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The Robert S. Woods Interview – One Life to Live

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

If there is a sentimental favorite at this year’s 39th Daytime Emmy Awards, look no further than Robert S. Woods!  “Woodsy” as those close to him call him, received a nomination in the Outstanding Lead Actor category in the final year of One Life to Live.  And who in soapland doesn’t know that the heart and soul of the show, and that salt of the earth character that you could trust above anyone else, was the beloved Bo Buchanan.

An understated performer who can break our hearts, or make us smile, Bob Woods has been giving performance after performance for over three decades on OLTL.  And it wouldn’t be such irony, that on Emmy night, it would be Bob’s turn to take home the gold for only the second time in his accomplished career.  When you think about his body of work, and in particular last year, he had enough to rival any one of his competitors. 

On-Air On-Soaps spoke with the popular Woods to get his thoughts on finding out he landed a nomination, and to find out how life is after One Life to Live.  And, we took this opportunity to discuss Bo’s last scenes in the series finale, and the shocking alternate ending that no one knew about!  We have to share with you that throughout our conversation, Bob had us beaming with pride, holding back the tears, and laughing and smiling.  It was emotional, heartfelt, and direct, exactly what you would expect from this daytime legend.  And as you will learn, Bob is just as devastated as all of you are that Llanview is no longer on the TV map.  So here we go with our special Emmy interview, and more with Robert S. Woods!

MICHAEL:

What fantastic news, Bob, that you were nominated (and deservingly so) for your work as Bo Buchanan in the Lead Actor category.  How did you find out the news that you received the nod?

ROBERT:

Courtesy/ABC

I was out working in the backyard, and I heard my wife, Loyita, screaming, “You’re kidding?”   I think Billy Warlock and Julie Pinson called her and told her! (Laughs) I did not know the nominations were coming out that day.  I was talking with Leah Webber, one of our producers at One Life.  She was handling all of our submissions.  She was working on material with an echo in the room, because everyone was gone.  Leah is the one that pulled out some scenes for me, bless her heart!

MICHAEL:

All of your fans and colleagues are so thrilled for you that you got recognized for your work in the final full year of OLTL.  Did you speak with your OLTL co-nominees, Eddie Alderson (Matthew) and Erika Slezak (Viki)?

ROBERT:

I called Eddie right away.  I have watched that guys since he was very young.  Hillary B. Smith (Nora, OLTL, now Stacy B&B) says, we have watched him grow since he was three.  When Kristen Alderson (Starr, OLTL now GH) started on the show she was five or six, and so Eddie had grown up in the studio.  He was being a prop man.  He used to help the prop department and strike the sets!  I heard from Erika Slezak and she congratulated me, and so did Hillary.  Frank Valentini called, too, which was nice.  He has been working his butt off at GH!

MICHAEL:

You must have been thrilled!  This is coming at such a bittersweet moment with the beloved One Life to Live canceled, and now you receive this recognition!

ROBERT:

Courtesy/ABC

If you had asked me, “How would you feel if you found out you were nominated?”  I would think, “Geez, I don’t know what I would feel.”  But I was grinning from ear to ear.  I think a lot of it is that it is so sentimental.  One Life to Live is gone.  I still can’t believe it.  I thought I would be gone some day, but I never thought One Life would be, nor that ABC would not have those three mainstay daytime dramas all together in their daytime lineup.

MICHAEL:

There is such a hole in people’s hearts who followed One Life to Live for decades, or even if they were new fans.  Many are having a hard time dealing with the fact that they can’t see Bo, Viki, Nora, and everyone in Llanview anymore on a daily basis.  I have to say, it does feel really odd.  A huge piece is missing and it feels like this big chunk was cut out of the ABC daytime lineup!

ROBERT:

I have days where I keep thinking, “I better look at my scripts.”  Then I go, “Wait. Oh no. I don’t have to go back.”  I went through that for a long time after we taped the final episodes.  We are looking back at November 18th of last year when we taped our last episode, and then the last airdate was January 13th of this year.  I just remember it was Friday, the 13th!  I miss talking to the camera guys, and Michael Easton (John, OLTL now GH).  We have been playing phone tag forever.  It’s just weird that you can’t go in and walk through the door and see people that you knew and have a kind of reunion.  That is what I always thought when I left the show years ago.  I thought I would be able to pop back in now and then.  And that it would always be there to go home to.

MICHAEL:

And fans are hoping that somehow the show will get another lease on life and be resurrected, but so many hopes have been dashed!

ROBERT:

People are always asking me, “Do you think OLTL will come back now that ABC realized they goofed?”  They ask that especially in light of The Revolution tanking, but people in the cast and the production have moved on in just six months.  It’s just a shame.  We were doing very well.  But if the network felt they had to do something they should have cut the show back to a half hour, as well as All My Children, and have two half hour shows and then GH!  Then some day when everything gets reinvented again, they go to an hour.

