Interviews
The Sharon Case, Joshua Morrow, and Camryn Grimes Interview – The Young and the Restless
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
This month has seen many twists and turns in the relationships between Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow), and Mariah Copeland (Camryn Grimes), and we are just half way though September! Nick finally popped the question to Sharon once again, and the star-crossed duo are seemingly on their way to saying their “I do’s!” Meanwhile, Mariah is trying to come to grips with the fact that Sharon is actually her biological mother, and that she was given away at birth, and into the hands of sociopath Ian Ward (Ray Wise)! And everyone in Genoa City better beware, because Phyllis (Gina Tognoni) is finally awake and out of her coma, and when she gets back to town, it can only wreak more havoc for the complex Shick family!
On-Air On-Soaps had the opportunity to sit down with Sharon Case, Joshua Morrow, and Camryn Grimes to talk about all the on-going drama, and the history of these three actors and their characters, which harkens back two decades for Sharon and Joshua, and almost 14 years for Camryn. And with this being a very special month for Sharon, who is celebrating her 20th anniversary on-air with the number one daytime drama, the time was right for us to take a stroll down memory, look at the present, and even try to predict the future.
What we did glean from our visit with this dynamic, funny, and oh-so talented trio, is that Y&R viewers are in for a major rollercoaster ride as the story of Sharon, Nick, and Mariah continues to heat up as we continue into fall! How much time will elapse before Sharon’s secret, that she switched Summer’s (Hunter King) paternity test to make it look like Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) is the young gal’s bio-dad, and not Nick, comes to light and throws a huge monkey wrench into the happy couple’s bliss? Now that is the million dollar question! Here’s our candid conversation with three of our all-time favorites!
MICHAEL:
Sharon’s 20th on-screen anniversary with The Young and the Restless just happened! It’s quite a milestone. So, let’s first talk about Sharon! Joshua, tell me what happened when you first met Sharon Case?
JOSHUA:
Courtesy/CBS
The first time I met her, we were doing a multi-screen test with six girls, maybe. The show had other Sharon’s previously. I remember it was late in the day after work. They had all these beautiful actresses come in and Sharon was clearly “The Sharon”!
MICHAEL:
Did you have input with the producers, as to who of the girls was the best for the part of Sharon Collins?
JOSHUA:
Yeah, they asked me. I said, “She is definitely the best of all of them.” Now my word didn’t mean anything back then, as I was just a kid off the bus from Oklahoma. Nowadays, I get to pick who I want to work with! (Laughs)
CAMRYN:
This is like hearing the story of how your parents met! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
So Joshua, how do you think Sharon turned out?
JOSHUA:
She’s the best! I mean 20 years, and Sharon has won awards and accolades for her work, because she is who she is, and because she is great, and perfect for this role.
MICHAEL:
Camryn, what did you think as a little girl when you met your on-screen mother for the first time?
CAMRYN:
I would just like to say: I don’t remember specifics being six-years-old at that time. I don’t think I tested with Joshua and Sharon. I remember I auditioned one day and got the part the next day. What I do remember is that Joshua and Sharon were so young and kind of the same age as my real life parents, and so it seemed like a very seamless transition. I was with Sharon and Joshua every day, and I remember carrying this doll around and I use to hate it …
MICHAEL:
… And now you are on the show in a nightie! (Laughs)
CAMRYN:
Courtesy/CBS
(Laughs) I ended up hating that doll so much, because I had to carry it around with me everywhere, and so Joshua would play football with it. I think one time it got caught in the light switch and the lighting guys would get upset …
JOSHUA:
… Yes, it would get caught sometimes, and one of the crew would have to knock it down. I just remember our then producer Ed Scott going, “Please don’t throw the doll up into the lights!” (Laughs)
CAMRYN:
I just remember Sharon feeling like she was a big sister to me, and being able to talk to her, and that it was a lot of fun.
MICHAEL:
Sharon, it’s been 20 years on the number one soap opera, does it feel like two decades have gone by?
SHARON:
It does and it doesn’t. I look back and think about all those days, and scripts, and all those love scenes, and photo shoots!
JOSHUA:
Courtesy/CBS
I was never in my clothes back then! I was way more naked back then … then I am in now!
SHARON:
I keep asking for more nude scenes … and that doesn’t happen! (Laughs) So, I guess my weight around her doesn’t mean that much after 20 years. (Laughs) Seriously though, it doesn’t feel like I have been here 20 years, but it feels surreal.
MICHAEL:
O.K. Sharon, it’s your turn. What do you recall when you first met Joshua?
SHARON:
I remember that screen test day too, and all the girls trying out for it. I remember the scene was in Fenmore’s, and Joshua being super cute, and really handsome, and sweet to me. Joshua was a good actor, and really professional too! I remember him being very helpful, and thanks to him, I did a good job in the scene.
MICHAEL:
Joshua, you are responsible for delivering to the soap universe Sharon Case! For myself and millions of fans, we thank you!
JOSHUA:
Wow! I should be getting a gift!
SHARON:
You know sometimes, the other person you are paired with in a scene doesn’t help you out a lot, but Joshua did. It was the beginning of our beautiful 20-year relationship.
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
MICHAEL:
What do you recollect when they producers of Y&R told you that you were now going to have an on-screen daughter?
SHARON:
Someone said, “You know, your daughter is here. You should go meet her!” And so I go, “Yeah, I guess I should. Where is she?” I couldn’t believe I was going to be playing the mother of a six-year-old. I felt a little young at the time, but I also thought this is going to be a challenge for me as an actress. I have never played a mom before. When I met Camryn she looked me up and down. I will never forget what she said! She said, “You’re going to be my mom?” (Laughs)
CAMRYN:
I was such a brat!
SHARON:
It wasn’t that you were being bratty; it just was I didn’t look like I would be a mother to a six-year-old. I looked like a kid myself! I thought Camryn’s reaction was honest. So I responded to her by saying, “Yes! I am playing your mother, and I feel ya. But we will work it out.” And we did!
MICHAEL:
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
I must give kudos to Joshua, who was terrific in the recent weeks, as Nick was putting the pieces together of who exactly Mariah was! It was the first time that I recall where Nick was not being a doofus, or wasn’t an idiot, and he figured everything out on his own! How was playing that? (Laughs)
JOSHUA:
Well, I’m not used to not being an idiot! (Laughs) It was untested ground for Nick. (Laughs) It was a great story! I really enjoyed telling it. I thought Camryn did an amazing job of playing someone else. It is such a distinct difference from Cassie, and I really liked that she was hitting on me … like all the time! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Camryn, you told me when you first came back to the Y&R, and I suggested Mariah would hit on Nick, that the show would never go down that road! See what happened! I know these things! (Laughs)
CAMRYN:
I really did not think they would really go down that road, and then … they really went down that road!
