Interviews

THE KELLI MCCARTY INTERVIEW – EX-PASSIONS

Published

17 years ago

February 9, 2009

Michael

She was a former Miss USA hailing from Kansas, and played the whacked-out Beth Wallace on the now defunct soap “Passions” from 1999 to 2006. Now she has taken her career in a new direction, which is an adult film star. This stunning revelation has rocked the mainstream and soap press for the last few weeks, with the bombshell of the release of her first porn title, “Faithless: From Beauty Queen to Porn Queen” on February 4th. Kelli has appeared on many of the top entertainment news shows due to this unconventional choice in her career path.

“On-Air On-Soaps” however, caught up with her in a bit of a different atmosphere than a porn set. This past Saturday, Kelli was the guest host with the famed Los Angeles, ACME Comedy Theatre Sketch Comedy Troupe. She participated in their “Saturday Night Live” weekly take-off; the highly successful, ACME This Week. Kelli,
who has a background in improv and
riding the wave of PR for “Faithless”,
showed the audience that an ex-beauty
queen, soap star, and current porn star,
could also be innately. . . funny!

In this very revealing interview, Kelli chats with me about her decision to enter Porn, her parents, friends and former “Passion’s” cast mates reactions, how she cast the film, what it’s like shooting sex scenes, the code of ethics in the adult film industry, and being the former Miss USA to boot. From her humble beginnings in Middle America to a XXX adult film, I think we can safely say, “Kelli, you are not in Kansas anymore.”

Listen to the audio:

[display_podcast]

MICHAEL:

I’m with Kelli McCarty backstage after her performance at the ACME Comedy Theatre. First off, how it did feel being up there doing sketch comedy? What skits did you enjoy appearing in?

KELLI:

I loved being up on stage. It’s the first time I did sketch comedy, and it was definitely intimidating, but I was looking forward to it. They actually did not tell me there was a teleprompter. So I was overly prepared, as far as knowing my lines, which was cool. But I loved doing the spoof on pageant moms. As Miss USA while traveling, I met so many pageant moms and stage mothers, and they really are out of their minds sometimes. So, it was fun to take that over the top and put a spin on it.

MICHAEL:

Now what about all the preparation the troupe does for the show, since you did a porn movie and that would be something they would spoof. Were they asking you “Yay” or “Nay,” for approval about certain skits? How does that work?

KELLI:

They threw 20 sketches at me, some spoofing the pageant and some spoofing the porn. Then we did pick and choose what were the funniest ones of all of them.

MICHAEL:

This has been a whirlwind for you, since you released your porn film, “Faithless”. There is so much publicity, and obviously, that was the plan. Now when you look at what’s happened because of it, are you uneasy about it? How do you feel at this point, honestly?

KELLI:

Honestly, when I decided to get into the adult film industry, I knew it was going to cause a bit of a stir, not only in the pageant world, but the soap world and press world in general. I’m really happy about what happened. I want to let people know you can do mainstream entertainment and then go into the adult world and then go right back. In the meantime, I am talking to a lot of different people in radio and television, and it’s cool. We are getting offers from mainstream
shows when they weren’t interested before.
The phone is ringing a lot, which I always
think is positive.

MICHAEL:

Did you do “Faithless” partly to jump-start your career post-“Passions”? Is that why you decided to get into the adult film business?

KELLI:

I did not do an adult film to jump-start my career. I just did it because I thought it would be interesting. I was sort of bored, and one day I woke up and I thought, “You know, I want to know what it would be like to be a porn star, and let me see if I could make that happen.” So I approached Vivid Entertainment, and they said they would like to work with me and it went from there.

MICHAEL:

Did you create the concept and script for your XXX film, “Faithless”?

KELLI:

I went to Vivid with the idea for a storyline and they put me in touch with the writers. So I had it in my contract that I would also cast the movie and help edit the movie, and have final approval over everything….

MICHAEL:

…With you putting people on, “The Casting Couch”?

KELLI:

Yes, I put them on the, “The Casting Couch”.

MICHAEL:

You obviously picked the people you wanted to have sex with, since you were involved in the casting process. How did you choose? What were your criteria?

KELLI:

If I am not attracted to someone, I am not going to want to have sex with him, and especially on camera. I wanted it to come off very real and passionate. So I waited till the right guys walked in the room and I said, “OK. Perfect! That’s who I am going to go with,” and they agreed.