MICHAEL:

Photo Credit: Robert Milazzo

I always said, “thank God” when ABC decided to cancel The Revolution. However, instead of airing the GMA Summer Series in its timeslot for the summer, they should have taken that nine weeks and brought back One Life to Live to wrap it up properly and give a semi-bone to the fans.  But now, since that’s a matter of getting the actors, the sets, and the costumes all again, that would prove difficult.  We will have to work on OLTL: The Movie!

ROBERT:

We have Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati over at General Hospital now, and so what are you going to do?  It’s a sad thing.  I never thought it would happen where we would not be on the air.

MICHAEL:

I will never forget the day you, Hillary B. Smith, and me taped that final video interview together at the last OLTL press junket back in November.  I so recall the three of us looking at each other with such disbelief and sad faces, that we were actually taping a farewell interview together after decades in the genre!

ROBERT:

That was a strange day.  It was sure not what I had in mind.  I said, when I came back to the show after I was gone for a couple of years,  “Either they will carry me out the door or throw me out the door, but I was going to stay.”  Then the minute I got older, I could see retirement a couple years down the line.  I will say the schedule was really tough towards the end. We were maybe doing three or four shows a day.  It was harder and harder to remember all the lines.

MICHAEL:

On a happier note, I think you had a great year last year.  In my mind, you had a lot of strong material to choose from. What did you end up submitting for the Emmys?  I heard you changed it up from the pre-noms to the final round.  Is that true?

ROBERT:

Courtesy/ABC

Yes.  I changed it up.  In the pre-nomination, I went with the barn showdown scene with Clint.  Bo was going to shoot him and Asa’s hat was in it, and all of that.  Then in the second go round, and for the final round of judging, it was about when we had to make a decision about Matthew, when he was pretty much soap opera brain dead. (Laughs) It was about whether we were going to pull the plug on him, because his heart was a match for Clint.  Clint was going to die if he did not get a heart transplant.  So I submitted a scene with Erika Slezak, where Bo says, “How do you give up on a child?  But if something is not done, do I end up killing my brother by refusing to help him?”  It was one of those back and forth moments, and Nora comes in at the end of it.  I think the scenes start with Bo coming out of Matthew’s hospital room, and then he turns the corner and there is Viki.  It was kind of cool, because way back in 1979 I came in the door and sat down in a chair and said, “I am in love with you, Viki!”  You know my screen test for Bo was with Erika!

MICHAEL:

I know you can’t have a better scene partner than Erika Slezak!

ROBERT:

Oh, God!  And when you watch the scenes, Erika really went to bat for me!  She was good with everybody, but there was something a little different about it when you look at all the scenes from that day.  There was a lot of material also with Eddie Alderson as Matthew that I considered was strong, too.

MICHAEL:

Why did you make the decision to switch reels?

ROBERT:

Courtesy/ABC

I did not think in a million years I would get nominated for anything, and with the show being gone.  I just thought, “It’s over, and no one is going to give us a second thought from One Life.”  So my favorite scene was with Erika.  But then I found Leah Webber initially submitted the barn scene.  She sent me stuff that I could watch via You Tube, and so I watched them at home.  I have to say the barn scenes with Jerry verDorn (Clint) were fun!

MICHAEL:

I really wish the Daytime Emmys were judged and gave recognition for a body of work through the eligibility year, instead of just scenes from one episode.  Then when comparing it against other actors, it can often times feel strange and then it makes the whole process more of a game, even though in the end, the Emmys are a game!

ROBERT:

The whole thing over the years, and how it evolved, became about campaigning with different shows.  There was the issue of block voting, too. That happened on CBS with Guiding Light and As the World Turns.  I don’t think we ever did that on One Life to Live.  Jill Farren Phelps, when she came to our show as executive producer, she was like. “Well, I know how to do this.  This is what we have to do to win.”   I will tell you how you get nominated?  You submit good work, and if they like it, you win.  But I guess Jill’s approach was about how to get nominated.  We never did that at One Life.  If you had something to show that was good, and something you are proud of, we would go for it.

MICHAEL:

Now if I recall, the year you won your Daytime Emmy was the year the Emmys weren’t televised!  Now I think there is something to this!  (Laughs) They might not make it to television again this year! 

Courtesy/ABC

ROBERT:

Yeah!  And it’s so funny.  Somebody told me, “I will be watching!”  And I went, “Well, I don’t know what you’ll be watching.” (Laughs)  And usually the next year after you win, you get to present the honor in the Lead Actress category.  I was all excited because that year was Erika Slezak’s first Emmy nomination.  And Paul Rauch, our then executive producer, had us on location the night of the Emmys!  We were downtown in Greenwich Village and the character of Delilah was running away from some sailors who were chasing her.  I was there for when I won my Emmy and it’s just that it wasn’t televised.  I just remember, I thought it was cool being there and my first time being nominated, and I was just kicking back, because again, I had to work at the show late.  I did eventually get to the Emmys, but missed the dinner part with my date, and a buddy of mine, who went with me.  Paul was not a big fan of the Daytime Emmys.  I will never forget the expression on Robin Strasser’s (Dorian, OLTL) face.  She was presenting my category.  All of a sudden her eyes widened, and she took a deep breath with a big smile and I thought, “Oh, you have got to be kidding me?” (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

What do you think of your competition in the Outstanding Lead Actor category?

