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Hillary B. Smith Interview: From B&B's Dr. Stacy to the final moments of Bo & Nora on OLTL!
Courtesy/ABC
Hillary B. Smith has been one in demand actress in recent months! First, she finished up almost 20 years as Nora Hanen Gannon Buchanan on One Life to Live, and then gave a tour de force performances as the real scene stealer in season 3 of the hit web soap, Venice! And just as soap fans were saying their goodbyes to Nora on One Life, came the news that she was snatched up by The Bold and the Beautiful to play Hope Logan’s sex therapist, Dr. Stacy Barton!
We chatted with Hillary, for this “quickie interview” on the silver carpet at the recent 25th anniversary party of The Bold and the Beautiful, whose special anniversary show airs today on CBS. We got the Daytime Emmy winner’s thoughts on her whirlwind soap life, the heart-tugging final moments between Bo and Nora as One Life signed off the air, and if Dr. Stacy will be any good at her job!
Why did you decide to join The Bold and the Beautiful?
HILLARY: It was because I have always wanted to work with the Bell family. I have great respect for the Bell family and when Brad called, I went, “Yes, I would like to go and play.” It’s a half hour soap which I think is the way to do it now. I really like the business model that they function under. I think its brilliant and I had a lot of friends out in California and I said to my husband, “It is time for a new adventure.” I did not even know what the character was and I didn’t care!
They put the official press announcement out that you were coming to B&B, just as One Life was ending!
HILLARY: It was funny. They had called just before the show was ending. I got the call that Friday morning; on January 13th that the deal is done. And I was like,”OK, here we go.” It was a very sad day January 13th, and a very happy day. It was like the old adage, “when one door closes, another opens”. I don’t know though, as it all seemed so bizarre and so surreal.
Courtesy/ABC
The final scenes with you and Bob Woods (Bo) were so touching for long time viewers of One Life to Live. When after the birth of their grandson, Drew, Nora and Bo had that exchange at the doorway! We all needed hankies!
HILLARY: Oh, “I love you, Red” and “I love you Bo Buchanan”. So beautiful. I got my chance to say goodbye on screen as Nora and Bo, and to Bob Woods. Listen, I was on The Doctors when it ended. I remember looking around at Jada Rowland (Carolee) and David O’Brien (Steve), and Jim Pritchett (Matt). And Jada said, “I cannot even believe they are not dealing with us at the end of the show.” And I went, “Well, that’s what is wrong. They are not dealing with the vets … with the people that the audience wanted to watch!” And so this time with OLTL, it was interesting to be on the other end of that, and being one of the vets, and knowing, I got my goodbye with Bob. It meant so much to me.
What do you think of what is going on over at General Hospital?
HILLARY: I can only speak to the past on General Hospital, and that is nothing against the actors at all, they are wonderful. I just don’t like a story where the bad guys are the good guys. I just don’t think that is good soap. Good soap to me was you knew who to root for, and you knew who to root against, and you could love to root against, but it was always very clear. And, I always thought soap operas had a moral obligation to do that … to make it clear. When our then executive producer, Linda Gottlieb came to me at One Life to Live and said, “You are going to defend the rapists and get them off.” That is when I went to her and said, “Can you just do me a favor? Could you just make Nora find out that her clients were guilty before they got the innocent verdict, so it’s bittersweet and she does not revel in it?” And then they took off with that, and I think that made much more sense.
So your new character of Dr. Stacy Barton’s first patient that we see her treating is Hope Logan, and already the young gal is pill-popping! Is Stacy any good at her job? (Laughs)
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
HILLARY: Stacy is a good therapist. Sometimes things happen like that without doctor acknowledgement. It is very well-written in the sense that you think the story is going in one direction and then they back off, and it goes in another direction. It does take you by surprise and I appreciate it. The story is dealing with taking drugs while staying in the parameters of society and functioning, which is what people do. I love Kim Matula (Hope). She is really phenomenal. To pull off what she is doing, and how she is doing it, and knowing the person she is off camera, this is really good.