MICHAEL:

There are people who like to do voyeuristic amateur porn in their homes, and like to watch themselves having sex. Were you like that? Voyeuristic sexually, as a woman? Did doing this film fulfill that in a way for you?

KELLI:

I am not a voyeuristic person in general. I really hate watching myself on-camera doing anything, whether it’s with my clothes on or off. So this was not about that at all. I did sit in the editing booth for hours. I sort of had to disconnect and try to make this the best that I can, so it was not the most fun for me to watch myself.

MICHAEL:

Ok, so now when you see the film and you watch it back, do you look at it like actors do, who are sometimes uncomfortable watching their work?

KELLI:

I am really critical and hard on myself. I could knit-pick forever, and at the end of the day I had to say, “I am really happy with this and let’s release the movie.” Otherwise, I could keep tweaking it forever and it would never get released for years.

MICHAEL:

You went from Miss USA, to a successful soap career and mainstream acting, to porn. Some people may not understand this interesting journey.

KELLI:

Well, for me, life should be interesting. My motto is, “Let’s just mix it up,” and I don’t want to feel I am being pigeonholed for the rest of my life. So, I would encourage other people to step outside whatever they are doing and say, “You know what? This is what I have always been interested in, and let me explore something else,” not necessarily adult films, but in general. Life is too short.

MICHAEL:

What are your ex-“Passions” co-stars saying?

KELLI:

I have not spoken to any of them.

MICHAEL:

None of them?

KELLI:

None of them. They have not face booked me or called me. Nothing! I guess they do not know what to say to me. That’s my guess. I expected to get a lot of calls, and I have gotten very few.

MICHAEL:

Once you got into doing the production on the film, was there one part of it that you realized was not comfortable for you and you had to overcome it, like an actress would have to overcome some obstacle playing a scene?

KELLI:

It wasn’t really uncomfortable; it was more funny to me and different, because on a regular set you are going to go grab some potato chips and a cup of coffee, and going to Kraft services. And a couple of times during the sex scenes they yelled, “Cut” and they were changing their lighting. I was going to go get a bottle of water and I look over and my co-star was “keeping himself up” sort of speak, to continue the scene. When the “five” was over, I was like, “Well, that has never happened to me on the “Passion’s set.” So it was silly and I laughed out loud. There are no “fluffers” left in the porn industry, so they have to do it themselves.

MICHAEL:

There was a “No Viagra” clause in the performer’s contracts, right?

KELLI:

In this day and age, a lot of porn stars do take sexual enhancers, but I wanted it to be very real. I did not want to be having sex for an hour or three or four on camera. I just did not want to go there. It was overwhelming for me to begin with. I needed it to be as tame as possible, and it still came out very sexy, but I had to taper the time limit.

MICHAEL:

There is this whole adult film industry protocol, that they test you for STD’s, correct?

KELLI:

The porn industry is completely pro ‘safe sex’. If people are not getting tested, they are not going to work. If they do not have a clean bill of health, month after month, they are not going to work.

MICHAEL:

So, does the production company check that?

KELLI:

The production company has it as a requirement overall in the sex industry, so they are not playing around. They are in the business to work. They have to do the blood and urine tests monthly, and they are not taking any chances, otherwise their livelihood is gone.

MICHAEL:

How do you look back on your time on the soap “Passions”? Were you sad when they killed you off as Beth Wallace in 2006?

KELLI:

I was disappointed that they killed me off

MICHAEL:

She was wacky!

KELLI:

Yeah, she was psycho, and that’s the next step. When your character is crazy, they blow you up on a train or something. They were talking about bringing my character back to life, but they canceled the show. So I did not have a chance to come back, but it was a great run, and I would not trade it for the world. It was a great experience.

MICHAEL:

Was it fun working with on-screen mom, soap vet Kathleen Noone (Ex-Edna)?

KELLI:

It was fun working with her. She is a pro and has been a long time. She definitely added spunk to the show.

MICHAEL:

Where do you keep your crown from your win as Miss USA 1991?

KELLI:

The crown is kept very safe at my parent’s house in Texas, and my mom keeps a very watchful eye on it.

MICHAEL:

Do you still look back on how cool it was? Or, do you now think about all the stigmas that some people attach or think about beauty pageants? Do you have a different perspective on it?

KELLI:

I don’t know specifically what other people think, but for me, it was an amazing experience. I met so many people and traveled around the world. It made my
mom really happy to see me win, and
that’s important, too.