ROBERT:

It’s a good group.  It’s a veteran group with guys who have all been around for a long time.  I have met John McCook (Eric, B&B) before, but briefly.  The other three guys I have known forever.  I met Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) when he was on All My Children.  Tony Geary (Luke, GH) and I go back a long time.

MICHAEL:

There was such disappointment that OLTL was not nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series.  This show can never catch a break, even after it’s canceled!

ROBERT:

I know there were some good shows in their submissions.  Judging from our last fan club gathering, nobody could understand what happened and why we were canceled?  You know traditionally, we were that middle child.  The network was always worried about the lead-in and keeping it going.  Then, you have the strong finish with GH.  Everyone always talked about GH and AMC, and we were like, “Hello! Over here!”

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL:

In January, the final episode aired.  There was no one more moving in the final episode than you.  Those scenes between Bo and Matthew, when Matthew names his baby boy Drew after Bo’s late son, was so touching!  But then, when Bo tells Nora he loves her, as he is about to walk out the front door, we all sobbed!  Did you watch the finale?

ROBERT:

I did watch the day it aired.  I had a lump in my throat, too.  Eddie and I were talking before we did it, and even when the script came out.  Eddie said, “I think we are going to have our moment.  We are going to have a moment!”   This is the last show and we were going to have our moment, and the same with Hillary.  It did feel like our goodbyes were very real, and especially walking out and being able to turn around, and just when you think it’s over and then Bo to say, “I love you, Red,” and that’s it.  The last words out of your mouth, and there was a lot of history there.   It was nice way to end.  We shot an alternate ending in case the show was going to the internet, and if I was not going to stay with the show.

MICHAEL:

Oh, my God!  What was the alternate ending for Bo?

ROBERT:

I went out the door and a guy was there with a gloved hand and dressed in black.  There is a hand over my face, and Bo is about to fight and then he realizes, “Oh, it’s you guys.” And then he gets taken away and out for some clandestine thing from the old days.  It would have kept it going, but the way it worked out it just ended with a moment of Bo and Nora looking at each other with nothing planned.  So much of what we did was like that.  It just came right out of the moment, listening to each other, and trusting, and our timing.  Hillary and I had that big ten-year gap.  I forgot how easy it was to work with her and how well we worked together.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ABC

The final press junket also included a timeout when the cast gathered on the set to take the final cast photo of One Life to Live.  And I know they put Asa’s hat in the shot as a special memory of Phil Carey (Asa).  That must have been very emotional for you. 

ROBERT:

Yes, they put Asa’s hat there, and it was so tough looking over at it during the photo shoot and remembering Phil Carey.  There are so many things I remember.  I have posters and memorabilia that I had framed.  One day, Phil showed up with something and went, “Here Woodsy! You like this kind of shit.”   I looked at it and it was the front page of the Banner and it said, “Asa Buchanan is dead.”   I framed it and hung it on my wall, and right behind that the prop guys are saying, “Anybody seen that newspaper?”  (Laughs)  But Phil would walk off the set with things like that and have things framed! (Laughs)   I said to somebody, “You know, we all have been lucky to have worked with a guy like that. “  He is the last of a breed.

MICHAEL:

If Frank Valentini would find a way to work Bo into GH, would you even be interested in going?

ROBERT:

Oh, I don’t know if they ever could.  Michael Easton came up with an idea that if McBain ever got in a jam, he looks up and goes, “Thank God. Where you been?”  And I turn around and fans see its Bo!  Usually, it would be me in trouble, and John would come rescue me.  Michael Easton said, “Is it something you would do?”  And I said, “It sounds cool and if I was working with you, I would do it.”   But that was just us talking.  But honest to God, GH is GH.  They have enough people from One Life on there now.  It’s their show.  It’s got to be tough when you have invested in the show, and you have been an actor who has been there years and years and years, and then you have all these new faces. You can understand them pondering, “Well, why don’t you think about us?”

MICHAEL:

So right now are you done with acting?

ROBERT:

At this particular point right now, I really don’t want to act.  I like to watch people act and go see some plays and watch TV.  I love Mad Men, Castle and Smash.  Right now, I am happy with what I am doing.  Loyita and I are not at each other’s throat, where I need to go find something to do.  We are still a great team.  I was on One Life to Live 30 years over a 32-year period.  And I have had to memorize so many lines for so many years.  I said to a friend, “I have probably said more during my time at One Life than a lot of big movie stars have had to memorize in their whole life!”  It’s a lot of work and it’s so fast.

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL:

In closing, I have to say, I don’t think there will be a dry eye in the house if you were to pick up the Daytime Emmy in June for Lead Actor.  You want to win, don’t you?  It would be such a terrific cap on your daytime career!