Who should Dr. Stacy have her eye on in the men department on B&B?
HILLARY: I have so marked my men! John McCook (Eric) … to die for! Winsor Harmon (Thorne) …. I am all over that one and Scott Clifton (Liam) …. I am just going to swoop in and take him. I am going to mother him to death. I love him. There are a lot of yummy yummies, like Don Diamont (Bill). Oh that’s a good one. Then Heather Tom (Katie) and I can go it. But, you know what? You put me up against Heather Tom and I would look at her and then go, “OK, you can have him!”
After reading the interview, let us know your thoughts about Hillary’s comments!
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‘Young Rock’ Canceled By NBC After Three Seasons
NBC canned both The Rock-inspired comedy series, Young Rock along with Grand Crew on Friday. The pro wrestling comedy featured Dwayne Johnson, as the sYoung Rock revealed the story of different chapters of Johnson’s life.
From growing up in a strong and resilient family to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family to playing football at the University of Miami, the show explored the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he’s met along the way.
Young Rock used several current WWE stars throughout its three seasons along with actors portraying some of pro wrestlers most-known and most notorious figures. This past season, Becky Lynch took on the role of Cyndi Lauper.
Photo: NBC
Part of the reason for the cancellation was a dip in linear ratings. Season 3 averaged 1.4 million total viewers, while season 2 drew an average of 2.23 million viewers.
The now third and final season ended its 13-episode run this past February. The series was produced by Universal Television, Seven Bucks Productions and Fierce Baby Productions.
Did you enjoy ‘Young Rock’? Sad to hear it has been canceled? Would you like to see another series similar told about a pro wrestling superstar, or another TV series for Dwayne Johnson as well? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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Love Hillary B. Smith…she’s just amazing in every way. I appreciate her honesty about the whole situation with OLTL and completely agree with her point about “a story where the bad guys are the good guys. I just don’t think that is good soap.” THIS is a huge reason why I didn’t watch GH for a longtime.
Good luck to Hillary Smith and her future projects!
The last scene between Bo and Nora on OLTL was phenomenal….for me, it made the entire show (and I thought the overall show was good), but that moment was full of genuine love and affection and an absolute recognition of the awesomeness of Bo and Nora. Bravo to both Hillary and Bob. It is a moment that I will never forget. I’m enjoying Hillary as Dr. Stacy on B&B, a soap I’ve never watched. Except…I keep thinking / hoping that Bob Woods walks in as some new character that Dr. Stacy gets involved with!! I can’t help it…..I miss seeing… Read more »
I miss OLTL so much. I don’t currently watch The Bold and Beautiful but I wish Hillary B Smith all the luck in the world..
I love the energy that Hilary brought to the role of Nora Buchanan. I’ll check out B&B – maybe her performance will make me a fan. Would still love to see OLTL revived someday and her be a part of that. So many of us still keep hoping…
She was the best Margo on ATWT, and I followed her to OLTL. Her statements about GH are the reason that is the one soap I will not watch. I’ve watched them all to varying degrees throughout the past 40+ years, but that one is one I simply can’t get into, and her thoughts are exactly why. It’s the reason I’ve started to drift away from Y&R as well, as they insist on promoting the Adam character who is a sociopath. HBS has renewed my interest in B&B – love her!
I just adore Hillary B. Smith. She is one classy lady who knows and appreciates her audience. Her comments are exactly why I stopped watching GH and I doubt I ever do again. I am now watching B&B after it was announced she was headed there. I loved her as fiesty Nora. It was a shame how backburned she and Bob Woods were on OLTL for the past few years. Their scenes made the ending for me. So touching.
Wow, her comments on GH are so dead on. It is the reason I stopped watch GH a longtime ago.
I must admit I started watching B&B again because of her, it will be interesting to see where they take Dr. Stacy.
I love Hillary B. Smith. She is one of my favorites actresses and a beautiful person inside and out. I’m so happy for her new role, she deserves it. I wish her all the best.
