Interviews
The Crystal Chappell & Kim Turrisi Interview – Venice
© Lesley Bohm / © Vicki McFadden
One year ago at this time, as Guiding Light fans and its cast and crew were handed down the news of its cancellation – right in the middle of the telling of the super-duper popular same-sex love story of Otalia – its loyal fan base and its actors were devastated. Crystal Chappell determined to continue to cultivate the LGBT audience that has had little depiction of their life stories seen on daytime television decided to take matters into her own hands, and take what started out as a love story on network TV and transfer parts of it into a new and uncharted territory for soap operas… web soaps. Partnering with her long-time friend Kim Turrisi, the dynamic duo created Venice, which gave legions of fans worldwide an opportunity for them to see the magic re-created once again by Crystal and her on-screen partner, Jessica Leccia, but with a new twist!
Crystal and Kim chatted with On-Air On-Soaps for this exclusive, in-depth, and heartfelt interview as a thank you letter to all the fans, and those who helped Venice along the way, and were instrumental in making it a global phenomenon. And while season one did not go off without some major and minor glitches, the gals open up and discuss the perils, agony, and ecstasy of pulling off something so rare, and of such magnitude, to satisfy a rabid and adoring fan base. And through it all, how they remained true to the characters and the stories they set out to tell. There are some major announcements contained below, some behind-the-scenes snippets never before revealed, and so much more. Congratulations to all on Venice. We were happy to be part of the ride of season one, and look forward to an even more exciting second season. So, read on!
MICHAEL:
The two of you have gone through the process of season one, and those in the know were aware that there were some things that were easier to accomplish than others. What was the easy part and what were the moments that you were, for a lack of a better word, in shock over?
CRYSTAL:
Let me timeline it first. It started a year ago on April 1st and with Big Purple Dreams and Destini. She did some amazing pod casts for that site with Otalia, and she encouraged me to get on Twitter.
MICHAEL:
So, Destini is actually to blame for your addiction to Twitter?
CRYSTAL:
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Yes, and it’s her fault, really. (Laughs) And I am glad I took her advice, because it gave people a place to go. And for the Otalia fans, at that point, we conceived the web story of Venice and laid out these characters from all walks of life. So it was a great way to talk about Venice and take Otalia and give them a new home. Then, I convinced Kimmy to Twitter and that is my fault, I will take that one! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
What was the point when you knew in your heart you needed to keep the Otalia characters going in some fashion?
CRYSTAL:
We got the notice of Guiding Light’s cancellation on April 1st, and someone mentioned we would stop shooting mid-August, and that is when we ended. Knowing it was coming to an end, I called P&G and I suggested to them, either take us to As the World Turns or create a web series. I had wanted to do something on the web for a long time and this seemed to be a perfect opportunity to do that, and give the Otalia fans a new home.
MICHAEL:
Once you were looking for a new home, it wasn’t easy!
CRYSTAL:
I felt like the only place to go was the web, and it’s the only place where we could take a show like Venice and have the creative freedom to tell story like we want to tell it. But it was obvious to me that social networking was the way to get the message out there, and guide people in the way we’d hope they would go. That was a year ago last week, and they jumped and they were so happy. Personally, I know I felt, “Ok, this is the right thing to do.”
KIM:
And through Twitter, I started this Twitter banter with a person, who is a Florida Gator, and I am a Florida State Seminole. We started this back and forth sort of thing. And then she emailed me. She is a genius when it comes to social networking and the web, and she reached out to me. Her nickname was “Stu” and she said, “I am actually going to be in California. I have an idea for you, if you want to meet me.” And so I met her for a drink, and she was so smart and she talked about Facebook, and she said she wanted to do a Facebook page for me and Crystal. She told me she was going to do this with another person nicknamed “Junk”, and they created our Facebook. They told us they were going to go live. Crystal and I were watching this going, “Oh, my gosh,” and it gave them another place to take this Otalia storyline. And with Venice, it mushroomed and exploded, and that was through a Twitter connection. They are part of our team to this day and are amazing.
Courtesy/Venice
MICHAEL:
When was Kimmy on board for writing season one of Venice?
CRYSTAL:
I spoke to her a week after Guiding Light was canceled, which would be a year go this week.
MICHAEL:
What was your take away from the end of Otalia, and portraying the love of these two women, Olivia and Natalia?
CRYSTAL:
It’s really magical when two women in the most loving respectful way can play something this meaningful. Jessica Leccia and I are both, ‘girl’s girl’, and there was never any ….alright I just came out. I love kissing her, too (Laughs)
KIM:
I loved watching it! As soon as Crystal came on the show, she is my best friend, so whatever show she is on I watch. I watched her on Days of our Lives when she was on, and when she went over to Guiding Light. I fell madly in love with that storyline. I could not believe it. I remember when she called and said, “You are not going to believe my new storyline.” And it was shocking! I was so proud of the way it was played out, and it was so believable. Crystal shared some of the letters she had gotten, and some of the letters we get on a daily basis with Venice, and it all goes back to the core. And the core is the Otalia fans. They are the ones, who with all the little glitches that continued to go wrong, said, “We were on this adventure”. And they are the ones who stuck with us through thick and thin, even though Jessica and Crystal were not going to be the ones that were together in Venice. They invested in these two women and that was amazing!
MICHAEL:
Kim, as a writer, weren’t there some things you would have liked to have seen written differently in the Otalia storyline, or where you went, “I can write this better?”
KIM:
Courtesy/Venice
I will admit I thought there were some moments that were missed opportunities. What I said was, “God, I would love to have these two women and write for them somewhere else where somebody doesn’t say, “Whoops, you can’t do that.” Oh, for sure. Their chemistry is what it is. I don’t care, straight or gay, you can’t watch those two on-screen be together; it could be having sex, kissing or just talking, and they have that kind of chemistry. As a writer, you just dream to have that happen. Yeah, I watched a couple of moments and went, “Jesus, I want them.”
MICHAEL:
So what was the next hurdle in the Venice journey?
CRYSTAL:
Sometime during the summer, Hope Royaltey got in touch with me. She had heard about Venice and knew we were creating a series for the web, and called to be part of the team as more of a technical person and also a co-director. I did not know anything about creating a website. I knew how to surf the web and shop! I did not know about bandwidth and what not. Then that led us into pre-production, and production in October. But here is where it gets to be really amazing. I want people to understand that this group of people worked tirelessly for nothing. I know the fans appreciate everything, and I feel I need to mention certain people’s name who helped us along the way. There is a lovely associate producer, Kim Di Tomasso, who has a very big day job, and she has been on board from the beginning, not only a kind person, but smart. We would call her in a panic and say, “I need a Venice logo on some panties.” And she would be running out the door, so we could get the Venice logo on some panties!
KIM:
She literally was at a political fundraiser and Crystal and I were like, “Oh, My God. Well, we want to post this picture and can you get a logo for it?” Here she was at this fundraiser and she did it. She was so excited to do it.
CRYSTAL:
She thinks about the show and the fans as well. That goes for Leslie Penny as well. She worked so tirelessly on this. Well, between Kimmy, Leslie and Kim, we wanted to make it the fan’s show. I have told you that from the beginning and they have all answered emails directly. We are here… someone is going to get back to you.
KIM:
I don’t think people realize the honest to God’s truth that the month of December when we had some issues with our store that did not go right our fan club president and other women got involved with it. Crystal and I were at a college gymnasium with the girl’s volleyball team who volunteered to help us…
© Adam Bouska
CRYSTAL:
We would like to thank them, too… (Laughs)
KIM:
We were literally packing panties and T-shirts for twelve hours. I would be calling people going, “Hi, this is Kimmy from Venice and I have your order here. Crystal just needs to know, did you get your boxers?” And they were like, “What?” My living room during the Christmas holidays had tables of all the merchandise, and while everyone was Christmas shopping, Michelle Carter and Crystal and I, were in my living room packing things up and taking them to the post office. Not really glamorous!
CRYSTAL:
We got to know a lot of people on Twitter doing that, and they understood. We would say, “We are telling you right now…we are packing your panties”. I want to mention Maria Macina and Jay Bungay, and Lane Crouse, these are all my Guiding Light friends. I called Maria, who was one of the GL producers, a week before Christmas, and she comes from a very close Italian family, and Christmas is a big Italian family day. I did not know about this, but I am trying to get myself invited next year! (Laughs) She has got to cook for twenty- some people. I call her the week before in a panic and I say, “Maria, what if I flew you out here the week before Christmas, and what if you edit episodes 3 to 12. How would that be?” We were not going to make our deadline, and she said, “I heard the panic in your voice, and of course, I would do it.” And so she left her family with her parent’s blessings, and stayed in my home with me. I watched her edit episode 3 to 12 in five days with no sleep. And then Maria suggested Jay and Lane. Jay is a miraculous finishing editor who does amazing things with audio, and Lane is amazing as a color correcting artist.
MICHAEL:
They did it for free?