ROBERT:

You know what?  I would be grinning for the rest of my life if I was to win.  I can’t say, who cares?  There have been years in the past where I did not care if I was nominated because I have one already.  And then I watch friends of mine like Tony Geary and Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R) who are multiple winners, and especially Tony.  And then I thought, “Maybe it would be good to have another one.”   Tony must have them all over the place.  (Laughs) I would be very happy and proud if I won.  I would be so grateful.  I had the good sense to come back to the show after I left, and made the choice I did to stay as long as they would keep me.  One Life was very good to me, and it gave me one helluva life!

 

 

 

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What a wonderful man he is. I miss him.

And now we have him back! I am so grateful to Mr. Kwatinetz!

Awesome interview Michael! I adore Bob Woods. I have to say that with all of these interviews, you can tell that the actors adore and trust you. It is easy for them to open up and share with the rest of us….and you always ask the questions that are on the fans’ minds. Thank you!!

I love you, Bob. I miss you so much. I wish you all the best. No matter what, you are and always be a winner in my heart.

Love Bob Wooods. Thanks for the interview.

Omg, what a SAD, SAD interview!!! I want Woodsy to win so much more now!!!!!! I miss OLTL so much!

I hope Robert wins. I loved the character of Bo, and how he interacted with all the other actors. Bo & John McBain, Bo & Nora, Bo & Viki, Bo & Matthew, Bo & Rex… he just seems to be the perfect guy to get paired up with in front of a camera. It was always such a joy to watch his scenes. Hopefully, his wonderful work will be recognized with an Emmy!

Omg I LOVE & MISS you Woodsy SO much & HBS. There’s a HUGE hole in my heart everyday since the shows been off. I still cannot FATHOM, how & WHY this show was canceled!!!! Some *%#%!+ obviously had it in for you guys as well as AMC & it’s disgraceful. No disrespect to GH, but oltl’s storylines were so much better & so real!!! The actors brought there all to the table everyday. Not seeing Victoria Lord on my screen anymore is a hard pill to swallow & even more heartbreaking our beloved Bo & Nora (red) Now all we’re left with are memories & old clips Thanks to those ARROGANT, HEARTLESS, PIGS at ABC!! Woodsy, I pray you win even more now….. No matter the outcome you’ll always be our winner xoxo

I knew something would have happened with Bo at the end, but honestly thought it would be a heart attack and he would die. But I’m glad that OLTL ended the way it did for Bo’s family. Bob Woods is a master at his craft, subtle yet powerful. His relationship with the cast, in particular Hillary Smith and Eddie Alderson, translated seemlessly on screen. You really felt they were a true family. I hope he wins that Emmy!

I miss Bo so much, I love Robert S. Woods SO MUCH.

God this interview made me cry!

Great interview. We all miss you Bo! We miss Llanview. We want you all back. I watched from day one and thought you all were 100% better that GH! I stopped watching them a long time ago but never missed a day of OLTL. Their transition to GH takes getting used to, but Ron and Frank have made the show so much better along with the OLTL actors!

Miss OLTL everyday. Another great interview.

what a sweet sad interview. I hope he gets his grinning ear to ear 2nd win… Tony needs to share! 😀 As much as it hurts us OLTL fans to have lost our show, characters and actors, I feel so bad for the cast and crew to have lost their family and friends having had worked daily with each other for decades on ‘our show’. ABC-duh has hurt so very many people with their crappy decisions. Bob and OLTL need this win, and hopefully Erika will win as well. Thank you Bob for 30 years of being in my family and thank you Michael for another great interview.

Well, MIchael. You did it! You now have topped yourself with this interview with my favorite soap actor af all time, Bob Woods. I have always felt he was effortless and as realistic as any actor could be, and so natural and believable. I would love to see him pop up on GH, and then they could get rid of of their overload of actors. He would be a real stable influence amidst all the craziness. I can only hope to see him acting again.Love this interview, and love Bob Woods.

i ahve always loves bob since he was on the waltons years ago,,,,,,,,,,i really miss seeing him on a daily basis……….♥

Ethel, The waltons? When? I don’t remember seeing him and I never missed a episode unless I forgot seeing him, I have watched one life to live since the day it started so many years ago. God am I getting old. I miss seeing him every day to and I hope he takes home the emmy.

he was a doctor & maryellen was a nurse at the same hospital – as a matter of fact they had a thing going but she married kurt…………..lol

Thank you, Robert Woods, “Woodsy” for all the years of Bo. Your acting was true to life. I miss the show more than I can say. Nothing can replace it. I don’t watch any daytime TV except for GH and sometimes Dr. Oz. But neither fills that spot in my life. I wish you all the happiness, good health, and luck in the world. Maybe sometime you can be lured out of retirement for a movie or guest shots on some great nighttime show. Castle??? (but not as a bad guy- never!)

