Another World Today Interviews

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: DANIELLE BURNS (NANCY)

2011-09-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

When Ada McGowan gave birth to her late in life daughter, Nancy, in 1974, the newborn was played by Danielle Burns, who stayed in the role for a whopping nine years before the character was inevitably aged into a teenager. (Considering that most babies on soaps are SORASed right around the time they start walking into pre-schoolers due to toddlers being notoriously difficult to work with, Danielle must have been an extraordinary tot, indeed!).

Now, Danielle is back in soaps, headlining the web-series, "Our World." Another World Today caught up with Danielle for a look back at growing up in Bay City, and what she's up to now!

AWT: How did you get into show business?

DB: My sister was in commercials and my mother took me on one of her auditions when I was 6 weeks old. I slept through the whole audition and my sister's agent asked my mom if she could book me for AW. (Ed. Note: Aha! I knew it! The sleeping baby gets the part!)

AWT: What was it like growing up on the set of AW? What are some of your favorite memories? How did you learn your lines? Who did you work with primarily and what are your memories of them?

DB: It was a lot of fun. I was on it more frequently as a young child and it was always an adventure going there. I remember the smell of the makeup the most and whenever I am in a theater and smell that again it comes right back! I didn't have many lines but those I did I learned by my mom quizzing me on the trip. I worked most with Constance Ford who was amazing - so nice and warm and welcoming of my family. I also worked a lot with Douglas Watson and Victoria Wyndham. There were others too who were very kind but who I don't remember as well.

AWT: What did you do after leaving AW? Did you stay in show business or pursue a different field?

DB: I was just under 10 when I left AW so I was back to "normal" in school. I did act in school plays but nothing of note and did not pursue show business afterwards.

AWT: Tell us about your current project. What brought you back to soaps? How is "Our World" different from "Another World?" How are they the same?

DB: I'm so excited to be a part of "Our World." Creator Jordan (von Haslow) and I have been friends for years. He's was huge "Another World" fan. In fact, when he learned of my "secret soap past" he kept singing the theme song at me for about two weeks straight! When he began assembling a team for the show, he asked me if I wanted to participate. I immediately said yes. I have such wonderful memories of my time on "Another World" and have kept up with other soaps off and on through the years. I'm intrigued by the online transition the industry is going through and am happy to be a part of it. The biggest difference between "Our World" and "Another World" is, obviously, that my work now is all voiceover. So there isn't the smell of the make up, and I no longer need my mother to quiz me with my lines! What is the same is the strong story. AW told and OW tells an interesting, family-based story. Although there's lots of drama and some of the characters do not-so-nice things, they're all three-dimensional. They all have motivation, which makes you root for them even if you love to hate them.

AWT: Who is your character? What does she want? What's the most soapy thing about her? What can viewers look forward to from her?

DB: I play a character also named Danielle. She's secretary at the prep school the two young leads attend. I think the soapiest thing about her is her nosiness. The students are the children of the town's movers and shakers, and Danielle is eager to learn and spread their juicy dirty
laundry. Viewers can expect Danielle to be in the wrong place and the right time, always ready to deliver a snappy one-liner.

AWT: Is there anything you'd like to say to fans who still remember you from AW?

DB: If fans do remember, I would say thank you. I really enjoyed my experience and over the course of my time there, I received bags of fan
mail as well as gifts and that added to the experience.

Learn all about "Our World" at: www.OurWorldDrama.com

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: JACKEE HARRY (LILY MASON) Part #2

2010-08-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Part #1

AWT: Any story you wished you could have played that you didn't get to?

JH: No, I got everything I asked for. I got a club, I got to sing, I got to be sexy and gorgeous and glamorous all at once. And they knew I wanted to be sexy and gorgeous and glamorous. So, they did right by me. They did everything. I couldn’t have had a better time with them.

AWT: What do you think Lily is doing now?

JH: I have no clue! I don’t know what she’s doing. I never thought about it, but it is a good question. Lily’s got to be retired from her old life. She can’t still be… I mean can she? I don’t know, but she’s gotta be retired from all of that.

AWT: After Another World, you went on to star on 227, where you earned the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. What can you tell us about that experience and the delightful character of Sandra Clark?

JH: What happened was I just got the part and it was supposed to be another short part. Seven shows out of 22. I only had 7 and then I was done. I went to the set, and did the pilot, which was the very first show. I started doing my lines and Brandon Tartikoff, the late great Brandon Tartikoff (Head of NBC), he called downstairs and said ‘Put her under contract.’ I signed a contract two days after we started shooting the pilot. I just signed it, I had no clue that it was going to become anything. At the time, I was doing two movies in New York and Another World and a play, so my professional life was going very well. So this just took off without me even thinking about it. I was not too happy about it, because it took me away from New York. I was happy and married, but ended up getting divorced because I was having to go back and forth between L.A. and N.Y. and having a long distance relationship just didn’t work out. It was bittersweet. It was great financially and professionally, but personally it just dissolved my life and I became a workaholic!

AWT: How did the role of Sandra Clark evolve?

JH: With the character of Sandra Clark, I just went what they gave me. What could I do? I didn’t know anything about it. You know, I didn’t have a clue about what a soap opera was in the beginning. I didn’t know what a soap opera was and I didn’t have a clue who Sandra Clark was so I just played it by ear, to be honest with you. I just wanted to be funny and to get another job. That was my intent. That’s how it started. I didn’t intend to become all of that!

AWT: After 227, you went on to Sister, Sister where you not only starred but also stepped behind the camera to direct. What can you tell us about that experience?

JH: I just had this, I call it a gift, where I could see camera shots. When I got into Sister, Sister, I asked to direct. I became a member of the DGA which was no easy feat, especially for a woman. I had to get sponsors. I also was tested to (prove) I knew what I was talking about, and lo and behold, I did! That’s how that started. I wasn’t looking to do anything, it was just something I could do and once you begin to do it, you just continue to do it. I wasn’t really looking to be all that great shakes. It just evolved and even today, I can see camera shots. I can get a script and know where the camera is going to be so when I get there on set, everyone thinks that I’m so smart, but I can see what they’re going to do, I can see how much time it’s going to take. It really is a handy tool. I don’t like to let everyone know it because they’ll make me work harder!

AWT: What have you been up to these days? Where can your fans see you?

JH: I just did a short independent film called Knight to D7 about cancer awareness, about two young men who are great friends and dealing with cancer. I play the nurse to the ailing cancer patient.

JH: I’ve got a movie I’m working on with ABC Movies, starring Christina Milian and that’s going to be fabulous. I’m playing her mom which is something I’ve evolved into. I didn’t play moms all the time, but I’m loving it! I’ve got a DVD of a play that I did, The Clean-Up Woman, that’s coming out in early September 2010 on DVD.

JH: On the business side, I’m a spokesperson for a company called GBG which is a nutritional liquid vitamin company, they make a vitamin called 10-IN-1. I just became their spokesperson in April. (Go to: www.GBGJackee.com for more information.) I’ve got a lot of philanthropic things I’m doing with the Women’s International Center and the National Congress of Black Women. So I’m kind of busy!

AWT: Would you like to say anything to the fans of AW?

JH: I’m sorry that we’re still not on the air. It was a great show. It was a great time and a great learning experience for me. It had the biggest African-American storyline for anybody and I salute Procter & Gamble and the producers for doing that, because, at the time, I didn’t get it, I was just working, but I see the significance of it now, historically. The soap opera has taken a beating now because people have so many other things they can watch. Hopefully we can bring some form of a soap opera back that includes all the different cultures, so we can see their lives.

To keep up with all of Jackee Harry's projects, visit her official website, www.Jackee-Online.com, and her Official Fan Club Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/jackeeharry!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: JACKEE HARRY (LILY MASON) Part #1

2010-07-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

In 1983, Jackee Harry was scheduled to say two lines on Another World as prostitute Lily Mason, aunt of Thomasina, the young woman Quinn (played by Petronia Paley) wanted to adopt. (That makes Lily the great-aunt of Another World Today's current character, GQ Todd.)

Those two lines turned into a three year contract, and America's introduction to the unique, comedic/dramatic talent that would eventually take prime-time by storm on 227, Sister, Sister and more.

Another World Today spoke with Jackee Harry to reminisce about her time in Bay City, and to catch up with what she is doing now.

AWT: Do you remember your initial audition for Lily?

JH: I didn’t have an audition. I actually got picked while I was doing a play by Toni Morrison, where I was playing one of the ladies of the night. My name was Rochelle LaForte and the woman, the casting lady, Liz, she was there one night and she saw me and she called my agent and said, ‘I have a part for Jackée can she do it?’ It’s a day-player, just one day only. They called me from there and that’s how I got Lily.

AWT: Who did they tell you she was?

JH: They just said that she was a prostitute. Nothing else. I got there and I was given two lines: ‘Who is it? Oh, it’s you. What do you want?’ And that was it. Then they asked me to come back another day and another day and another day, and that’s how it got started. It wasn’t me doing anything to get it. It was luck, actually.

AWT: How did you find out about Lily becoming more of a long-term character?

JH: They kept calling me in one day, then two days, then three and then they offered me a contract after three weeks.

AWT: How did the role of Lily expand from that of her beginnings of a prostitute? How did Lily evolve through the years you played her?

JH: I started getting fan letters, and they really liked the character, and as everybody knows, once the fans start liking you, you can no longer be a bad person, you gotta be a good person! So, they switched me and I became legit. I stopped being a prostitute. I opened a club where Joe Morton (Leo) sang, and Morgan Freeman (Roy) and all the other great, African-American players began to frequent, and my storyline began to hook in with theirs. My niece was on there and I had taken care of her. She was my sister’s daughter who died, they had taken her away from me but we got back together and everything was fine from there.

AWT: How did you contribute to her evolution?

JH: I didn’t really know anything about soaps to be honest with you. They had to help me quite a bit. And what happened was that they liked me so much that they just developed the storylines for me so I didn’t really have to work that hard!

AWT: What are you memories of working with AW's amazing early 80s African-American cast?

JH: They were very experienced. They were very giving. They never let me down. They always made sure that I was taken care of and had everything I needed in terms of my storyline. I was very green at this time and they took me under their wing. So I didn’t have a really bad time with anything actually. I was just a kid growing up who didn’t know what she was getting into, and then I only saw later who these guys were. They were very friendly and very gracious. Joe Morton, at the time, was the biggest star in terms of Broadway and theatre. Morgan was on The Electric Company and that was just his first TV gig, a lot of people don’t know that. He was not who is he today! Though he was a great actor. Everything else came into play for him after he left Another World.

AWT: What are your other favorite memories/scenes/co-stars?

JH: Linda Dano (Felicia) was my closest friend on there. She made them put me in her dressing room, and we shared a dressing room when she didn’t have to. She said, ‘No, I want to share a dressing room with her. I like her.’ We had a great time. She was just so loving. That’s really my best time.

And there was also Thomas Ian Griffith (Catlin). We’re still friends. He and I and his wife, Mary Page Keller (Sally), who was also on the show. We were all just great friends. I see them all the time. I don’t want to tell you where we hang out... but we hang out all the time.

Come back next week for Part #2 of our interview with Jackee Harry, where she talks Sandra Clark, and sends a special message to the fans of AW.

And to keep up with Jackee on a daily basis, make sure you visit her Official Website at www.Jackee-Online.com and her Official Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/jackeeharry

INTERVIEW WITH LES BRANDT (RAFAEL) Part #2

2010-03-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

Part #1

AWT: Despite being a new character, you were thrown right into stories with heavy hitters like Nancy Frangione (Cecile) and Charles Keating (Carl). What was that like?

LB: Nancy and Charles are both interesting, larger than life people, which is why Cecile and Carl were such interesting characters. The one thing I noticed about Charles specifically, was that he was so dynamic, and his energy reached out so far in person. The camera just loved him because that's what it would capture for him, he was just so brilliant. He’s a brilliant guy. I respected that man and learned a lot from him. Nancy was a spitfire on and off camera, and she was very witty and full of life and just funny; a very funny lady. We became good friends. We really related on an esoteric level. She loved the metaphysical and I was at a time of my life where I was just starting a spiritual path. she helped me along. She was more than just a co-star, she became a true friend. Even though we lost touch over the years, she’s in my heart and she knows it.

AWT: What did you learn from AW's vets during your introduction to daytime that you still use in your career today?

LB: Those veteran actors were secure and confident in their abilities, and with who they were. With that confidence and security, they wanted to elevate everybody else to that level of performance and comfort, and to embrace actors into the show because an embraced and welcomed actor on their show adds to their show. They understood that importance. Nowhere else have I seen that level of family-like closeness. I mean, I’ve come close, but AW holds a special place in my heart, like it does with the fans and there is something about why that is. I think the fans got that sense of family and closeness and sincerity and depth from the show that I got from being on the show and being with the people that made that show. I’m not talking just about the cast, but the crew and (Executive Producer) Jill Phelps, and everyone there. Those people were just one in a million. It came through and that’s why the fans are the way they are, so hard-core. A lot of those fans still keep in contact with me today.

AWT: Where do you think Rafael is today?

LB: I believe he’s still with Maggie. They took off for Spain and they started traveling out there and through Europe. I think they ended up somewhere in Southeast Asia, maybe trying to cultivate a deeper understanding of life because they have money now and money is not an issue. I think they developed a deeper love connection. Now that he has money, Rafael realizes that all the henchman stuff and money stuff was really irrelevant and that there’s more to life. All this parlays into where I am today, in that I feel the same way. Once you’ve done a few things and have seen the other side, you realize a deeper meaning of everything. You get a sense of it and you start pursuing that more than anything else.

AWT: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

LB: My latest project is The Resolve. A great web series for the Internet age. I play the series lead, an unsuspecting serial killer. The characters are full of colors and it’s going to be great. You can check out it out at TheResolveSeries.com. Recently, I did two runs of 12 Angry Men in Los Angeles. We were actually supposed to be in New York this spring to do an Off-Broadway run of it, but things just started changing, so unfortunately that looks like it’s not going to happen. For the last eight years, I’ve been running my clothing line, BrandtSkinz, which has kept me really busy. It’s a great creative outlet and a phenomenal line of exotic skin garments that incorporates precious metals and stones into the garment. It's like nothing else on this planet.

AWT: Any message for the AW fans who've followed you since your Bay City days?

LB: Just keep giving us all that support! It’s nice to know that the work that we do, that we’ve done, still has such a resounding effect and appreciation after all of these years. And I love to keep in contact with those fans, let you know what comes next and what to look for down the road. Just sincere love, genuine love, from me to them.

INTERVIEW WITH LES BRANDT (RAFAEL) Part #1

2010-03-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

AWT: What do you remember about your AW audition for Rafael? Who did they tell you the character was?

LB: Well, I don’t know if too many people know this, but when I auditioned for Another World in the beginning, I auditioned for a three day character called Maximillian. And I didn’t get that role. But from that audition, they thought that I did such a professional job, they brought me back to write a role for me. I had just gotten out of the academy and was like: ‘They’re writing a role for me?’ It kind of just developed after my second meeting, and I really didn’t know anything other than Rafael was an edgy, dark-sided bad boy type and that’s all I really knew at that point.

AWT: What was your background before coming to Another World?

LB: I started acting right out of high school. I moved from my hometown of Amarillo to Dallas and I had a mentor by the name of Adam Roarke, who unfortunately passed away in 1996. He was my first formidable acting teacher. He’s a very well known actor and was in a lot of movies in the 60s and 70s. I love Adam like my own father. He helped me get to New York and into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 1992. I went to the Academy and did one year of their two year program. After having been working back in Dallas for about five years commercially and on stage, it was hard to sit in school and after a year I just said there’s too much action going on around here for me not to roll the dice! I just wanted to give it a shot and I did and I landed a few really good national commercials and a few print campaigns, some really big work, and then just at the end, I was on my last leg and having to deal with leaving New York and go back to Dallas when I got the call to come in to read at AW. It just came together. When you least expect it, that’s when the universe and everything just comes together and it works out. Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for that opportunity.

AWT: What do you think you brought to the part that got you the job?

LB: I think they liked my vulnerability. I was just a kid from Texas in New York, and just out of school. I had worked previously in commercials and this was my first real gig, my first big job, my first network job, and I think there was an air of vulnerability about me that worked for the character of Rafael. He had this rough exterior that he needed to get through the day to day with, but he was really a sensitive guy.

AWT: You came on as the thug who kidnapped Maggie on Cecile's orders, and left as the guy who'd charmed her into eloping with him (and skipping the pre-nup)! What was that transition like to play as an actor?

LB: It was a nice entrance! I liked it. It was a dramatic beginning, with Rafael hiding in the bushes and jumping out to grab the girl on Center Street on a dark foggy night and then kidnap her. And to know that her mother was the one who wanted me to do that was even more interesting. It was a short period from the kidnapping to falling in love to the plan to take this girl to Spain. A very short window, but the writers were phenomenal and they made it work and the transition , I think, was easier because of it. When writing is that good, it makes the work of an actor less arduous. It was great. I enjoyed those moments very much.

AWT: What was your favorite arc of Rafael’s story?

LB: I guess I liked the interaction that he had with his friend Nick Terry, who was played by Kevin McClatchy, a phenomenal person and actor. They were rebels and they shared comedic moments and they had moments like playing basketball one on one or while having a drink at Carlinos or even in silence, where they would share their feelings. Without saying anything they almost always knew what was going on with each other. Nick genuinely cared about the direction Rafael was going and would try to advise him when he felt Rafael was getting aggressive and dramatic and going off the deep end. It was a real friendship and I liked those two male characters and how they would watch out for each other.