CRYSTAL:
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No. I actually paid Maria, Jay and Laney. I gave them some money because I didn’t feel I could just pull them in on Christmas and not pay them. I will say, Jay wanted to be part of this from the beginning, and Maria is my friend and would have done it for nothing. But I felt like I should compensate them for that. The point is, this show got out on time because of those three people. And we got a great new company and redesigned our entire website. We have a lot of good stuff happening in the next two to three weeks. It’s very functional. It’s beautiful and its with a company called Purple Crayons out of Colorado, and they have been very helpful. The bottom line is, it’s been the fans who have been understanding, forgiving, and patient, and that is not lost on us. So, I want to put that out there, and let them know about these other people who really wanted it to work for them, too.
KIM:
Actually, when Maria was out here I proposed, I did. I walked in and said, “You need to marry me.” And I think she thought I was crazy. It was the first time I met her and I proposed to her. That is the kind of tight schedule we were on. I really did propose to her when I saw the work she was doing. I literally sat in front of the computer and wept. Crystal and I were so tired, but we kept saying, “We can’t let the fans down.” And they were and are so loyal, and it’s almost unbelievable!
MICHAEL:
Never have I seen in 20 years of covering daytime, what you have managed to do with Venice. You truly deserve so much credit to cultivate the audience, and do an online show. It was almost like a labor of love between the fans, the press, and the both of you. This project had such far reaching effects going on with it, and everybody wanted the same end goal; that this show would be up there, successful, and to do the story you wanted to tell.
KIM:
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Overall, I am proud of what we accomplished with what we had, and all the bumps that hit us that we weren’t expecting. For me, to watch the actor’s work, and when I tweet out, ‘they are a writer’s dream’, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. When you write something it is close to your heart, and Crystal and I spent so much time together with it. When you have someone like Jordan Clarke…and this is one of my favorite moments, ever. My phone rings and its Jordan. He goes, “Hey Kimmy, its Jordan. I think I am going to buzz cut my hair and grow a moustache. Don’t tell Crystal. I want to surprise her. Don’t you think that would be great for the Colonel?” Well, it took my breath away. The actors invested so much and it was certainly not lost on us. And when Nadia Bjorlin came in an hour before shooting, her response was, “I read the script and I liked her. I will be there an hour.” This was an episode Crystal was directing and it was she in make-up talking to her about Lara. I was concerned. I said, “What about all the dialog?” And Crystal said, “Don’t worry about the dialog, she works in daytime.” Then I watched Crystal direct Nadia and Jessica, and let me tell you, they have the hottest love scene in season two!
CRYSTAL:
Kim will be icing the nipples in her own unique way for that one.
KIM:
…With my assistant, Brandon Beemer. He is my new boy toy. I want to say my girlfriend is completely supportive of it! She likes him, too. (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Of all the things that people were questioning one was what went on with the server issues?
CRYSTAL:
We got hard fast education on streaming and servers and bandwidth, and it was a crash course in web design.
KIM:
Crystal and I were on the phone together, if we are not in the same room every night, while all this was happening with trying to fix it and reaching out to people we know. Look, we know we went to Amazon and went with Cloud Servers and we went with ten of them to prevent crashing. But there was no way for us to know we needed ten Cloud Servers until Purple Crayon told us. And when you are thinking, “OK,” and when you go to streaming servers, I don’t think that anybody could handle these amounts of fans, and so it was a great problem to have and we have worked it out. Literally, there were moments where we were like, “Holy Shit! Is this really happening?”
MICHAEL:
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I remember so vividly the first night the site launched, when so many people tried to view the first episode of Venice and could not get on to see it!
KIM:
It was happening, and we did not know it, because we were in Las Vegas hanging out with 200 Guiding Light/Otalia die hard fans. We had DVD’s for them of Venice. So we are sitting there going, “Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the show,” while we were watching our phones as they were ringing off the hook.
CRYSTAL:
…and I am thinking, “It’s probably our families telling us how good we are.” (Laughs)
KIM:
And we get this call, “Half the friggin country can’t get on!”
MICHAEL:
What did you do when you heard that?
KIM:
You know while we were there trying to show the love, it was an amazing gathering and behind the scenes it was wild. We spent two and half-hours with the fans, and then we went upstairs and had every single phone in use. I had one of our other good friends there, and my girlfriend was with us and all four phones were dialing, Leslie, Kim, and everybody going, “What the hell is going on? How can we fix this?” And that was what we did for three hours. Then I was like, “Crystal, we have to go downstairs and gamble.” The next morning at 5AM my phone went off and it was Crystal. She says, “OK, I ordered coffee and here is what we are going to do!” And that was our December.
CRYSTAL:
Courtesy/Venice
And that is when the education began for me, and that is when I knew I needed to understand thoroughly what it takes to do a web show. It’s one thing to come up with a marketing plan, but it became about how do we technically pull this off? In the end, it was the best thing that could have happened, because we now know what we are talking about when we talk.
MICHAEL:
You received pushback from many online soap competitors and critics for charging a subscription rate of $9.99 for fans to see the webisodes. Looking back, do you still think this was a good idea?
CRYSTAL:
I was on Twitter and I asked, “What would you pay? Would you pay $9.99?” I don’t regret our decision. It helped fund season two.
KIM:
It’s extremely costly to stream video.
CRYSTAL:
And I don’t think people realize that. We offered a streaming subscription for $9.99; we extended it an additional two months. That is a lot of money for those extra two months, but we wanted to give people that.
KIM:
It’s expensive to dedicate ten servers, and even if we don’t use all ten. Crystal and I decided, “Look we don’t want crashing, and what’s it going to take for us on a Friday night to know that we can have a drink?” And so the magic number was ten servers. We pay for them, and when people are watching the episodes over and over and over 50 times, those cost us money, and you have to be able to do something to be able to get them the show that they want.
CRYSTAL:
The other thing is this: I literally had people sending me checks for thousands of dollars with my name on them. I had one woman offer me $10,000 because she wanted to support the show. I sent the checks back, except for one where I may have gone shopping. (Laughs) The idea was if they are so supportive of this, I said, “Take your check and we are going to open a store, and if you want to support the show then go buy a T-shirt.” So no, it seemed to me like $ 9.99 was a good price point.
MICHAEL:
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So how did it work out for you in season one? Were you able to make a profit for Venice?
KIM:
I think we are one of the only web series operating in the black, and to make a big strong point by being in the black, we are rolling that into season two. We have not seen one dime. Crystal acted the whole time and directed. I wrote the first season and the second season with no money. Every dime that we have made is going back into the show.
CRYSTAL:
And the crew and the actors last season did it all for free. Going into season two, the hope is, to be able to pay the actors and keep them under contract for season two and three, and hopefully, to be able to get sponsorship. And we are putting the media kit together now. We will see where it goes. My hope and my goal is to give season two away for free to everybody. Honestly, it’s the loyalty to the fans. I said if we can do the subscription for season one, we might be able to pull off-season two for free. They trusted me and it’s looking like that is what’s going to happen.
MICHAEL:
Many fans were curious and asked me if this was the script you wrote Kimmy that we saw on-screen in season one, or did the actors influence or change the script?
CRYSTAL:
It’s very interesting. I learned from soaps that the actors are not allowed to talk to the writers, and that is just how it goes. That is not what we would do. Just like the Twitter community that has come together for this, we are very open and very available, and what ever you have to offer, we want to hear it. I improvise all the time. I am the worst person, and I did not say everything that was in Kimmy’s script. We added stuff.
KIM:
And it all worked, and I come from a different viewpoint. I love actors and I love collaborating with them, and I worked with every single actor before the final script went to them. Then on set, somebody was feeling something. Crystal and I said, “Change it up.” I am not an egomaniac. I am not married to anything. There is nothing that anybody did that switched the scope of where we were going in a scene. If you don’t say the exact words, I don’t care. For the actors, they were so respectful.
CRYSTAL:
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There was a scene with Gina Tognoni and Galen Gering and Galen said, “Fuck” and Gina on set went, “Are we allowed to say that?” And we went, “Yup. You sure can.” (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Are you thinking of longer webisodes for season two?
CRYSTAL:
Yes, I am thinking 12 minutes webisodes for season two.
MICHAEL:
Kimmy, it would then seem fans would get a bonus, in that you would have to write more story to accommodate the longer webisodes?
KIM:
This season’s script is longer and it’s been a joy. And the hardest part is, it’s very hard to develop a character in six minutes. Crystal and I know the big picture and translating it on screen is another thing. It really helped having seasoned professionals, being the actors, and what they added with their own pizzazz. In writing season two, you know what you can write to, which is their strength. I know what they can deliver. My dream would be to have Venice be a thirty-minute series, if I could have this cast. You are dealing with what you are dealing with… the constraints of the web. Season two will be written a bit differently, but when you get those extra couple of minutes to flesh out some more, it enhances the experience.
MICHAEL:
As head writer, what would you say were the defining on-screen moments of season one for you?