Great interview! Thanks Michael and Woodsy! I hope Nathan gets the powers to be at Castle to get Robert for Castle’s father! That would be so great! If he could win the Emmy with Erika and then do Castle for a few episodes and get nominated for a Castle episode… would be even better!!! Enjoy your time off Robert!

I have loved Bob woods since I started watching oltl back in 97 and after 15 I love him even more . He’s such a class act I hope he takes home the Emmy it’s been my pleasure to watch him on my tv screen for all this time. I miss him,Hillary ,eddie and erika so much . Wish him all the best ill be rooting for him for sure.

What a wonderful interview Michael. Robert S. Woods is a class act and I pray he wins. this interview gave me goose bumps reading it and hearing his answers to your questions Very interesting questions. Michael, I also liked your Idea about rapping up One life to live now that the revolution has been properly canceled we need a good ending. I would rather have it back, Myself I can’t give up on my favorite soap there is always hope. When Robert said he still feels like he still has scrips to read I feel the same way when the clock strikes ( my coo coo clock) at 2 oclock I say to myself One life to live is on, Then reality sets in, I guess that’s what happens when you have something precious in you life which we did for decades then have it taken away, you still feel its presence. Michael, I always enjoy your interviews but this one was special, I love hearing from my favorite actors from One life to live. Thank you.

Great interview Michael !!
Love Bob Woods and the character Bo – for years.
Really hope he gets that Emmy win.
Miss OLTL every day…still so sad. 🙁

Go, Bob Woods, Go–Yay! 😀

Thanks for the great interview. I really cannot believe that OLTL did not receive a nomination for best soap. As far as I am concerned, it deserves every emmy nomination. Miss OLTL so much. Love Bo thanks.

WOW, I didn’t think I could feel any sadder about losing OLTL but reading this wonderful article broke my heart-again. Brings it all back-all the great story we’ll never see & all the dear, dear cast members we love & miss so much. Bob had some great ideas on saving the shows. Too bad nobody cared enough to listen then we would not all be in this awful boat.

Bob was a mainstay character of the show and I love him so much. I wish him every happiness & most of all I wish for him & Erika to please, please win their Emmys.

I dont think we will ever not feel sad and get our hearts broken over and over again every time we hear about One life to live. The loss of that soap has sure hurt a lot of people.And to have lost it for that nauseating show the revolution that has been canceled makes me want to cry. I will never understand the logic of abc/disneys thinking in destroying their afternoon lineup of good programming for garbage talk and food waste of time programs that are just awful to watch.

On OLTL alway’s liked Bo & Nora..Liked when Bo & Nora danced together on OLTL………..And the burgers and fries they liked eating………………..I wish Robert Woods the best at the daytime emmy’s………………I would like to see him WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was so sweet, They use to do it all the time dancing and eating my favorite kind of junk food, then they broke them up, I was so sad and it was such a long time before they finally got back together again, Some couples should just be left alone and they are that couple. Just because they get married doesn’t mean they cant be on a roller coaster of adventures in their lives and stay happy, which they were. How I miss One life to live, will my heart ever stop aching for my favorite soap and characters to come back to landview?

I miss OLTL a lot too…I miss landview , Landfair !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IAnd there aren’t to many shows that I feel this way…This soap definetly made an impression on me……Only one other show made me feel this wa and thet was Beauty and The Beast from 1987-1990……..I was heart-broken when the series was cancelled in 1990…………….At this time this was one of my favorites, including OLTL………………………………….I bought all 22 episodes of Beauty and The beast..Like watching them from time to time…I wish they would do the same for OLTL…It would be a lot of DVD’s to say the least………Yes I would like to visit LANDVIEW & new or old episodes…..

I also loved beauty and the beast another show that was cancelled that should have gone on but linda hamilton left, that messed up everything, Ron perlman couldn’t get the ratings up being alone everyone liked it being the beauty and the beast together. Yes another wonderful, well written. descent show.

Unfortunately Linda Hamilton did want to leave my sister use to have a huge poster of Ron Perlman as the Beast and please don’t hit me but he was so sexy as The Beast!!!

Such a lovely interview! Thanks Michael, even though it made me cry. Robert Woods sounds like a great guy and he played the role of Bo so beautifully! Words cannot express how much I miss OLTL and AMC. Bo and Nora are my favorite soap couple of all time. My emotions are split between mourning for our soaps and extreme anger at ABC/D for their stupid and greedy decision to cancel them. I wish Bob Woods nothing but good things in his future life. Thanks for the years of entertainment!

My heart hopes Bob Woods wins because he really is a nice guy but sometimes I just think they check the box if they recognize the name and who does’t know Tony Geary but let’s share the wealth and give it to Woodsy.

This interview made me cry I so miss OLTL ands especially Robert Woods who was and always will be a class act! I am so glad the Revolution tanked if only to show ABC how wrong they were to cancel such an awesome, iconic ,irreplacable, heartfelt show.

Robert Woods has to win! He’s a great actor! I really miss OLTL! Nothing will ever take it’s place. All the actors seem to really miss it too. I never hear AMC actors talk the same way. A great interview! Thanks!