AWT: What’s a scene or moment during your time on the show that you wish you could redo?

LB: My kissing scenes! Like I said, AW was my first real job out of the academy and I feel like every time I had a kissing scene, which was plentiful, I would black out and we would have to cut a few times because I was actually really giving the girl a kiss and I didn’t know it! It was like a moment of paralysis. I’m kissing in scenes all the time now, but looking back, I was petrified on AW, kissing Lisa Brenner (Maggie). It was just funny like that. I would apologize profusely and she would say ‘No, it’s okay!’ but I just don’t think the producers want it (and they didn’t) and I didn’t! Lisa was so sweet and very wonderful to work with, very professional and very spontaneous. It was a dream to work with her. She made it such a pleasure to work.

AWT: What is a storyline that you wish Rafael had while on the show?

LB: Something with him being a more upstanding guy where he wasn’t lurking or being a henchman or trying to convince the girl that he was worthy. I wanted him to be able to show that he was worthy. He had a heart of gold and was a good guy, he’s just had a few bad shakes, so give him a shot and show what he can do. I wanted him to do well.

Come back next week for Part #2, where Les talks Carl, Cecile and more!

INTERVIEW WITH CLAYTON PRINCE (REUBEN) Part #2

2010-03-10T06:19:00.000-08:00

Part #1

AWT: After AW you went back to primetime. Can you talk about your exit from AW? What are some of the favorite roles you've played since?

CP: With AW, when we talk about stuff lasting forever, I never thought AW would be that. I never thought I’d be talking about it in 2010 because there were no reruns at the time and AW was media that we made for that moment. If you missed an episode, you missed it forever. If you didn’t tape it, you weren’t going to be able to catch it later. Whereas with primetime and with films you have a longer time to be viewed and seen, which is one reason I decided to move on after my contract was up. I mean, I loved the show, but I felt I need to move on. I wanted to do that next Hairspray, that next Cosby Show. I guess once you do it once, you want to go back and do it again. At the time I left, I was thrilled because I was positive about moving on to do more work in film and primetime, but before I left, Michael Laibson made me promise that if I was to come back to daytime, I had to come back to Another World. So it was nice to know I was still wanted in daytime.

After AW, I did Dark Justice. I loved doing that character. That was one of the few characters that I did where I got to show every facet of my personality. I loved what my character was saying politically, I loved that I was working with such a dark subject, I loved that I got to do martial arts and did most of my own stunts. It was literally everything. Dark Justice and Black Ninja were the only two projects where I got to do everything that I really enjoy.

The most recent project that I’ve done that’s out is a movie called Cover. I guess you could say that it is the black version of Brokeback Mountain. It’s explores married men who cheat on their wives with other men. It was directed by Bill Duke and stars me, Vivica A. Fox, Louis Gossett, Jr., Patti LaBelle, Leon, and Mya. It’s becoming a cult classic with strong grass roots. I loved what it was saying politically. Unfortunately 20th Century FOX got a little squeamish about it and limited the distribution. As always, in Hollywood there are no guarantees!

AWT: You wrote, directed and starred in the film, Black Ninja. How did that movie come about and what was your experience wearing three hats?

CP: I got to do everything that I enjoy doing, but it was a challenge. The budget was very limited, but the overall experience was great. The Black Ninja was in a lot of ways a continuation of the character in Dark Justice. It’s about a lawyer who hates the law. He hates that people like him are able to manipulate the law so that real justice can’t be done. He starts out as a lawyer, kind of like Johnnie Cochran. He was good at manipulating the law and he knew that what he was doing might be considered to be immoral to some, but he didn’t care because he was making money off of it. But that changes when a client, an assassin, who my character gets off on several murder charges, kills my character’s wife and kids. And that’s the first time my character is confronted with the type of people he’s been getting off all these years. And he becomes a recluse, learns martial arts, and when he comes back he goes back to taking on these questionable clients, defending them by day, but meting out his own justice to the guilty at night by doing to them what they did to their victims. It’s kind of dark and humorous and a lot of action. We had a lot of fun doing it. In fact there was talk about making it a television series. Currently, we’re developing a comic book series centered around the character.

AWT: You were Seaweed in the original Hairspray! What was that experience like?

CP: There are a few projects that I’ve done that are going to last forever. When I’m a grandfather, when I’m dead and gone, Cosby is going to be one and Hairspray is definitely going to be the other. After I did Cosby, John Waters wanted to meet with me. And it’s funny- I had seen Pink Flamingos in college and I remember thinking ‘What a bunch of weirdos. I hope to God I never meet you people in my life. They’re like the Addams family for real!' And when my agent called me he said, ‘Oh, John Waters saw you on Cosby and he really likes your stuff and he wants to meet with you,’ I was like, ‘Why would he want to hire me?’ When I finally met with him, I realized that John Waters will be the smartest man I’ve ever met in my life, bar none. He has a unique way of looking at the work, but it’s not wrong and it’s not crazy, it might seem crazy at first, but you realize it’s crazy like a fox. He is absolutely the smartest man in the world that I’ve met. He has a very sincere honesty about him. He’s probably more of a humanitarian of the world than most humanitarians claim to be.

I remember when we were on the set and I was talking to him about Ricki Lake and Colleen Fitzpatrick, and I thought for sure Colleen would be the big star coming off this project. I love Ricki to death and she’s majorly talented- she can sing, I mean people don’t even know how well she can really sing. But I was looking at it in the typical Hollywood kind of way. John was like, ‘No, it’s going to be Ricki, because when you put the two of them on the screen, who is anyone going to be looking at? Ricki. And as long as she’s brilliant every time, they’re going to keep looking at her and no one’s going to be looking at Colleen.’ And it was so true! The big mistake Hollywood makes is they put these fantasy images of women out there, but realistically most women look like Ricki and Ricki is going to be the woman they relate to. I’m telling you John is so smart.

AWT: During your stint on AW, you were also working with the Guardian Angels. What drove you to participate? Are you still involved with the organization?

CP: I was involved for about ten years, but am no longer with the organization. It’s kind of a complicated story. Basically, I was a working actor and doing pretty good and was living a lifestyle where I wasn’t faced with a lot of concerns like a lot of other people. At the time, everyone in the world was talking about the Central Park jogger who had been raped and that whole situation, and I thought it was disgusting from every perspective I know. Legally, morally, culturally - everything in every way. I was on the show one day, and an actor was talking about it and he was going on about how he would’ve beaten up those guys and saved that woman and I’m looking at this guy and thinking that he may believe he would’ve done that, but I knew he wouldn’t have done anything. I’m sure there were people in Central Park at the moment that woman was being raped and did nothing because they were afraid. And I’m looking at this guy go on about what he would’ve done and then I actually thought about would I have done anything if I had been there and, honest to God, I realized that I wouldn’t have. I’d have been afraid like everyone else. And I hated that I would’ve been afraid and that it was the truth. I asked myself: What kind of man does that make me? I was kind of down on myself. Shortly after that, I remember being in the back of a limousine and I saw a group of Guardian Angels on patrol. And I thought: You know they are the only ones who would really do something about a situation if they saw it. And then the idea popped in my head ‘Why not?’ I really wrestled with myself over it. What am I gonna do? Karate chop a gun from someone’s hand? I’m a television star! But then things kept happening and I kept seeing the Guardian Angels everywhere all the time. One thing led to another and I went down and signed up. I think things happen at certain times in a person’s life where you’re kind of forced to be honest with yourself. Being honest with yourself is the hardest thing to do in life. It’s easy to point out other people’s faults, but it’s hard to be honest about your good points and bad points and then actually take action and do something about what you feel are your shortcomings.

AWT: What are you up to these days? Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

CP: I just did an indie movie called Café with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy. Not sure when it’s coming out. 90% takes place in a cyber-café. There are all these different people who come into the café. I play a cop who comes in for coffee and donuts and Jamie plays a drug dealer who is my arch enemy. It’s pretty dramatic and has a cool sci-fi twist to it. I also have a few television projects in the works that I’m keeping my fingers crossed for. We’ll see!

AWT: Where do you think Reuben is today?

CP: I think Reuben could’ve gone down a couple of paths. He could be a cop or he could be a lawyer from what Cass taught him. I think that would be interesting. Because of his stand-up he was great at speaking and would be great in court. He would still have a chip on his shoulder about life and society, but in a positive way. Reuben was one of those characters that if you caught him on a good day he could save the world, and if you caught him on a bad day he might be the guy trying to destroy the world. Because he was filled with uncertainty he could be both good and bad. He could probably be an interesting politician! To really be fair and honest to the character that was created, he has to be troubled, there’s not going to be a magic wand waved where he says, ‘I get it now!’ He’s someone who always wanted to trust in people but just couldn’t do it. Cass and Josie were really the only two people that he ever trusted. Not his mother, brother, or sister. He really wanted to have more with Josie but there were two big things preventing that, one being that he had a good friendship with Matt and there’s no hitting on your guy’s girl and the other, and I hate mentioning it, being the issue of race. During the NYC storyline there were some letters mailed to the studio of fans accusing AW of being irresponsible showing a black man and white woman living with each other, etc... so I think the writers kind of backed off on that. Maybe it would stand to reason that Reuben would even say ‘Wow, I can’t cross that line culturally even though I’m feeling it (for Josie).’

AWT: Any message to the AW fans who've followed your career since your days in Bay City?

CP: Thanks. I really appreciate everyone’s support. I’m really , really surprised, and humbled, and happy that there’s still so much interest in our characters and I’m grateful for their support. The Another World Fan club has been really cool about reaching out and keeping contact with the cast and helping to keep the love for the show alive which has been great.

INTERVIEW WITH CLAYTON PRINCE (REUBEN) Part #1

2010-03-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

AWT: When you auditioned for the role of Reuben Lawrence, who did the producers tell you he was?

CP: It’s funny, I did a lot of primetime and film stuff, and I didn’t think I’d be doing daytime. When they first approached me, I was originally only supposed to be on for 6 months. I was the bad brother of B.J. Jefferson (Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Lawrence). But after I auditioned with Michael Laibson (AW Executive Producer at the time), I remember Michael saying: ‘You’re a star. There’s no way we’re only offering you six months, it’s a three year contract or nothing.’ I was like: ‘whoa, give me a day or two to think it over before I start shooting.' I was doing a movie-of-the-week at the time, but I really liked the character of Reuben because there was so much room for growth. I just thought: ‘Okay, give me one day to think about this, to make a decision about three years!' While I was doing a lot of stuff here and there in primetime, there were a lot of people making promises to me, saying: ‘Oh, you’ll be great for this show’ and ‘we want you for this new show’ but there was no guarantee or promise behind it. Just a lot of people making promises. If you do a pilot for a show, you’re sitting around hoping that the pilot gets picked up, but in daytime, soaps run for forever! So, when the opportunity came along to do a great character that I really liked on Another World, I jumped on it and signed on.

Originally, I thought it was going to be a six month gig and that’s all I was looking at it for, I didn’t think it was going to be anything more than that. I was supposed to be an abusive boyfriend beating up his girlfriend, and I don’t know how they were planning my demise, but it was going to be something to that effect. Michael Laibson, at the last second from the audition, changed his mind about everything. He made it so that while everyone thought Reuben was abusing his girlfriend, it was actually her father who was beating her up and I was protecting her from her father. And so I was the misunderstood, bad kid who was trying to do good things, but would always mess it up with the best of intentions.

Reuben was brought on because they wanted to build a family around his sister, Ronnie, who was already on the show. She was a nurse, and she also sang at the nightclub and was dating Zach Edwards (then played by James Picken’s, Jr.). Ronnie and Reuben’s mother, Esther, and little brother, Jesse, were also on the show, but they didn’t get a lot of airtime. Reuben was there to help the Ronnie character move along, but it became easier to write for my character than for hers so the focus began to shift to Reuben. Dondre Whitfield played Jesse, Reuben’s teenaged genius little brother, who was already in college, which made for an interesting family dynamic for Reuben since he was the street kid stuck between a successful nurse for an older sister and a genius little brother already in college. Reuben had a bit of the whole ‘Marcia, Marcia, Marcia’ middle child syndrome, because everyone in his family was so positive and he was the street kid, high school drop-out. That was another part of his angst: Why aren’t things working for me? My sister is a nurse, my brother is a genius, and I’m Reuben....

AWT: How did the character change during your two years on the show? How much did you contribute to his evolution?

CP: Oh, man. He evolved so much. He started working a lot in the office with Cass (Stephen Schnetzer), and I was thrilled with that. Most of my storylines were with Cass. Reuben became best friends with Josie Watts (Alexandra Wilson). She was the farm girl and I was the friend . They didn’t get to delve too much into a love story. I had one, but they just didn’t delve too much into it. I think one of my favorite storylines that allowed me to contribute to Reuben as a character was when they incorporated my doing stand-up in real life into the show. It was kind of showing where Reuben was coming from and showing the pain in his real life and the hardships he was going through and how he twisted that around to make a joke of it and make something that was negative into something that was positive. That was great. Although there was the problem that the writers liked the idea but they had a hard time writing the jokes so I had to write the jokes! There were a few times they would ask for me to do what was written and I would look at it from a comic’s perspective, and say there’s just no way. I think they got a little discouraged when I wouldn’t always do what they wrote!

AWT: You worked in prime-time television ( "The Cosby Show," "Spencer: For Hire") before coming to daytime via "Ryan's Hope." How did you handle the transition from weekly series to a daily soap?

CP: It’s definitely a challenge to do an hour episode a day. Especially with the dialogue. They’re challenging in different ways. It’s kind of hard to explain the difference. The primetime stuff had a bigger audience than AW, and that’s one way it’s different. When I was on AW there were almost 40 cast members but we all really liked each other; I mean softball games and the whole bit. It was like being in high school. So it was a lot of fun and everyone working really hard for the betterment of the show itself. Whereas in primetime there’s so much money and power up for grabs that everyone is trying to shine individually. And with the soaps, everyone was working for the betterment of the show. There’s so much at stake in primetime in terms of ratings every week that if you have a bad week you’re worried you’re going to get canceled. In daytime, when we had a bad week on AW, we just went: ‘Awww, we had a bad week’ but we weren’t worried that we were going to get cancelled.

AWT: What are your favorite memories of life in Bay City?

CP: I love Michael Laibson to death. He was a great producer to work with, and we got along so well. When I was on the show, I had an audition for a film where I was a black guy hiding from the mafia who pretends to be a white guy, so he puts on make-up and the whole bit. So the make-up guys at AW helped me out and did my make-up and gave me an old curly wig that Stephen used sometimes, and I’m walking around the studio and I put on a south Philly Italian accent and people are asking me: ‘Who are you?’ Security comes over and I tell them who I am and we’re all laughing and I tell them I want to play a joke on Michael. So, I go to Michael’s office and get his secretary to help me and she gets him to come out of his office to meet a gentleman who wants to act on the show. Michael comes out and I put on my act: ‘Yeah, I was thinking maybe I could act on the show. I was in a play in school, I was the letter ‘C’ in the Christmas play’ and poor Michael’s looking at me and saying: ‘You were the letter ‘C’ in a Christmas play?' And I keep going and he’s looking at me and trying to be nice but get me out of the office and looking for help from security and finally I leave but he had no clue it was me! Later, I thought how that would’ve been a cool storyline for Reuben!

I also loved working with Stephen Schnetzer. He was so cool. I was really lucky to work with him. He kind of adopted the role of a kind of father figure on the show. His heart was 100% into the show. My heart went out to him and all those veteran actors who stayed on the show for so many years and created those iconic characters that they’ll always be identified with. They were so invested in what they did and had spent their entire careers there and it was all of a sudden ending.

AWT: Was there a storyline you wish you could have gotten a chance to play, but didn't?

CP: I think they were playing around with a love triangle for Reuben, Josie and Matt. There was a story where Josie and Reuben ran away to New York City. Josie wanted to be an actress and Reuben wanted to get away from it all, so they started living together. But I think the writers were really afraid of where they could and should take that. I think I would’ve loved it if they had explored that relationship because they were really great friends. I mean, at one point, friends of the opposite sex are going to notice each other in that way and think: ‘Maybe she is that mate of mine.' Maybe a relationship isn’t about ‘Wow, she’s hot’ or ‘She dances well’ but about ‘This is someone I can go to with my problems.’

Also, it was just a little disappointing that even though Reuben was popular and the writers liked me, they had a hard time figuring out what to really do with him. He was a street kid who was rough around the edges who was trying to better himself, but he just didn’t have a good idea on how to do it. So he bounced around without really having his own storyline and eventually kind of became everybody’s best friend on the show. He was everyone’s friend, helping them with their storyline. When I did the stand-up story line that was great because it gave me and Reuben a chance to shine and it was great that it became a very popular thing on the show.

AWT: Why do you think Reuben and Josie became such good friends?

CP: I can’t remember how they met. In primetime, you have a hundred episodes to tell a story but in daytime there are thousands! I don’t think it was ever dealt with deeply on how they became friends. I don’t remember what instance made them so close, but I remember it was a slow, gradual building of the relationship to where they became such close friends. Reuben probably looks at Josie as the one who got away, the one he really wanted, and for whatever reason out there in the world, it just didn’t happen. I think that’d create some angst for him and dysfunction for him in other relationships in that the woman he’s with isn’t Josie.