KIM:
Courtesy/Venice
For me, there were several, but my favorite line in the entire show is when Gina stands up to the Colonel. I was watching the monitor and I was speechless. It was a great moment and I cried. It was shot in my home which doubles as the Colonel’s house, and first of all the delivery was ridiculous. I think it resonated with so many people. The letters we got after that took my breath away, and the other moments for me personally, that were great I have said it before. It was the moment Crystal was directing Jessica and Nadia. I stepped into friend mode. I know she has wanted to do this for so long, and for her to be so good and organized was something to see. I watched the way she treated those two and I thought: “My God, what a great moment and for me to watch her do that.” There is a moment when you think, “Oh God, she has been Jessica’s girl for all this time.” How are you going to say, “Now this is what I want you to do, so that now you guys have this amazing moment?” And she did so, without any regard to where she was with Jessica. I also loved the moments with Ani and Gina on the beach together where they were talking, and it was so painful and real, and I loved the dates. I loved Galen and Hillary and Crystal’s chemistry, and the love scene with Crystal and Jessica.
CRYSTAL:
I was thinking about it today, and I can’t wait to backlight the love scene in season two. It’s going to be beautiful; it’s Nadia Bjorlin, and it’s a lot of pretty.
KIM:
And there is a whole lot of ‘pretty’ coming on the show. There is a lot to look at in season two.
CRYSTAL:
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In regards to season two, we are going to see that Gina is going to start her healing process, and a lot of stuff is going to happen between she and the Colonel. We are going to discover some not so attractive things about Lara, and Ani is going to figure a few things out. There is a beautiful story being played by Galen and Gina, and then Van is coming back to town, who is Guya’s son. And…. he is a nasty sexy bastard!
KIM:
Season two is going to turn Venice upside down a bit. It’s been really fun for me and Crystal to break out story together.
MICHAEL:
How many new characters can we expect?
KIM:
Three, and then there are going to be some characters that are going to be in a couple of episodes that I think people are going to really, really, really love. Lucky us!
MICHAEL:
Have you cast anybody? Can you let one out of the bag for us?
CRYSTAL:
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Yup! Jeff Branson is coming on board as Van! So it will be Gina and Jeff and Galen, in a story, and that is going to be messy.
KIM:
I am not going to say he is bad.
CRYSTAL:
He has something to resolve.
MICHAEL:
Well, he better not bail on Venice this time! Last time you cast him as your brother and he could not do season one!
CRYSTAL:
Jeff Branson is a friend of mine. I am going to kick his ass if he takes another show this time! (Laughs). We also have some great people who have approached us about directing. I ran into Susan Flannery at Frances Reid’s celebration. I asked Susan, “I would like you to come direct a little bit,” but I made it clear she was not getting the nipples scene. She was so gracious and said, “I would love to do it.” I am also going to direct more in season two.
MICHAEL:
So when can the fans expect to see season two? What is the plan for production and launch?
CRYSTAL:
I am thinking it’s going to be first week of June and July, but what we are going to do is fly out our team and they will be editing while we shoot. I think by the end of July we can have all the episodes shot and mostly edited. So probably August, it will hit the web.
MICHAEL:
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Will this season see the same amount of webisodes?
CRYSTAL:
Yes. We are still shooting for 12 episodes of 12 minutes each.
MICHAEL:
I want to ask the two of you since you brought Venice to life for the LGBT community and the mainstream, what did you think of the abrupt firing of Brett Claywell and Scott Evans on One Life to Live, and the decision by ABC and One Life to end the Kish storyline?
CRYSTAL:
I was surprised by that. Here is something I want to say; when I saw the success of Otalia, a love story, these grown women fondled each others knuckles more then they should ever have to, without being able to move forward, and after that there seemed to be certainly Nuke on World Turns, who were already there and going strong. But there certainly seemed to be this emergence of male gay love stories…Y&R, and then One Life. I was very happy to see any kind of story being told with same-sex characters. It is very disheartening and I was so disappointed. I don’t know the circumstances and I know everyone is dealing with budgets. It seemed to be working and so I don’t get that.
KIM:
I am actually, as a gay person, disgusted and saddened by it. Not only was it working, for the life of me…
Courtesy/Venice
CRYSTAL:
…. My point is that the Otalia coupling got so much attention…it makes me uncomfortable to think, and I am not suggesting this is what happened, but that people would think or create gay characters for daytime and then, so what happened? You have to play it out, and it has to be something that is taken seriously.
KIM:
Don’t abandon it.
MICHAEL:
I have had so many conversations, talked on this subject so many times, but it feels like the gay audience feels like they get to a certain place and then dropped from mainstream television culture, and no one follows through, and rightfully so, they should be upset. Then you have Middle America housewives with families also, who fall in love with these same-sex couples and tell me they are their favorites on the show, and yet they are ceasing to exist on daytime television for various reasons.
CRYSTAL:
To a point, it’s one of things I appreciated about Guiding Light with Otalia. They made it a love story. However, the lack of a kiss was disgusting and ridiculous.
KIM:
And they put out a love story, and the sad part about it is, a love story is a love story. People say, how do you write gay characters? I write all characters the same in the regard that love is love. I will hold to that until I am in the ground. I don’t care who you are, or your gender, or your color. If you are going to invest in the same sex storyline then please, dear God, the gay community is in these relationships and you can’t just abandon it.
CRYSTAL:
I had a fear when I was working on Guiding Light when I realized we were touching foreheads. I understand building suspense and longing, but then the realization hit me that they are never going to let these two women kiss. And I thought, in some small, small way, that I appreciate that Otalia can go off. I was afraid of what would happen if something ridiculous happens that Olivia decides all of a sudden, “I am heterosexual.” You know what I am saying? I just did not want it to be debased in any way. I love where people go with that, and that is my one small gratitude about the show being canceled was that I was concerned about what would have happened.
MICHAEL:
Season two… tease it for me?
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KIM:
I think there is going to be some surprise for the fans. They are going to see all different sides of lead characters that they did not know existed. There are secrets, lies, and deceptions.
MICHAEL:
And sex scenes?
CRYSTAL:
Listen, I am determined to get Nadia Bjorlin’s nipple. I have written the words, “Close up on Nadia’s nipple”.
MICHAEL:
Crystal, you have something you wanted to announce about your company, and some changes and some new directions?
CRYSTAL:
Yes. We have had an amazing journey this year, and obviously the fans have been the only reason we have been successful, but as Open Book Productions we have another show that is in pre-production that will involve some of the same cast members of Venice. Open Book Productions, now consists of just me and Kim. Hope is no longer with us, but we wish her all the best.
KIM:
We are very excited. We have a show in development, and this is something we are going to shoot along with Venice, and it’s more of a reality show, and going to involve Twitter. Both of us have been reading scripts, and have been taking meetings with other people who want us to produce their stuff, and there are some other things on our development slate. So, Open Book Productions is moving forward.
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CRYSTAL:
I will tell you that they do cater to the LGBT community and I want to be clear about that.
KIM:
Yes, they do. And just for a second, I want to set the record straight. Gina is not giving up her toaster. Gina is not going to be with a man!
CRYSTAL:
She has been gay since she can remember! Jesus! (Laughs)
Days Of Our Lives
Wally Kurth Talks on His DAYS Daytime Emmy Nomination, His Emotional Scenes, and Remembering John Aniston
During our 2023 year-end honors at Michael Fairman TV, we named Wally Kurth as our pick for Best Overall Performance by an Actor for his double-turn as both Ned Quartermaine on General Hospital and as Justin Kiriakis on Days of our Lives. So, it was absolutely no surprise to us that Wally landed a Daytime Emmy nomination for his riveting work as a grieving Justin in the Supporting Actor category for the upcoming 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
On DAYS, Justin had been put through the emotional wringer, of first, losing his beloved Uncle Vic, played by the late John Aniston, and then finding out that Victor was the supposed biological father to Justin’s son, Alex (Rob Scott Wilson). If you didn’t reach for the hankies during some of Kurth’s work in these scenes, we don’t know what will make you do so.
Michael Fairman TV caught up with Wally to get his reaction to his fourth Daytime Emmy nomination in the last six years. Kurth was nominated in the Supporting category in 2018, 2020 and now 2024 and Lead Actor in 2021.
In addition, Wally shares what scenes were on his nominated reel, how John Aniston impacted his work, how he has changed as an actor over the years with a new outlook, and being the only actor out there with two long-running roles on two long-running soaps, and much more. Here’s what Wally had to share below.
Congratulations on your well-deserved nomination. You decided to submit yourself this year for Emmy contention in both Lead Actor for GH and Supporting Actor at DAYS, correct?
WALLY: I did. I thought the DAYS reel was a little more dramatic, much more emotional. I had thought with the way the judging goes that it might be a little bit more, winnable, if you will. I enjoyed and was proud of my work at General Hospital, so it’s all good. I’m thrilled. It’s always nice to be nominated.
Photo: JPI
What scenes did you ultimately choose for your Supporting Actor reel?