He is a class act!! I miss OLTL & Mr. Woods.

I love Bob Woods, as I think everyone from One Life to Live, Cast, Crew and Fans, do. This is a FAN-tastic interview you conducted with Bob/Bo, and as a big fan of his, I thank you so much – it is sooooo great!!! I would dearly love to see “Woodsy” take home the Emmy – it would in a way be an honor to all the cast and crew of OLTL – a final tribute to everyone associated with the Soap!!! Bring it Home – Bob/Bo!!!

They don’t make actors or men like Bob Woods anymnore. GOD BLESS HIM and his family.

GH would be lucky to have an actor like Bob Woods join the show. It is so sad we cannot have OLTL back,

GH needs to go too!!! So lame.

Please havea OLTL special to tie up all loose ends…love Bob Woods, favorite of all time. All the best to a great actor. Thanks for years of enjoymen!

LOVE Bob Woods and the entire cast of One Life. Unbelievable still that the show was Cancelled. The Powers-that-be Made A huge Mistake.

I met Robert Woods years ago at a make a wish dinner dance and he thought I was linda Ronstadt! I will always remember that and sometimes wonder if he does as well. I wish him all the happiness life can give! I wish I had a chance to talk to him more that night. It will always be a special night in my life to have met him and all the other stars there!

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This week on The Young and the Restless, while Danny (Michael Damian) and Christine (Lauralee Bell) hit the sheets, and Phyllis (Michele Stafford) sets off an alarm as payback (literally!), the top-rated CBS soap opera continues to weave the tale of these three characters decades later, finding themselves in very familiar territory with each other.

We know that Christine and Phyllis are basically, mortal enemies, while Danny, who has been the man in the middle, has had a past with both women. However, it is Christine who has been, for all intent and purposes the love of his life.  But, will Phyllis’ machinations make it near to impossible for Danny and Christine to be together? Stay tuned.

Last week, Michael and his real-life wife, Janeen Damian visited the Michael Fairman Channel promoting their #1 streaming film on Netflix, Irish Wish starring Lindsay Lohan. The film was produced by the Damians, while Janeen directed it and co-wrote the romantic story. Michael is featured on the Irish Wish soundtrack performing his track, Wild Irish Heart.

Photo: Netflix

During the conversation, Michael shared what it has been like revisiting the Christine/Danny/Phyllis triangle years later. Damian addressed the fans on the livestream, who inquired. “It’s a fun triangle story that they’re having us do, because it’s very retro. And I think it’s fun to bring that nostalgia, retro thing back.”

Photo: JPI

Recalling a tender moment between Danny on the piano alone with Christine (during the standalone episode which honored Lauralee Bell’s 40th anniversary with Y&R), Michael expressed, “I think what they’re doing is so smart, and they’re reconnecting a lot of the fans to a lot of the story. I mean, we’re talking years and years of story.”

Photo: JPI

The longtime Y&R fan favorite, added, “I’m really glad they did the thing on the piano because people have been asking, ‘Why are you not doing any music? Why are you not singing? Where’s your band?’ You know what I mean? Janeen is asking the same thing, ‘Why aren’t you singing something on the show?’ The last time I sang on the show was when we thought Phyllis was dead. So, you know, that didn’t count. (Laughs)

One of the funniest moment in the revisiting of the triangle occurred when Phyllis and Christine were arguing over Danny, and he was right there in the room with them. The two women got so engrossed in their fight, they forgot he was there, and thus he walked out of the room.

Photo: JPI

Michael revealed, he liked that scene too! “They’re fighting. They’re arguing and Danny’s like, ‘Listen, I’m over here. Please stop it.” And then they don’t stop,” Damian recalled. “And so Danny just grabs his coat, picks up his sheet music, because he was working on a song. He goes to the door. In the scene, I even look back to see if they are even noticing me leave, and then I just left. That one was pretty funny. I’ll be honest. I was laughing out in the hallway when I left. I was thinking, ‘Should I slam the door? But then if I slam the door, they still have dialogue.’ They’re still talking and they would’ve turned, and then it would’ve ruined it. So, I just gently closed the door and left.

Photo: JPI

During the livestream, Damian teased he has some upcoming scenes with longtime Y&R co-star Beth Maitland (Traci), “I just worked with Beth Maitland actually the other day, and that was really fun. I can’t wait for people to see that show.”

Check out the the Michael Fairman Channel chat with Michael and Janeen Damian below.

Now, let us know, are you rooting for Danny and Christine? Do you think Phyllis will continue to be a disruptor in this relationship and somehow worm her way back into Dannys good graces? Share your thoughts in the comment section. But first check out this sneak peek for this week’s Y&R featuring the trio.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star Blake Berris Chats On the Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein Mystery, Working with His New Co-Stars, and the Last Christmas Episode with Bill Hayes

On Days of our Lives, the return of Blake Berris is making for some very intriguing drama, with the audience guessing just which way the story will go.