SHARON:
Joshua is the only one amused by it!
CAMRYN:
Joshua thought it was hysterical! I thought he was going to be horrified like I was, and have a normal sane person’s reaction. But he just thought it was the funniest thing in the world!
JOSHUA:
Courtesy/Pinterest
Now let’s be clear: I wasn’t enjoying Camryn Grimes putting the moves on Joshua Morrow. However, what I was taking an incredible amount of pleasure in enjoying was watching the physical effect it was having on Cammie saying the words, and looking longingly at me.
CAMRYN:
Oh God!
JOSHUA:
She was turning green! Me and the cameraman were just ruining her. This poor girl!
CAMRYN:
The peak of it was when we had that fantasy thing, and originally I thought it was going to be that we kissed, well at least, that’s what I heard. I was trying to be like, “O.K. You’re going to do it, and you’re going to be a professional, and it’s going to be fine! He’s an attractive person …” I was psyching myself up for this, and then we weren’t going to kiss. We did this thing where I literally got so close to Joshua’s face, and then they yelled, “Cut!” Then after that, I fell to the ground.
JOSHUA:
When I knew it was happening, I was never going to allow the kiss to happen, but I could not tell her that. I already talked to our executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and said, “You know, I am not putting my mouth on this young woman. She is like my child.” Jill went, “Of course! Of course!” But I knew this bothered Camryn so much!
SHARON:
But if it was your on-screen sister … that would have been OK!
JOSHUA:
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Right! I would have attacked Amelia Heinle (Victoria) or Abby (Melissa Ordway)! (Laughs) I had to draw my boundaries somewhere! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Sharon, when the story called for Mariah to try to seduce Nick, how did you handle that?
SHARON:
Oh, I just didn’t watch. I thought, “You know what? If I just pretend this isn’t happening, then I won’t know, and then I will be better off.”
CAMRYN:
After those scenes, Jessica Collins (Avery) came out of her dressing room, and I was explaining to her what happened as I was leaving the set, and she said, “Oh, you poor thing!” (Laughs)
JOSHUA:
It was honestly one of the most fun things; I just killed Cammie about it. I was teasing her and going, “You are looking at my butt, aren’t you?” And then I am lifting up my shirt going, “You want some of this!” (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Joshua and Sharon, what have you thought about Camryn’s recent on-air performances? I think she has been knocking it out of the park!
JOSHUA:
Courtesy/CBS
Even when Camryn was a child, I never thought of her as just this “kid actress”. She is just crushing scenes right now, and to watch her come in and play this completely different role has been incredible. When she left the show, Camryn was a child, and now she is a woman. This person that I love so much has grown up. The scenes that she did where she learns that Sharon was her mother in the hospital were some of the best I have ever seen. I was so impressed.
SHARON:
We were all very impressed; those hospital scenes were really great.
CAMRYN:
I always seem to do really well in those hospital beds.
JOSHUA:
You kill hospital scenes! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Courtesy/CBS
And this leads us into the heartbreaking and phenomenal Cassie deathbed scenes years ago at her hospital bedside. It was unforgettable soap opera!
SHARON:
Joshua stole those scenes. He was incredible.
CAMRYN:
I thought so too! I had to play being dead and I was crying. And to play that with make-up running down my face, and not move was so hard.
SHARON:
I haven’t watched the scene in a long time, but every time I do I get teary-eyed. It’s sad every time you watch it.
MICHAEL:
It’s a classic scene that will get you every time. A hankie bonanza!
CAMRYN:
I remember walking into the room and my grandma was bawling watching it. I am like, “Why are you crying? She goes, “It’s just so sad!”
SHARON:
Photo Credit: Getty Images
It is just so sad that I don’t want it to see it on purpose!
MICHAEL:
Camryn, what happened when you found out that you were actually playing Cassie’s twin? At what point in the process were you clued in to what was happening?
CAMRYN:
I didn’t know for awhile. When I first came back it was literally supposed to be for four to six episodes. I thought it was going to be for a short stint, and then the show kept adding and adding more episodes, and that was in June of last year. And then by October of last year I was like, “What is going on? Is something happening? Is this ending anytime soon?” I was getting a sense that something must be in the works, and finally they said, “We are trying to figure it out. We are planning something.” I didn’t know it was going to end up being a twin storyline. First, it was, “You’re going to be alive and playing Mariah.” I kind of found out in increments as I would get information.
SHARON:
I had no information! I never like to know storyline in advance.
MICHAEL:
You don’t want to know the story, even if it’s one where they make Sharon go crazy, or wackadoodle for a bit?
SHARON:
Courtesy/CBS
Yes. I like to be surprised! I mean, I read my scripts on Monday so I know what is happening, and what I am shooting that week, so I am that much surprised. I am not one of those actors who wants to sit down and ask a bunch of storyline questions. When a new character comes to the show for length of time, or for a day, I am kind of interested in that to find out what is going on, but for my own storyline, and for where my story is going to go, I don’t want to sit down and hear the whole thing. It’s fun to guess, and the fans guess, too! I like to experience it from that side as well. As for Camryn, she has been coming back and forth to the show now for years. She has been playing a ghost, either to Sharon or Nick, and as far as we knew, that was what we were doing. I didn’t know that she was going to be the twin.
MICHAEL:
What do you think of Sharon’s reaction to learning she had given birth to twins? Didn’t you expect her to have more of a traumatic meltdown? That was such a big revelation!
SHARON:
I think that we move in to other aspects of the story, and additional drama comes. So, I think that if there weren’t all that going on, then yeah, Sharon would continue to focus and spin on that forever: “Oh my God! I had a twin!” But she can’t, because we have Phyllis waking up and all these other dramas in Sharon’s life going-on. This storyline is really action packed between Mariah’s story, and all these other things happening at the same time. There is just a lot to see. Sharon has a lot of things to be concerned about. She always does. Sharon always micro-manages her life and overthinks everything.
MICHAEL:
Nick proposed to Sharon on last Friday’s episode!
JOSHUA:
Courtesy/CBS
Yes! He has been ready to propose, but Sharon was the one who had reservations. He was ready to go, but Sharon has had concerns about this looming secret. She just didn’t want to mess things up for them. So, Nick was patiently waiting around. I think it was in a scene with Mariah where she said, “You guys aren’t really a family!” And I think that kind of triggers it for Nick, where he thought, “You know what? It’s time. Now is the right time to make it official for Sharon.” So he does ask her to marry him, and she was ready now, I guess. (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Isn’t this what Sharon Newman has always wanted?
SHARON:
Sharon has always wanted to marry Nick. There has never been any real doubt in her mind. She is head over heels in love with Nick. The only reason Sharon didn’t want to get married yet was because she really was concerned about this secret, and it ending up hurting Nick, and then God forbid having something happen to their marriage.