WALLY: I started chronologically, as always, trying to tell a little bit of a story. I actually started with a scene where Justin has to tell Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) that Victor’s (the late John Aniston) plane went down and it was not found. Then, the scene with Bonnie (Judi Evans) where I sort of have to let it all out, and grieve the loss of this man who was practically Justin’s father, but it was his Uncle Vic. We have a little scene talking about Victor, and then there is a short snippet at the funeral where Justin eulogizes Victor. Next, we jump to scene where Justin discovers the letter where Angelica admits that indeed Victor is Alex’s father (Rob Scott Wilson). So then, Justin has to tell Alex, and then I also sort of grieve the fact that I’m no longer his father. Justin basically lost his son. It was very dramatic and very emotional. I was guessing the judges would be like, “Hey! Enough with the crying! Stop, you big baby!” But, they didn’t. They must have thought that it was convincing enough that it felt really truthful at how Justin was upset about these two unfortunate realizations.
Photo: JPI
You bring up a really good point. I talk to actors all the time about crying on Emmy reels. Sometimes, many feel it might put voters off. But obviously, this time it worked well for you!
WALLY: What I liked about the crying scenes was that, like in real life, you’re not crying all the time when something bad is happening, right? I think crying happens and it takes you off guard. It happens without you realizing it. These were all moments when Justin was alone, really. Bonnie comes in the room where Justin is just kind of like dealing with it. And then her coming in, opens up Justin and she is there to hold him. I think that often happens in real life. I thought that was correct for the writers to do that, you know, that Justin would break down when he was alone.
Photo: JPI
Did you feel the pressure of wanting to get these scenes when Victor died and at his memorial, just right due to the enormity to it, and to do justice for John Aniston?
WALLY: I allowed myself to use my heartbreak over John Aniston. I loved him. I just sort of allowed his presence for me in the scenes. It was sweet. It was good for me. I’m just thinking about it now and I feel teary-eyed. John was such a sweet man. He led by example, and he really did teach me how to be a professional actor, and he was a mentor. He never told me anything specific, but he was just John, and in the scenes, this was the time for me tell him how I feel.
Photo: JPI
Then, you had the heartbreaking scenes with Rob Scott Wilson where Justin tells Alex he is not his father!
WALLY: I thought that was just really challenging material. As I get older, I just trust the material, and don’t get ahead of myself. I trust myself with the emotion. Just let it happen if it happens. When I first read it, I kind of imagined what it could look like and then you just let it unfold from there.
You’ve got Robert Gossett (Marshall, GH), A Martinez (Nardo, The Bay), Mike Manning (Caleb, The Bay), and Bryton James (Devon, Y&R) all in your category. Robert has won two Daytime Emmys in a row, last year for Supporting Actor and the year before for Guest Performer.
WALLY: l love Robert. I worked with the character Marshall on General Hospital, and we had so much fun. He’s a great guy and a really good actor. A Martinez is the best guy ever. I have such admiration for him. Whenever I see him, we always really connect and to be in included with him is great. Bryton James, I don’t know, but I know he beat me in this category in 2020. Mike Manning, I didn’t get the opportunity to know when he was at DAYS as he weren’t in scenes together, but I hear good things about him, too.
Photo: JPI
When you are judging Emmy reels, what do you look for when you’re voting on a performance?
WALLY: That’s a really great question. And because let’s face it, there’s just a lot of terrific talent in daytime. This year, I judged two categories. I don’t just go with, “Okay, who’s crying the most.” I really try to go with the one who’s touches me the most, who surprises me and moves me. And so, if you go with that, you’re probably going in the right direction. I also think that upfront you do need to kind of give them something in the first couple minutes that shows you know what you’re doing and don’t make it too repetitive.
Who did you first tell you were nominated?
WALLY: My manager, Michael Bruno called me. I was in Chicago with my daughters having a late breakfast and I knew the nominations were going to happen around 11 am Chicago time. I didn’t tell my daughters about what was happening, just in case, I didn’t get nominated. So, when Michael called, I went, “Oh, boy!” I told my daughters who were sitting at the table with me. So, they were the first two people that I could tell, and that was really nice. We had champagne which was really funny because I bought three little glasses of champagne, and as soon as I bought it, we toasted. They said, “We don’t really like champagne.” So, I ended up drinking all three glasses. (Laughs)
Photo: JPI
What do you think of Eric Martsolf (Brady), your Day Players Band member, and DAYS co-star getting a Lead Actor nomination?
WALLY: I remember, I was like talking to him and I was like, “Eric, are you going to submit yourself?” And he is like, “I don’t know. I don’t really have anything …” And the next thing you know, he’s nominated. I’m like, “Wow! I guess he found something!” (Laughs) I love Eric. I have such respect for him and his gift, and he works really hard. So, I was very happy for him. I’m glad we weren’t in the same category, however.
How many years now have you been playing Justin on DAYS?
WALLY: I started here 37 years ago in 1987. I was there for four years and then I left. Then, 18 years later, Ken Corday (EP, DAYS) invited me back in 2009 and I’ve been on the show now for 15 years. So, I guess a total of 20 years on and off over the last 37 years. Everyone remembers 1987-1991 … those were big, big years for Justin and Adrienne who back then were a supercouple.
Photo: JPI
Have you determined who you would thank in your acceptance speech if you win this year’s Supporting Actor Daytime Emmy?
WALLY: I feel like this year I kind of have an idea of what I would say. I think I can remember all of that without writing it down. If I had gotten nominated for both shows, I was definitely going to point out and thank the powers-that-be for giving me dual citizenship and how much I appreciate that. I do think that being on both soaps, I will go to my grave believing that it’s made me a better actor. In fact, since I’ve been doing both shows, I’ve been nominated for Daytime Emmys. I’ve become a better actor. I feel like maybe it’s just that I’ve gotten older and wiser, but I feel as though when I go in there to work, I’m really focused and I’m really prepared. I know I pretty much get one shot to get it. We’re in the business of “one takes” now in the soaps.
Photo: Peacock
People are so lucky to even have one enduring role in their careers, but you’ve been able to have two, and they’re completely separate characters on two legacy shows; one which just turned 61, General Hospital, and the other Days of our Lives which will soon celebrate 60 years, as well.
WALLY: I didn’t plan on it. I must have done something right. Back in 2009, Ken called me up and invited me back to DAYS. I really jumped in. I’d been out of work for four or five years. I went back with a whole new attitude about the work, about the genre. In 2004, when I left General Hospital, I was kind of burnt out. Looking back on it, I didn’t have a good attitude and I was just done. I was kind of tired. New writers come in and sometimes, when you have new writers that look at your character differently, it can be very difficult, because you just know that their passion is not with your character. However, in this case, I’m like, “I’m going to take whatever the writers give me and do the best I can and do my job. Let the writers do their job.” I think the writers also know that I really respect them and I’m not going to complain. I’m not going to tell them what to do and I’m going to stay out of it. They have enough to work out. They have enough to do. I’m going to be the problem solver, not the problem creator. There are enough problem creators. Believe me when I tell you that every time I leave those sets, I’m like, “Thank you. I love it. See you the next time I see you.” I know how lucky I am to do both shows and to have this opportunity to act at my age and still be sent scripts. I love the art of acting. I’d do it for free. The fact that they’re paying me and I am able to do this and work with these great, wonderful, talented actors every day, it’s kind of mind-blowing.
So, will you be rooting for Wally to take home the gold in this year’s Outstanding Supporting Actor in Daytime Drama Series at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 7th live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+? Let us know if you remember his nominated scenes from Days of our Lives via the comment section below and how they affected you.
Interviews
Y&R’s Michelle Stafford Talks on Her Lead Actress Daytime Emmy Nomination, Allison Lanier, and ‘Pacific Palisades’ with Finola Hughes
It has been 20-years since daytime dynamo, Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) of The Young and the Restless, has captured the Daytime Emmy for her continued outstanding performances. She previously won Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1997 and Outstanding Lead Actress in 2004, and along the way has amassed 12 nominations for her work.
Now, Stafford finds herself in a crowded field of women going for gold at the upcoming 51st annual Daytime Emmys to be handed out on Friday, June 7th on CBS. Nominated along with Michelle in this year’s Lead Actress race are: Finola Hughes (Anna, GH), Annika Noelle (Hope, B&B), Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B), Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH) and Tamara Braun (Ava, DAYS).
Michael Fairman TV chatted with Michelle about her nominated scenes, her on-screen daughter, Allison Lanier being recognized for the first time in her career for her work as Summer, and her enduring friendship with Finola Hughes; which dates all the way back to when they were co-stars on the 1997 primetime soap opera, Pacific Palisades.
Photo: JPI
Michelle participated in the Michael Fairman Channel’s 10th annual Daytime Emmy Nomination Special last Friday, where she chatted with us and the fans live to celebrate her nomination along with several other actors. Here’s what Michelle shared on these key topics below.