MICHAEL:

Do your parents know about your new porn career? If so, what have they said to you?

KELLI:

My dad has not said anything, like “no comment”, and he’s fine. I don’t think most porn stars talk to their dads about their sex life or working careers. My mom is very supportive and a cool woman. That’s how she raised me, to do what I want and to make things happen, so that is what I am doing.

MICHAEL:

Will you do more adult films?

KELLI:

I do not know if I will do more. I am seeing how this movie turns out. I might end up writing some or directing some. I might want to write and direct again. We will see how this movie does and go from there.

MICHAEL:

In closing, what would you want people to take away from this interview, for those who might say, “I can’t believe she is doing this? What’s with her?”

KELLI:

I would say, what’s with me is, I do whatever I want to do as long as I am not hurting other people. I would encourage everyone to do that. This was not something I expected to do for years and years. It just came to me one day. I just made it happen. Hopefully, people will like the movie, and if they are not supportive, then they don’t have to watch it.

MICHAEL:

You have this rockin’ body. So are you picky about what you eat and what you look like? You know, many people obsess about their body. Do you get like that because you are nude in front of the camera and in show business?

KELLI:

I don’t obsess over anything except my dogs. I do Yoga. I have been doing it for ten years, and I take care of myself. I do allow myself to eat what I want in moderation. I am from Kansas. I was raised on fried chicken and potatoes and I still eat and cook that type of stuff.

MICHAEL:

But you are OK with seeing yourself naked in movies? (He laughs)

KELLI:

I don’t think I would have chosen to do an adult film if I had any reservations. (She laughs)

Related Topics:Interview kelli mccarty passions Podcast

Up Next

THE CHRISTEL KHALIL INTERVIEW – THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Don't Miss

THE BETH CHAMBERLIN INTERVIEW- GUIDING LIGHT

1 Comment

oldest

newest

eugene

15 years ago

I wonder what her kids will tell her mom when they grow up and by accident buy a porn movie called “Faithless” and see their mom f*cked with different guys.
Anyway It’s very good porn =)

Interviews

‘The Young and the Restless’ Eric Braeden Talks Daytime Emmy Nomination, State of Nikki and Victor’s Marriage, and His Co-Stars (Exclusive)

Published

4 days ago

July 30, 2026

Michael

Eric Braeden has been playing Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for 46 years. The iconic star of the #1 rated daytime drama series has thus far won once for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series back in 1998 in a ceremony he did not attend. Fast-forward to 2026 and the 85-year-old Braeden is once again nominated in the category for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Earlier this month, Eric, along with 4 other actors learned they were going for gold at the ceremonies on October 30. In a twist of fate, fellow co-star and also Lead Actor nominee, Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) and Braeden submitted the same scenes which centered around Victor firing his longtime attorney and friend, Michael Baldwin.

In a new interview, now on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Braeden shares: his thoughts on the nomination, if he will attend daytime’s biggest night of the year, what he thinks will happen with the current cracks within the relationship of Y&R’s Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victor, his reaction to the heartbreaking scene where Nick (Joshua Morrow) admits to Victor that he has a drug addiction, and much more.

Photo: JPI

VICTOR NEWMAN AND MICHAEL BALDWIN EMMY SCENES

On his Lead Actor Emmy-nominated reel, Eric recalled, “The show submitted it for me and I said, ‘Yeah, go ahead.’ Had I known Christian was part of it, I would’ve said, ‘No!’ I’m kidding. It’s difficult to do a scene with Christian without beginning to laugh in the middle of it. Anyway, he’s wonderful to work with and he did a wonderful job, and I’m grateful for the nomination.”

Braeden also shared plans for attending this year’s Daytime Emmys with his granddaughter making it all the more special, “I will go this year. You know why? It’s an honor first of all, and secondly, my granddaughter, when she heard about it, she says, ‘Opa, can I go? I already know what dress I would buy.’ I mean, it was so sweet. But you bet. Now, I’ll really go to the Emmys!”

Photo: JPI

CAN NIKKI AND VICTOR’S MARRIAGE SURVIVE?

Over the past year, Nikki and Victor’s marriage has been on shaky ground, especially after Victor caught his nemesis, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) alone in a hotel room with his wife. Nikki went on a bender and Jack was her AA sponsor, but in order to help her, he almost OD’d himself. Victor believes the two hit the sheets.