MICHAEL:
But she did say “Yes” this time! Why so? She just can’t resist Nick’s charms, can she?
SHARON:
Courtesy/CBS
She did say, “Yes!”, because I guess she just can’t help herself around Nick! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Sharon is finally on her way to getting the nucleus of the family she so desperately wanted back! However, Phyllis just woke up and when she hits town methinks things will start to fall apart!
JOSHUA:
She just awakened, and so when Phyllis is upright and moving around, we are looking forward to her throwing a wrinkle into the dynamic of Nick and Sharon.
MICHAEL:
What are your thoughts on how Gina Tognoni is doing inhabiting the role of Phyllis?
JOSHUA:
She has done great. I just finished doing some scenes with her. I watched her scenes on the monitor and she is doing very well. I am very impressed. As I have said to you before, she has huge shoes to fill, but I hope the fans will give her a decent shot, because it’s tough. Recasts are always tough, and this one, in particular will be very tough, because of how big Michelle Stafford (Ex-Phyllis, now Nina, GH) was, and that the character of Phyllis is so huge. So, we’ll see. If the fans give Gina a chance, I think she is going to be amazing.
SHARON:
Courtesy/CBS
I have always watched Gina’s work. I always knew she would be right for the role. The character she played on Guiding Light (Dinah) was similar to Phyllis and sure enough, it’s like she has had some experience in playing this role, somehow. Gina just stepped right into it the part like she knew everything about it.
MICHAEL:
When I recently interviewed Gina, she told me that playing a character like Phyllis was in her “wheelhouse”.
SHARON:
O.K.! So that makes sense, because of Dinah. I was mentioning to Joshua that Gina has that look in her eye that this character is supposed to have like, “I am going to kill you!” That is the look Phyllis has all the time! (Laughs) And Gina has that! It’s really amazing!
JOSHUA:
Then, what’s the look Sharon always has in her eyes?
SHARON:
Yeah, what is the look?
JOSHUA:
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Well, the look Nick always has is, “Hey, let’s get in the Jacuzzi!” (Laughs)
SHARON:
No! It’s “Go make me a sandwich!”
CAMRYN:
It’s somewhere between, “I’ll be in the Jacuzzi … when my sandwich is ready!”
MICHAEL:
Mariah is not handling that Sharon is her biological mother very well. Guess that is an understatement. She is just wandering around Genoa City!
CAMRYN:
She is wandering about, and she is not really sure what she wants. She is trying to determine if she is going to flee, because that is what she is so used to doing, or what is keeping her here. I think right now she is trying to figure out where she belongs, and how she is going to take this next step.
JOSHUA:
I meant to tell you Camryn, that there was a scene that was so minor, but I thought it was so amazing the other day, and that was when you were in the Underground. You walked in and turned around and saw Hunter King (Summer). The look the two of you gave each other was so freakin’ good! I was like, “That is what it’s all about. Right there!”
CAMRYN:
Courtesy/CBS
The rivalries between Mariah, Abby, and Summer – Melissa Ordway, Hunter King, and I – have been a lot of fun in playing that dynamic. Hunter and I have some fun scenes coming up that are still along those lines. However, I do like that Mariah has a friend. I like that somebody at least enjoys her company … even though she can be a little bitchy.
MICHAEL:
Nick likes her!
JOSHUA:
Yeah, Nick likes her a lot… as soon as she stops trying to get in his pants! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Is that over with?
CAMRYN:
Yeah, I think so… or is it? (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Joshua and Sharon, what did you think of Nick’s proposal that aired last Friday? Did you like how it was written, and how it played, given the history of these characters?
JOSHUA:
Courtesy/CBS
Nick takes her to the place where they fell in love, and where he proposed the first time, which is the coffee house. There is so much history between these two characters. Nick tells his new brother Dylan (Steve Burton) to clear out the joint, and he makes it very special. Nick is always a sucker for a big romantic moment. I liked the scenes very much.
SHARON:
I did, too. They were very sweet. I thought the scenes were really beautiful. It was nice to do it in the coffee house, because that was the first place that they got engaged. It was a very emotional proposal. I don’t know what we could have done to make those scenes any better.
JOSHUA:
We could’ve have gotten in a Jacuzzi! Has there ever been a proposal in a Jacuzzi on a soap? (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
And what is Mariah’s reaction to the news of their engagement?
CAMRYN:
Mariah is not really happy about much these days! (Laughs) She is troubled.
JOSHUA:
I feel like Mariah must listen to the music of Tori Amos all of the time! (Laughs)
CAMRYN:
Courtesy/CBS
She listens to Alanis Morrisette! (Laughs) I think this has been a stressful time for her. I think any change or new information at this point, or anybody’s perceived happiness, will be very upsetting, because she has been through so much. She has had the rug pulled from out from under her and that whole situation, and then the big fight with Sharon, and the betrayal and the trust broken.
MICHAEL:
Did you enjoy playing the bitter war of words between Sharon and Mariah, before Mariah was kidnapped by Ian (Ray Wise), and everyone came to the realization of just how these women are truly related?
CAMRYN:
Yes. Those were tough, because there was a lot of dialog, and it was scene after scene. But they were fun! It’s always fun to scream at somebody, when it’s not real. And it’s fun to get in a fight with somebody on-screen, especially when it’s that charged.
SHARON:
We must have had 70 pages of dialog!
CAMRYN:
What got me so crazy is that I said horrible, horrible things to Sharon. And Mariah keeps saying how Sharon kept saying horrible things to her, but what Mariah said to Sharon was so bad!
SHARON:
Courtesy/CBS
They were great scenes. There have been so many days we have shot recently that I have loved. That Mariah and Sharon scene was the beginning of it, and there are so many great shows to come.
CAMRYN:
There is an upcoming episode that I am so excited about. I think that they just wrote a primetime show for daytime, and it was so much fun to shoot. It was one of those episodes where there is so much drama, and there are so many storylines in it. It airs on September 30th which centers around Nick’s bachelor party, and Sharon’s bachelorette party.
SHARON:
It’s must-see TV!
MICHAEL:
Joshua, are you in it? Do you show up at the bachelor party? (Laughs)
JOSHUA:
Am I in it? (Laughs) You think the fans would go for that, if I’m not in it? (Laughs) That would anger the masses! (Laughs)
Photo Credit: Hutchins Photo
CAMRYN:
Everyone’s in it. The fans will love it. There are comedy elements to it, too.
SHARON:
There are so many great shows like that from the bachelor party and more. We have been really busy over here.
MICHAEL:
I know they have been very busy recently with some major casting news in Genoa City. It seems like everyone is trying to up their game of the four remaining network soaps. And look at what’s going on between Y&R and GH with these “casting wars”!