Photo: JPI
What scenes did you submit, and what about those scenes did you think showcased you as an actress for the Lead Actress competition?
MICHELLE: I went from the beginning of Phyllis’ spin out, to her pleading to be exonerated. The thing that I liked is it showed what I do love about the character of Phyllis, and that is that she is dark. She can be very dark and really fierce, but then very broken. I liked that it showed all of that. I had some scenes with Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren) and Christian LeBlanc (Michael) that I started with that weren’t really meant to be as intense as they were, but they ended up being very intense. Basically, Phyllis is talking to her friends and no one believes her about this woman, Diane (Susan Walters). No one believes her and she has no friends and no one wants to know her. She’s become the villain, and it showed her just complete frustration. Then, there is this scene. It was so funny because Phyllis is like in Diane’s face going, “You’re afraid of me.” And then, I got up in her face and Phyllis goes, “and you should be afraid of me.” I’m watching it going, “Bitch, I’m afraid of you!” And then, at the end of my reel, she is just so broken talking to the judge.
Photo: JPI
Your on-screen daughter, Allison Lanier, scored her first Daytime Emmy nomination and in the highly-competitive Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama series category. What are your thoughts on Allison?
MICHELLE: Allison worked so hard last year. She works hard all the time. She’s so great. I’m so happy for her because she’s just a very focused, hardworking actress. I think, she really has a great look and she’s just fantastic. I feel just so rich in that Hunter King played my daughter for so many years, and now I have Allison. You know, Allison came into the story when my character was really jacked up and very adversarial and fighting with Summer all the time. I think it was a little daunting for Allison, but she got it. This is daytime, and you have to get on the express train. It’s moving. You either jump on or you don’t get on. Not every actor can do it. It’s a special technique and I think that’s what we all love about it, because that’s the challenge to actually put out something somewhat decent. I never want to say good, because I don’t know if it’s good but somewhat decent, in the limited time we have. I saw what Allison submitted which was fantastic. It’s really impressive. I always say anyone who could be good in daytime is phenomenal out there.
Photo Fox
You and Finola Hughes are nominated together, and are good friends dating all the way back to when you were both on Pacific Palisades together. You had played the character of Joanna, and Finola was the character of Kate. What do you recall about your time on the show?
MICHELLE: The characters we played were best friends on Pacific Palisaides, and I created a great friendship with Finola. Looking back at my time on that show, I don’t think I appreciated it as much as I should have. Of course, I was younger and I thought, “This is my first show. I’ll get many more.” You don’t appreciate things like you do when you’re older. Not that I didn’t appreciate it. I mean, I knew I was really fortunate. I knew I was lucky. I grew up in this business. I knew how lucky I was, but it was just a very different kind of character for me to play. I think it was a little challenging because I had gone from playing Phyllis, to playing like this wholesome Midwestern girl off the farm. So, that was a bit challenging for me, but I had a good time.
So, what do you think of the scenes submitted by Michelle for this year’s Emmy competition? Will you be rooting for her to win her first Emmy in over 20 years? What do you remember about Finola and Michelle in ‘Pacific Palisades’? And, what do you think about the on-screen dynamic between on-screen mother and daughter as played by Michelle and Allison Lanier? Weigh-in via the comment section. And in case you missed it, you can catch the ’10th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special’ below featuring live conversations with 10 of this year’s acting nominees.
General Hospital
GH’s Finola Hughes Chats on Her Lead Actress Daytime Emmy Nomination, New Directions for Characters in Port Charles, and Anna’s Love Life
In four out of the last five years, General Hospital favorite, Finola Hughes (Anna Devane), has almost become a perennial nominee having once again scored a Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress for the upcoming 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
Hard to believe, but Hughes won her one and only Daytime Emmy back in 1991, and has amassed a total of 11 Emmy nominations during her enduring daytime drama career. As those who have watched GH know, throughout any calendar year, you can find numerous stellar performances by Finola that could be tops on any Emmy reel.
Michael Fairman TV chatted with Finola during the 10th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special to get her reaction to landing in the field of six fantastic women vying for gold, what scenes went on her now Emmy-nominated reel, what she thinks of how GH is shaking things up under new head writers, Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Korte, and the future of Anna’s love life. Here’s what she shared below.
Photo: ABC
What scenes did you wind up submitting that landed you in the running for the Daytime Emmy in this year’s Lead Actress category?
FINOLA: The whole Charlotte (Scarlett Fernandez) shooting and the accident and that whole thing. Then, talking about that with Sonny (Maurice Benard), and then a bit of the breakup with Valentin (James Patrick Stuart), and then finding out that Valentin had lied.
Who helped you put the reel together?
FINOLA: One of our producers at GH, Michelle Henry. We have these amazing producers. They’re sort of the unsung heroes. They’re in the booth all day when we’re shooting. They do this wonderful thing where they earmark something, if they think that it’s been a good performance. So, they just have this sort of little list (that helps come Emmy time). So, that’s how that worked with Michelle.
Photo: ABC
Now you’ve had a string of recent Daytime Emmy nominations. Do you think GH is writing more for your strengths in the last several years?
FINOLA: Yes, and I think it’s become stronger recently. I think writers really take the lead sometimes from an actress or an actor who’s going through something or moving through something in their life. Maybe, that’s they were just seeing, you know, different layers and colors and so they started to write to that. I’m not sure. It certainly felt like I’ve had some things (material) that resonated with me.
What I have loved about Anna is that she is very complex. She often wrestles with herself over her past as a double agent, or certain guilt that she carries around. It’s interesting when the lines are blurred for her and things get messy.
FINOLA: I do well with complex and I like messy.
So, what do you think about the nominees in the Lead Actress category with you?
FINOLA: They are great. I don’t know Annika Noelle (Hope, B&B) very well, but I hear she did wonderful work and she sent me a lovely message. Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B) I obviously reached out to, Tamara Braun (Ava, DAYS) reached out to me, and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R) and I just got on the phone last night and congratulated each other on our nominations, and of course, Cynthia (Watros) is here with me at GH.
Photo: JPI
You do like do like the fashion of it all for Emmy night, correct?
FINOLA: God, I I live for it. I’m as shallow as that. I might play some complex on television, but I’m that shallow in real life.
So, do you go by the trends of what to pick out to wear for a red carpet, or you just kind of go off what you think looks good on you?
FINOLA: I do like the trends. I really like the fact that the sleeve is having a big moment right now since the film Poor Things. It sent it into the stratosphere.
It’s been 33 years since you won your last Emmy. Do you think you’re a better actress now than when you were even 10 years ago?
FINOLA: I have no idea. It feels like a game of golf always for me, because get on set, like today, I was doing some work this morning and I just doubt myself. I’m like, “Did I really bring it?” I do think I’m harder on myself now than I was when I was younger, because I really didn’t know what I was doing at all. It’s a very hard question to answer. I feel like it’s different, but I’m constantly in battle with myself as to whether something works or not.
Photo: ABC
What are your thoughts then on being Emmy-nominated, at times, for more than three decades?
FINOLA: At this point in my life, I just find the whole thing encouraging and extraordinarily sort of affirming, and sweet and lovely. It’s extraordinary to even be acknowledged. That’s the truth.
Currently, on-air, Anna is taking a harder line with Sonny. There’s been a shift.
FINOLA: Yes. That’s been really interesting. I was talking about this with Steve Burton (Jason), and we actually were working together today. We found like this level between the two of us when it comes to Sonny. It was just really like another whole level as to what I’m doing. I think what’s happened is people’s roles in Port Charles are becoming delineated, you know, where there’s less gray. It’s like we’re sort of moving into areas, right? All of us. That’s kind of great because then you’ve got the hospital, you’ve got the police station, you’ve got the mob, you’ve got the Quartermaines you’ve got Curtis’ nightclub, and so there’s these different areas. Then, your character becomes very specific. I had those scenes with Genie Francis (Laura) that aired the other day, and it makes sense that we are sort of waking up because unfortunately Sonny’s going through something which we don’t know about, but he’s not behaving well. So, therefore we are like, “If he would do that, then we need to wake up to that Sonny has always been like that.” But, it’s not true. Sonny hasn’t always been like that. We still deal in the gray, because we are searching for the gray in ourselves, which is interesting. And then we have to make a decision, such as, “Where do you stand? Who are you actually?” I think posing those questions to the actual characters is kind of interesting.
Photo: ABC
Now, who’s going to be the man in Anna’s life?
FINOLA: Well, I want to do some more stuff with James. Obviously, James and I text all the time about how we’re not working together. We all know what Valentin’s up to. However, Anna doesn’t quite know.
I was originally thinking they might put John “Jagger” Cates (Adam Harrington) in a romance with Anna?
FINOLA: Oh, I know. I love Adam. He’s so wonderful, and so is Charles Mesure (Brennan). Obviously, Laura Wright (Carly) has been working with the two of them as well. They’re both looking like they are in love with Carly, so what can I do? I’ll just take the leftovers. However, I’m hoping that I get to play Valentin. The thing that’s interesting is that he’s a Cassadine. His father has now passed on, so he’s now at the front of the wagon of the Cassadines. It’s in his blood. So, I don’t know what they’ll do.