Come back next week for Part #2

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: ANNA HOLBROOK (SHARLENE) Part #2

2010-02-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

Part #1

AWT: The AW episodes on Hulu and YouTube debuted with the 1991 Sharlene vs. Taylor Benson storyline. What do you remember about it?

AH: Oh, I think it was a lot of fun. Christine Andreas was new to the soap world and I think she did a wonderful job of playing the manipulative "shrink"(apologies to any real ones!). I, unfortunately, vividly remember the episode in which Taylor is chasing Sharlene around the merry-go-round with a gun. I actually winced when I saw it again - some acute overacting on my part!

AWT: What is your favorite storyline from your time in Bay City? Was there a storyline that you wished had gone a different way? Was there a storyline that you would have liked for Sharlene that, unfortunately, did not happen?

AH: Hmmm, been a long time. I loved the early romance between John and Sharlene. The split personality was great fun. I do, however, wish that it had been a more truthful telling of a person struggling with MPD. But, I guess that would have been a bit ugly for daytime entertainment. I always liked Grayson McCouch (Dusty) and Charles Keating's (Carl) work. I think it would have been fun to 'play' with them. As actors, it's always fun to hit the ball with someone who can hit it back, someone who challenges you. I wish they'd brought back Christine Jones as Janice Frame - maybe we could have had some kind of family feud! It would have been fun to spar with her!

AWT: What would be your dream storyline for what Sharlene has been up to all these years?

AH: Calling on my imagination here! Hellloooooo! Anyone in there . . . let's see . . . Sharlene and John have gone off together, right? So, at some point, Sharlene tells John that it's time to bring back the "Pet Rock". Remember those, anyone? Little rocks painted up with faces, sold in little cages on convenience store counters - a total fad that sold millions, and made millions for whomever the inventor was back in the '70s. So, Sharlene convinces John that this idea has merit and that the timing might be just right to try the silliness again. Together, against all odds, they raise the funds, Sharlene hides out in a little studio she's rented, painting faces on rocks and 'caging them'. People think the two of them have gone mad - but, NO, they sell like hotcakes! Soon they are interviewed and on the cover of every major magazine, newspaper and TV show - they're a hit - the rocks, too! And, they make their fortune. After that, the potential storylines are ripe - sky's the limit!!! What goes up . . . :)

AWT: What have you been up to these days? Where can your fans see you? Do you have any projects in the works?

AH: I have enjoyed a nice voice-over career, which I am extremely grateful for, while basically being a stay-at-home mom. Since Bruce is still a pilot who, therefore, is on the road half the month, I am the hub. And, I have to tell you, I am happy being 'the hub'. Johanna is off in her freshman year of college,(how did that happen?!), and Henry will be a freshman in HS next year. Henry likes 'the party' of afterschool friends to be at his house - and I like having my finger on the pulse of my 14 year old's life. I have been teaching my one little acting class a week for the past four years. About ten children ages 10-13, who are such a kick. The only project I have in the works is the play that I've just written for them. Don't believe it will win any Tonys, but, oh my, it has been very rewarding to watch them dive into this piece.

AWT: Would you like to say anything to the fans of AW?

AH: Thank you. It was a treat to have experienced the commitment fans have towards daytime and its characters. I had a blast. I wish you all the best!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: ANNA HOLBROOK (SHARLENE)

2010-02-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

AWT: Do you remember your initial audition for the role of Sharlene Frame? What did they tell you they were looking for in the character? What do you think you brought to the audition that landed you the role?

AH: I actually happened into a copy of that audition a few years ago, so it brought back the memory of it rather vividly. Mainly, I remember being terrified. Seeing a few of the other women who were also testing for Sharlene in the hair and make-up room, certain that they were more right for the role than I, certain that they were real actresses, certain that they could never be as nervous as me. Then, David (Forsyth; John), of course - I'd never met him and we had to kiss. Bingo, just like that. He was lovely. Anyone who meets David knows that almost immediately. Considerate and a pro at putting a person at ease. Well, we did the scene, I headed back to the theater, I was doing an Off Broadway show. I found my dear friend and castmate Marilyn, and cried my eyes out, sure that I had failed miserably.

AWT: How did Sharlene evolve from the time you started playing her to the time you left? How much did you contribute to the character's evolution and direction?

AH: Well, I can tell you that initially I was, as a fan would know, a farm woman. Country girl, divorcee, widow raising a teenage daughter, making pies and canning a variety of fruits and veggies out on the family farm. My wardrobe was the cheapest on the show, consisting of a number of gingham aprons and my own jeans. Then, I went to the AW Christmas party up in the Rainbow Room at 30 Rock, wearing some sexy black number wardrobe had let me borrow, and danced up a storm. Next thing I knew, (Executive Producer) Michael Laibson called me into his office and said the writers were very excited because they had decided to give me a multiple personality disorder. Of course, this was music to my actor ears! But, the main reason for giving Sharlene the disorder was to get her out of the kitchen, into more little black dresses and therefore into the mainstream of Bay City life! So perhaps my choice of clothing - and a little Jack Daniels - helped shed a different light on Sharlene!

AWT: Why do you think Sharlene has continued to be so popular with Another World fans?

AH: Gee, I don't know, I'd really have to ask them. But, perhaps she seemed like a friend you could talk to, or even a mother who would fight for you. She, before the Multiple Personality Disorder, was a solid citizen, fighting for her daughter, herself, her brother, and then John. Though Sharly wasn't very likable, I always thought of her and Sharlene as a survivors and actually missed Sharly when she was gone.

AWT: You shared the screen with several of AW's leading men. What was it like working with David Forsyth? Mark Pinter (Grant)? Kale Browne (Michael)? Was there a character you wished Sharlene had interacted with more?

AH: Forsyth = extremely special, great fun, loads of laughs, lots of trust, a gift, FFL (friend for life). Pinter = a total pro, great fun, wonderful actor, glad I had the chance. KB = like working with a child - in the best of ways! I recall some very touching moments, love him.
AWT: What do you think contributed to your fantastic chemistry with David Forsyth? How did the two of you go about creating it? What are your thoughts on how John and Sharlene's romance ended?

AH: I did get lucky there. It is awfully nice when you genuinely like the person you're supposed to be falling for. We had a real respect for one another, and truly had so much fun. I think there was an innocence to this couple, and I was so grateful that the writers gave us such lovely material. Two people sort of finding themselves again through each other. It was loaded, rich. In the later years of my time on the show, there were times when I was so sad for the need the producers felt to tear the couple apart. Well, truthfully, there's nothing quite as boring as a well adjusted couple on a soap! And I loved the idea of a love triangle, I just never felt it was executed very well. It seemed arbitrary, with no foundation. But, I loved working off of Linda Dano (Felicia), that's a treat.

Come back Wednesday, February 24, for Part #2

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: RUSSELL TODD (JAMIE)

2010-02-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

When we spoke to Russell Todd (Jamie) in January of 2009, he mentioned, "I still do some television commercials, including one I did that's showing in Europe and Asia, with Sharon Stone as my date. It was for a scotch."

Read the complete interview at PGP Classic Soaps, and enjoy the ad, below!

INTERVIEW WITH KALE BROWNE (MICHAEL) PART #3

2010-02-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

Part #1

Part #2

AWT: What is your favorite storyline from your time in Bay City?

KB: Courting Donna. That was great. We had so much fun. Mike never really had a job to speak of that you could point a finger at; he did this, that and the other thing, but his main job was Donna. It was just an awful lot of fun. There weren’t specific storylines, but I remember actors, especially all the Vicky/Marleys (Ellen Wheeler, Anne Heche, and Jensen Buchanan). Jensen was great. I can’t remember anyone ever just walking in and taking over a role like she did, she was fabulous. I also remember doing a scene with Ellen Wheeler one time where she was Marley pretending to be Vicky, I think, and if I ever got confused about which daughter I was talking to, all I had to do was look at her feet because Marley was pigeon-toed. Ellen stands differently depending on which character she was playing, and as long as you knew that, you could tell who you were working with in a scene. That’s the kind of actor she is. And of course working with John (Considine), David (Forsyth), Linda Dano (Felicia), and Anna Holbrook (Sharlene) – talk about an actor who shows up 100% in a scene. The people who I worked with closely were people you could develop a real bond with. You got to depend on that other person to be there for you, and they always were. Some actors, if you go up (ed note. Forget your lines) will just let you die, and some will jump in and give you a little bit to get you back. The latter is what I found while working on AW.

AWT: Was there a storyline that you wished had gone a different way or one you didn’t like?

KB: I don’t remember a specific storyline. Every so often they would experiment; they don’t have anything for you or you fall out of favor with the fans, but they have you on contract and so they’ll try to shake things up. I remember a couple of times they’d try to put me with different women and I was so spoiled from working with Anna that I wasn’t always generous and probably tanked a storyline by bad acting or non-acting. But you know, the only thing I ever put my foot down with anybody on that show was somebody kept writing Michael saying ‘I could just kill her’ (referring to his daughter) and I wouldn’t say it. There’s a lot of things I can say, but I won’t even say that jokingly on the air, just because I get letters from abused kids and all kinds of people, and I just don’t want to put that out there. That was the only thing I ever said absolutely no to.

AWT: Was there a storyline you would have liked for Michael?

KB: How about bringing Another World back and bringing back Michael older, in the Mac Cory part? They actually did talk to me about that at one point, about Michael being the patriarch of the town, and I thought: I’m not sure I’m ready to be put out to pasture. But then a new EP was brought on to the show, and the idea was dropped.

AWT: What have you been up to since leaving AW? Where can your fans see you?

KB: Lately, episodes of Without a Trace, Law & Order, and Cold Case, although last year I played Dr. Miles Berman briefly on Days of Our Lives, and did a number of small films. I was in a production of Michael Weller’s Moonchildren, directed by my ex-wife, Karen (Allen), last summer. I do a lot of voice-over work, but the majority of my time is spent writing. At times, I’m a paid screenwriter. My work has been optioned, but so far not produced. But there’s nothing better than being paid to do what you’d do for free. Otherwise, I’m a full-time dad. My son lives with me now, and he’s training as a chef. I live where it’s peaceful and quiet, and the beavers are my neighbors. I like it.

AWT: Would you like to say anything to the AW fans who are still following you and your career?

KB: God bless you all, then and now. The AW audience continues to be the most incredibly loyal and enthusiastic fans I’ve ever come across. Thanks… you made the job so much fun.

INTERVIEW WITH KALE BROWNE (MICHAEL) PART #2

2010-01-27T06:09:00.000-08:00

For Part #1 click here.

AWT: What was it like working with Anna Stuart (Donna)?

KB: Anna Stuart is unique. There is nobody like her, and from the moment we met we just clicked. To this day we’re still friends. During our time on the show, we spent more time together than any boyfriend and girlfriend ever did. I just think the world of her. I have the attention span of a hummingbird, and she’s got this photographic memory. Sometimes we’d be in a scene, and there wasn’t a line within eight miles of my head. I’d watch her. If she got lost, she’d pull the page up in her head, find the line and say the line. You could watch her do this, it was remarkable.

AWT: What do you think contributed to your fantastic chemistry with her?

KB: We were married in a previous life? I can’t explain it. We had freedom to play and have fun, and she was just great to play around with. You can’t write chemistry. You can try, but the fact is, chemistry will always win out. If two actors who just can’t cut it are put together, there’s no chemistry. The audience doesn’t buy it. I guess we were really lucky and I feel like it was more or less ordained in a way.

AWT: You also had a great fraternal chemistry with David Forsyth (John).

KB: Dave was like meeting an old friend that I’d never met before. He and I had a lovely connection from day one. He’s my best friend to this day. There was really a lot of love between all of us in that place; which you really need when working with each other that much. Again, you couldn’t write that chemistry. We just clicked and started laughing when we met, and we haven’t stopped laughing since.

AWT: Meanwhile, Michael was the mortal enemy of Donna’ father, Reginald, played by John Considine.

KB: This guy was just great, and the biggest laugher. He would pull stuff on camera and do stuff that would have me just wetting my pants! And I couldn’t say anything because he would always do it when the camera was on me. We just had a beautiful connection naturally.

AWT: Your had two runs as Michael on AW, the first run just recently ending on the AW episodes currently running on Hulu and YouTube.

KB: Yeah, the first time I left was after my son, Nicholas, was born. My wife at the time was working as well, and it was kind of nuts because I barely saw my son. I wanted us all to be based in the same city. So at the end of my contract I left AW and New York, and we moved to Los Angeles where we could both work.

AWT: How did your return come about?

KB: When I decided that I wanted to come back to AW (I was told that the door was always open), the producer at the time, for some baffling reason, didn’t like me at all. Even though I never met her, I was told flat-out that it wasn’t going to happen. Many months later, I get a phone call from the new Executive Producer offering me a job. Oddly enough, when Michael returned he had a son named Nicholas, and I said ‘Isn’t that amazing. Where did you come up with that name?’

AWT: What did you like best about Michael his second time around in Bay City?

KB: Michael now having a son gave more story. The second time around we did some of the best stuff I’d ever been given, because we had Jill Phelps and John Valenti by that time.

AWT: How do you feel your character differed the second time around? How did he evolve?

KB: Gray hair. I was bitching and moaning and, as everyone knows, the only person that bitches more than a non-working actor is a working actor. So I was complaining one day and my wife at the time said, ‘You never were the young buck on the show, more like the middle aged buck’ and I think what happened is that I went past the middle aged buck…. But honestly, Michael was me. I mean fundamentally what people saw for the most part – except for the situations – was me. You work so hard. In the early days, when you were working there, you’d see more of your cast-mates than your own family. We’d shoot until 2:00 or 4:00AM, sometimes all night and into the next day, and just move over into the next studio to start the new day’s schedule. Back then, they could do that and you wouldn’t really have time to think. Your character developed as you developed. As an actor, all I can really do is keep trying to improve and be more in the moment and do my own work before I got there. I don’t think there was any conscious evolution. I think if he evolved, he simply evolved through age.

AWT: What were your feelings on his exit?

KB: Believe me, no one was more upset about Michael being killed off than I was. I had been working off contract for a few months and heard about it on set. That’s the cruel thing about soaps. I know someone who learned they were being fired by walking on set while another actor was being screen-tested for his role. The stories are apocryphal, but they’re true. I think the higher-ups believe you’re going to act out, or act like a jerk or something, and so a lot of times they’ll wait until the last second and then tell you that you just worked your last show. Anyway, I continued working for a few months when someone (God bless them) who shall remain nameless called me up and said that they just got the scripts for December and January and told me that Michael was going to die. I was so not prepared to die. So I called up the Executive Producer and went up to her office and was told that they were bringing on a different family and were phasing out the Hudsons. The writing was pretty much on the wall by then about the show’s future, it only lasted a few more years, but it’s a marathon job and when you’re wound up and ready to go and then someone says ‘Not so fast, there, Bob,” you’re not quite ready to be stopped. But you know that’s always the case. When you’re an actor there are no sure things. Afterward, I was thinking that it was still, all in all, the best experience and I was grateful that someone paid me to do the thing that I love to do…. Then at the same time I’m wrapping up at AW, I got a call from One Life to Live and they asked me if I would work off-contract and I said ‘well, sure’ because actors act. For a while I was airing on both shows at the same time, because I had already started as Sam Rappaport at OLTL while Michael was being shown in flashbacks on AW. I felt very fortunate to have another role to step into.

Come back next week for Part #3!

INTERVIEW WITH KALE BROWNE (MICHAEL) PART #1

2010-01-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

AWT: Do you remember your initial audition for the role of Michael Hudson?

KB: I was in Brazil doing a movie and just got back to Los Angeles. I didn’t know if I ever wanted to do a soap, not that they were knocking my door down, but all of a sudden my agent called me up and told me that I had a screen test with Deirdre Hall over at Days of Our Lives for the John Black character. So I went in and auditioned and (Deirdre) was great, really wonderful to work with, and then I didn’t hear anything, and I thought, ‘God, I know I did okay.’ I mean, not to hear anything was just odd. And then a week later, I get a phone call asking would I do a soap in New York, and I said okay. So I got on a plane and flew to New York. I tested on the sound stage with Anna Stuart (Donna). I flew in on a Monday, auditioned on that Tuesday, and was shooting on Wednesday. They actually had been shooting the back of Michael’s head while they were looking for an actor. How I got called in was that the casting director remembered me from an audition for As The World Turns about 4 or 5 years back, and so they were looking for me to audition me, but I had been in Brazil. So the first NBC knew I was back was when I came in for the DAYS test. I guess it was meant to be.

AWT: What did they tell you they were looking for in the character?

KB: Just that Michael was kind of the mysterious guy and the father of twins, and that I had been (involved with) Donna. The thing is, something like that, you’re playing the moment, so you do your work as an actor to figure out your history, and you go in and do it. I was just having fun as an actor because I thought that this would probably be thirteen weeks and I could pay off my VISA card and that would be that. So I’d go in thinking: ‘Let’s make him a shell-shocked Vietnam Vet’. I’d go in with that as my subtext and just give it a little bit of that underneath, and they started writing it. The writers were very perceptive and could see what you’re doing and take it and run with it. It was amazing.

AWT: What was it like working at Another World?