JOSHUA:
Doesn’t it seem like they are playing a high-priced game of monopoly? (Laughs) It’s like Fantasy Football, actually!
SHARON:
It just seems all of a sudden there is a concentration of that going on. Over the years, people have appeared on two or three soaps. Right now there seems to be …
CAMRYN:
… A lot of back and forth!
MICHAEL:
Photo Credit: Francois G Durand/WireImage
It would seem that Kevin (Greg Rikaart) and Mariah could just be each other’s next love match! What are your thoughts on that Camryn?
CAMRYN:
I think anything is possible. I like working with Greg … he is really funny. I knew Greg when he first came on to the show. I don’t know which writer is up there writing our scenes, but they are really fun.
SHARON:
You two together are amazing to watch, and you both play it really well. I love that pairing!
CAMRYN:
I am a geeky, nerdy person in real-life. So playing that dynamic with Greg is so easy for me. It’s like types of conversations that I would have with my guy friends, sometimes.
MICHAEL:
But there is always Nick!
JOSHUA:
She’s always got that ace up her sleeve! (Laughs)
MICHAEL:
Courtesy/CBS
Joshua, are you in a good place and enjoying the current story for Mr. Nick Newman?
JOSHUA:
I have been busy telling a lot of story which has been fun. I always love my job, and this show, and I love this medium. I take it very personally when people put it down for any reason. I have been off Twitter sometimes, because I can’t handle the negativity that surrounds it now. It used to be this forum that is fun and for people to share thoughts, but now it’s become this insane play box. It’s like, who gives you the right to make fun of people I work with and complain about it? You obviously have your opinion, but the negativity is what resonates with people. Look, obviously 90% of the feedback is positive.
CAMRYN:
I know what he is saying. You read the positive ones, and you go, “Oh, wow! That makes me feel so good.” And then the ones that are negative stick with you. Unfortunately, I feel that is just the way that it goes.
SHARON:
For me, my fans have been so supportive on my boards it’s been a delight to read. That is mostly what I say. I found myself tweeting recently, “Thank you everyone for your comments. It’s so overwhelmingly positive. Thank you.”
Courtesy/CBS
MICHAEL:
Sharon, I feel you should have the last word in the interview, because you just celebrated 20 years on-air. So here we go! In closing, what would you like to say?
SHARON:
My final word would be, “Thanks to the fans. That is really what matters here.” I sat down to tweet everyone: CBS, Sony, the Bell Family, the cast and the crew, but I really want to, here and now, thank the fans for watching The Young and the Restless and sticking with it for 40 plus years, and with my character for the last 20. It’s been an honor.
JOSHUA:
I want the last word, and it’s going to be, “helicopter”! (Laughs)
41
Loved the interview 🙂
Awww, good interview!
Truly THE best interview yet here. Talking to Sharon, Camryn and Joshua must have been a lot of fun but a challenge to stay on topic and stop the joking about Mariah & Nick’s almost ‘Thing.’ It’s so great to read their enthusiasm for the difficult scenes, the emotional scenes and with the longevity of the three of them working for so many years. Whenever I see flashbacks to when Camry was just a little girl with freckles and now see her acting on the show, it’s wonderful to know how her acting career really has come full circle. The… Read more »
My..Joshua Morrow has a really frat boy humor/vibe in this interview..maybe he is more like Nick in real life than i thought..makes me feel sorry for him..lol.
Good interview. Love Nick & Sharon & liking Mariah more all the time.
I love Camryn. Her acting has always been nothing short of fantastic. I love Sharon as well but I wish the writers would give her a lot more backbone. I love the way they have Nikki & Sharon getting along lately. Could Nikki finely see that Sharon was sick and very much like her Sharon has an illness. Maybe Victoria could play nice to Sharon as well since she’s no angel.I like Nick but I don’t support Shick. I will always love Shadam.
Agreed. You ever notice how some child actors are naturally gifted but that gift seems to fade away with maturation and life experience?
Not so with Camryn. In fact those two aforementioned elements have only enhanced her acting.
Joshua and Sharon plus Camryn are part of “our” extended family — have been for years. Such good acting — so enjoyable to watch. Great interview. Thank you.
Thank you for sitting down to chat with these three. For me, the years with Nick and Sharon apart from one another were difficult. I know with Phyllis back in the mix things are bound to go out of control again, but just seeing the proposal and getting to enjoy Nick and Sharon as a couple again for a while has been a true joy. I’ve never been a fan of lost twin storylines, but somehow with Camryn, Joshua and Sharon it’s been fun and interesting to watch, Maybe I’m just blinded by happiness at having Camryn back on the… Read more »
awesome interview! thank you michael……………
Great Interview thanks Michael for acknowledging Ms. Case’s 20 years. No matter over the years how bad the writing could be for SC she will always be my favorite character. Rooting for them that Nick & Sharon do get together and stay that way.
Truly, truly loved this interview. I have loved Sharon Case’s portrayal of “Sharon” from day 1. She is my all-time favourite soap actress and I am beyond over the moon that this writing regime has finally started to write Sharon more in character and given her more backbone (don’t stop there though writers – she needs to finally stand up to Phyllis the Terror!). The break-up of Shick and then the subsequent years of demeaning and degrading Sharon’s character was like a punch in my gut, and I had to stop watching the show for a while. After such a… Read more »
I agree that it is way over due for Nick and Sharon’s union in Love ,Respect & Commitment to each other. I always disliked the storyline where that evil Phyllis seemed to had redeemed her god awful character, stole everyone’s husband . Was very tragic when they made Sharon’s character lose Nick and go off in the direction she did. But now Nick & Sharon are once again together, I pray these writers keep them strong together. I always believed Phyllis went to a sperm bank to get pregnant with Summer and that she told Nick it was his to… Read more »
Great interview, Mr. Fairman. It’s been fun watching these two grow up on screen. And Camryn as Mariah is really making these two actors step it up a notch or two.
Loved this interview!
These actors are so dedicated to their work.
This is what makes daytime soaps so habit forming!
Best interview. Answered all my questions in my head. I miss Noah now.
Great interview Nick, Sharon, n Mariah. I love the scenes with nick n sharon. There are the couple of y/r. They have shared a special bond for yrs n I think the love they have is amazing. I hope they live the life there meant to have. Mariah I hope she comes around n learn that she has a family that love n care for her. She is nick n Sharon’s daughter. She may not be newman but nick will treat her like one. nick is the best father to his kids. Phyllis needs to start her happiness with jack… Read more »
I love Nick and Sharon together, please don’t break them up. They are so good together. These two are my favorites. I have been watching Y&R for over 20 years
Loved the interview. I’m Glad the writers are going to have mirrah and kevin being friends and maybe benifts. lol.