Photo: ABC
What was our family’s reaction when you told you are an Emmy nominee?
FINOLA: We had just taped three days of a very big event on the show. I was really tired yesterday and I was sort of laying down pretending to take a nap, as I never can nap in the middle of a day. Then, Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital) called me to say that, Cynthia Watros and myself, had been nominated for Lead Actress. So, I actually got up and I walked outside and my three kids were sort of wandering around doing kid teenage stuff. I sort of told each of them individually. I was like, “I got nominated.” They actually said, “Congratulations!” So, I think it actually resonated through the haze of online extravaganzas that teens are looking at it.
Make sure to check out the 2024 Daytime Emmy Nominations Special from this past Friday night below, where several of this year’s Daytime Emmy nominees stopped by the Michael Fairman Channel to share their reactions and more on going for gold come June 7th.
Now let us know, are you happy Finola was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series? Who do you hope Anna winds up with romantically down the line on GH under new head writers, Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Korte? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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What an incredible interview! Thank you for posting this, Michael, and thank you, Crystal and Kimmy, for setting the record straight on so many issues! I always had faith and you have proven yourselves over and over. Thank you.
One of the best Crystal Chappell interviews ever! Thanks for doing this Michael! I love CC!!!!!!
Thank you for posting another great interview! I’m personally excited to see where things will go in season two, now that the technical issues seem to have been resolved for the most part. And that promise of the hottest love scene ever between Lara and Ani? Let’s just say I’m going *THUD* already at just the mere thought of it, lol.
thanks Michael for the fabulous interview, we got to know more about how the ladies kept their promise and give us Venice! it’s gonna be hard to watch Jessica having a love scene with someone other than Crystal, but ..I can’t wait to see the labour of love directing by Crystal.
Thank you Michael Fairman for this wonderful and insightful interview with the lovely Crystal Chappell and the very talented Kim Turrisi.I am so looking forward to season 2 of Venicetheseries.
LOVED this interview! Thank you Crystal and Kimmy for taking the time to do this interview! As a long time fan of Crystal’s, I am so proud for her in this venture, and especially proud that she’s able to share it with one of her best friends! I’m thankful that I’m able to witness such a wonderful piece of work! For any of those that complained about $9.99…it was worth SO MUCH more than that! I would’ve paid that PER episode! Can’t wait for season 2…I know Crystal and Kimmy will not disappoint! Thank you Michael for a wonderful interview!
Hopefully, Gina let Tracy go back to London. Although, Ani is with Lara, she still will always love Gina. I want to see some flashbacks from Ani and Gina’s relationship. Great interview.
I was so impressed by this interview. Kimmy and Crystal answered things openly and honestly, and we the fans love that. And for the record I would’ve paid more and will pay in the future if necessary. I’m just glad to see someone telling “our” story. The LGBT community loves that – I love that. I love Kimmy and Crystal and will continue to support them in any way I can.
What an amazing and informative interview! One of my favorites of the both of them.
Michael, I loved the questions you asked, they weren’t the same ones we always hear, so thank you.
Awesome Interview. Great info..looking forward to Venice 2 so exciting. Crystal Chappell and Kim Turrisi are so brillant and funny and I just adore them. Thanks Michael F. for the great questions! BRAVO!
Thank you Michael! I think I love you.
Great interview very open ,sincere & funny. Thanks Crystal and Kimmy for all your hard work just know we love you guys as much. Your labor of love has touched our heart and kudos to all that helped. Gotta love the loyal fans for there support keep pumping it up. Now on to all the goodies in season 2 can’t wait did I hear some mention about ice and human anatomy heh.
Thanks Michael
Oh to be a fan of CC and KT. Love the insight into their world. It is amazing what they have already done and what they plan on doing. Ambitous much? Forever I hope. Brava!
Thank you for this wondeful interview! So very informative and it just proves to me again that Crystal and Kimmy are two very intelligent women who absolutely know what they’re doing. Now I just need to figure out a way to get through til August…
Wow! Thank you for the very enticing and entertaining interview Michael. A few points that were addressed made things a lot clearer and understandable. And being a young entrepreneur, I know how hard it is to try and bring up a company; the word ‘Sacrifice’ always lingers in the air and will never disappear. I envy Venice for having such die-hard fans to support and cheer them on through all the hardships.
Definitely looking forward to more Venice behind-the-scene shinanigans in creating Season 2. (^_^)
My official opinion….This was probably the BEST. INTERVIEW. EVAH. with the Venice crew. Refreshingly candid. There were things that I didn’t realize about the cost of streaming video. So a Great Big Thanks for the extra few months of Venice season 1.
“Thanks” just doesn’t seem like enough. These women are extraordinary. I will slip on my respectful objectification cap on for a sec and say…hellz yeah regarding the love scene/nipple tease. I think my brain just melted a smidge. “Toto, we’re not on broadcast tv anymore” .
Thanks Michael for the great interview.
It sounds like Season 2 will be all over the place, like Season 1. For the record, that is not a good thing.
Very open, honest and informative interview. Thank you Crystal and Kimmy for your hard work and dedication. Looking forward to Season 2 on the edge of my seat. Keep pushing forward into the the exciting worldwide network of web media.
Huge Kudos and thanks to you Michael 😉 ..Thanks CC and K xo..Crystal never seizes to amaze me with her talent and her Love for us devoted fans. I know Kimmy was blown away by all us, but she seems to fit right in haha. When Gl was canceled, that was one of the worst days I can remember in my life personally. It wasn’t just a soap for me, but a part of my everyday life and knowing that my hero “Olivia Spencer” was going away, never to be seen again, really hit me hard. Then the next day, I found the BPD board and saw I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. Thanks to Destini for bringing us all together. It’s more than a board, It’s a community of family and friends. Friends I would have never had if it hadn’t been for her xo. And Thank God, You got CC on twitter and me 😉 ..Thanks Kimmy for your writing of Venice. Knowing I would have something to look forward to when GL was canceled was very emotional for me. I couldn’t or can’t image not seeing Crystal on Tv…or now the web. Like everyone says,,CC and Jess have amazing chemistry and I love the way Venice has went with the characters. I will be a fan of Gina’s, no matter what she does,, I mean; come on,, I was a Die hard Olivia fan haha. The meaner she was,, the more I loved her lol’s…Just hope that when I get to meet CC, that I never get one of those GTH looks unless it’s all in fun of course haha.
Thanks Michael for all you’ve done for us fans. Your interviews are amazing! Looking forward to Venice season 2! Love you guys..;)
Another fabulous interview Michael. I’m so glad that they chose you to interview them as you always ask the right questions. One thing that I really liked about this interview is Crystal and Kim’s honest responses, especially Crystal’s response to the non kiss on Otalia. From all the interviews that I have read/seen, I think this is her most outspoken response, and I respect her so much for that. With regards to Season 2 of Venice, I really hope that they are in a position to do it subscription free this time…I mean I would pay for it if I had to, but being self employed during a recession isn’t great!
I know there has been huge debate over Season 1, and it appears that they have taken a lot of what has been said on board, and I look forward to seeing the characters develop more in Season 2. (Also Crystal’s fixation with Nadia’s nipples is hilarious :-))
It was also great getting that insight into behind the scenes work that needed to be done, and I certainly appreciate it.
Thanks again, Michael. You’re the best!
Wow. Great interview. The one thing that really bothers me though is that neither Crystal or Kimmy thank Hope. Yeah at the end, “we wish her the best.” It would have been nice to hear “we thank her for all of her hard work.” In fact, Crystal only mentioned Hope one other time, “more of a technical person and also a co-director.” Huh, funny because wasn’t she the 3rd Executive Producer and the Main Director? I have followed Crystal for a long time and I must say it is very disappointing (and eye opening) that she/they did not thank her. No matter what happened behind-the-scenes, you should still thank your former team member (and partner) publicly.
I agree with you. When all the technical problems at the launch of the website, Hope worked very hard to solve problems. The directing of season 1 is really great. I also think they could thank her better than that.
Thanks Hope
I agree as well. I was repeatedly disappointed from missed opportunities where Hope should had been thanked or given credit for the work and time she provided.
Hope, thank you.
Well said! BetterBet! I had always found irony in the fact that their production company is called “open book productions” yet they have always kept the fans completely in the dark about what happened with Hope. It seemed up until they aired the first episode, that Hope was still part of “Team Venice”. Then suddenly, they stopped tweeting her and publicly thanking her? The whole thing just seemed odd to me and honestly, disrespectful of the fans and of Hope.
Hope, if you’re reading this, we the fans thank you for your hard work and contribution to Venice. We know it couldn’t of happened without you and sorry if you lost all your hair!
(there, a public quick thank you. Crystal, that’s how it’s done. See, it aint too hard.)