When Berris arrived back on Days of our Lives, after previously playing Nick Fallon, he was taking on the new role of Everett Lynch, who has a past with Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu). Only, as it has been revealed, the past he had with Jada was under the name “Bobby Stein,” who from what we can tell was far from a nice guy.

Blake visited the Michael Fairman Channel for a livestream interview this week, where fans in the live chat were weighing-on what could be the truth about the guy – is he a split personality suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder? Did the accident that cost him a year of his life in a coma, never happen? Recently, someone set fire to the beloved Horton house. Fans are suspecting it would have been “Bobby” who is working for Clyde Weston (James Read). Others believe that Everett/Bobby could actually be Clyde’s son. With upcoming therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) about to start, things are about to get more juicy in Salem.

Photo: JPI

Here are just a few excerpts from our conversation with Blake on a myriad of Everett/Bobby subjects. Make sure to check out the full interview for more.

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character on the canvas. Didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So, we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

What has it been like working with Abigail Klein?

BLAKE: I think she is extraordinary. We start off sort of frosty, or she’s frosty with me, like she doesn’t want to let me in. And then, for a while things are going really well. I just could not adore Abigail more. She’s such a good actor. I could always rely on her to bring me back into a scene and be there in this emotionally, supportive way.

Photo: JPI

Everett and Chad seemed to be becoming friend-ish, when all went awry when at the PCPD interrogation room, Everett let him know about Elia and Bobby Stein, and Chad let him have it for worming his way back in to Stephanie’s life.

BLAKE: Billy would call us the ‘disgusting brothers’ and that’s a reference from Succession, because all of a sudden they’re just so chummy with each other. It’s like all of a sudden we just had this like ‘Bernstein and Woodward’, sort of dynamic duo. I think that Everett really started to think of Chad as a friend and feels sort of disappointed, and he feels, “Oh, it’s that easy? I just needed to have some other identity and now you’re a fair-weather friend?”‘

Photo: JPI

In recent scenes, Jada sees Bobby Stein for the first time, and we see you and Elia Cantu share scenes with each other for the first time. What is it like working with Elia?

BLAKE: She’s fire, man. She comes in hot and she tells you the way it’s going to be. I think early on, we were trying to suss each other out and the more we worked together, the more comfortable you get with somebody. I think actors do this sometimes with each other; if there’s spice on screen, you like to keep some of what you have on-screen in your (real-life) interactions because it helps … it helps the work.  Eventually, we just sort of wore each other down and we’re like, ‘I actually totally get you, and you’re great.'”

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character and didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

You were on set and in the annual Horton Christmas episode which sadly marked the last for Days of our Lives legendary Bill Hayes, who passed away in January of this year.  What do you recall of that tape day?

BLAKE: It was the Christmas episode when we were watching Susan (Julie) and Bill, say ‘Merry Christmas.’  And there was something about it that just felt like it could be the last time. I mean, it wrecked us all on set. Bill gets so choked up and there was something really profound about the moment. They kiss each other as they have so many times before on the show. It was just beautiful. It felt beautiful to be there for that last Christmas. He’s just such an icon. Every time I’d see him, he was so with it … he knew my name, he knew his lines. What an incredible, incredible man.

Photo: JPI

Fans will get to see Everett in therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)? Would you say she is helping the guy?

BLAKE: Deidre’s always making jokes about Marlena, ‘She’s the worst therapist in the world’ (Laughs) I remember in the first therapy session, we almost couldn’t get through the scenes because it’s just so clear that Everett has a litany of very profound psychological issues that he is going to have to work through. He’ll keep coming back. This guy’s gonna pay the bills!

Photo: JPI

Viewers are waiting to see how they mystery of Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein plays out. What can you say as a tease for what’s to come?

BLAKE: As far as a tease, I would say, you have all these characters sort of, trying to wake up the ‘sleeping giant’ in a way. I think it’s safe to say that like if you poke a bear, the bear might wake up.

Watch the livestream chat with Blake in full below.

Now let us know, what do you think is going with Everett/Bobby? What has happened to him in his past? Share your theories in the comment section below, and make sure to catch Days of our Lives next week on Peacock for more to his story.

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Interviews

Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott Talks on 45 Years as Nikki Newman, the Keys to Playing Drunk, And Those Genoa City Relationships

February is ‘Nikki Newman Month’ in soapland as the The Young and the Restless iconic Melody Thomas Scott celebrates her 45th anniversary in her leading role.

My how time flies! Nikki has had numerous marriages, and some to the same man, battled her addiction to alcohol too many times to count (and we loved it all), and faced so much heartache in the process.

Currently, on all-new episodes of the top-rated CBS daytime drama series, Nikki can’t quite get a grip as Jordan (Colleen Zenk) is out there and in the middle of her next master plot to make Nikki suffer, all the while Nikki is drinking again. Thanks to the heinous plot concocted by Jordan and Claire (Hayley Erin) that revealed itself last November.