This is an awesome interview. All three of them are very talented, and the acting performances have been so powerful and incredible to watch lately, plus I enjoyed laughing almost every time at Joshua Morrow’s humorous comments. I never knew that Camryn Grimes played her role since 6 years old, since I really didn’t recognize her face in older episodes, but she is amazing, and I hope she remains on the show just as long, if not longer this time. Congratulations to Sharon Case also on her 20 year milestone as well. I’m a fan of Nick and Sharon myself,… Read more »
What a great interview! I love the characters that Joshua, Sharon & Camryn play on the show. You are all excellent actors. Actually the entire cast of Y&R are so talented. I look forward to seeing the show everyday. I just started watching the show about 2 years ago because I have always worked. I love every minute of it. You are all so talented. Look forward to seeing the show and you all on it for many more years to come!
Nick and sharon are y n r!! period! not phick, not shadam… Shick!!!
Have been watching Y&R for years and absolutely love it. Have gotten more interested in Camryn Grimes since she came back as Mariah due to the fact she looks a lot like my 19 year old granddaughter. Can you tell us anymore about Camryn in real life? And no, I wasn’t thinking about making Cassie into triplets. Lol
Have watched for 40 years it is the best love all the twists and turns. They have a fantastic cast.
I DVR Y&R everyday at 7P.M. eastern TVGN. Suffice to say, I just start watching when I get home from work and go back to the beginning of the show if I am not home by 7 p.m. Admittedly, I was worried at first when Jill Farren Phelps took over the realms. I was probably one of her harshest critics. When Maureen Bauer was killed of Guiding Light, I was not in a forgiving mood. I went onto YouTube and watched the episodes leading up to Maureen’s death and its after affects. The dialogue was stellar, rooted in gritty reality.… Read more »
Well it has all bee said super interview Michael like the new white back ground, me 40 years and still look forward to watching these three great actors Than you all great interview Michael ’till next time, elaine
Sorry a few letters missing unfortunately I am unable to edit this Elaine
I’ve watched Y&R since it’s debut in 1973 and have always loved Josh,Sharon,and Camryn playing a family. Congrats to Sharon’s 20th anniversary and to Camryn’s return, and not to leave out Josh: “you da man” 😀
When Nick proposed to Sharon the first time, there was a song playing in the background. It was called “I am so in love with you” by U.N.V. I was hoping to hear it in the background this second time. Hopefully they will correlate the song with the two again….if they ever make it to the altar!!!!
I love that they are still together, and the writer brought Carmryn back. Josh and Sharon are great on TV and know each other well.
Loved the interview. Have been a fan for along time. Camrym has grown up to be a lovely young lady. Please keep doing what you are doing. Looking forward to see what happens at the wedding.
This story has been a fixture in my life for a very long time……..Although you’ve made mistakes here and
there, Y&R, I will always tune in!!!! Thank you for giving it your best through the years!
I have been watching the show 40 plus years, and I love Sharon, Nick and there daughter. I want things to go like real life, to live happley ever after and that is not always go right. I am a big fan of Sharon and Nick. Sharon as a actress is wonderful. So many things she has done have been wonderful and I hope she keeps it up. I am glad that Camrym is back. Keep up the good work everybody.
I have watched this show since I was a child – with my grandmother when it first aired!! I love this show and all of the characters. This last year has been great and keeps getting better. Great interview – Thanks so much!!!!
I enjoyed reading the interview. I have only been watching YR a few years but I love Nick and Sharon’s history together. I hope their story goes on past the secret coming to light.
Late commenting but I enjoyed the interview with J.M., S.C., and especially C.G.’s portion. I loved Mariah’s storyline turning out as Cassie’s twin and how she happened to be stolen by Helen Copeland and Ian Ward. What an ingenious way to bring back the actress, C.G. I hope Mariah becomes Sharon’s daughter in every way for the future. Sharon needs a family who will support and stand by her thru thick and thin. Her own family abandoned her at her most vulnerable times when she lost her daughter Cassie (Nick, the husband abandoned her and their very young son, Noah)… Read more »
I agree that Sharon is once again getting the short end of the stick…even Noah seems to have abandoned her. Victor needs to pay for his meddling mean ways and deserves to lose his family. As for Nick, I am SO disappointed in him for turning away from Sharon AGAIN. She has a legitimate illness and he said he understood and would love Sharon no matter what the outcome of her memory loss. He needs to be held accountable for his role in the paternity test mess. I’m angry the writers let Phyllis get the upper hand on Sharon yet… Read more »
Sharon IS being thrown under the bus again to prop Nick, Victor and Phyllis. It’s a known fact that Joshua Morrow complained to the JFP that he didn’t want Nick to be the bad guy regarding Summer’s paternity (JM stated this in an interview early last year, i.e. that he spoke to Jill about this storyline). So instead they allowed Sharon to take the fall that rightly belonged to Nick. For that, I’ve lost ALL respect for JM and for the character Nick. After all the effort spent by Lynn Latham, then Maria Bell to destroy Sharon – and all… Read more »
I have loved Nick and Sharon since day one. I’m one of the fans who have been watching since day one….before VCR’s …..through High School and College. College Days were fun because you had to fight with friends over Y & R or All My Children at the time(70’s) Here I am still watching at age 55…never miss a day! It is so nice to have been watching Nick, Sharon, Jack, Mrs. C., Jill, Victor, Nikki, Neal, Michael, Lauen all these years. I think it is what makes the show so great. It keeps all the old customers watching while… Read more »
Sharon and Nick need to be together . She is gorgeous. And Nick of course is sooo handsome. Come on Mr. Bell make them the future matriarch. And please do not let Victor always win over Jack who is a good man
My boyfriend and I just want to say that we love you! You play your part excellent! I have acted before…Ice Castles, Little Big Leugue, and a commercial for KQRS radio in minneapolis. I would love to be a part of the Y and R family. Sharon please suggest it to the BOSS! Roberta Ingvaldsen and TIM Smeby
Days Of Our Lives
Kassie DePaiva, Nathan Purdee & Taylor Purdee Talk ‘Killian & The Comeback Kids’, One Life to Live & Eve’s Reign of Terror on DAYS
It’s ‘all in the family’ + a dear friend that makes the film Killian and the Comeback Kids something that soap fans will want to see. In it, daytime veterans, Kassie DePaiva (Ex-GL, OLTL, GH and Days) and Nathan Purdee (Ex-Y&R and OLTL) are featured in the new movie directed, written and starring Nathan’s talented son, Taylor.
