Sh ip ▁of ▁Th ieves ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Mer iw ether ▁took ▁over ▁for ▁Mary ▁F ick ett ▁in ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Ruth ▁Martin ▁on ▁the ▁soap ▁opera ▁All ▁My ▁Children , ▁F ick ett ▁having ▁played ▁the ▁role ▁since ▁its ▁in ception ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁After ▁twenty - six ▁years , ▁F ick ett ▁wanted ▁to ▁go ▁into ▁semi - ret irement ▁as ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁cast ▁member . ▁Neg oti ations ▁with ▁the ▁network ▁broke ▁down ▁and ▁Mer iw ether ▁was ▁cast ▁as ▁Ruth ▁Martin . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁ABC ▁de emed ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁at ▁an ▁imp asse ▁with ▁Mer iw ether ' s ▁agents ▁and ▁Mary ▁F ick ett ▁was ▁brought ▁back ▁as ▁a ▁rec urr ing ▁cast ▁member . ▁F ick ett ▁retired ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁for ▁good ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ABC ▁decided ▁to ▁bring ▁back ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Ruth ▁Martin ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁but ▁F ick ett ▁remained ▁in ▁ret irement . ▁Mer iw ether ▁was ▁hence ▁brought ▁back ▁and ▁remained ▁a ▁featured ▁rec urr ing ▁perform er ▁on ▁the ▁show ▁until ▁it ▁ended . ▁▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁she ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁document ary ▁film ▁Miss ▁America . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Mer iw ether ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁TV - Movie ▁Return ▁to ▁the ▁Bat ca ve : ▁The