KB: The wonderful thing about Another World, bar none, is that it was always about the work, no matter what. It was like you were in a lifeboat together. You don’t choose the people who jump over with you, but now that you’re in this situation, you’re all each other have. No matter what was happening in the dressing rooms – and there was a lot! – it was always about the work. This was after teleprompters, and we’d have 12 to 15 page scenes early on, and sometimes you’d get lost in there and sometimes it became surfing. Because they’re not going to cut the cameras once you’ve got something going. We weren’t going to go back to the beginning. They didn’t call ‘cut’ unless someone came in and parked their car in the middle of the scene. So we’d ad-lib. We’d figure out our way back and it’d be like surfing with somebody else. Tommy Eplin (Jake) was great at it. It’d be like playing a symphony, and then someone would say a word that would spark something and you’d work your way back, and then I’d think ‘My God that was great!’ It really required a lot of attention and was a high adrenaline experience. It was the most fun show I’ve ever worked on, and certainly the best group of people.

Come back on Wednesday, January 27th for Part #2!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: RHONDA ROSS KENDRICK (TONI)

2009-10-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

Rhonda Ross has joined the Advisory Board and will serve as the Honorary Chair for Hearts of Gold's upcoming fall fundraising gala. The event will feature co-Mistresses of Ceremonies Soledad O’Brien , Anchor and Special Correspondent for CNN and Goodwill Ambassador for Hearts of Gold, along with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s Tamara Tunie (Jessica; ATWT).

Hearts of Gold is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of New York City's homeless mothers and their children. The 13th Annual Fall Fundraising Gala, It’s A Love Thing, will be held on Thursday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. at Metropolitan Pavilion on 125 West 18th Street. The family-friendly evening will include a cocktail reception and a live auction. The highlight of the 1970s-themed night will be a runway fashion show with the fall collections of Beth Bowley, Teenflo, Transit, Zapa, and other designers. For the first time this year, the gala will also feature an after-hours party dubbed Love Unlimited, to be held following the fashion show and auction at Metropolitan Pavilion.

In addition to her work with Hearts of Gold, Rhonda let Another World Today in on what else she's been up to since leaving Bay City:

Another World holds and will always hold a very special place in my heart. I learned so much from the producers, directors and the veteran actors on that show. The people in the cast remain my dear friends to this day. On top of that, we had the best fans of any show ever! I will be forever grateful for my time in Bay City !

Since the show went off the air, I have continued to act as well as perform my Song-Telling concerts (Jazz vocals with a spoken-word vibe) around the country and around the world. Then, because of a love for real estate, in 2008, I launched Ross Realty International and am having a lot of success being an entrepreneur!

I gave birth to my son, Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick, on August 7th, 2009, one week shy of my birthday (which is on the 14th). We are both Leos! His name is very meaningful: Raif (pronounced Ra-eef) means merciful, forgiving, and big-hearted. Henok is the Ethiopian translation of "Enoch" - a very faithful man in the bible. Emmanuel means "God is with us," and Kendrick (my married last name) actually means "Royal Power."

Having now become a mother, I am very sensitive to the overwhelming desire that each mother has for her child, and I want all of NYC's mothers to feel the pride, satisfaction, and overall contentment that comes with seeing their children thrive! Hearts of Gold is an amazing organization that serves homeless mothers and their very deserving children by making sure the that their children receive holiday celebrations, and school clothes and supplies, and their mothers receive shelter and employment. I am honored and humbled to have joined the Advisory Board of Hearts of Gold and to be serving as the Honorary Chair of their upcoming fundraising gala on November 12th!

Individual tickets for It’s A Love Thing are available for $250, $500, and $1,000, with tables starting at $2,500. Tickets to the after-party, which runs from 10:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. and includes open bar and dancing, are $50. Proceeds from It’s A Love Thing and Love Unlimited will be used to support the more than 450 children and over 375 mothers in residence annually at three Manhattan shelters.

More information at: http://www.heartsofgold.org

INTERVIEW WITH MAEVE MCGUIRE (ELENA)

2009-10-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

Part #1

Part #2

Part #3

INTERVIEW WITH ALICE BARRETT-MITCHELL (FRANKIE) PART #2

2009-10-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Part #1

AWT: How was it returning to AW as Frankie’s look alike Annie?

ABM: The funny story about Annie was that literally two weeks after I moved to Los Angeles, (then-AW's Executive Producer) Chris Goutman calls me to offer me the role of Annie. He said that regretfully Frankie is so very dead and they were very sorry they couldn’t bring her back, but they had this role of Frankie’s lookalike, Annie. They offered me a two year contract, but I was hesitant with all the cancellation rumors circling and didn’t want to move my family back to New York when everything was so iffy. So we agreed to do six months and see what happened - and then the axe fell!

AWT: What was it like filming the last episode of AW as Ghost Frankie?

ABM: I think it was probably like what the Guiding Light set is now. They were all in mourning. Another World’s cast also had to film a lot of episodes in those short weeks to make the finale date. Since I had already mourned and moved on when I left the show back in 1996, it was a little different for me. It was great seeing the cast and crew again, but because I had already grieved Frankie’s end back in 1996, it was a little less burdensome. I was glad to be able to say a final good-bye to the show as Frankie and not Annie, and grateful that Frankie was given a place in the finale because I felt Frankie had been a thread in the fabric of the show and had earned a place at the table. If I had been in Los Angeles when everything was wrapped up, I would’ve been so sad. Even more bittersweet was that the 35th Anniversary Book came out the week the show was ending, so we were using them like yearbooks as we said our good-byes.

One funny thing I remember was that we were shooting so many episodes so quickly, that we had to do quick costume changes. They had a changing booth right on the floor. I remember changing as fast as I could and suddenly standing in the booth naked when Chris Goutman’s voice came over the system doing the countdown for the next scene.

I loved my final scene with Stephen, where Frankie comes to him in a dream and gives him permission to be in love with someone else. It was really us saying good-bye. I felt whoever wrote those scenes really knew Frankie and knew her and Cass’s relationship really well.

I also really enjoyed working with a grown-up Charlie. There was a scene where as Ghost Frankie, I was supposed to put my arm around her as we look up at the stars in the sky. Well, since I was a ghost she wasn’t supposed to see me and we weren’t supposed to be looking at each other. I lift my arm to reach around her and bonked the poor actress in the head! She was a pro but I was so bummed that the last moment Frankie has with her daughter is hitting her in the head!

AWT: What have you been up to since leaving AW? Where can your fans see you these days?

ABM: Well, I’m still a working actor, which is entirely due to my manager who has stuck by me through so many years. For a while after Another World, I was kind of stuck in an age range where I was too mature to play the younger cool moms, and too young to play a mother of older kids. I literally had one line on my resume that represented seven years of hard work, which, in many ways, left me in the position of having to start over. I’ve just started getting jobs playing the mom of kids that are my own kids’ ages, in no small part due to my manager banging down doors and never giving up on me.

In January I shot a movie, 13, with Mickey Rourke, 50 cent, and Jason Statham. It’s a dark story where I play the mother of Sam Riley, who is just fabulous and gives a breakout performance.

Next I did, a movie called, ironically, Twelve, about rich kids in New York and excessive drug use. I play Chace Crawford’s mother. He was a really sweet guy. I even asked if they had cast his mother on Gossip Girl and he said ‘Sorry, but yeah.'

In 2008, I did a naughty little movie that may give all the Frankie fans pause. It's called Choke, with Sam Blackwell, based off a book by Chuck Palahniuk. I played a sex addict and did my first nude scene. It was a real leap of faith for me and was a bit nerve wracking, but I felt everything was handled with respect and treated beautifully. I really love the movie.

I also did a movie with Richard Gere called Brooklyn’s Finest where I play his wife. It was out a year ago and bought at Sundance. I think it’s currently being reedited. Hopefully I won’t end up on the cutting room floor!

AWT: When Another World Today premiered, Frankie was the overwhelming first choice for the character AW fans wanted brought back from the dead, pronto. To what do you attribute her enduring popularity?

ABM: Oh, that’s so kind! I think what made her so popular was that her overall agenda was to be good. Frankie was a good soap character without being a goody two shoes. She was funny, quirky, had a backbone and was fiercely loyal. She was a truly spiritual person. I remember doing a SOW online chat and a question came ‘When is Frankie going to embrace true religion?’ and I remember replying ‘Who has stronger family values than Frankie?’ Frankie really was a woman who walked the walk. Maybe she didn’t practice in the traditional sense, but she was dedicated to family, she was a loving mother, a devoted wife, and unflinchingly devoted to the people in her life. Isn’t this exactly what Christ preached?

AWT: What would be a dream storyline for Frankie after all these years?

ABM: Wow, I’m still trying to get used to other versions of us out there! I think a dream storyline that I had for Frankie was that she’d go to law school and become a public defender. Bringing a bit of my political side into it, Frankie would’ve stuck up for the underdog as she always did and probably would’ve battled Cass in court. They’d have that respectful, adult relationship like Nick and Nora or Hepburn and Tracy.

AWT: Do you have anything to say to the fans who campaigned to have Frankie live again?

ABM: I can’t tell you how moving it is that people loved the character so much. The loyalty of the fans has been so sustaining to me over the years. I will be in a store and will get recognized and the funny thing is, it’s not my face but my voice that will get the head whipping around in my direction. I seriously cannot emphasize how sustaining it is to realize you had an impact and your work was appreciated. It has really meant everything to me.

INTERVIEW WITH ALICE BARRETT-MITCHELL (FRANKIE): Part #1

2009-09-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

AWT: Do you remember your initial audition as Frankie?

ABM: I remember the screen-test. I really didn’t know much about Frankie from the sides except that she was originally named Francesca. What I was told about the character was that she was going to be brought in to shake up Nicole (Love) and Cass, and give Nicole a run for her money.

AWT: What do you think you brought to your screen-test that made it clear you were the actress for the job?

ABM: The scene for my screen-test was a pretty generic scene where Cass and Frankie were doing that quibbling thing they do and at one point I got the idea to inject something a little silly that might bring something else to the table. So I did a silly dance and allowed for a goofy moment. Then I had to wait because it took them forever to decide! Once I was tested, I signed a contract and was on hold for three weeks until finally I got the call. I found out that in those weeks while I was waiting they were tinkering with the character and made her a Frame so she would be related to someone on canvas (Sharlene) and also made her intro storyline to the show that she comes to Bay City to avenge her uncle’s death. Initially Frankie is convinced Felicia is involved and even got her arrested, which is how Frankie and Cass come together initially, at very extreme odds.

AWT: How much did you contribute to the character's evolution and direction?

ABM: Well, first my name was changed from Francesca to Mary Frances. Then I shortened it to Frankie because I liked her having a spunky nickname which I also had when I was on another PGP soap, The Catlins, where I played a character named Jackie.

Frankie took another unexpected turn when, in the scene where Frankie and Cass have their first kiss and recognize their attraction, they were at a hotdog stand, hiding from someone they were following and the scene called for me to eat a hot dog with sauerkraut and I told the director I don’t eat meat but would make it work with a bun with sauerkraut and everyone felt that worked for Frankie so she became a vegetarian. The crystal Frankie wore around her neck was initially my crystal as it was something I wore and the producers took that and the non-meat and decided to take Frankie on a New Age bent. It was a very flexible and creative that way. When Frankie went New Age she really took off.

AWT: What is your favorite storyline from your time in Bay City?

ABM: Kathleen/Cass/Frankie was hard, but it was the most dramatic stuff. It was difficult to retrieve the comedy considering that Frankie had a miscarriage and briefly died, but it was the best written stuff! In the later years, a storyline that I liked was when Patti D'Arbanville came on as Frankie’s high school friend, Christy Carson, who came to town and set Frankie up for her husband’s murder so she could go after Cass.

AWT: Do you have a scene that you think just went perfectly, couldn't have been done any better?

ABM: The ones that are the most fun are the biggest. A lot of the early scenes in Kathleen’s return story were great to play. One sequence that comes to mind is that just after Kathleen returns and before the triangle really begins, Cass gets in Carl’s face and warns Carl to stay away from his wife - referring to Kathleen and not Frankie - which Frankie overhears. At this stage, Frankie’s still trying to play it cool and act like Kathleen’s return isn’t driving her crazy. In a later scene, Frankie comes back in from a run and Kathleen calls for Cass and Frankie, who has been trying to not let any of this get to her. In that moment she just tosses off a line to Cass as she hands him the phone( I’m sorry I wish I could remember it!) that is just such a subtle knife to the ribs that was so very, very real and was the first time we got to see her anxiety about the situation show. I thought it was just a great, perfect subtle moment.

AWT: Is there a scene or storyline you wish you could make disappear from public consciousness? Or at least get the chance to do again?

ABM: There was one storyline with a woman whose child dies and Cass represented her in a lawsuit against the hospital and it involved prosecuting John for malpractice. Eventually the woman was to come between Cass and Frankie as Cass enjoyed being this woman’s white knight to her damsel in distress. Frankie was caught between growing more and more suspicious of Cass’ relationship with this woman and having torn allegiances between Cass and John. On paper, the story seemed great, but there was something about the execution and how Frankie’s part in it was written that just didn’t work for me. I liked that this was not another Cecile-type that was threatening Frankie’s marriage, but a woman who appealed to Cass’s need to be the hero. However, the way things played out and the roles we all played in the story just didn’t ring true to me at the time.

AWT: What do you think contributed to your fantastic chemistry with Stephen Schnetzer? How did the two of you go about creating it?

ABM: The screen test laid the groundwork. We made each other laugh a lot and cracked each other up really well. I tell anyone that the reason I’ve been married to my husband for almost 27 years is because my husband makes me laugh. We’re good friends as well as lovers and partners. Stephen and I approached our work relationship as a partnership. I haven’t worked with him in 13 years, but I still call Stephen my partner. There was a lot of respect between us and we had a shared commitment to show a different type of couple in daytime.

AWT: What did you love about Cass and Frankie’s relationship?

ABM: Stephen and I took the standard soap couple and tried to go beyond that. A convention of soap is infidelity and one thing I loved about Cass and Frankie was she was one woman with one man from the time she came on the show to the time she left. She never slept with anyone else. Yes, she left Cass and she had that one moment with Joe Carlino (played by Joseph Barbara) who was originally supposed to be Frankie’s first possible affair. We played it for one episode where he grabbed Frankie’s hand and they shared a moment of connection and the reaction was ‘What in God’s name is going on?!’ so that was that and Joe was sent off to shake up Paulina and Jake because they were a couple that was always in trouble.

When Cecile returned again and gave Cass a love potion, Frankie originally was supposed to enter, see them in the throes of passion, and she assumes the worst, gets mad and leaves. But Stephen and I fought to give the relationship a higher level of respect than that. They had been through a lot and there was an earned baseline of trust. Given how long Frankie and Cass were married and that they were in a mature relationship, and that Frankie knows Cecile’s game, Frankie would give Cass the benefit of the doubt and accuse Cecile. So that’s what we ended up doing! We played the scene as a joke where Frankie finally moves in to punch Cecile and hits Cass instead. One of the things I am most proud of about Cass and Frankie’s relationship was that Stephen and I were able to forge a stable loving relationship which was pretty unusual for daytime.

AWT: Can you tell us about learning about Frankie’s death and filming it?

ABM: I think that sometime in the last years I was on the show, the writing for Frankie wasn’t there anymore. In the last few years, Frankie was serving coffee and acting as the soundboard for others to bring up to speed on their story. I knew it at the time but didn’t know how to get her back in the thick of things. You have new writers coming in over the years and they prepare for the show by watching who is playing and create story for the characters that are already working so those characters continue to get the storyline and the airtime. There became so rapid a turnover of producers and headwriters that soon there was no one who was really familiar with Frankie. Frankie’s creators were gone and the newbies didn’t know who she was and so after a while, when they’re looking at the budget to trim costs, your name comes up.

I think it was a bit of a miscalculation on the part of the show to kill her off and in such a brutal way. They wanted something dramatic and her murder ended up being the entire hour. I think that they forgot who their audience was - they’re mothers. I really fought against giving Frankie a ‘beautiful’ death. There was something about ‘Take Frankie beautiful and at peace’ originally in the script and I countered that Frankie would’ve begged for her life and fought to be with her daughter so her death wouldn’t be beautiful. I allowed myself to make a few demands because I wanted Frankie’s death to be done realistically and I told them to have make-up put a big ring bruise around my neck, which they did. The audience was going to see the ugly realities of her murder.

A few weeks later, I happened to be at the studio and observed Stephen filming a scene that was supposed to be just three weeks after Frankie’s murder, where Cass goes to a disco and Cass the Cassanova was supposed return. Felicia and Morgan (played by Grayson McCouch) were going to confront him about it and Cass was going to defend his actions saying this was his way of moving on. Stephen saw me observing and we got to talking and I just told him ‘Wow. I have to tell you, this just makes me sad. This scene doesn’t respect Cass’s growth at all.’ And Stephen listened and talked to the producers. He ended up playing the scene with a more tragic tone, with it being Cass in denial and trying to lose himself in his old ways to avoid his grief.

Come back next week for Part #2 of our interview, where Alice discusses her return to Bay City as lawyer Anne, as well as Frankie's resurrection in "Another World Today!"

INTERVIEW WITH TINA SLOAN (OLIVIA)

2009-09-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

AWT: You played Kate on Somerset and one of the many Pattis on Search for Tomorrow prior to taking on the role of Olivia on Another World in 1980. How was Olivia different from your previous daytime characters?

TS: Olivia was very smart, as was Kate. Both were career women, but Kate was more manipulating, as her main job was Julian Cannell, and Olivia's was being a Nobel prize winning cardiologist. Patti was just sweeter by far and not interested in career at all. Her family mattered most

AWT: What are some of your favorite memories from your days in Bay City? Is there a scene or a storyline that particularly stands out in your mind?

TS: I liked being with Russ and having a crush on him. Loved the great clothes I got to wear I must say!