This is ridiculous. Did you demand that Lennon thank McCartney? Should Martin have thanked Lewis? Creative people – like all people —have the right to begin and end relationships . No mud was thrown, and it was all quite respectful. The bottom line is that for whatever reason which we will never know, the association did not work out and ended rather amicably.Your statement that “it couldn’t have happened” without the previously iunknown Hope Royaltey is honestly utterly without support. The brains and engine for Venice is CC, who put herself way out there in a way no other has ever done, including zillionaire gays who could and should get into production ( Hello Ellen, Oprah, etc) and I am grateful for Chappell’s efforts . Way to go Michael as always..
awesome friggin interview..thank you Crystal, Kimmy and Michael
Great job Michael. You, Mimi, and Destini always ask the questions that we the fans need answered and you don’t hold back.
Thank you Michael for this wonderful interview with our girls Crystal and Kimmy. I am continually impressed with C & K and what they are doing for their fans of Venice. I will forever follow them. C & K did an extraordinary job fixing the issues on the fly and I believe Season 2 will be better because of it.
I’m so happy that they will be able to roll over what they made from Season 1 to Season 2. Even if Season 2 ends up to be subscription based, i will pay anything to keep this series going. I love that Crystal has been able to bring on so many of her daytime friends and that they are so excited to be part of this journey with all of us. I can’t wait to see what this other project comes to be. These two women are phenomenal and deserve all the accolades being received. Thanks again Michael, Crystal and Kimmy
This interview was Fantastic… Thank you Mr. Fairman, Ms. Chappell and Ms. Turrisi….
Thank you Michael for an awesome interview. Your questions were spot on . I love hearing to what lengths Crystal and Kimmy went to in order to give the fans what they wanted. They were always so positive throughout the first season but I knew it had to be extremely difficult and they had some major hurdles they had to overcome. Thank you for giving us insights into what they really endured. And thank you Crystal and Kimmy for being so devoted to this project. I think it’s important that you guys know you are reaching out to many diffferent types of people regardless of sexuality, gender, race, etc. I think we all can learn and relate in some way to the story you are telling. Thanks to everyone involved with the production of Venice! Can’t wait for Season 2!
Freakin loved this interview. I’m so excited for Season 2 as I just ordered Season 1 on DVD from the Vstore 🙂 Crystal Chappell is simply amazing!
j’ai adoré lire cet interview; merci à vous toutes pour l’effort accompli : le résultat est au-delà de ce que l’on rêvait ! merci au journaliste qui posait les bonnes questions avec respect et intelligence et on vous souhaite vraiment le meilleur pour la suite, avec, il faut l’espérer, moins de problèmes techniques et plus d’amusement pour vous
on vous adore !
I agree with everyone else. This was one of the best interviews with Crystal and Kimmy. The quesitons were what most people wanted to ask and the answers were honest and insightful. I have been on this “journey” since the beginning and I have embraced the ups and downs along the way. I am glad they addressed the major issues. Hopefully, they will be a blessing in the long run and it sounds like they learned from them. I never had a problem with paying for content. Glad to hear that Season 2 may be free. So I plan on buying a few more T-Shirts and the DVD over at their store. No matter what Crystal and Kimmy are doing this for the fans. I am excited for Season 2. I hope they refocus a little and make a main triangle between Gina/Ani/Lara and I can’t wait for Jeffs character. Oh and Susan Flannery directing a little. Thats amazing. Anyway, thanks Michael for the great interview.
I really loved the interview thank you! Just bought S1 on dvd, and can’t wait for S2 it’s like anticipation for Christmas! It means so much to me that Crystal & Kimmy, and the rest of the crew really care about their fans! I have been a fan of Crystal’s for over 20yrs, she never ceases to amaze me how wonderful she is! I hope to be watching her for many years to come on television & on the web! Keep it comin’ cause I can’t get enough!
This is the defining interview Michael, Kim and Crystal. Every aspect of it is informative and gorgeous. Thank you so much for not only bringing the LGBT community amazing and enduring characters but also for bringing so many wonderful people together through this totally awesome adventure. Your courage, honesty, work ethic, fun-loving spirit and the relationships you are forging and re-affirming along the way is just so inspiring and really leaves me in awe. (Brave comment in there too Crystal – thanks for the insight into what you felt about Otalia not kissing! And also agree that although incredibly sad, we are so lucky that we didnt have to see the Otalia characters go through the treacherous soapy paths so many of us weren’t equipped or prepared for)
loved the interview, as long i can see cc and jl on screen i am always on board. can not wait for season two.
Wow this is a great interview, I got so much insight from everything these lady’s and the whole Vteam did during the production of S1 and now also S2 so grateful for all this wonderful people did for the fans. Just can’t wait for the next season to start, and I don’t mind paying this coming season. to all the great people that made this possible thank you so much.
MF you did a wonderful job on this interview thank you very much
Crystal and Kimmy and the rest involved in Venice, I think we all knew your efforts were super human at times but I don’t think enough can be said about your efforts and vision. You championed through some very hard times and took a lot of grief other times. As a loyal Venice watchers I can’t say enough about your perserverance. You are doing great by your fan base and as webseries innovators, plus you are not selling out the storyline. I hope I get to support Venice for a long, long time. Thanks.
thank you for such a honest interview, i alway believe in crystal words she told us what she and kimmy was about to do and my friend and i said well sink or swim we will back them all the way so thank you cc and kimmy, from our heart to your,. it will be hard to watch JL make love with someone else. when will we every see ANI AND gina again, together like an old marries couples
Bravo! Thanks for the wonderful interview. I can’t wait for Venice, Season 2 … and now I’m even more anxious, with the hints of what we can expect.
Thanks Kimmy & Crystal 🙂
During the time there was some complaints about CC and Venice, I wrote something over on the Venice the series youtube site in support of CC and the cast and crew, after reading this wonderful interview I’am so glad I did, this interview backed everything I said. CC and Kimmy to both of you and the cast and crew, I give a standing ovation for the work you all have done.
Like everyone here….great interview and I got the questions answered I was ruminating about. I have been a fan off Crystal for over 20 years and was FINALLY able to meet her in MN for the “HER HRC” event….and what I love about her is she is so genuine. What you see here is the real deal. I appreciated that so much as I was completely nervous and excited for this chance of a lifetime to finally meet her!! She totally set me at ease and talks to you with full attention and acts like she wants to really get to know you. Unfortunately there is not a lot of celebrities that are like this…so kudos to Crystal!! So my point is….if anyone is thinking that Crystal is not being genuine in this interview…then they haven’t met her yet!! =)
I can’t wait for season 2 and am happy and excited to have been apart of this journey….it’s been VERY exciting!! Thank you Crystal!! Hugs XO
Thanks Michael, Crystal & Kimmy! Fantastic interview! Have appreciated all your hard work on this labor of love…Venice..for all of us. You have a lot of fans supporting you no matter the ups and downs. We are here for you, too! Any help you need, we are there, just ask. Can’t wait for S2. Jessie & Nadia are quite the hot couple. Jessie is just fabulous in this series. Looking forward to more of CC’s directing. Thanks for everything you do. The new venture sounds intriguing! Love you! Happy to pay a subscription to give the budget you need to make it look good and pay cast and crew! See you soon in Venice!
Michael this was a very informative interview, good questions and honest responses. I also am amazed at all CC and Kimmy have been able to accomplish. Their ability to learn and deal with the problems as they are on this journey is something we could all take a lesson from these days. I am looking forward to Season 2 of Venice. I am also a CC fan forever.
What an amazing interview! Such a insight to the behind the scenes workings of a very short timed and intense labour of love in order to bring Venice to the fans. Its very humbling to see how much work these guys put into this because its what they believe in.
I was a newer Otalia fan as in the UK we didn’t have Guiding Light, but once on board the ride was amazing and so it brought us Venice and thus introduced me to Nadia Bjorlin. Jeepers that is some woman, I now find myself as fixated on her as anyone I’ve seen on tv and to see her playing such a convincing character in Lara is fabulous. What is even more fabulous is the news of her scenes with Jessica in Season 2. Their kiss in Season 1 was by far the best for me and although I’m saddened that Lara will be the bad apple so to speak, I understand the role of Lara in the Gina/Ani story – but hey – Kimmy says Lara/Ani have the hottest love scene in Season 2 – that’s good enough for me.
Crystal, I bow to your fixation with Nadia’s nipples – a site to behold I’m sure.
Great job everyone – Venice is Amazing!
Kimmy & Crystal rock!
Great interview with crystal and kimmy,nice questions asked and great answers.Did a great job of getting series up ,with the huge volume of peeps wanting to watch.I read on a board ,someone mentioned that they thought you guys did fantastic on a shoestring budget,when they saw the trouble a major network had trying to stream olympic coverage on the net .Oh and i hope that gina and lara get together somewhere down the line ,because crystal and nadia have such great chemistry,and i loved the pic of their smooch ,and the dirty dancing shot.,lol.
