time to not only know my son on a professional level, but on a personal one as well. We are heartbroken to have her back in Los Angeles and we will miss her dearly. "
Caiazzo frequented some of the Internet message boards and said that she was upset by some of the comments she saw about Celi and her son's characters. She assured me that her son is nothing like Max.
"Ara is one of the nicest people you could ever meet, and it was a bit upsetting when some people made disparaging remarks about her character, and my son's, but as you know there are people who cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. While this is true, it is also unfortunate, because some of the nicest people do not always have an appealing character, or who are cast in a 'no win' situation. While on the other hand, there are 'favorites' who leave a lot to be desired when it comes to interpersonal relationships and when dealing with fans."
I asked Julian if he had any messages for AMC fans. To that he very happily replied, "I would like to say hello to everyone out there, and I hope that I can meet each and every one of you someday, even if I am not on All My Children . I love you all, and I send my hugs and kisses to everybody!"
Now would Max say that?