Now in 2026, Victor was there after Nikki woke up after surgery to save her eyesight, and she has yet to see post-procedure. However, Braeden notes ‘not so fast’ on a reconciliation.

“I would say it will be a rocky road, because you don’t get over these things so quickly. You don’t,” teased Eric. “It’s jealousy and it’s a very, very deep emotion, and every time there’s something that reminds Victor of that incident, he will feel that emotion. It’s an emotion that is not taken seriously enough by people. Relationships are very difficult because of that sometimes.”

Photo: CBS

JOSHUA MORROW DOING THE FINEST WORK OF HIS CAREER

Back in March of this year, in one of the most unforgettable in this, or any soap season, Nick Newman accompanied by his brother Adam (Mark Grossman), came to see Victor where Nick admitted he now has a drug addiction to fentanyl and how he is so ashamed of himself. In the scene, Victor goes to comfort his son, calling him, “My boy” while broken-hearted.

Eric recalled the taping of the scene: “It touched me deeply and it was one of those moments that a father and son don’t want. They’re horrified by that. I think Joshua made an enormous leap in acting in that scene. He showed what he is capable of. It was a very, very touching scene. We had some scenes after that, again, about the same thing. Now, there’s a whole deeper connection between father and son. Any father would almost have a breakdown knowing that his son is on drugs or his daughter. It was a very well-written scene.”

Photo: JPI

ERIC BRAEDEN AND MICHELLE STAFFORD MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY

The Young and the Restless led the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Nominations with 18, more than any other series or programs. One of the nominations belongs to Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) who nabbed another Lead Actress nod.

Recently, Eric and Michelle have shared much screen-time since Phyllis took Victor’s company from him. During the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live!, Stafford she loved working opposite Eric in the storyline, to which Eric has now responded.

“It’s mutual because I love watching her work,” exclaimed the TV icon. “I just don’t know what she’s going to do in a scene and I love spontaneous moments. I don’t like it to be set and adhered to. I like it to be improvised as much as possible. Michelle is just so facile, so quick, so smart as an actress. She’s wonderful.”

Check out the full conversation with Eric below.

Now weigh-in: are you happy to see Eric receive a Lead Actor nomination? Do you think Nikki and Victor will continue to have issues in their marriage? Did you like the scenes with Michelle Stafford and Eric, and of course the hankie-inducing moment between Joshua Morrow and his TV dad? Weigh-in via the comment section.

Interviews

‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Scott Clifton Talks His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, and the Omission of His Scene Partner, Annika Noelle (Exclusive)

Published

1 week ago

July 25, 2026

Michael

Less than two weeks ago, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer) received the news he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actor category at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

Clifton delivered what may have been the best work of his career in 2025; in a heartbreaking story arc where a believed-to-be-dying Liam tries to come to terms with his fate, and what his exit from the land of the living means, and what it would do to the daughters he leaves behind, the women he’s loved, and his father.

Going into this year’s Emmy race, Scott is already a three-time Daytime Emmy winner and a record holder for being the only actor to have won in the three acting categories throughout his career: the now defunct Younger Actor, Supporting Actor and Lead Actor.

Shortly after receiving the news of his latest nomination, Scott shared his reaction and what scenes he decided to include on his now Emmy-nominated reel when he participated in the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live!

During the conversation with Scott, it was very apparent that he feels his on-screen partnership with Annika Noelle (Hope) was a key to his success in 2025, and one of the reason for a key scene he chose. However, Annika’s name was left off the nomination list which disappointed Clifton as he shared below.

Photo: JPI

HOW SCOTT CLIFTON WENT ABOUT CRAFTING HIS LEAD ACTOR REEL

“They got a lot of reels to watch. So, I just picked three scenes. It’s important to create a context so that people aren’t completely lost,” explains Clifton on his best practices strategy. “I picked the scene where Liam found out the diagnosis (about his inoperable brain mass), where Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) tell him which sets the stage. And then, there is a scene where Liam is saying “don’t tell anyone.”

Next, there’s the scene at Il Giardino between myself and Don Diamont (Bill) where Liam is telling his father without telling him, by saying, ‘I just want you to know how much I love you, and how grateful I am to you.'”

Then, the final scene, and I owe it all to Annika, was between Liam and Hope. This is where Hope kind of says, ‘I know,’ and then they just have a conversation about their lives and their daughter. Liam also talks about his mom. It just seemed real to me and the best way to close it out. That was it. That was the whole reel about 11 minutes long.”