AWT: Do you have any thoughts on where Olivia would be now and what she'd be doing? (Many AW fans presume that Olivia ended up marrying Russ off-screen and was the mother of his daughter, also named Olivia, though that was never confirmed on-screen.)

TS: I imagine she did marry Russ and have the daughter, Olivia. I think they happily worked together forever - work was her life and his, too.

AWT: After AW, you moved to Guiding Light as Lillian, a much more passive, victimized character. Was that a difficult transition to make? How did it affect your acting choices?

TS: Lillian was hard for me to play. She had no backbone and this bothered me. I remember using Edith from All In the Family as the person I was being like. She just said 'yes' and did what she was told. Very hard for me, but I did it.

AWT: What are your favorite memories from Springfield?

TS: Springfield has been heaven. My memories of Lillian and Buzz, and the Lillian, Ed, Maureen triangle, and being the mother of Beth are wonderful acting memories as is the breast cancer story. I loved my wonderful twenty-six years in Springfield, and I will miss it so much. We are such a family there and love one another so very much.

AWT: Now that GL has come to an end, what are your plans for the future? Where may your fans plan to see you next?

TS: I am doing a play I co-wrote called Changing Shoes. Please go to www.changingshoes.com and read about it. It opens in Atlanta on Sept 25 for a two-week run . I have been on every talk show down there and have a book coming out with the same title. So I am very busy, but will miss my GL. I loved it and am loving this next stage as well.

INTERVIEW WITH JUDI EVANS LUCIANO (PAULINA)

2009-08-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

AWT: You took over the role of Paulina from Cali Timmons because the writers wanted to take the character in another direction. What did they tell you about Paulina when you started and how did you go about making the role your own?

JEL: Michael Laibson, a producer on the show at the time - LOVED him - told me ‘Free reign, baby! Do whatever you want to do.’ I’d never been told that before, but Michael was so great and encouraging, and I just took the character and ran with it. I quickly learned to hit the ground running or risk getting run over. My first day there I was in dress rehearsal with an actress and they asked me ‘Who are you?’ and I said, ‘I’m Paulina’ and they replied 'Well, no one told me!’ and I answered ‘Well, now you know!’

AWT: What's your favorite memory from your time in Bay City?

JEL: I had such a great time working on Another World that there wasn’t really any one thing that stands out. I loved working with Tommy (Eplin; Jake) and Joe (Barbara; Joe), and Julian McMahon (Ian) was great. Tommy always kept me laughing and I never knew what to expect.

AWT: What was your favorite storyline?

JEL: I loved them all, but you always love your first storyline and the whole love/hate/falling in love marriage-of-convenience Paulina had with Jake was just so fun and it was classic, well-written, soap-opera drama. You had a great relationship between two very strong people, and there was always fireworks between them no matter what. Those two could be sitting on the couch eating popcorn together and there’d be sparks. Just a great relationship.

AWT: What was one storyline you couldn't wait to be over?

JEL: I have yet to read a storyline that I hated! I’m such a total viewer and love to read the whole script, flipping the pages in anticipation. I just have such a great respect for writers, especially daytime writers, who have to put out scripts on such short notice. The work is always phenomenal.

AWT: How would you compare Mark Pinter, Tom Eplin and Joe Barbara as leading men?

JEL: All of them were great, different, but great and really, really professional. And they all made work so much fun that I felt like I wasn’t working at all.

Mark Pinter’s Grant was written in such a cool, fun way and Tom as Jake was funny and passionate, but so professional and together. One thing I learned early on was that if I didn’t earn Tommy’s respect it was going to be rough, but I did and we had a great time working together.

Joe Barbara was a sweetheart and the epitome of a nice guy even when I treated him so horribly while I was pregnant. I don’t know what it was, but while I was pregnant with my son I had an aversion to Joe to the point that I was just mean to him and I felt so bad but I couldn’t help myself! He’d ask me what he did wrong and what did he do and I felt terrible but just couldn’t explain it. As soon as my son popped out, I loved him again and he and I were buddies again. To this day, he holds it over my head about that time and loves teasing me about how terrible I was.

AWT: What was it like filming the last episode of AW?

JEL: It was so weird and surreal. Initially I couldn’t believe it and it really didn’t sink in at the time because we were already having to focus on getting the final run of episodes started (we were given really short notice on the cancellation). I think it took me a couple of years to really process it.

AWT: Where do you think Paulina is now?

JEL: I would hope that she’d still be happily married with Joe and their family. Although I do admit that I think she and Jake had a bit of unfinished business. Jake was her first true love. There was a lot of adventure and passion and romance with him and she never forgot that. I always thought she could be happy with Joe but there was one thing missing and that’s the passion she had with Jake.

AWT: How would you answer the question: Where is Judi Evans now?

JEL: I like to keep busy because I’m not one for sitting home for long! I’m still acting here and there. Before coming to ATWT, I did DAYS, playing Bonnie and Adrienne. I just did a movie of the week with Eddie Cibrian. When I’m not auditioning, I work at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, CA assisting with the arrangements of funeral options and pre-need arrangements. I really enjoy my work because I get to meet and help a lot of people at a difficult time.

AWT: Does your son, Austin, remember being Dante on AW? Has he watched himself? Does he have any interest in continuing in show business?

JEL: I’m not sure if he’s actually watched footage of himself, but Austin does remember being on AW. He recently mentioned remembering a scene where he was crying because his mother was being taken away. I thought ‘Oh no, is he going to need therapy? Did I traumatize him by having him on the show playing my son?' He’s done some other acting projects on his own, but he’s finding himself more interested in critiquing movies. He goes to two or three a week and knows so much about the actors and directors and stories. He’s really quite talented and I’m just so impressed with him!

AWT: How did the role on ATWT come about?

JEL: It’s interesting. My manager, Michael Bruno, was talking to Mary Clay Boland (casting director at As The World Turns) about what was coming up and she mentioned the role of Maeve, and he immediately thought of me. He called me up and asked if I was interested in something short-term with a commute back and forth between coasts and I told him sure. He put it all together and I came on as Maeve. I’m so grateful to him. He’s the best manager in the world and a great, great friend.

AWT: How is Maeve different from Paulina? How is she different from GL's Beth?

JEL: Maeve and Paulina are worlds apart. Maeve is sheltered and meeker and milder than Paulina. Maeve married at 18 and stayed married her whole life to the same man who unfortunately is abusive.

Beth and Maeve are similar in that they’re both sheltered, but Maeve comes from being so isolated, living in the back woods of Kentucky. Beth was an introvert who, in a lot of ways, kept to herself even when out and about in society.

I can’t say that any one character is my favorite because there are so many things I like about all of them. I just like to take anything given to me and go with it

AWT: Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans of Another World?

JEL: Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much for so many years, and your loyalty, and for letting us entertain you and for keeping Another World alive all these years!

INTERVIEW WITH SOFIA LANDON - AW WRITER AND ACTRESS

2009-08-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

AWT: On GL, you played Diane, a character very different from your AW character, Jennifer Thatcher. Would you say that there was some part of each character in your own personality, or were both completely created by the writers and not connected to you at all?

SL: Both Diane Ballard and Jennifer Thatcher were new characters created by the writers – I wasn’t replacing another actress. That said, I’m sure that once the writers saw my “take” on the characters, I had an influence on their development. Both women felt deeply, but, had to hold those feelings back: Diane, because she knew her love for Alan was not returned, even though she continued to hope until the end – and Jennifer, because she was always afraid her husband didn’t really love her. And boy, was she right! The difference between the two women was stark. Diane was gutsy and went after what she wanted – be it a man or a job. I believe Diane Ballard was the first soap female character to have an executive position in business. She went from babysitter to executive vice-president awfully quickly! But, then, Diane was always the smartest one in the room. Her weakness was her real love for Alan Spaulding.

Poor Jennifer Thatcher was so intensely vulnerable. Talk about low self-esteem. She couldn’t move on emotionally from the trauma of her many miscarriages, even though she did manage to have a beautiful little boy. She needed so much reassurance just to get through the day and her cheating husband sure didn’t help! When she found out that the son she loved so much wasn’t actually hers (her child had died in the hospital at birth) she turned to alcohol and drove her car off a cliff.

I cared about both characters, but, playing Diane was more fun. Scheming beats crying any day!

AWT: Jennifer was constantly being lied to and cheated on, then she was depressed to the point of more or less committing suicide. How do you play a character like that and not take it home with you at the end of the day?

SL: Well, I did take it home with me, unfortunately! Fun Fact #1: My boyfriend at the time was lying to me and cheating on me, so the line between acting and real life got kind of blurred for awhile there. Bless Lewis (Arlt; David) for being such a sweetheart. A very, nice, compassionate guy, unlike the character he played.

AWT: You stepped in for Anna Stuart as Donna (a character much more like Diane, in my opinion) several times. What is it like to take on a role that you know is only temporary and one that had been so dramatically defined by another actress? In such a situation, do you play Anna Stuart's Donna, or do you make the role your own?

SL: I don’t remember what I was up to the first time AW asked me to fill in for Anna. But, I’m sure I was excited about it. Donna was a terrific role, strong, yet comedic. That’s what I loved most about playing the character. She reminded me of the second female lead in a 1930’s screwball comedy. Like Rosalind Russell, maybe? Classy, smart, sexy and funny. Lots of fun to play. I honestly didn’t think about trying to be like Anna at all. I think the show thought of me because Anna and I have similarities in our ways of speaking and the way we carry ourselves physically, so it was a natural enough fit that I could just focus on the character and situation. Fun Fact #2: When I was playing Diane on GL, Anna filled in for Maeve Kinkead as Vanessa for a length of time.

AWT: Do you have a favorite memory from your time in Bay City? A scene that you think went particularly well - or maybe not well at all (but you can laugh about it now)?

SL: Man, we’re talking major time-travel here, I’m not sure I remember much. Oh, there was the time – during my second stint filling in for Anna Stuart as Donna – and my daughter M.J. Geier was a toddler. She had been ill the night before, and my husband and I took turns giving her lukewarm baths so she wouldn’t spike a fever. I didn’t sleep at all that night, didn’t even close my eyes. Pulled a parental all-nighter and went straight to work at the AW studios in Brooklyn. I think I had four or five “catfight” scenes in a restaurant with Linda Dano and several other actresses. Everyone was very kind - actors and crew - getting me cups of tea to keep me from nodding off. It was my most surreal “soap acting” experience.

AWT: You wrote for Another World from 1994 to 1999. How did you make the transition from actor to writer?

SL: I had just finished a soap writing workshop at NBC - I’m not sure they do those anymore – and I’d gotten an offer from (Executive Producer) Michael Laibson to join the AW writing team. I was thrilled. My family and I went on vacation in rural upstate N.Y. I took along a stack of breakdowns and scripts to study and prepare. Suddenly, I got a call from Michael saying they needed me to play Donna Love again and could I put off starting the writing job for a few weeks until Anna could return to the show? I babbled in the affirmative and the show faxed a “Donna” script to me (actually to the general store in town!) which I memorized on the bus down to New York City. As soon as Anna was better, I started my new writing job. It was a magical way to transition.

AWT: Was it odd for you to be writing dialogue for actors you had worked with, or did that actually make the process easier? Did your own background as an actor help or hinder the process of writing? Did other actors find you more approachable?

SL: Oh, my, actor/writer relations were not at all encouraged. I didn’t understand that until I became a writer and found that certain actors began chatting me up, hoping for more lines for their characters! I do a lot of theater directing now, and I think my acting and directing instincts, combined with a genuine love for actors, makes me a particularly good writer. I write for the character, of course, but, also for the actor. Some actors will shine when given a mouthful of complicated dialogue and others will stand out with just “a look” and a few well-chosen words. I especially loved writing for Stephen Schnetzer (Cass), Anna Holbrook (Sharlene) and Charles Keating (Carl).

AWT: What storylines or scenes from your time on AW were your favorites? Is there any story now that you wish you had told differently? Was there any story you would have liked to do but never got a chance to?

SL: I loved the Vicky/Jake/Ryan love story. And later on, the Jake/Paulina/Joe love story. Mainly because those actors were amazing and could handle emotional material without making it melodramatic. I still miss those characters, believe it or not.

Fun Fact #3: When Judi Evans, who had played Paulina on AW started on Days of Our Lives as Farah Fath’s low-rent mom, I was assigned her character’s first day on-air. Since I knew what Judi could do as an actress, I wrote her a whiz-bang of a day – very satisfying.

AWT: If you were writing AW now, where do you think some of the characters would be in their lives?

SL: Cass Winthrop and Frankie would be running a bed and breakfast, solving mysteries like Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man film series.

AWT: You started the charity, LOVE, HALLIE, to honor your late daughter. Could you tell us about it, and also what fans can do to contribute?

SL: LOVE, HALLIE Foundation encourages youth philanthropy. We suggest following Hallie’s example, which means finding a cause you care about, learning and researching about it, and then brainstorming a way to help. Hallie’s Angels clubs work as a team, volunteering for and/or raising funds to improve situations in their communities and the world. Some causes Hallie’s Angels contribute time or money to: volunteering at nursing homes and helping with homework at after-school programs. Global causes like raising money for bed-nets to protect African families from malaria, and local causes like walking a dog for an elderly neighbor. Donating gently used books and toys to a shelter or starting an arts program for children with disabilities. Learn more at www.lovehallie.org.

My older daughter, M.J., a talented actor and writer, runs Hallie’s Angels. If fans want to start a Hallie’s Angels club, M.J. will help you get started. She stays in touch with all the Hallie’s Angels clubs. We even have one in Rome, Italy!

AWT: LOVE, HALLIE was responsible for Daytime Unites for Africa in 2005. How in the world did you manage to pull together such a massive undertaking? Is it something you would try to do again?

SL: I think Daytime Unites for Africa was unique, in that all the shows (9 at the time) cooperated to make it happen. The network heads each gave the go-ahead and the head-writers took it from there. My own motivation was wanting to help children affected by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa in order to fulfill Hallie’s dream of saving lives in that part of the world. Also, our family had become involved in rebuilding an orphanage in South Africa and we cared deeply about those children. We still do.

Basically, when you find yourself in a one-to-one situation with someone in need, it’s hard not to become involved. Suddenly, the problem isn’t “over there” somewhere, it’s right in front of you. It becomes personally important. To quote Hallie, “Imagine yourself in a poor position. Wouldn’t you want someone to come along and lift you up?” I think the answer is yes, we all would. So, that’s a huge part of my life. And yes, given the opportunity, I would jump at the chance to organize another project like that.

AWT: Do you have any message for the AW and GL fans who continue to follow your career?

SL: Well, I’m certainly flattered, if that’s the case. I guess my message is Do What You Love (as long as it’s legal, that is)! Seriously, I’ve always pursued work I love – acting, writing and now, teaching/directing and I’m currently starting a theater in Sunnyside, where I live with my family – Unity Stage Company. I’m writing plays and working with composers, actors and artists I respect. I miss my Hallie every day, I dream about her every night. But, I can honestly say that life is very full and good. Yilinasi, a young lady from South Africa has been part of our family since 2006 – she starts college in the fall. M.J. is studying psychology and creative writing and when I’m lucky I get to direct her in a play! Which reminds me, go to my theater’s web site, www.unitystage.org to check out what I’m up to. I promise to keep it updated!

INTERVIEW WITH JAMES GOODWIN (KEVIN)

2009-07-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

"There were a series of scenes that took place between Lorna and Kevin when their relationship was just beginning, that is the most memorable. They went for a weekend in the country and were breaking down each other’s emotional barriers, which ended in a great montage of scenes beginning in an old fashioned copper bath tub to…need I say more. It was beautifully directed and really solidified the two as a romantic couple on the show."

Read a February 2009 interview with James Goodwin (Kevin) at the PGP Classic Soaps Blog!

INTERVIEW WITH PETRONIA PALEY (QUINN)

2009-07-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

AWT: When you began playing Quinn on AW in 1981, she was a rather unusual character for daytime (to be honest, she's still a bit of an unusual character for daytime): A capable, intelligent, professional African-American woman. How did the role come about? Do you remember your audition?

PP: I remember my Another World audition and my good karma vividly. Initially, my first contact with the producer, Paul Rauch, was when I auditioned for another contract role which I didn’t get. That role went to a white actor and it was short lived. But when the Gods of Daytime decided that Steve Frame would have a secretary, I was offered the part. Just like that: no grueling audition, no callbacks, no sleepless nights and endless days of waiting to hear my fate. The acting gods had chosen me. I was awarded a role I loved and a job that lasted for several years and I never had to audition!

AWT: How much did you bring to the role as it went on? How did Quinn evolve from when you began playing her to when your run ended?

PP: I’ve been told that the writers are influenced and informed by what they receive from the actors, so in the development of Quinn, I only can say that they must have liked what they saw. I wanted to give one hundred percent, to do and be my best. I remember my first day at the studio. My scene was to be taped at the end of the day. I was so determined not to be late or not there when called, not to get anything wrong that I sat there for hours waiting. It wasn’t until one of the crew came over and explained that they wouldn’t get to me until very late in the afternoon, that I relented and went to my dressing room. I’d had a contract role on a soap (before) -- briefly, they’d euphemistically 'let me go' -- and subsequently, this time, I was determined not to squander an opportunity. Over the years, I learned how I needed to work. I saw that some actors could learn lines quickly, easily and at the last minute. I could not. I found what worked for me. I became a student of yoga after losing the other job, because I needed to learn how to relax and breathe properly. It was important for me to always be on top of my game, so learning how to do that became enormously important.

