News
Hillary B. Smith chats on her new role on B&B, Prospect Park & the ending of OLTL!
Courtesy/ABC
Shortly after the finale of One Life to Live aired, it was announced by the CBS soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, that Daytime Emmy winner, Hillary B. Smith (Nora, OLTL and Guya, Venice) was joining the Brad Bell sudser in the newly created role of a sexual therapist ( or as they say,”a psychiatrist who specializes in sex therapy”), Dr. Stacy Burton!
Now TV Line has a new interview with Smith on her decision to tackle a brand new daytime role on the very successful B&B, what she thought of the ending of One Life to Live and her thoughts on the fallout from when Prospect Park bailed out at the last minute when they were supposedly moving One Life online. Here are a few excerpts below!
Hillary on what attracted her to her new role as Dr. Stacy Burton: “To be perfectly honest, what drew me to this role was the opportunity to work with Brad Bell… and that’s basically it. [Laughs] I could have gone on that show as a janitor and I would have been happy to have the experience to work with him. [Laughs] I have not seen a script yet, but Brad called and gave me a little thumbnail sketch of who I’d be working with and what I’d be doing. I’m going to be working very closely with a contract player and helping them deal with a crisis, so that works for me.”
Hillary on watching the final episode of One Life to Live: “I was in New York at [an Upper West Side sports bar] with a bunch of the cast and crew and there were times during the episode that I just started to cry, and others when I laughed out loud. At one point I had tears streaming down [my] face — especially when Woodsy [Robert S. Woods] and I say goodbye to each other [on camera]. That was really Woodsy saying goodbye to Hillary and Hillary saying goodbye to Woodsy, and that was tough. Just remembering the day we shot it all, you know, was sad. We just looked around the room and wished everyone well and hoped we’d see each other again. But lives move on. Actors are supposed to be nomadic by nature, but we found ourselves forming a family — dysfunctional albeit, but a family nonetheless — and then suddenly our family was gone.”
Hillary on how Prospect Park impacted the ending of OLTL and its stories: “I think there was unfortunately a lot of running around and fixing things. They had an ending in mind and then Prospect Park bought the rights and they changed a lot of the ending so that it could continue… So, that was very difficult and was probably really hard for [headwriter] Ron [Carlivati]. And then when the rug got pulled out again [when Prospect Park canceled their plan], they had from Thanksgiving until it aired [in January] to move things around and try to get some sort of closure. I think they did a remarkable job considering how the ending was supposed to go and how it did go. I tip my hat to them.
Hillary on if she had confidence that Prospect Park could pull off moving OLTL online, since she has been part of a successful online soap venture with Venice: “I didn’t quite understand how they were going to do it. I don’t understand how you can raise money for something that doesn’t have a proven revenue point… but you know what? It’s none of my business how they were going to do that. Just give me the script, tell me when I’m going to show up and I’ll be there to bring that character to life. I was nervous and concerned about it at first, so it took awhile for a deal to be hammered out, and then when it all went away I was so sad. I was sad for the fans, that they had it cancelled again on them — that’s the hard part. So, it was very bittersweet saying goodbye. And then when this offer [for B&B] came through, it was like, I guess we all move on.”
What do you think of Hillary’s comments on the ending of One Life? Are you looking forward to seeing her on B&B? Let us know!
News
‘One Life to Live’ Alum Tuc Watkins Joins Cast of Brett Goldstein’s Prime Video Series ‘Escorted’
Tuc Watkins (ex-David Vickers, One Life to Live) continues to be booking role after role, and now comes word that the Llanview soap alum has joined the cast of Escorted, the upcoming comedy series from and starring Ted Lasso and Shrinking star, Brett Goldstein.
According to Deadline, Tuc has signed on for the production of the series, where he will play the role of Neil, who looks like a cowboy. However, here’s the catch! Neil is a trainer at a high-end gym and a male escort to wealthy woman on the side. Shades of Llanview’s David Vickers, for sure!
In the premise of Escorted, a divorced Manhattan dad, played by Goldstein, accidentally becomes a male escort in a romantic comedy about sexual dynamics, keeping secrets, and whether real intimacy can ever be bought.
Photo: JPI
Prime Video ordered the eight-episode, half-hour single-camera romantic comedy from Brett Goldstein last November. Goldstein will star, executive, produce, write, and co-showrun. In a statement, Brett expressed, “I’m so excited to bring a wholesome show about condoms, co-parenting, and cosplay to Amazon.”