Photo: JPI

ANNIKA AND SCOTT’S BITTERSWEET EMMY MOMENT

When Scott connected with his on-screen wife, Annika Noelle, following the news of his nomination, which actually came on the Monday before the full nominations were revealed on Tuesday via Extra, there were a rollercoaster of emotions.

Scott detailed, “Annika sent the most beautiful congratulations, and I was trying to figure out if they had announced her category. However, it was in the middle of that conversation that she said. ‘no.’ And then, the conversation turned into my rage for her not being recognized because that whole story was just as much hers as it was mine.”

“My, God,” Clifton continued. “The way that she had to downplay so many things and keep the secret that she knew, that I knew, that she knew. The end of that scene, I couldn’t not include it. It’s more a scene about her and how hard this is for her than it was about Liam. It blew me away that she wasn’t recognized for it this year, but she will next year.”

You can check out Scott’s segment on the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 Live! below at roughly the 25:46 mark into the show.

So, were you happy to hear what scenes Scott submitted that earned him a Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination? Do you think he’s one of the frontrunners to take home the gold when the Daytime Emmys are handed out on October 30? Do you feel as Scott does that Annika Noelle should have been a nominee for her work in 2025? Let us know via the comment section.

Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of Our Lives’ Christopher Sean Opens Up About His Daytime Emmy Nomination to Honor His Late TV Father, Drake Hogestyn (Exclusive)

Published

2 weeks ago

July 18, 2026

Michael

There was not a dry eye in the house when in June of 2025, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean) gets up to eulogize his father, John Black (Drake Hogestyn), after the iconic character passed away and his funeral brought Salem together for one last goodbye.

In real life, Drake Hogestyn had passed away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70 back on September 28, 2024. When DAYS taped the funeral episode, Drake was still alive and had given his blessing to the series longtime executive producer, Ken Corday, that it was OK with him to kill off his character and to have a memorial. Sadly, shortly after the cast filmed the scenes, Drake died leaving a lasting legacy on DAYS that will never be matched.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Christopher Sean received the bittersweet news that he had received a Daytime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Guest Performer category for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards for his performances. Christopher appeared shortly after the news of his nomination on the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 were he shared his emotional reaction. Here’s part of what he expressed below.

Photo: JPI

WHAT DID CHRISTOPHER SEAN SUBMIT?

“I submitted Paul’s lowest moments in his life, and Paul’s highest moments, meaning the eulogy with John Black, his father, and for my hero, Drake Hogestyn, and Paul getting married to Andrew (Colton Little). So it was two very opposite ends of his life. But what a great culmination of 12 years of being on Days of Our Lives it was.”

ALWAYS BEING GRATEFUL TO DRAKE HOGESTYN

“Even talking about it now, I have so much love for Drake. I’ve got him here on my wall and I wake up every day and I try to make him proud. It’s hard to talk about it, but I feel that my life is on the path that I am because of him, because of him being my role model, because of him loving and guiding me, because of everything that he has taught me on and off the set.”

Photo: JPI

THE EARLY STRUGGLES WITH PAUL’S EULOGY AND HEARTFELT ADDITIONS TO THE DIALOG

“I had been texting back and forth with Drake and I was actually pretty angry, because I felt that we shouldn’t exploit this, but Drake was so attached to the fan base that when Ken Corday spoke with him and gave him the permission to allow the fans to grieve with us, that’s when I said, ‘OK, if that’s what he wants, then I’m going to go full throttle with it.’ In Paul’s eulogy and monologue I’d read it and without asking the writers, I added a few lines and they allowed me to keep them.”

Christopher continued, “One of the lines was, ‘anytime I see a rainbow in the sky’ and I said, ‘and a baseball up high, or a rainbow in the sky,’ because I wanted to attribute it to baseball and to Drake. It was already perfect the way it was written, but that was my nod to Drake. We all loved him and there’s not a person I know who didn’t love him. Drake lit up any room he was a part of. I would not be here, again, without Drake.”

You can catch Christopher’s conversation on the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special at the 2:14:25 mark below.

The 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed in a ceremony on October 30 from the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood California. Current plans are for the event to stream live on the National Academy Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), watch.theemmys.tv and associated apps.

So, will you be rooting for Christopher to take home the gold for his heartbreaking performance of Paul’s grief over losing John and then marrying Andrew? Were you touched by how much Drake Hogestyn had meant to his life and career? Let us know via the comment section below.