AWT: In the early 1980s, AW attracted some phenomenal African-American talent. In addition to you, there was Michelle Shay, Joe Morton, Howard Rollins, Reggie Rock Blythwood, and Morgan Freeman, among others. How in the "world" did Bay City get so lucky?

PP: At some point, the decision was made to expand my character, which meant giving Quinn Harding a love interest. The wonderful Bob Christian was hired. Because soap opera thrives on youth and the eternal love triangle, I was given an adopted daughter, Thomasina, who in turn had a boyfriend who just happened to be Bob’s character’s son. The plot thickened when the lovely Michelle Shay was brought on as his wife. From there, the characters and story grew. Howard Rollins, fresh off the success of the movie, Ragtime, was brought on as my brother. Jackee was hired as Thomasina’s funny and irascible aunt. Eventually, I had a construction company and Morgan Freeman was brought on as a business partner who later married the available Henrietta after Bob’s character was killed. Over the ensuing years, there were other love interests in Joe Morton, John Carter, and James Pickens. It came as a shock when I was told that Quinn would be killed, but all good things must come to an end.

AWT: What was it like working with such a phenomenal company?

PP: It was wonderful working with all (the other actors). Most of them had strong theater backgrounds. They knew how to create characters that were not stereotypes, but believable and truthful. We enjoyed each other’s company and often socialized together. Working in daytime can put you in a kind of bubble, so many actors in general and African-American ones in particular, lack opportunities. So when you are working, you belong to this special little world of not only being a working actor, but working in television and all that that entails. It can be a rather heady and seductive experience, but we were grounded in doing the work and living the lives we wanted to have.

AWT: Do you see Quinn as a character of her time?

PP: Quinn started out as Steve Frames’ secretary, then she became his partner and when he was written off, she became Rachel’s partner and friend. It was a time when women were working more and more in the corporate and business worlds, they were opting for careers and not just being moms and housewives, and I suppose the show wanted to reflect that in Bay City. Quinn never married and perhaps that too was a response to women choosing to delay marriage and child bearing for a career. It was a time when women thought they could have it all, when the glass ceiling seemed as unbelievable as Cinderella’s glass slippers.

AWT: What are your favorite memories of life in Bay City? Do you have a scene or a storyline that particularly stands out for you?

PP: The storyline most prominent in my mind was the one beginning with Bob Christian. He was very special. Immediately we bonded and became friends, yet the memory is bittersweet. It was a time of extremes -- great highs and the requisite woes -- because unknown to all, Bob was dying. He actually only lived a few months after being killed off the show. I remember my shock when he came to my dressing room and told me his character’s fate. For months, he’d been suffering from some mysterious undiagnosed condition and daily we talked about it. It was only at my prompting that he went to a doctor I recommended, and was finally told that he had an incurable 'cancer.' But before and during, there was the exhilaration of my first on-camera love affair, of being interviewed for magazines, of having fans, of being recognized, of working a lot, and enjoying it. But the death of the character and the man was a surreal experience of life imitating art. When Bob’s character was shot, Quinn suffered and cried. When Bob died, I suffered and wept. The friendship I hoped to have a lifetime lasted just over a year. I gave the eulogy at Bob’s character’s funeral and I spoke at Bob’s memorial service.

AWT: Is there a storyline you wish you'd had a chance to play, but didn't?

PP: A storyline I would have liked to have had was one in which I had a wedding and had to wear a big beautiful wedding gown. Quinn was always a bridesmaid and never a bride. Daytime was my professional training ground. It taught me to be disciplined, focused, yet flexible, to spin on a dime. It taught me the value of preparedness and the virtue of working fast. It taught me humility, to accept what life gives and takes with equanimity. It taught me how to move forward when I wanted to stay still. It taught me that I was more than my job, that it’s easy to think you are what you do and to accept the illusion of 'celebrity' as who you are. Because of depression, I knew actors who had to seek therapy to help them (get through) life after the soap. I certainly had to deal with the loss of my job and being Quinn, but when I left, I wrote my first full-length play. Perhaps writing was my therapy. Ultimately, it gave me confidence; it pushed me out of the nest before I thought I was ready or willing to fly. And curiously it brought me closer to my father, because I knew he was proud of me.

AWT: Do you have a favorite memory from your time on the show?

PP: My favorite memory of my life in Bay City is the legacy that each of those African-American actors brought to the show and the history of daytime. I enjoy knowing that my character, Quinn, inspired the network and Procter & Gamble to make a major commitment to the development of those characters. An African-American writer was also hired; he may have been the first ever. Even though other actors of color had been on the show, they existed alone, without family; they were a community of one, but we were there front and center. Diversity and inclusion are the buzz words now, but ‘back in the day’ in Bay City, there was a community of people of color who were movers and shakers making a difference. They were there with lives and loves and troubles just like everybody else. They laughed and cried and the "world" laughed and cried with them.

AWT: Do you keep in touch with any of your former co-stars?

PP: I recently saw Michelle Shay, whom I’d not seen for several years. As often happens in shows, you form close bonds that you think will last, but then you go on to another project and the same commitment and devotion happens. Life moves forward and we go with the flow. From time to time I’ve seen Morgan. Some of those actors were either from or retuned to California and sadly I have not seen nor kept in touch. Perhaps now with Facebook and other social network sites, I can reconnect. I think I’d like that.

AWT: After AW, you appeared on GL as Vivian. How was Vivian different from Quinn? What do you remember of your time in Springfield?

PP: Quinn Harding and Vivian Grant were opposites. Vivian was married to a doctor whom she manipulated and dominated and had two children she needed to control. She had neither career nor the desire to have one. She was the "good doctor’s" bossy and bitchy wife and that’s how she liked it. She was bad and I loved her. I still miss her.

AWT: You've done a great deal of theater since leaving daytime. What have been some of your favorite projects? How has your background in soaps influenced your current endeavors?

PP: I’ve been challenged and blessed with many projects since leaving AW and Daytime. I’ve evolved and developed many skills and talents that had I stayed there, may have remained dormant and undeveloped. There was a period of doing classical theater which I love. I started teaching acting and have founded I the Actor, which is my brand of acting workshops. I’ve directed both classical and contemporary plays. My latest, Daughter, recently closed at Ensemble Studio Theatre and later this month I’ll begin rehearsal on Ascension, which is being presented in Winston Salem, NC at The Black Arts Theatre Festival in August. I began writing plays, but the writing on my one-woman multi-media play, On the Way to Timbuktu, which was nominated for five awards and won one, is a stand-out. I encourage my students to empower themselves by creating their own shows or directing and producing their movies. So I too had to follow my own advice. I want it to tour the country and the world. Whether teaching, directing, or writing, my best project is when I feel I can be of service to others. I’ve become much better at sharing. When I was younger, I believed that you had to focus on one thing; the adage, "Jack of all trades master of none," was my mantra, but I no longer believe that. I believe that one has an obligation to explore and develop all aspects of the self, and it’s only in the knowing that we find acceptance and tolerance and meaning.

AWT: How would you answer the question: Where is Petronia Paley now?

PP: I stand on the precipice poised to soar: I am on the path becoming....

AWT: Is there anything you'd like to say to the many AW fans who still remember you fondly and continue to follow your career?

PP: I’d like to send my love to the AW fans. I thank you for the love you showed a young and unsure actor at the beginning of my career. You had much to do with Quinn’s longevity and success, for without your love, affection and appreciation, the character would not have survived. I am thankful that I was able to entertain you and to be a friend and a comfort. I wish you all peace, happiness, health and the strength to pursue your dreams.

INTERVIEW WITH ED FRY (ADAM)

2009-07-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Ed Fry recently returned to As The World Turns in the role of Dr. Larry McDermott, which he first played from 1990-1995. Another World Today caught up with Ed to talk about his daytime debut role, Detective Adam Cory (1986-1989).

AWT: What were you told about the role of Adam when you first auditioned for it?
EF: Just that he was a detective. That he was supposed to be very capable, very smart, sort of a big city detective who was coming to a smaller town to work on a case. As it turns out, he has family in town, so it’s not just any small town.

AWT: Do you remember your audition?
EF: My first audition was in LA. I wasn’t living out there, I was out there working. I auditioned in LA and then I came back to New York and I got another call, this time for a screen-test. There were only two or three other actors they were screen-testing. I would test and somebody else would go in, then I’d go back in, and somebody else would go in. You could feel the competition. You could also feel that they liked everyone they saw, so they didn’t quite know how to make a decision. But, when I walked on the set, there was a page calendar, and it was open to my birthday. And I said, “That’s it! This job is mine! That’s the sign! This is very auspicious!” One of the things they asked us to do was, the actress who was screen testing with us (Ed. Note: Not an AW regular), I was asked to look at her and (talk) about her face, or some feature on her face. I was very comfortable doing it, it was like doing an exercise in acting class, there was nothing scripted. I looked at her, and she had quite beautiful eyes, so I talked about that. I always thought that was what got me the job. I see the actress from time to time on TV and I think, “There she is, the actress with the pretty eyes who got me the job on the show!”

AWT: Since it was your first daytime job, how did you adjust to the pace?
EF: They were smart enough to work me in a few pages a day. Fifty pages a day would have been beyond me. I remember the very first day I was on the show. Robert Lupone was my older brother (Neal). We had this scene where we were supposed to be sneaking up on something. In the scene, he whipped around and when he did, his elbow accidentally clocked me right on the bridge of my nose. All I saw were stars. So my first day, I almost get knocked out on the set. How auspicious! My eyes were going in three different directions, but I said, “I’m fine! I’m fine!” Poor Robert, he just apologized and apologized. I really was kind of loopy that day.

AWT: So you had nowhere to go but up!
EF: I remember very early on, in the first month or so I was on the show, I was in the Cory living room and basically all the established cast was in that set. Because they were all familiar with it, they were very loose and chatty, talking it up, and because I was new to it, I had a lot more nerves. At one point, I thought: If I don’t say something, I’m going to die! So I actually had to turn to them and say, “Excuse me, I really need just a little help, if you guys could keep it down a little, I would appreciate it.” Well, they all turned and looked at me like: Who just said that? What did he say? And I thought, “Oh, shoot me now.” But I had to do it. As an actor, you have to take care of yourself, you have to ask for what you need. And I want to say that I have never, ever, ever, ever forgotten this: Connie Ford (Ada) came to me later. Now, Connie could be really gruff. She could be tough, she could be hard. She came to me later, and she pulled me aside, and she said, “Good for you! You stuck up for yourself, you asked for what you needed. That’s the right thing to do. If people are talking when they shouldn’t be talking, you just tell them to shut up! This is a professional set, we’re all professionals. Just because someone else is larking around doesn’t mean you have to. Good for you for standing up for what you need!”

AWT: It sounds like who Ada was on-screen, Constance Ford pretty much was off.
ED: After that, Connie and I got along beautifully. I think she respected my process and I came to know hers and respect hers. It was a mutual admiration society. She was tough, but the thing about Connie was, she was a very experienced actress. She worked in Hollywood, she worked in films, she worked in television, she worked with everybody, she worked high, she worked low, she’d seen it all. She wasn’t in the business of taking much from anybody. She was very clear about what she needed as a professional in the moment to be able to get the job done. I’ve actually thought about Connie on occasion recently. She was very big on rehearsal and making sure you were paying attention in rehearsal. That you had props, and the pieces of business that you needed for the scene. That you have all that in rehearsal, so that your rehearsal was meaningful. I’ve often thought about Connie in subsequent years as rehearsal has been cut away until guess what, there’s no rehearsal! Which really is a different challenge, especially for younger actors working in daytime today. It’s a very big challenge.

AWT: Does that force the actors to rely more on themselves or on their directors?
EF: There were two AW directors that I absolutely remember, Don Scardino (ex-Chris, now with 30 Rock) and Chris Goutman (now ATWT’s EP). Both of them, because they’d worked as actors, knew how to direct actors. Instead of moving you from point A to point B, a director who has been an actor will understand what the question is for the actor, in order to make him do that well. How will you move from point A to point B and why you move from point A to point B, that’s what makes it interesting. One good question from a director can open four or five new questions in my own mind. That’s always of value, and ultimately it ends up better work on the screen.

AWT: So the writers create the words and story, and the director moves you from point A to point B, what do actors bring to a scene, to make it all gel together?
EF: That really has to do with individual actors, both their professionalism and their personal disposition. Some actors have a natural ease and flow about them, which makes working with them just the simplest thing in the world, so natural and easy. And other actors… don’t. As a professional, you have to look and find something that will help open doors, as opposed to just being an obstacle. The thing that always makes it interesting to watch is the chemistry between two actors. And I’m not saying that the chemistry always has to be good. I’ve worked with actors that I have terrible chemistry with, but that terrible chemistry is very alive and very interesting and very useful. I’m not saying there always has to be good chemistry, there just has to be something you can use to bring the material to life and tell the story. ‘Cause that’s what we’re doing, we’re telling stories.

AWT: Do you have a memorable story from your time on AW?
EF: Well, there was the story that never seemed to end! It was the serial killer story. It was supposed to be for four months, and it ended up being a nine month story. I think it killed half the cast. I was supposed to be the really smart cop who was going to catch the serial killer, except I never could. As the story progressed, I had longer and longer days and longer and longer weeks. It just became internal insanity. I had 150 pages a week. So I was doing 30 or 40 pages a day, all just chatting, chatting, chatting. When you’re working five days a week, by the time you get through five looooong days, you’re exhausted. I would go home and sleep for a full day. Which was a problem, because I was already at that point in deficit for learning scripts for the next week. Plus, my mother was quite ill during this period, so it wasn’t just the show, I was having to fly back and forth to Iowa every three weeks and look after her and the house. It was insane.

AWT: How did you survive?
EF: I survived because, personally, when the going gets tough, I have an ability to just put my head down and go. I just focus and get through. That’s really all I did, just push through it. It was a very challenging two and a half years that I was on the show. Very rewarding, but very challenging. I still have friends from that show. I just went to a birthday party with Kale Brown (Michael). And I see David Forsyth (John) and Larry Lau (Jamie).

AWT: Did you and Larry manage to cross paths on ATWT while he was playing Brian?
EF: No. But I actually had an Another World flashback there recently. One of the sets that I was working on at ATWT, a piece of it had an old AW stamp on the back of it. I guess they recycled a piece of the set. It was the top set piece of somebody’s office. The bottom was all new, and then the top they’d recycled and brought in. When you walk around behind the set, you can see what’s new and what isn’t and the piece on top actually said, CORY-AW-22. That reminded me of my AW audition.

AWT: In addition to your return as Larry, what else have you been doing?
EF: I do a lot of writing. My wife and I have things we work on together. I have to say, for all the occasional insecurity of it -- everyone who works in this industry faces the unknowable. You have to deal with insecurity; if you can’t, then this is not for you -- I have to say I have a really interesting life. I have no (serious) complaints. I consider myself a really fortunate individual. I have to work hard, I’m not sitting around, but my life is full of interesting, meaningful responsibilities and people and events, and I am so grateful for it.

Check the PGP Classic Soaps Blog next week for more from Ed about his ATWT role, and how his personal life has changed since Bay City.

INTERVIEW WITH JOE BARBARA (JOE)

2009-06-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

AWT: You've talked before about how when you read the breakdown for the character, you saw so many similarities. How were Joe Barbara and Joe Carlino alike, and how were they different?

JB: Well, I remember the original breakdown said that Joe Carlino went to a Catholic high school, played football, moved away to New York where he had family, and then went back home. It also said that his mother made novenas that her Joey would be kept safe, and when his friend got hurt playing football, Joe never played the same way again. If you change the word "football" to "basketball," you could've written all that about me. So I felt like I didn't have to search far for the character when I first auditioned. I'd say the family background and the convictions about doing the right thing are some of the things that we both shared. However, after my first six months, the writers changed and they started to change aspects of Joe's personality. That's when he began to be a little self righteous at times and have the rule-book stuck somewhere uncomfortable. I hope we were different in those areas.

AWT: What was your favorite storyline to play on AW and why?

JB: Well, let me preface that answer by explaining a little about how I felt about many of the storylines I played. Joe Carlino came on the scene as an ex-cop turned private eye. He was frustrated by being a cop in New York and not being able to make a difference. The rule-book was too restrictive. Drug dealers eventually got back on the streets. Bad guys got off on technicalities. I had a monologue with Sharlene once about a little five year old girl who was beat up and eventually killed by her mother's boyfriend. I talked about how, as a cop, my partner and I went to the house several times and weren't able to do anything to save her. That was the last straw - the thing that made Joe quit the police force and come back to Bay City to be a private eye and play by his own rules. So I never really bought that he would have re-joined the police force. The second set of writer/producers randomly decided to make Joe a cop, which, after his "history" didn't make much sense to me. The renegade or the bad guy always takes action. The cops are often the guys who say "No, we can't do that." Plus cops on soaps can't actually be too smart or proactive, otherwise they'd actually catch the bad guys and the conflict would be over. That being said, I did love playing a good guy.

Storylines? I'd say there were a few: Anything while I was still a private eye - doing whatever it took to catch that child molester, Bailey Thompson.

Another one which I loved was when it looked like Joe was on the take. They wrote that story so that even I didn't know if Joe was dirty or not. So I had to play it so it could be true either way. It gave so much dimension to each scene. That was fun because I got to be smart and bend the rules a little. It culminated with the police commissioner taking Paulina hostage and Joe shooting him. Unfortunately, that storyline came at a time when we were going through another writer/producer change and it was cut short and wrapped very quickly. It was fun, however, while it lasted.