One Life to Live fans will get a kick out of that Kassie and Nathan play a married couple in the film. In story, a millennial (Taylor A. Purdee) comes home to live with his parents in a depressed rural town after getting a college degree in the big city. The film illustrates the issues facing many of America’s youth today, which could not be more apropos for the times we are living with many children moving back in with their parents. However, the movie shares an uplifting message filled with original music from Taylor’s folk-rock band, The Cumberland Kids.
Michael Fairman TV chatted with Kassie, Nathan and Taylor to get the inside scoop on: collaborating together on this project, revisiting Llanview with some memories and thoughts on the cancellation of the beloved soap, plus Kassie’s last turn on Days of our Lives as an unhinged Eve Donovan – a performance that just may garner attention come Daytime Emmy time next year.
This conversation was filled with candor, humor, and a parent’s love for their child. Killian and the Comeback Kid is playing in selected theatres and dates including tonight Friday, September 25th in Atlanta, and October 2nd in Chicago. For more movie info go to the film’s website here And now here’s what Kassie, Nathan and Taylor shared.
Photo: KarmicReleaseLTD
I was really intrigued by the film. Taylor, how did you lure your dad to be in the movie?
TAYLOR: Oh my gosh, it was the craziest negation ever.
I bet! (Laughs)
TAYLOR: When I was a kid, Roberta, my mom, made me promise to always write him roles. So, it was kind of obligatory.
KASSIE: That is so funny!
TAYLOR: It’s true.
Had you met Kassie before, or was this the first time?
TAYLOR: I knew Kassie from when my dad and her were doing One Life to Live together. Five years before I was filming this movie, Nathan texted me, “Hey! Kassie and Jim (DePaiva) are right by your dorm room. You should go see them!” So, catching up as an adult was so nice. I had a non-parentally controlled grown-up hang-out with her.
Photo: KarmicReleaseLTD
What was the journey this film, Killian and the Comeback Kids, went on as far as from the writing of it, to production, to its completion?
TAYLOR: Well, the front half was surprisingly quick. I think writing it through to having it finished was about 18 months, and there were about 6 months of, “how’s it going to come out,” and then, we thought we knew what was going to happen, and we were all getting ready for it to hit in movie theatres in the spring when the world ended, and that’s how we got here three years later.
Nathan, tell me about the role you play; because Kassie and you are husband and wife in the film.
NATHAN: Well, yeah, you kind of covered it! (Laughs) I play her husband, and she plays my wife, and I appreciated the casting situation. It’s interesting how Taylor chose Kassie because he did say that he wanted someone who was close to his mom’s personality. I couldn’t think of anybody else other than Kassie because the only difference is Kassie is taller, but they both are such loving, caring people. They always want to mother you and make sure you’re fed, and you’re safe, and you’re happy, and neither one of them knows the word, “no,” when it comes to the people who they’re taking care of. I love Kassie anyway, so good for me.
KASSIE: Yeah, they cut our love scene, and I don’t know what that’s about. (Laughs)
Kassie, what do you remember from when you first met Nathan? You were at One Life, right?
KASSIE: No, when I first met Nathan, we were in San Antonio, and we were doing an appearance. I met Bobbie Eakes (Ex-Krystal, AMC and Macy, B&B) for the first time then too, but I was on The Guiding Light, and I was singing, and Nathan was there. Nathan and I sat beside each other. I honestly felt like I had known Nathan my entire life. We were drinking margaritas and talking, talking, talking, talking, talking, talking.
NATHAN: Yep!
Photo: JPI
KASSIE: Nathan and my husband, Jim are very good friends. I have to say, Nathan was so lovely when I was going through my cancer journey. He came to see me every week, sometimes twice a week when I was in the hospital, and he would come up, and he would hang out with Jim. I will never, ever forget how lovely he was (it makes me tear up right now) to be there with support for my husband and myself as we went through that. So, when Nathan asked me to be his wife in the film, I thought, “Well, hey, you practically live with me now, so that sounds good.”
So, Taylor, how did they do on-screen as husband and wife?
TAYLOR: They’re fantastic. We’ve only had one test screening, but one of the most consistent things audiences tell me is that they’re not just great together, but they each have such a quiet, brooding depth to them that you can’t help but imagine the back-story that they’re not talking about
KASSIE: That’ll be the sequel!
TAYLOR: Killian and the Comeback Kids 2: They Comeback Kids Comeback.
KASSIE: They’ll come back again!
NATHAN: Thanks for planting that seed in his head, Kassie.
Photo: KarmicReleaseLTD
TAYLOR: It was important for me to try to synthesize a mixed-race couple. So, it was really great to be able to have them, not just be so great together, but there was also the issue of we had to have a little girl who looked like she could not just be my sister, but also both of their daughter. Creating a family from scratch was great because Nathan and Kassie already had the rapport.
Did you watch them on One Life to Live together?
TAYLOR: Yeah! I was in school most of the time, but I would go to set, and over the last 10 years, friends would send me YouTube clips from the show because for some reason none of the soaps are streaming. There’s not like a soap Netflix! It kind of needs to happen! Soaps, they’re epic; there are decades worth of episodes and shows.
Photo: KarmicReleaseLTD
In this film, music is the backdrop. It’s your music and your band that is featured?
TAYLOR: Yeah, my best friend growing up and I were staring to write folk music around the time when I was deciding what script I wanted to make into a film. We wrote the soundtrack, all the music that people sing, and the underscore, which was surprisingly the most fun part of it all.
Kassie what did you think of Taylor’s music?
ASSIE: I think it’s wonderful. I love music. It’s totally in the heart of me, and I just think that this movie is so timely. Kids these days are having to deal with not knowing what their future is going to be. In the film, my son comes home, and he is trying to find himself, and he throws himself into his art and his music. I just think there are a lot of people right now who are going through that. I think it is extremely relatable, even more so than when you wrote it, Taylor. I think people are looking for some type of connection, and I think this little movie is a good start. It’s about people pulling together, and it’s got a strong rooting factor, and you want people to succeed, and it is great. It takes you on a really nice journey.
You have some dates coming up where the film will play in a movie theatre- one is on September 25th in Atlanta and then another one on October 2nd in Chicago. Taylor, how do you feel about making appearances for the film during the pandemic? You’re going with masks on?
TAYLOR: Oh yeah. We will be in a bubble; we are just getting into a car and sticking together. I and John Donchak, who plays opposite me through the whole film, are going to all of those dates, and my co-songwriter, who also appears in the film, will be in Atlanta, if not at both premieres.
NATHAN: And let me add, please, they’re going against my wishes as a parent, but he is 28- years-old, so all I can say is that we are hoping for the best because we want him to be safe. He is very determined and passionate about it, so he’s got our support.
Photo: KarmicReleseLTD
Taylor, in your story, why does Killian come home and live with his parents?