I appreciate what CC and KT are saying and doing, but Otalia was my love story, and Venice is very bittersweet, it just reminds me of how mad I am at CBS and P&G all over again, tho I agree there was a real silver lining in cancelling that venerable soap and giving us one of the few real love stories with a happy ending that we’ll ever see. Otalia was very, very special. Nothing can replace it. I’m not thrilled at seeing ‘my couple’ interacting with others. I want a romantic love story goshdarnit! I don’t want to see another L Word, please no.
Also have to say that the bright spots in “Venice” were JL as Ani and her wonderful comic timing and JC as Gina’s dad–I had no idea old ‘Billy Lewis’ was that damn good an actor, CC’s right, he’s brilliant. They both did film quality work. And the girls’ oceanside scene was epic feel.
Thanks for such a wonderful interview with Crystal and Kimmy!! I will support anything they do! They are such awesome people! I feel very lucky that I got to experience watching the 1st Venice episode in Vegas with them!
I was one of the fortunate ones to be in Vegas watching ep1 with Crystal and Kimmy Friday night and then the next day, at the GL Q and A, I declared my coming out because of the Otalia storyline. I am now engaged to my love. Crystal and Jessica are a direct contribution to my happiness. I will forever be grateful to you and the LGBT community. Keep up the awesome work and we can’t wait for the upcoming seasons. I’d pay a lot more than just $10 each for the rest of the seasons. Thank you!!! XOXO Awesome article, Michael!
Hello Kimmy/Crystal
Todos nós sabemos que o sucesso de VENEZA deve-se ao vasto público, ao grande número de fãs de Otália e as magnificas interpretações destas duas personagens. É claro que não faz sentido nenhum que este casal Gina e Ani não acabem juntas, seria uma grande desilusão, até porque só teria sentido isso acontecer se Otália não tivesse a sua história.
Agora pergunto? Porque razão Kimmy/crystal não dão outro seguimento a estes dois personagens, todos sabemos que todas as series/novelas, o desenrolar das mesmas são praticamente iguais só mudam os cenários, personagens, texto etc, o contexto é quase sempre o mesmo! é rivalidades, casais que separam, traições, ódios enfim, e fazem o publico sofrer 99% da história porque só no último capítulo é que dão um final feliz as personagens ou seja só dão 1% de alegria aos fãs.
Ora bem, se vivemos numa sociedade de consumismo, droga, álcool, guerras, catástrofes famílias infelizes, enfim, basta abrir os jornais, ver os noticiários, é praticamente pura energia negativa que entra nas casas através da Tv. e na mente das pessoas, quanto mais energia negativa obtiverem mais infelizes são e há aqui um aspecto muito importante a salientar, é que há pessoas que vivem de tal forma uma serie/novela como se ela fosse real e fazem disso parte da sua vida, tomemos por exemplo os comentários das cenas do casal Otália que estão na internet para vermos que isto é uma simples realidade, com as mesmas imagens constroem as suas próprias histórias. Infelizmente não têm raciocínio para interiorizarem que aquilo que vêem através do ecrã é tudo um trabalho de representação e que por detrás das câmaras os actores são pessoas normais como todos nós e que se divertem ao representar os seus personagens!
Uma vez que esta serie VENEZA é algo inovador e sem complexos que não faz distinção de sexo, cor ou raça, o que é de louvar! e como já vimos em algumas entrevistas de Crystal ,que havia muitas restrições nas personagens de Olívia e Natália, desde já os meus parabéns a Crystal pela excelente interpretação, é de louvar a capacidade que ela tem de comunicar com Natália através de um simples olhar, coisa que muitos actores não conseguem através das palavras, foi justamente esse o motivo que me levou a pesquisar mais sobre esta actriz, e quando dei por mim já estava envolvida de uma tal maneira que segui a historia a através da internet porque aqui em Portugal não temos canal que estava emitindo. Para mim foi a mais bem conseguida história de amor entre pessoas do mesmo sexo que já assisti até hoje.
Sou heterossexual (a natureza assim o permitiu) mas tenho o maior respeito por todos aqueles que não o são, infelizmente na era em que nos encontramos ainda há muitos SERES que sofrem em silencio ou represálias por apenas AMAREM alguém. No amor não há escolhas porque afinal o AMOR quando é INCONDICIONAL não tem cor não tem raça muito menos orientação sexual. FELIZES OS QUE AMAM E SÃO AMADOS INCONDICIONALMENTE.
Deixo aqui um apelo a Kimmy e Crystal façam os fãs/público (Giani) felizes emanem através do ecrã energia positiva, vidas de casais alegres independentemente da orientação sexual façam-os 99% felizes e deixem-os 1% intrigantes, não façam destas DUAS personagens uma CÓPIA de muitas outras, com certeza que estarão contribuído para um público mais saudável e para uma sociedade melhor.
Bem ajam.
Bom trabalho e muito sucesso em vossas vidas
13 Abril 2010
ILHA DA MADEIRA. PORTUGAL
Shella
Crystal and Kimmy,
This is a very insightful interview! We learned about the early and ongoing struggles of Venice, your first web show experience, which is inspirational. Your Dream was Ambitious, your Effort a Sacrifice and the Result, Extraordinary. Your story is a true testimony to what can be accomplished when a person has vision, fortitude, focus and sweat equity. I’m certain the wet spills of your occasional tears and sweat almost drowned you and you seemed as though you were up a web creek without a server paddle. But your resilience foiled your fears and you were able to navigate through. Season 2 holds great promise for this character driven plot. You have constructed a solid foundation on which to continue building a great story. You will resume to craft and develop the characters to reveal the various characters’ true self. With careful writing and seamless performances, the inspirational characters will become enduring. It’s exciting to watch Venice and experience along with you the phenomenon of the global network of web media. From the show’s inception, the strong fan base continues to make a rough road or the World Wide Web a little easier to trek. Crystal Chappell, you are FEARLESS! Just like Martin Luther King, Jr., you had a dream. You said, “I have a dream, a dream that gay people can come together with straight people. This nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: that all people, gay and straight are created equal. You had a dream that one day the children of gay people and the children of straight people would be able to sit down together at a bar or a night club and butch and sissy could dance to a “party mix” with a macho male or diva. You had a dream that gay children would one day live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their feather boa or the content of their closet, but by the content of their character. You dreamt that one day, gay people would not be judged at all, not by society, or by any measure which would seek to discount their worth. You had a dream that day! Move forward into the great web arena. Grow strong Web Women and Prosper!
What an amazing interview – thanks for bringing it to us!! It just highlighted how hard we KNEW everyone was working to bring us Venice and take Otalia to the level it should always have been at in Guiding Light.
I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved for making Venice – I never lost faith for one minute that it would be anything less than fantastic!! I can’t wait for Season 2.
Crystal and Kimmie – two amazing women!! 🙂
Great interview!..
By the way, what did Crystal mean by her comment when she said that Susan Flannery wanted to do some directing, just that she was”not getting the nipples scene”? Did I miss something?
I think its awsome that their are actresses out there that are so dedicated to thier fans that they continue the story line in a round about way. I like to right my own little short lesbian stories sadly im not much of a writer for one my spelling and punctuation suck bad. But my friends all enjoy reading them and giveing feedback my bff seems to like to edit them as well as read them. Where i live we have a small gay community there are many gay bars but almost all are hours away except our little hole in the wall called Chill its a nice little bar. It can be dramatic at times but mostly everyone get along.
Awesome awesome awesome interview. I love how candid they are, how open, it’s something to be admired and encouraged. I love these women…
What a great interview. CC and Kim are so authentic and genuine. Thanks for staying REAL, ladies. And by the way, I never thought that $9.99 was an excessive cost. As a matter of fact, I did I little math of my own and it goes like this: 12 epis X 5 min average length = 60 mins, I believe there were 3 or 4 behind the scenes specials = 15 mins = total 75 mins and that’s a very conservative estimate as I am sure the total time was more than that. Which means that the price of one minute equaled 7.5 cents (and actually less than that). So, now let’s take a step back and look at the investment that a huge number of people made with their time, skills and talents, costs of streaming which were apparently very expensive and unplanned, equipment and I am sure there were other numerous miscellaneous expenses. So, having said that I feel like I got a heck of a deal and was hugely entertained for 3 months in return which was PRICELESS!!! All I know is that I am looking forward to season 2. Oh, and I am happy to find out that Crystal has another project on the go and hopefully she will turn into a full time web film producer and leave Carly behind before the get buried alive again.
Thanks so much for a wonderful story. A university assignment a couple of years ago asked what is the most radical feminist thing that you have done…. I have to admire people who risk to benefit others; publicly supporting the LGBT community is a huge risk. I have to admire CC and KT for their efforts. I also think that it is an amazing individual who inspires so much trust from those people that actually know her that CC is able to get people to come on board for this project, because they believe in her, and want to support her.
Thank you Michael for the phenomenal interview. Thank you to CC, KT, JL and the other people involved in this project for just being phenomenal you (s).