Photo: JPI

In a special conversation for You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Melody shared her thoughts on a myriad of subjects including: her current story, those long tape days at Victor and Nikki’s weddings, why she plays drunk better than anyone on television, plus we take a mini-deep dive into Nikki’s past.

Y&R fans were stunned when the powers-that-be had Nikki kidnapped and then hooked her up to an IV of booze. Just how much did Melody know of the story going in? She elaborated, “I knew Nikki would be terrorized. That’s all that I knew. I thought that sounded like great fun. I didn’t know for a little bit that she was going to fall off the wagon in the process of it. And then when I heard how it would happen, I was thrilled to bits. I did kind of want to have a little leader (or crawl) down at the bottom of the screen saying, ‘Hey, people don’t put an IV with vodka in your arm because that will kill you.’ But, poetic license, I suppose.”

Photo: JPI

Melody also weighed-in on if she thinks Nikki will stop drinking anytime soon, expressing, “She just can’t get out of this. Then of course, Jordan’s not letting her out very easily. Just when Nikki thinks she is mentally strong enough to never take another drink, well, of course she does, because something else happens. I think it’s also a learning point for people who are watching the show who may have an addiction problem. Now, I could be wrong, but I think it’d be highly unusual for somebody to be just mentally strong to be able to stop.”

If you wondered if Melody enjoys playing a drunk Nikki, look no more, “I do. That’s simply for selfish reasons,” she shared. “That’s for my enjoyment. I take great pleasure in it. It’s fun for me, and just the process of pretending to be drunk. I love the end result. I try not to do too much because there’s nothing worse when an actor is overplaying drunk. So you have to kind of keep it a little bit underneath (the surface). However, sometimes because of Jordan, Nikki does get much sloppier than I normally would play it.”

Photo: JPI

In recent episodes, it seems that Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nikki are gravitating more to each other, as both are drawn together through their shared experiences with addiction. Victor (Eric Braeden) is not happy that his arch-nemesis is helping Nikki try to stay sober. Could Melody see Jack and Nikki becoming romantic again? “I love Peter. I mean, Peter was my second favorite husband on Y&R. It would be wonderful, but I don’t know if the fans would go for that,” she explained. “They’re so invested in Niktor that I think they would really be upset about that unless Victor did something really crummy, then I could buy that.”

Photo: JPI

One of the more ‘out there’ stories during Melody’s 45-year run, was when Nikki was paired with Crazy Edward, and he took her home to meet his mother … who was in an urn! You would think maybe Melody didn’t like the story .. but think again! “Bill Bell (co-creator, Y&R) was writing the show in those days, and Bill kept that information pretty tight. I don’t remember us knowing even a week in advance. Maybe, we would get our scripts, three or four days in advance and that was it. You knew nothing about future story, but I loved the story,” she raved. “It was almost Hitchcockian, shall we say. The actor who played Crazy Edward, Paul Tulley was so magnificent and such a sweetheart. We loved working with each other so much, but man, when that red light came on the camera, he scared the you-know-what out of me. He was absolutely terrifying. But then, the minute the scene was over, we’re fooling around and laughing and everything. He was so good. So good!”

Photo: JPI

According to Melody, the pairing of Victor and Nikki was not something she, nor Eric Braeden, initially thought would made sense: “I was a little terrified when I heard that he and I would be doing scenes. I thought, ‘What, what?’ He also wondered, ‘What am I going to be doing working with that young kid, that snotty kid?’ We had no idea what Bill Bell saw. He had a vision with us and somehow knew that we would have chemistry. It didn’t take Bill long to show us in the scripts why he put us together. Then, we started to see it. Although, it was hard to imagine at first, certainly we knew it worked by the time Nikki had baby number one during the ‘Who’s the father?’ storyline. Nikki and Victor weren’t even married yet. So, we did figure it out pretty early on.”

Photo: JPI

From her early years as Nikki Reed, Melody reflected back on some major story points in her character’s history, relating, “I actually did like her in the very beginning when she was just a little brat living with her sister and her father, who of course ended up trying to rape her…  and she had hit him over the head with a lamp … and he died. I did not care for the stripping storyline at all. Only because I knew that I didn’t have the natural dancing ability. I wasn’t fluid enough to really look good up there stripping. I know they hired wonderful choreographers and everything for me, but I just didn’t feel worthy of being up there … I guess is what it was. Of course, now I look back on it and I think, ‘Oh, I guess it wasn’t too bad.’ Later, there was a strip she did in the Colonnade Room. At the time, she was married to Jack. Victor’s sitting there with some other woman and she’s drunk. I saw that scene recently, and I thought it was great. I didn’t at the time, but looking back, I thought, ‘Wow, that was good.'”

Photo: CBS

Watch the full 45th anniversary conversation with Melody below.

Now let us know, are you enjoying Nikki being back on the bottle? Would you want to see Jack and Nikki try their relationship one more time? What has been your favorite storyline of Melody’s over the last 45 years on Y&R.  Let us know in the comment section.

 

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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