TAYLOR: His plan at the time is that he has just graduated from a pricey university, and he is supposed to go off with his bandmate on a modest music tour. He comes home to get his stuff and see his parents after graduating, but his bandmate drops out, and so the plan falls apart, and that’s how he gets stuck in this town and everything is just kind of falling apart. The plan that he had for his life after college gets pulled out right out from under him.
Photo: Getty
Nathan, when Kassie and you were on One Life for years, you weren’t there when it ended, as you had already left the show. How did you feel upon learning it had been canceled by ABC?
NATHAN: I was so disconnected by that time. I just knew it was ending, and it wasn’t the first soap to go. I saw it happening when the other shows started being canceled due to, I could be wrong about this, but I put the blame on reality TV. By that point I had moved on in my personal and private life. I was doing a lot of theatre then, traveling back and forth from North Carolina, really trying to keep busy, and fighting off the depression of not working full-time. I missed Jim and Kassie the most, but I was thrilled that I could bump into them at any time and visit with them. I kept in touch with Hillary B. Smith (Ex-Nora) and Bob Woods (Ex-Bo) and also, Timothy Stickney (Ex-RJ); in fact, Timothy Stickney’s wife did Taylor’s hair for the film.
Photo: JPI
Kassie, how do you feel years later about the cancellation of One Life to Live?
KASSIE: I still miss it. I loved it. The hard part about this show in particular being canceled is –one – that there wasn’t closure on it. It kind of happened randomly, and there was still a lot more story to tell. They kept it going on General Hospital, where they’ll bring some characters there. So, it’s still in peoples’ minds. The second part is the friendships and the family connections that you’ve made over the many years that you’re there. Nothing lasts forever, that’s for sure, but as you were saying, there’s no streaming of these shows, but if you catch an episode on YouTube, One Life to Live, truly stands alone. It just has great stories, great characters, and there is connection there that is very real.
Kassie, your last go-around at DAYS was just epic. Did you guys see it?
TAYLOR: I did see pieces of some of it. I caught some of the “super villain”!
Photo: JPI
Eve went in guns blazing, evil as all get out, but so heartbreaking at the same time while she was torturing Ben (Rob Scott Wilson). What did you think about all of that, Kassie?
KASSIE: I was really hesitant to watch it because I remembered how “super villain” I was. I remember getting on the plane, and Jimmy said, “How was it?” and I said, “I’ll probably never work again a day in my life. I’m like this (evil laughs) muah-ha-ha, muah-ha-ha kind of character.” I mean, you hated what Eve was doing, and you were supposed to, but I think that they did a great job with production values, and it was reasonable what she was doing because she was going off the edge. It’s great to be able to sink your teeth into something that is so out-there and completely different from your own life. I mean, it was exhausting. Every day, I would come home and just be like, “Oh my God, give me a cocktail.” Eve had justification for her revenge, even as wrong as it was, and she needed to be heard, and she needed closure, and she made a bunch of wrong moves, and did a bunch of bad, bad, bad things, and now, she is probably in a mental institution somewhere, so…
You and I were on set of DAYS and I was going to interview you. If I recall, at that point, you did not even know what the story arc was.
KASSIE: No, I didn’t. When I arrived and looked at the script, I’m like, “Well, who blew up that wedding?” Then, all of the sudden, “Oh, no! I blew up the wedding. This is bad! I probably am not going to be coming back on this show again.” I look at story and go, “Uh-oh. There’s a shut door.” I like open doors and open windows.
Photo: JPI
Taylor, what is your project? Are you continuing to write? What do you see in the future for yourself?
TAYLOR: This is my life for me. The next thing that I think we are releasing is actually something that I made before this because everything is backwards, which is a documentary (very different) about Central American politics, which I’m hoping is out next year. In terms of new scripts, everybody is a bit torn. I kind of want to do a biopic of Lee Grant, or I want to do a blues/punk version of something inspired by The Shining.
Well, those are very polar opposite!
TAYLOR: Yeah, aren’t they?
NATHAN: Now you see what I’m living with. (Laughs)
Photo: IMDB
Nathan, you must be proud of Taylor, and it must be very cool to see your son have these multi-faceted talents.
NATHAN: Of course, I’m proud of him and it’s great, but it’s strange because watching Taylor develop into the person he has developed into and continues to, made me realize that I hadn’t had the type of courage he has. I had my dreams and certain things that I was very courageous about in my life. I certainly don’t see him doing some things the way I did them, because he has more common sense than I do when it comes to life choices. His courage just blows my mind. Most of my closest friends are professional musicians, and many of them, if I were to namedrop, you would know who they are, and they’ve had successful careers, and I’ve always looked up to them and admired them, but I was never that guy. I just wanted to be a musician because I knew them and we were friends, but I didn’t have the discipline to do what they did, and I certainly didn’t have the God-given talent. I play a little bit of keyboard and a little bit of saxophone myself, but I have to play one song 757 times before I even start to feel comfortable with it, and Taylor can sit down and start strumming on his guitar, and the next thing you know, he’s written a whole song. It just blows my mind how creative and talented he is. He has been surrounded by creative and talented people all of his life. He has absorbed a lot from the different people and the different opportunities he’s had, and I look at him sometimes, and I even say it to my wife, “Who is this kid?” I like to share this story. We went to see Taylor do Hamlet. I’m guessing he was 15 or 16-years-old at the time. I’m watching him doing Hamlet, and I’m sitting in the chair, and I’m crying because I’m thinking to myself, “Oh, my God, he is so good!” I told Taylor, “I would not tackle Hamlet on a football field, yet alone on stage.” It made me realize that we had a force to be reckoned with. He’s pretty amazing. The bad news for him is that I always tell him the truth, and I lied to him once, and he called me out on it, and I promised that I would never lie to him again. So, be careful what you ask me because I will tell you the truth from this point on.
Photo: KarmicReleaseLTD
KASSIE: Taylor was also the director of this film, which I mean, “What the hell!” This guy is doing everything. He was deciding on the shots, he was deciding on the lighting, he was deciding this and that, he was editing the script, I’m like, “Holy cannoli!” He’s like, “No, I want her to wear that shirt; I want her to do this.” You would do the scene, and he’d come over and talk to you a little bit. I mean, he was just awesome; Taylor brought so much insight to my character because I’m like, “What’s my relationship, and who are all of these kids? Are we a loving family?” We did it very quickly, too. Taylor, look at what you’ve accomplished, and it is such a beautiful piece of art!
TAYLOR: From a more functional standpoint as a director, one of the really great things about having the two of them was that Kassie came in half-way through filming, and we’d been working with the young actor/musicians a lot. Some of them, it was their first big job, but pretty much all of them had worked before. On Kassie’s first day, they didn’t know what they were in for. She just rolled onto set, and all of the sudden, the stakes and bar of how to be an actor just changed. From that point on, when Kassie and Nathan started to work with the band, we knew those were going to be fun days because there was going to be acting involved. Everyone else just had to come up to their level, which was great for me because it gave me so much more to edit with.