Finally the other material that was so much fun was early on - the witty banter with Frankie in the private eye office, and especially the trio of Joe, Eddie, and Paulina, when Joe's dad was trying to get Joe and Paulina together (the dinners with Eddie and Paulina, Eddie talking about Italian opera and how it perfectly coincided with Paulina's losing Jake). That was some of the cleverest and funniest material that I was a part of. I also think that the relationships that those writers created were very real and not typical in daytime.

AWT: What are some of your favorites memories of life in Bay City?

JB: I loved doing the black and white 40s film noir scenes with Judi (Evans Luciano; Paulina) in the detective office. I loved getting shot and doing stunts. I absolutely loved about 75% of my scenes with Tommy (Eplin; Jake), and hated the other 25% of them. Working with Linda (Dano; Felicia) and Steve Schnetzer (Cass) was great. Kim Rhodes (Cindy) and I usually came up with something that amused us, if nobody else.

This may sound corny or typical, but I had some of the best times with fans at the events outside of the show. I still consider that "life in Bay City." I loved the fan club luncheons. Doing benefits not only raised much needed money for some extremely worthy causes, but they were opportunities to meet people who watched the show and for us to be a part of each others lives for a little while. I always felt very fortunate and blessed to be able to do that. It was one of the best parts of my job.

AWT: What were some of the thoughts and feelings you had filming the last episode of AW?

JB: I knew it was historical. I knew it was an important moment in soap opera and television history. In this crazy business, any time a show lasts 35 years it's remarkable and historic. I think I felt like part of a team - literally - like maybe a tight end on a football team that won the Super Bowl; important, but yet just one member of a much larger group that had accomplished something special. I wanted to contribute something of my own to that episode, so when the gorilla was running loose, I had a line that, on the page, went something like, "If that gorilla gets to the highway, we're gonna be in trouble." So I didn't tell anyone, but when we went to tape I said, "If that gorilla gets to the highway, this whole town is gonna go bananas."

AWT: Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show?

JB: I do talk with John Littlefield (Gary) and Nadine Stenovitch-Littlefield (Josie) pretty regularly. I actually videotaped their wedding. It's been a while since I ran into anyone else.

AWT: You've done voices for Grand Theft Auto video games. How is it different acting just with your voice, versus using your whole body? Since so much of the acting in soaps is about tone and inflection, did being on AW help you with your voice career?

JB: The Grand Theft Auto games weren't just voice-overs. I did use my whole body. The difference was that we were wearing black spandex suits with little white balls on them so that all of our movements were captured with the motion capture technology. So the character of Ray Boccino, in the game really is me, movements and all, turned into an animated character.

AWT: What other projects have you been involved with since leaving AW?

JB: The biggest project has been starting a family. I got married the year after AW went off the air, and now have two boys, ages six and three. As far as work, I'm currently appearing at the Palazzo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip eight times a week in the Tony Award winning musical, Jersey Boys. In the last few years, I've done several episodes of Law & Order, did a production of Guys and Dolls in Macau, China, and did an original musical entitled I Come For Love last fall in New York. Most exciting, however, is a screenplay that I wrote entitled Steve's Pizza. We have an award-winning director attached and hopefully will begin production in early 2010.

AWT: Where do you think Joe Carlino is today? What is he doing? Is he still a cop? Is he still with Paulina?

JB: He's rebuilt his parents' house from the ashes of the fire set by that dastardly Grant Harrison. He's definitely still with Paulina. Dante has four siblings, none of whom are named after renaissance painters, and yes, he's resigned from the BCPD, and started his own private eye business - walking the fine line between the law and common sense; doing whatever it takes to put the bad guys away.

AWT: Do you have anything you'd like to say to the fans who watched AW and still miss it ten years later?

JB: Wow. Obviously "Thank you." I meant what I said about what an honor it was to meet all the fans. It was truly one of the best parts of my job. You touched me way more than you know. It was an amazing ride, and I am sorry that we can't do it all over again. However, if you're ever in Vegas, please come see Jersey Boys and say hello after the show. I'd love to meet you. (For info on the show and to buy tickets, please click here.)

INTERVIEW LINKS

2009-06-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

Russell Todd (Jamie) Interview (Click on the link for more)

"I still stay in touch with Carmen Duncan (Iris), John Aprea (Lucas) and my dad from the show, George Reinholt (Steve). I always laugh when we speak because he jokingly calls me Son and I call him Dad. John lives here in LA, and I see Carmen when she comes to the States from Australia. All of the cast have gone our separate ways and it's hard to stay in touch, but nothing can stop the great memories of being part of the "Another World" family."

Alla Korot (Jenna) Interview (Click on the link for more)

"I had two auditions in LA and screen tested in NY by performing two scenes; one with Linda Dano, and the second with Ricky Paull Goldin. One of my scenes was very emotional where I was required to break down in tears, and because I was so nervous I became extremely emotional which ultimately worked in my favor. Sometime later, I came to find out that when they made the decision to hire me, the decision makers wondered whether I was a great actress or have deep emotional issues."

INTERVIEW WITH LISA PELUSO (LILA)

2009-05-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, the PGP Classic Soaps Blog interviewed Lisa Peluso about her experiences working on Search for Tomorrow.

At the time, she was happy to share that, "I am now happier with my life than I ever have been. After 25 years in daytime and putting my whole heart and soul into it, I'm glad at this point in my life to be focused on my children, marriage, faith and the humanitarian overseas work my husband and I are blessed to have the opportunity to do. I will always treasure my time in daytime, but look at it as my past. I am happier now to focus on reaching out to the world around me in more of a hands-on capacity rather than to entertain it. It was a joy to make people laugh or cry through my work. The way I look at the humanitarian work that I've been privileged to do -- that is now my passion, and more my present focus -- is I get to still do that, but in an even more gratifying way. Rather than through the eyes of a camera, it pleases me to have the opportunity to hold their hands and look into their eyes and try to give something of value more lasting than a feeling that lasts until the next episode. That’s where I am now."

You can read her entire interview, here.

This week, www.AnotherWorldToday.com catches up with Lisa to talk about her time in Bay City!

AWT: Cass and Lila got married on the last episode of AW. What was it like to be part of such a historic episode?
LP: It was bittersweet, because the show was ending. I, of course, would have preferred a less high profile option if we could have kept Another World on the air.

AWT: The wedding was a happy occasion, but the cancellation was not. How did the cast manage to put on happy faces to tape that last episode, when they were really feeling anything but?
LP: Well, in this business, you know nothing lasts forever. AW lasted longer than most. (The final episode) was not an occasion without tears, but the show, even the last one, must go on. That's show biz!

AWT: What are some of your favorite memories of your time on Another World?
LP: Just the daily day to day was a joy. I had such a great experience there. For a while I kept in touch with Robert Kelker-Kelly (Shane), Kim Rhodes (Cindy) and Rhonda Ross Kendrick (Toni), but sadly we have not kept in touch in recent years. But they are all still warmly in my thoughts. I still keep in touch with Eldo Estes, the show's make-up artist.

AWT: Lila came on as quite the bad-girl schemer, but she mellowed in the two years that you played her. What was it like to take a character through an arc like that?
LP: It was awesome. Lila was a great character. I miss her very much.

AWT: What do you think Lila has been up to for the past ten years? What kind of a wife has she been? What kind of a mother? What kind of a stepmother? What kind of relationship do she and Matt have now?
LP: I would think that since she finally found true love and security with Cass, that her attempts at all her new roles would be successful. Because even though Lila thought it was being rich that she really wanted, I think she got what she really needed, in spite of herself.

AWT: What has Lisa Peluso been up to for the past ten years?
LP: I have been settled in a happy marriage now for close to fourteen years. I have two children whom I adore, and I am finally living a life outside of the limelight. Having been in the business literally since I was four months old, it's very nice to be in the place I am in right now. I enjoy life and my family.

AWT: Do you have any message that you would like to send to the AW fans who still have fond memories of the show?
LP: Thanks for your loyalty to the show. AW fans were always the most passionate and loyal fans I've ever known. Love you guys! I miss the show too. I think it was a great experience being part of such a great show, whether you were in it or watching it. We are all part of Another World!

INTERVIEW WITH AMY CARLSON (JOSIE)

2009-05-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

When Another World premiered in 1964, its central family was the Matthews, headed by Mother Matthews, and including her three children, Jim, Will and Janet, and her grandchildren, Pat, Alice, Russ, Susan and Bill. (There was also her daughter-in-law, Liz.)

By 1999, the most prominent Matthews on the canvas was Josie Watts Sinclair, Russ' daughter with Sharlene Frame.

Russ fell for Sharlene in 1975. Soon after, he rescued her from a gang rape set up by her brother, who knew that his sister had been a prostitute and figured she'd be up to showing some Navy buddies a good time. Sharlene confessed her past to Russ, then tried to commit suicide by swallowing a bottle of pills. Russ saved Sharlene's life and married her. But when he learned that a sexually transmitted disease had left her sterile, Russ snapped. He began drinking and even hitting Sharlene. Russ' aunt Liz, seeing the perfect opportunity to force that Frame trash out of her family, told Sharlene that if she didn't leave Russ, Liz would expose her past to the entire world.

Sharlene divorced Russ and left town in 1977, only to return eleven years later with a teen daughter, Josie, in tow. Turns out Sharlene wasn't quite as sterile as she'd been led to believe. And that time moves at a different rate outside Bay City.

Josie, first played by Alexandra Wilson, turned out to be the daughter Russ never knew he had. She went on to be played by Amy Carlson (1993-1988) and Nadine Stenovitch (1998-1999).

AnotherWorldToday.com caught up with Amy, to find out where she -- and Josie! -- are now!

AWT: Do you remember your original audition for AW back in 1993? Since it was a recast (although Alexandra Wilson hadn't played her since 1991), what did they tell you about the character? What do you think you did in your audition that made it clear you *were* Josie?
AC: I remember my original audition. I flew in from Chicago and they tested me with Matt Crane (Matt) and two other girls for Josie. I just played my interpretation of the character. I remember they said that she was fleeing some torrid problems and returning home. Later, when I got the job, Dennis Cameron, a long-time stage manager for AW and still a friend, told me that as he was stage-managing the auditions, he thought, 'No way they'll hire this girl, she's playing her Josie like she would have sex on a pool table!" (Dennis is outrageous, he has a real sense of humor!) But I was playing her loose and wild and as it turns out, Josie had changed quite a bit from her days when Alex played her. Call-girl services, etc... will do that to you!

AWT: When you began playing Josie she was a waitress and ex-hooker and by the time you left the show in 1998, she was a cop. How did Josie change during your tenure, and how much of it was prompted by your portrayal of her? How much of yourself did you bring to Josie?
AC: Playing Josie when I was in my early 20s and struggling to find my own voice as a person and character at the same time was an amazing experience. I think what is interesting about soaps is that the writers can watch and write to someone's strengths and explore parts of the actors that they may only have had a glimpse of, because they get so many endless opportunities to do so with all the scenes that are played day in and day out. I remember wanting to cut off my long hair and I think that may have also fed the idea to them that I was shedding my past (as Josie). I thought making her a cop was one of the best writing decisions they made because she became someone to really root for.

AWT: Where do you think Josie is now, in 2009? What is she doing? Who is she with?
AC: I imagine Josie in 2009 to be a detective, still working side by side with Gary, still with a tumultuous relationship, but divorced and with a couple kids: A daughter who is a nationally competitive gymnast (since both Gary and Josie were so small), and a potential remarriage for them. I think Josie is more attracted now to more stable men, but she's still drawn to Gary's darkness.

AWT: After leaving AW, you were a regular on Third Watch and L&O: Trial By Jury. How is a nighttime series different from a daytime one? Were there any tricks you picked up on daytime that helped you when appearing in shows that feature a great deal of technical jargon?
AC: I always thought that Daytime was the hardest on-camera job in the business. But after shooting Third Watch's 18 hour days out in the elements of all seasons in NY, boiling summers, freezing winters and pouring rain, I decided working 12 hour days on a soap, in a studio with a private dressing room not a street-side trailer, was like going to a spa! The great fun of the soaps was feeling like part of a Rep Company and running around the studio, but it could also become monotonous. And the difference in acting is that you do your "20 pages of dialogue" just once in a very quick, 'do it once' fashion, whereas on film we can do the same scene 15-20 times depending on how many angles they shoot it, so you can't blow it all in one take like in a soap if it's an emotional scene. The soaps are an emotional sprint compared to film, which is more of an emotional marathon.

AWT: In addition to acting, you also have a music career. Where can your fans hear you?
AC: Well, I haven't played music in a long while. I leave that to Syd, my husband, who plays in the indie rock band Les Savy Fav. He also runs a record label which I helped him start and still work at (when I have time with work and my 2 year old, and I am also due with another child at the end of the summer). The label, Frenchkiss Records, is thriving. Next year will be the label's 10 year anniversary! So now if you want to see me rocking out it would be at a Les Savy Fav show or at a show that one of the bands on Frenchkiss is playing (i.e. The Dodos (from San Francisco), Passion Pit (from Boston), or Cut off Your Hands (from New Zealand)!

AWT: Do you have a message you would like to send to fans of AW?
AC: My message to AW fans is, "I love you all, I feel like I grew up on AW. The love, support and enthusiasm of the fans still means the world to me. Thank you!"

INTERVIEW WITH LINDA DANO (FELICIA; AW): PART #5

2009-05-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

Part #1

Part #2

Part #3

Part #4

AWT: Over the past few years, you’ve done guest appearances on Desperate Housewives and What I Like About You, and you appeared in the movie Reservation Road. Any chance we might see you as a regular on television again?
LD: I love to act, but I’m not looking to have a 9 to 5 job. I really like not having that kind of intense workload. I love that I can spend time at my house and with friends and have no responsibilities. If you’d asked me this five years ago, I’d have said, “Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll never ever stop being a maniac or stop working!” I’ve got to tell you, not working is the best! I’m very excited about gardening this Spring. As everyone says, I certainly have earned the right to do what I’m doing now. I did work like a dog forever. So now it’s just my time.

AWT: But you do have projects outside of acting. You’re working with QVC?
LD: I have a line of home accessories for QVC that I’ve been doing for two years now. My husband died, and I didn’t want to do anything that I had been doing when he was alive. It’s too painful for me. QVC wanted me to come back to do fashion accessories, but I said, “No, please, I really can’t.” So they said, “Okay, how would you like to do Home?” I thought “Wow. I love to decorate people’s homes!” That’s what I started out in life to be, a decorator. So we’ve been doing it for two years. Sometime next year, I’m hoping to add some fashion accessories to my home shows. I also blog for them. Ideas and tips about ways to make your home more beautiful, and how to do it for no money. I do one about once a month. (Check out Linda's blog, here!)

AWT: You were also the spokesperson for Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals The Support Partners Program, an awareness program to help people understand about clinical depression.
LD: That was probably the best kind of work I’ve ever done in my whole career. I really believe that I made a difference in so many lives. I found myself right in the middle of depression when I lost Frank, and I really struggled to help myself. In that time, I was asked to help others, and I thought: Maybe I should do this, maybe that’s why God took Frank, maybe I’m supposed to do this. And, I must say, it helped me, and we helped so many people. People who were living in a pretend world that they were fine and they weren’t fine at all. Which is what a lot of people who are depressed do. I’m really proud of that work.

AWT: Is there anything that you would like to say to the fans, who are still passionate about Another World 10 years after it went off the air?
LD: I will say this: I have been on practically every show. (After AW ended I went to ABC and worked on all of their shows.) And I have to tell you: AW was one great show. It was really beautifully acted, well-written and well-directed. It had a heart that just had a kind of little beat that went on and on and on. When people stop any of us who were on Another World to say how much they miss us, I understand why, because it really was that kind of show. It reached out and grabbed you as a viewer and made you feel like you were part of a family. And we will always miss it, the way you’d miss a love affair. You’ll always miss it. But the fans' love affair with the show was warranted, that’s what I want to tell them. It was worth the years they spent watching it.

INTERVIEW WITH LINDA DANO (FELICIA; AW): PART #4

2009-05-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

Part #1

Part #2

Part #3

AWT: Which other AW co-stars do you keep in touch with?
LD: My John. My John Aprea (Lucas). You notice what I call him – my John? He had a major stoke, he almost died. It’s been two years now. And he was just on a Cold Case. And did phenomenally. He really had to work on this part, he had to really hunker down with the words, and that’s what he was nervous about, that it would be difficult. And I watched it and I can’t tell you how brilliant he was. I was so thrilled. I saw him quite a bit after the stroke, and it was really hard. Because he and I have been friends from The Montefusco days, when I was in California and working in primetime and we did a pilot together that went to series called The Montefuscos. He and I were brother and sister. In fact, when we did the love scene for Felicia and Luke, we had to kiss. And I brought him into my dressing room and I said, “You know, I think it would probably be smart if we just did this, just did it. Did it, got it over with, and then we won’t be nervous out on the set.” So we practiced and, all of a sudden, he kisses me, and my knees buckle. And I went, “Oh, dear God, this isn’t going to go well.” I tease him relentlessly about this!