As for Watkins, he is currently recurring on Hulu’s Paradise and appeared in the second season of ABC’s Shifting Gears. His other TV credits include: HBO Max’s The Other Two, Showtime’s Black Monday, and series regular roles on ABC’s Desperate Housewives, Showtime’s Beggars and Choosers, and more.
In addition, Tuc has a recurring role in Shemar Moore’s upcoming S.W.A.T. Exiles for Starz which premieres on September 25. Watkins numerous film credits include: The Mummy, The Good Shepherd and Retake. Watkins recently wrapped the indie feature, Cowboy, and in 2025 starred in the feature Exile Interviews.
So, what do you think of Tuc’s new role as a male escort to wealthy woman in Escorted? Looking forward to seeing him S.W.A.T. Exiles? Let us know via the comment section below.
News
Y&R’s Victoria and Kyle’s Love Affair to Kick-Off; Amelia Heinle Says EP Sally McDonald Shared Why; ‘You’ve Got Chemistry’ with Michael Mealor
A day many fans of The Young and the Restless have been dreading, and others are down for, is here. Beginning with the Thursday, August 27 episode of The Young and the Restless, Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) will have sex taking their growing attraction to each other to another level.
But why is Y&R heading down the path of an older woman/younger man, Newman/Abbott, former love interest of Victoria’s daughter Claire (Hayley Erin) and all the complications with longtime waring families? Because to the series, it will generate story to come.
Two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Amelia Heinle revealed to TV Insider, how she found out what she suspected that the powers-that-be were setting up a romance between Victoria and Kyle.
Photo: JPI
“At one point a while back, I noticed Kyle was always coming to talk to Victoria or we’d run into each other and I told Michael, ‘I don’t think they would ever put us together, but this is kind of funny because it feels like they’re trying to test our chemistry, which would be really, really odd,” recalled Heinle. ”
“But that memory passed quickly. And then I walked off set one day after finishing a scene with Michael and I got called up to our executive producer, Sally McDonald’s, office and she said, ‘We’re giving you a romance with him.’ And I’m like, ‘Who?’ And she said, ‘Him,’ and she pointed at the monitor because Michael was still on set. I was like, ‘Oh, OK. Are you sure?’ And she was like, ‘Uh-huh. Yup. You’ve got chemistry.’”
Once she learned the news, Heinle talks with Michael Mealor to make sure he was OK with the romantic story turn. “I walked up to him one day on set when I found out and said, ‘Do you know about this yet?’. Hw was like, ‘Yeah,’ and then I said, ‘So, are you OK?’ And he said, ‘Are you OK?’ And I said, ‘I’m good. I think we could make something out of this,’ and he said, ‘I do, too. I plan on leaning into it all.’ So, we were in agreement. Michael and I have always gotten along. We’ve always liked each other.”
Amelia Heinle, Michael Mealor
“The Young and the Restless” Set
CBS television City
Los Angeles
05/22/26
© Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
310-657-9661
Episode # 13419
U.S. Airdate 07/15/26
The storyline was started by now former Y&R head writer Josh Griffith. So now that Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor are in place as the new co-head writers of the top-rated soap, things could change dramatically or go full steam ahead.
Heinle offered up, “It’s not going to be boring, that’s for sure. I feel like right now with the new writers coming in, it’s a work in progress. I feel like we’re seeing how it goes. They’re fully committed to it, but nothing is set in stone in terms of the story yet.”
So, where do you stand? Do you want to see Kyle and Victoria rip the clothes off of each other, have sex and have a torrid affair? Do you think it’s wrong for Victoria to be sleeping with her daughter’s former boyfriend? What side of the fence do you land on with this pairing? Let us know via the comment section below.
Breaking News
Dolly Parton Remembered: Y&R Alum Alyvia Alyn Lind Shares Heartfelt Tribute to the Legendary Singer and Songwriter
The world is in mourning on Tuesday, August 25 with the news of the passing of iconic and beloved country western singer/songwriter/actress Dolly Parton. The 11-time Grammy winner crafted and performed memorable hits such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” 9 to 5″, and “Here You Come Again, ” to name but a few.
Parton died in Nashville today. She was 80-years-old. Not only was Dolly an iconic name in the world of music, she was also an actor, producer, playwright, theme park founder (Dollywood), and a noted philanthropist.
One of the people lucky enough to know and experience the life of Dolly through a different lens was Alyvia Alyn Lind, the one time Faith Newman of The Young and the Restless. Lind played the role of Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon’s (Sharon Case) daughter on and off from 2011-2021.
Photo: HallmarkChannel
ALVIA ALYN LIND PLAYED A YOUNG DOLLY
However, it was Lind, who portrayed a young Dolly in the television movie adaption of Parton’s song and book “A Coat of Many Colors” in 2015, and its sequel in 2016 Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.