Good Luck to her on B&B. She is one of the lucky ones who found work immediately. Although true to a degree, I don’t appreciate her putting out those comments about GH right now, when GH is fighting so hard to stay on air. Plus, those comments have been said before so she didn’t say ANYTHING different, therefore, her comments didn’t need to be said AT THIS TIME w/ GH struggling so hard. She should be a champion of the only ABC soap left on air, since ABC was her home for 20 yrs. And comments like that isn’t going… Read more »
1loveabcsoaps,Im with you on this one.
I am tired of Sonny’s mob/gangster stories… That’s why I stopped watching GH for a while….I liked Gh In the wsb days with Robert & Anna…And wwhen Ruby & Bobby were on…………….The Webber brothers .. Lesley , Felicia………OLTL ia still my favorite soap & lived watching Nora & Bo, ETC……….Enough already with sonny and his revenge stuff………He’s a good actor and all but, time to change his storyline…..I think this is turning a lot of fans off.. And they don’t want to watch…Time to turn the page on the mob stories……..I hope John McBain can whip Sonny into place…For killing… Read more »
It’s loved watching Nora & Bo…
Im sick of the mob stories to, John and sonny have a history together,john told anna that sonny is reason his sister is dead,well john isnt going to let that go.and LIke you I dont remember a sister I thought his girlfriend was killed ,It will be interesting to find out what will happen ,One life to live was my favorite and it still is wish we could all go back to landview.
Actually what she said about GH is true. It’s not as if GH hadn’t received chances to clean up its act.
Clean up these mob/gangster stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heather, read my comment above. I didn’t say she wasn’t being truthul, in fact I said agreed. What I said was she could have reserved her comments (since she wasn’t saying anything new) and especially…… with GH on life support, the only ABC soap left, which is struggling to stay afloat. I think it was a political statement, (true or not) to drive her OLTL fans to her show.
I agree with her on the G.H comments. I couldn’t stand the sonny ,jason Garbage. Same thing ,over and over, Same Looks, same facial expressions, Same theme. “Sonny Loves his Children, But he’s not safe to be around , He’s head of the mob…etc etc etc..” YUK!.Glorification of Mob leaders, and making women Stupid, falling for him, having Babies, w/him…then trying to keep him away from his kids.. (he’s too dangerous crap)..over and over.. ALEXIS for example. Stopped watching it way back then…when She had a Baby w/ sonny………..Sooooooooooo Stupid. Then… He’s a Mob Leader w/ Honor!!LOL Loves his kids…Ridiculous!!… Read more »
You have a good point.. Which I agree with.. Comment on 4/2 at 5:41am
Yes fun, less mob stories… That’s my biggest complaint about GH… Just this one!!!!!!!!!!
What was funny with her character on B&B is when she handed Hope the pills that she had ready for her without even knowing her history and then told her she could not renew them without seeing her first when she prescribed them without even meeting her. This show drives me crazy and when I watched her it just made me miss sensible Nora! I am afraid once this Hope show storyline is over if it ever is that will be it for the character. Maybe she will pick up a sitcom she is really quite good at comedy!
These mob stories have too many vendetta’s that seem to go on and on.. They are never ending.. Don’t remember seeing so much of these mob stories a few years ago.. Gh was better in the 90’s…………More pleasnt stories instead of all these violent m,ob stories…I agree with Hilliary..Soaps should be fun & trying to solve the mystery…Of some particular story…And making the bad guy out to be a good guy….GH really needs to get away from these mob/gangster stories. Has been going on TOOOOO long……OLTL was fun..It made you laugh, cry,that emotional connection….The charcters were fun and loving..Roxy was… Read more »
Correction and not making the bad guy out to be a good guy…….
Nora, She is tooo cool, I loved her on OLTL and now I have to find out when Bold & Beautiful is-haha I have no clue (sorry) but here I come Stacy! You go girl, I love her personality, it’s like mine, haha, well kinda.,