AWT: Were you involved with John initially getting the part of Lucas?
LD: I went to an award show. He and I were both up for an award, I think it was Soap Opera Digest. He was up for Best Villain for Knot’s Landing. He didn’t win. I was up for Best Comedian. I didn’t win. But we saw each other. It was the first time we’d seen each other since our days as brother and sister. And we talked and I met his wife, and we had such a great homecoming together. And then I said, “Would you at all be interested in doing daytime?” And he said, “Yeah, sure.” At that point, he was working on Full House. He played the granddad, and he really didn’t want to be the old granddad. That was sort of not going anywhere. And I said, “If they called you, would you audition?” So, of course, they auditioned him with me. And, of course, I acted differently with him than I did with anyone else, because I wanted him! And lo and behold he got the job! (Gee, what a shock. Sometimes things just happen. I had nothing to do with it, nothing at all.) So that’s how that came about. We’ve been just such dear, close friends since. And Lucas, of course, died in the show. Now, if I were to really fantasize about Felicia alive and well and living in the Hollywood Hills in her Spanish villa, I would say that Lucas came back to life and was living there with her. Felicia and Luke are together at last.

Come back tomorrow to read the big finish! (And since we're talking Linda Dano, you know it's going to be BIG!)

INTERVIEW WITH LINDA DANO (FELICIA; AW): PART #3

2009-05-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Part #1

Part #2

AWT: In 2003, you hosted the Another World Reunion Special on SoapNet. What was that experience like?
LD: That was wonderful. It was just so wonderful to come together again. We had clips in it so we saw work that we hadn’t seen in forever. Some of the stories people told, we’d never heard before. The actor who was telling it had never shared it with anyone, it was their own personal story. And it was just grand. I so loved doing it, and everyone who came was so glad to be part of it. It was great, just great. Another World was a show that really was a family and we were close.

AWT: You recently had an unofficial, mini-reunion of sorts?
LD: Just recently I, along with Stephen Schnetzer (Cass), John Bolger (Gabe), Mark Pinter (Grant) and David Forsyth (John), we all got together under the heading of Linda Laundra, who was one of our most beloved producers. She asked all of us to do a reading on tape. I hadn’t seen David for a few years. I saw Mark maybe last year. I see Stephen more than anybody, and John Bolger. I came in from Connecticut, but most of them came from far away places. John came in from Boston, and Stephen came in from Washington, DC where he’s in a play. We all got there and it was like we started in the middle of a sentence. It was memorable. We were all so grateful to Linda for inviting us to do this. We did it for free, nothing was spoken about money. We just came because 1) We all love her, and 2) we all love each other. How wonderful to spend an afternoon together!

INTERVIEW WITH LINDA DANO (FELICIA; AW): PART #2

2009-05-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Part #1

AWT: What do you think Felicia had been doing for the past ten years?
LD: I believe that Felicia Gallant took the next obvious step with her writing. She’s a world-renowned romance writer, so I believe she’s gone into making her books into films. She’s sort of Nora Roberts, she’s Judith Krantz. I believe she lives in Hollywood, in fact I even believe she lives in Hollywood Hills. It’s a very old Spanish mansion, very private, with a great view, and she can see the Hollywood sign. She’s Norma (Desmond), no question.

AWT: And her personal life?
LD: The great love of her life was Lucas. That will never come again. But I think she has… acquaintances. No one really stays over, though. She doesn’t really want that. She doesn’t want to wake up and see you in the morning. “I think you’re divine, but you need to go home now” is her motto. There’s no taking care of a man or any of that nonsense for her now.

AWT: What about Felicia’s relationship with her daughters, Lorna and Jenna?
LD: I’m sure they both have children now, and I’m sure that she’s a wonderful Grandma. She’s Mame! She’s Mame only as a Grandma. She adores them, she buys them lavish gifts and spoils them rotten, and then it's: “Leave me alone.”

INTERVIEW WITH LINDA DANO (FELICIA; AW): PART #1

2009-05-11T05:50:00.001-07:00

Linda Dano had previously appeared on One Life to Live and As The World Turns, but it wasn’t until she assumed the role of romance novelist Felicia Gallant on Another World in 1983 that she became a daytime superstar.

As proof of her status, after Another World went off the air, ABC snatched up the actress to appear on three of their shows as the character she'd originated on OLTL.

Since 1999, she has kept busy with a variety of acting, entrepreneurial and charitable projects. We caught up with Linda to find out what she has been up to for the past ten years – and where she thinks Felicia Gallant is now!

AWT: What do you remember about taping the last episode of Another World?
LD: I remember so little of it because I mostly cried. I’ve never seen the last episode; I’ve never been able to watch it. I know that sounds so dramatic – my husband, if he were alive, would go, “Oh, for God’s sake, you’re such a dramatic thing.” -- but I really haven’t. Steve Schnetzer (Cass) and I always talked about pouring ourselves nice, big drinks, sitting down and watching it together. But, we’ve never done it. There’s something so final about that. For me, I’m better off believing that I’m on a vacation, and it really isn’t over. For lots of actors who were on shows for a long time, primetime as well as daytime, you become such a family. You spend more time with these people than you ever do your own family. And when the time comes and it ends, as everything does, it’s just the saddest, saddest, terrible thing.

AWT: So how did you get through that last day?
LD: (Publicist) Vivien (Stern) came to get me that night. It was important to me that I was the last one to leave the building. Again, I’m such a drama queen; but I proceeded to go to every room. We went to wardrobe, all the production offices, every room, and said good-bye. You think I could get any more dramatic than that? I just had to. There was something so final about it. I suppose that’s why I haven’t seen (the last episode). And I’m sure I looked like hell that day, because all I did was cry. By four o’clock in the afternoon I looked like I’d been in a prize-fight. I remember the day very well, there was a lot of press, everyone was saying good-by to everyone else. Beyond awful.

AWT: The last episode was a happy one. Cass and Lila were getting married. How did everyone manage to look so happy when you were all so sad?
LD: I have no idea. I have no memory of that part. I just remember feeling like a life had ended. And it really kind of did. It was like not having your best friend around anymore. It was very emotional and tough, very tough. I remember Anna Stuart (Donna) saying, “Oh my God, it’s like a death.” And it was, it’s how we all felt about it.

Come back tomorrow for part #2 of our interview with Linda Dano!

INTERVIEW WITH MARK PINTER (GRANT; AW): PART #5

2009-05-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Part #1

Part #2

Part #3

Part #4

AWT: Any final thoughts about your time on Another World?
MP: It was a great treat to be a part of the Another World family for almost ten years. I was very, very lucky. I got to work with some extraordinary people. I made life-long friendships from that show. Two of my best friends are Charles Keating (Carl) and David Hedison (Spencer). Charles lives ten minutes from me, I see him two, three times a week. Hedison was really my mentor. When I met him, we clicked immediately. Again, it was a case of me moving towards an actor who’d been around longer than I have. I see him as much as I can. David is 82 years old now and he wouldn’t mind me saying he looks extraordinary. He’s in great shape, great health. I love him dearly. As I do Charles. Charles is a one of a kind actor. Extraordinarily passionate, a beautifully gifted actor. And not just an actor, a writer, a composer. And then Vicky Wyndham (Rachel) lives in my town up here. All of these people, I took away from my time at Another World. It was a huge gift for me, more than just monetarily. It was a very important part of my career, and a very rich time in the history of Another World. I took away great memories.

Come back next week for a five part interview with Linda Dano, who explains exactly where she thinks Felicia is today -- and what she's up to!

INTERVIEW WITH MARK PINTER (GRANT; AW): PART #4

2009-05-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Part #1

Part #2

Part #3

AWT: Not only do you love doing theater, but so does your wife, Colleen Zenk Pinter (Barbara; ATWT), and two of your children. Didn’t you all appear in a production together recently?
MP: We did Follies at Little Theater on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois. We have six kids, and two of them are actors, Kelsey and Dylan. Kelsey graduated Musical Theater from Syracuse, and Dylan graduated Theater from Catholic University in Washington. They’re both plugging away; I’m real proud of them. We were able to put this Follies project together. It was just going to be a concert version of the show, but it turned into a full production with a 27-piece orchestra behind us. We had only four days of rehearsal, and then we were all off-book.

AWT: Did your daytime background help you memorize all of your lines so quickly?
MP: I think that’s what daytime does for you. It makes you so fast and so quick, and able to take on those kinds of challenges. Oftentimes you say to yourself in the middle of all that, “Why? Why am I doing this?” Or just before the curtain goes up, you look at each other and say, “This is really not fair to us, putting ourselves out there like this.” It’s just horrifying. It’s so horrifying, it really gets your attention. I played Ben and Colleen played Phyllis, and then Kelsey played Young Phyllis and Dylan played Young Ben. We got to work with them, we got to watch them do scenes together. We would be backstage, crying our eyes out, watching them dance and sing together, and then we’d have to get our act together and go back out and do our stuff, too. It was (an experience) I’ll take to my grave.

AWT: You talked earlier about starting out in the business and gravitating towards the older actors, asking them for advice. How does it feel to now be the older, experienced actor whom younger actors are coming to for advice? And then having those younger actors be your own children!
MP: It’s funny, isn’t it, how that happens? It’s all a big circuit. My son does ask me for a lot of advice and I try to give him some. Kids find their own ways. But they always have looked up to us. I remember rattling on to a shrink once about kids and my family and how they all showed a penchant for the business. And he said, “Well, I don’t know why you should be surprised at that. It is your family business.” Oftentimes, children do what their parents do, even though you may not send them on that road. We never, ever pushed our kids in this business. Because it’s a very, very difficult business. You want to spare your children the pain of being told ‘no’ all the time. You really, really have to get used to being beaten on the head in this business. Sure enough, they found their way down that road. And then you think, “As long as you’re passionate about it.” Because life is nothing without passion. I don’t know too many actors who aren’t passionate, because why else would you be in this business, unless you were absolutely passionate about being on the stage, or passionate about being in front of a camera, or passionate about writing, passionate about lighting, editing, anything in the business? It requires enormous passion. And they seem to have that. So you can’t argue with it.

AWT: So what are some of your latest professional passions?
MP: I’ve been a writer for years and years and years. My wife continues to remind me I have too many folders of unfinished projects. But, about four years ago, I decided to really sit down and write – passionately -- again. I took on a writing partner and we’ve written four or five screenplays in different mediums. We’ve joined forces with a producing partner and formed a production company called “Transplant Entertainment Group.” We have a slate of seven different screenplays and teleplays which we have been very passionate about trying to find financing for. They are niche dramas that can be done on budgets of five million dollars or less. Our whole niche is to create something which can be done on budget and on time and therefore be attractive to an investor. Also our stories are geared towards women. Our casts are primarily women. We discovered – though I don’t think it’s a big surprise to anyone in the business and or even to the audience – that women that have reached a certain age no longer get the kind of material that men do. There is a dearth of important roles and there are many important actresses out there who need to be re-explored and given opportunities. And it’s not difficult to get to them, because they don’t get scripts anymore. We’ve attached some people’s names to some scripts and now we go about our business of trying to find financing in a very difficult economy. I’m sure that one of these will get produced one day, and if we’re very, very lucky we may get to produce them all.

Come back tomorrow for the final installment!

INTERVIEW WITH MARK PINTER (GRANT; AW): PART #3

2009-05-06T04:19:00.000-07:00

Read Part #1 here.

Read Part #2 here.

AWT: Another World went off the air almost ten years ago, so did Sunset Beach, right after. Passions, the show that replaced AW, was canceled, too. Port Charles ended in 2007, and now CBS has dropped Guiding Light.
MP: It’s a tough, tough time for television and for daytime television, that’s for sure. It’s a sad, sad thing when a show like Guiding Light goes off the air. I spent three years of my life on that show, and it’s got such a rich history. When that show goes off the air, I will think about the people who I met on that show and my many, many dear friends who are still on that show and I hate that they’re going through this. I hate that they’re going to have to go through the next three months and have to go through that final day. It is an awful, awful, terrible thing. It’s a death.

AWT: Guiding Light went to a new production model, and many other shows are tightening their belts, as well. How does that affect the actors?
MP: I hear stories from Colleen (Barbara; ATWT) all the time about how daytime has changed. She said, “Just wait until you get back on a show, you’ll see what I’m talking about.” And I said to her, “I won’t have to worry about that, because it’s not going to happen.” But it’s happened! Jill (Farren Phelps) called me from GH and said, “Would you do this? No guarantees or anything, it’s just going to be for a little while.” And I said, “Absolutely.”

AWT: So how do you like the changes Colleen warned you about?
MP: What I like about GH at this point is the efficiency with which it is run. I think that happens in all of the shows now. They’re very efficient because they have to be. I’m in the studio two hours, three max, if things are running quickly. I get in my dressing room, I get my costume on, I get my make-up on, I go in and I do my stuff, I leave. That’s really amazing. It’s wonderful. You’ve got to be prepared, obviously. I don’t want to use the word ‘factory,’ but it is. Daytime players have always been kind of shift-workers. We’ve always been kind of a factory, in a good sense. Every day, almost fifty weeks a year, we produce product. That is amazing.

Come back tomorrow for Part #4!

INTERVIEW WITH MARK PINTER (GRANT; AW): PART #2

2009-05-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Read Part #1 below.

AWT: Episodes of Another World from 1991 are currently airing on Hulu.com. Do you ever go back and watch your past work?
MP: I watched my work when I was really young and first on daytime because there is always value in watching yourself and figuring out what you’re doing wrong technically. But I never did watch Another World. I prefer to live in the moment of taping, I know a lot of actors are like that. It’s always much better to feel like you got something done in the scene, in the studio, in the moment, with your fellow actor, under the gun. And then when you see it done, it’s always disappointing to me.

AWT: Why?
MP: Because, in the medium of film and television, you lose such control over it. As opposed to being on stage in the theater where you are in control. In theater, you are flying by the seat of your pants. In television and film, they have the final edit. Anything that you do can either be captured or not captured, and more often than not it’s not captured. That’s not a negative thing, that’s just the way it is.

AWT: How does knowing that affect your performance?
MP: When I first started in daytime, it was 1979 on a show called Love of Life. I’ve done a lot of daytime, and I always found myself getting close to older actors. And most of them came from the theater: Shepherd Strudwick (Professor McCauley on LOL; James Matthews on AW), Ron Tomme (Bruce; LOL), Bill Roerick (Henry; GL), Larry Bryggman (John; ATWT). All these people came from the theater. They understood that this was a medium where you were really asked to work, and work fast. But they came from a process, which was the legitimate stage, which is where I came from. I would watch them work on the set and just steal everything I could from them. Because if you admire actors, you steal from them. It’s a wonderful thing. Some of my favorite actors, I’ve tried to emulate. Whenever I get in trouble, in theater, during the process, in rehearsal, if I’m stuck I bring to mind certain actors and it always calms me down.

AWT: So you would rather work in the theater?
MP: If only I could make a living! I could do theater 365 days a year, but I can’t afford to. So I have to pick and choose the theater I do now. But it’s always for the love of it. I’ve done mostly original theater in the last ten years. I’ve done a few off-Broadway plays, done a lot of classics. I am doing General Hospital, now, and I do that because I need to work, that’s really what it comes down to. There’s less and less work available to most of us who have been around for a long time. This business has changed dramatically. I never, ever thought I’d do daytime television again. I really, really thought, “Well, those days are gone.”

Come back tomorrow to read Part #3!

INTERVIEW WITH MARK PINTER (GRANT; AW): PART #1

2009-05-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Actor Mark Pinter portrayed Another World’s multifaceted, Machiavellian Grant Harrison from 1991 to 1999.

Though the good people of Bay City believed him dead, viewers caught a glimpse of the disgraced politician on the series’ last episode, sipping a drink and seemingly living it up in the tropics, very much alive.

In addition to AW, Pinter appeared on the daytime dramas Love of Life, Guiding Light, As The World Turns (where he met his wife, Colleen Zenk Pinter), Loving, All My Children, and currently General Hospital.

He reminisced with Another World Today about his time on the show, what he has been up to since then, and his personal thoughts on what his AW alter ego has been doing for the past decade.

AWT: Were you on the set of Another World for the taping of the final episode?
MP: No. I left the show six months before it went off the air. They killed Grant, but then he reappeared in a stunt where you see him sipping a pina colada in a grass hut somewhere.

AWT: So what do you imagine Grant has been doing since that moment?
MP: I think he got away with all the money, and he’s just been living the high life somewhere on an island in Fiji. He probably bought an island, built a nice little place, and is content to laugh at everyone while he got happy with the natives. He obviously ducked out of sight and decided it was too much for him and he’s just laying low, that would be my guess. And he’s fathered a whole mess of little Fiji-ans. He’s just as happy as a clam.

AWT: So much of Grant’s motivation, for both his good deeds and bad, was his love for his son, Kirkland. How has Grant managed to be separated from him for all these years?
MP: I loved that Grant was always in love with Vicky, desperately in love with her, desperately wanted her, and had this child with her. Family rooted him and still roots him. It’s his reason for living, his reason to survive. He wanted family and went somewhere where he could have that and not be bothered anymore. The whole thing about Grant, the whole reason he was such a successful character despite the fact that he had maybe ten Headwriters during the time I was on the show, was they never failed to keep him a loving father, in spite of all the blackness and all the unforgivable things that he was asked to do by so many. They always had the good sense to have him dote on his child. I think that’s really good writing. Make certain that your villains are lovers, as well, because that makes them attractive. If they’re just one-sided characters who have no dimension, if they’re just pure evil for evil sake, well, there’s not much to grab on to for the audience. I think an audience wants to love something about a bad guy. They’re usually the interesting people. I’ve played both, and most of the successful characters have been the bad guys.

Make sure to come back tomorrow for Part #2!