Parton and Lind shared a close bond following the project, famously performing a touching, emotional duet of Parton’s song “Angel Hill” together on Hallmark’s Home & Family.
Taking to her Instagram just a short time ago, Alyvia paid tribute to the one and only Parton, expressing, “I am truly at a loss for words. There are some people who come into your life and leave a mark that can never be erased. Dolly was one of those people. will forever be grateful that I had the privilege of knowing her, learning from her, and carrying a piece of her with me through such an important and formative part of my childhood. Getting to play Dolly changed my life, but getting to know her changed my heart. Memories, lessons, laughter, and a light that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
Alyvia added, “The world will never be the same without her, but that light will live on in all of us who were lucky enough to experience it. Thank you for believing in me, for teaching me, for letting me be a small part of your story, and for being such a meaningful part of mine. Rest peacefully, Dolly. You will be missed more than words can ever say. Thank you for everything. ❤️
FAMILY ANNOUNCES THE DEATH OF DOLLY PARTON
Parton also starred alongside Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman in the smash 1980 film 9 to 5, and later roles in films including: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, Steel Magnolias, Straight Talk, and Joyful Noise.
Parton’s death was announced via her official Instagram post by her nephew, Bryan Seaver on behalf of the Parton family. He shared the news in a video statement. You can see that below.
View this post on Instagram
‘One Life to Live’ Alum Tuc Watkins Joins Cast of Brett Goldstein’s Prime Video Series ‘Escorted’
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Y&R’s Victoria and Kyle’s Love Affair to Kick-Off; Amelia Heinle Says EP Sally McDonald Shared Why; ‘You’ve Got Chemistry’ with Michael Mealor
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I now watch bb and I look forward to seeing Hillary again
I am so looking forward to Hillary. I hope her humor and her gaiety follow her. I loved her to pieces.
Yes, I have never watched B&B, Never…But I will watch when she comes on……
I look forward to seeing all of them return somewhere!
Amazing !!
That’s how I felt after reading this article.
The best summary of all that has happened, with no hint or tone of anger in her commemts.
I am also very happy that she is going to be on B&B. Her character sounds perfect and while reading, she was already bring the role to life.
I have never watched B&B but I will be when she starts. Lucky I have some co-workers who watch so them can fill in some background.
So happy that work has come her way, and hope it does too for all the other people who worked and made a living from “One Life To Life”
I wont just watch anything cause theses guys go there.
She needed a job…they all do now.
The character she will be working with is Hope I think she is finally going to get her destiny Liam and be frigid in the bedroom. Just guessing!
“I think they did a remarkable job considering how the ending was supposed to go and how it did go.” She’s right. They should win an Emmy for best editing. Under the circumstances, we got the best ending possible. We can be thankful for that. Hillary going to B&B is enough of an incentive to check it out, but Nora will live on in our hearts forever.
What she said is true, life does go on.We can’t sit and cry over spilt milk and we can’t sit waiting for our bowl to be filled again. You as actors pick it up and carry on. Tomorrow is a new day and new adventures.We fondly remember our soaps with much love and memories. Hopefully with the few thats coming to GH in Febuary the ratings will blow sky high and the show will remain for the fans that love it. Maybe somewhere down the road OLTL will spark a new start and those that played will return. We can only hope and pray. 🙂 Goodluck to all who gave us 43 years of happiness. God Bless
I have watched B&B for the last 5-6 years, when I got sick of AMC & decided to switch. So I’ll be glad to see HBS but with a 30 minute show with a large cast-I don’t expect her to have a ton of story or airtime-just the way that show goes. Brad Bell is just not good at balancing story & character time.
I love, Love, LOVE Hillary. I just hope Brad Bell does her justice. He’s not a very good writer, and he doesn’t do very well with a broad canvas of actors, at least in my humble opinion. Also, I’ve never quite gotten into B&B, as it seems so incestuous and sleazy.
I’m wondering who she will be working with.
We Love You In Northwest Illinois, Hillary–Yay! 😀
After yesterday’s ep, I think Hope will be her patient.
It isn’t the same!!!!!!!!! I’m glad hyilliary found a job already………… Bout I was hoping she would join Gh w/ other OLTL actors… I miss Bo & Nora!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They make a good team!!!!!!!!!!! OLTL was like a family…. They had that special closeness !!!!! And you saw it when you watched OLTL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ABC messed up daytime programming BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really hate the bold & beautiful, I used to watch but not now, so I won’t see Hillary on it. I wish her well. I loved her as Margo on ATWT and Nora on OLTL. She is great.