Taylor, who are your musical influences?
TAYLOR: That’s a really good question. My musical obsession for the last few years has been this guy, named Josh Ritter, who is kind of a singer/songwriter/folk guy. My real-life band, The Cumberland Kids, is named after one of his songs. Also, Weird Al Yankovic, has been a massive inspiration for me and my songwriting partners.
So, your vibe is this folk-rock.
TAYLOR: Yeah, that’s what I’m writing mostly. My listening is kind of all over the place, but definitely that is what I’m writing.
Kassie, who do you like listening to?
KASSIE: It all depends on what cocktail I have in my hand.
Photo: JPI
NATHAN: Let me chime in on that too! I like jazz, blues, and country music, but imagine what my house was like because I have a lot of instruments here, always with the hope that Taylor would at least become interested in music. I have congas, bass guitar, keyboards, you name it, and for a while, he wasn’t interested at all, and one day, I woke up and he was playing an acoustic guitar. Then, the next thing I know, he is writing and singing folk music. I’m thinking, “Wait a minute!” It was an important lesson for me that just because you want something for your children, doesn’t mean that is what they want for themselves. We never pushed acting on Taylor. He chose it on his own. It’s exciting for me mostly because it was his choice.
KASSIE: He’s a natural.
And speaking of that, Taylor, in the trailer nothing came across forced or pushed. Obviously, we are all talking you up here, not that you need it.
NATHAN: I’ll tell you this, Michael. During the shoot, Taylor insisted on calling me “Nathan”, and I had a problem with it, but he basically told me to get over it because it’s his set, his movie, and while we are shooting, I’m “Nathan”, and he’ll call me dad later. I’m still struggling with that but he was the boss.
TAYLOR: It’s hard to walk that line and not make it weird for your crew, you know?
NATHAN: I get it.
Photo: KarmicReleaseLTD
KASSIE: It’s weird for me because when he would go, “Robbie is going to do this, and Nathan is going to do that,” I’d go, “Who are Robbie and Nathan? Aren’t they your mom and dad?”
TAYLOR: While I was writing the script I called him over, and I said, “Dad, I wrote you a really good role, and I think we are actually going to do this. I’m giving you a once in a lifetime chance to name your own character. Do you want to name him after a Greek hero, or one of your siblings?” He didn’t take his chance. So, you know what? It’s “Nathan” now. It’s easier for everybody. We don’t have to break the method acting fourth wall. (Laughs)
Do you think you would work with Nathan and Kassie again? (Laughs)
TAYLOR: Oh, my God, are you kidding?
NATHAN: That’s my contract: Kassie has got to be in it. So, let me say this about Kassie, you had mentioned something about how much she has been working, and I look at Kassie as the James Brown of daytimes soaps. She is the hardest working woman in daytime television.
Photo: JPI
She is pretty spectacular. Kassie started on Guiding Light, had a long career on One Life, and then went to General Hospital, then to Days of our Lives. It’s been amazing that we have been able to see her have a comeback in more ways that one.
KASSIE: Nathan has jumped from soap to soap as well, and when you’ve done it, you just think it’s over. It’s not like your regular acting profession jobs when you go out and you know you’re going to audition for twenty-five things and get one role for a short amount of time. When you go in day in and day out and are creating all of this stuff on a soap opera, and then it ends, you go, “Well, now what am I supposed to do?” I haven’t been on a set in 6 months, and I feel like I won’t ever work again. Soaps are just a totally different head trip and so it can be really hard.
Courtesy/ABC
Nathan, do you have a favorite Hank Gannon moment from One Life to Live?
NATHAN: Oh wow. Man, there were so many of them. I can tell you the funniest, to me, maybe not so funny to Hillary B. Smith though. I think it was during a live show. This was during the time when I had a lot of dialogue. But this particular day, I had one line, and the line was to Hillary and it was, “How are you feeling?” and her response was, “Well, I’m feeling the way I always feel, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah”. So, during the entire day, I’d see Hillary, and I’d say, “Hey, how you feeling?” Maybe nineteen times before we started shooting, “Hey, how you feeling?” and she’d had about enough of it. So, fast forward to “5, 4,3,2,1 action”, and now, I say, “How you doing?” If you could see the look in her eyes, it is like, “I will kill you.” So, she says, “You know how I’m doing. I’m doing what I’m always doing,” so she could get her line out. So, once again, she saved Nathan’s ass with that. One stupid line … and I blew it. I just remember that one because I just know Hilary wanted to strangle me. She probably still wants to.
And on that note (laughs) I wanted to thank you all so much for this. I hope you find success with this little gem of a film, Taylor.
So what did you think of the comments made by Kassie, Nathan and Taylor on their film? What did you think of Kassie’s recent performance on DAYS? What’s your favorite Blair or Hank moment from the history of One Life to Live? Share your thoughts and comments below, But first, check out the trailer to Killian and the Comeback Kids.
General Hospital
GH’s Chloe Lanier Talks On Nelle’s Twisted Plots, Her Co-Stars & That Cliffhanger “Ending”
Recently on ABC’s General Hospital, Chloe Lanier’s Nelle Benson created even more havoc for Carly (Laura Wright), Michael (Chad Duell), Julian (William deVry), Brook Lynn (Briana Lane), and of course, her son, Wiley.
However, is Nelle really gone after her ‘fall,’ which has left her MIA and Carly believing she is responsible for her sister’s ‘death’? But as we know with Nelle, she keeps secretly planning her next move and loves to slowly torture those who she believes have wronged her. There is also the ongoing mystery of just who is Nina’s (Cynthia Watros) daughter, especially since Nelle has the other half of the necklace so near and dear to Nina; leaving viewers pondering if it could mean they are mother and child, or is this all a red-herring?
One thing is for sure, Daytime Emmy winner, Chloe Lanier brings it each and every time she returns to GH. She gives always give the storylines a much needed injection of drama, drama and more drama. No one is quite like Lanier in the soaps either; she can play tough, vulnerable, manipulative, and street smart, like nobody’s business.
Michael Fairman TV caught up with Chloe to get her answers to some of our burning questions for her and her portrayal of naughty Nelle, and how one of her co-stars helped her through a very difficult time in her life. Here’s what she had to say about it all.
Courtesy/ABC
What did you think of the courtroom antics of Nelle during the custody hearing for Wiley?
CHLOE: I mean, showing up in a wedding dress was her first mistake. Then antagonizing everyone in the room was probably her second. But she’s so wounded—so broken from her childhood. She doesn’t have the proper emotional tools to combat her self-destructive behavior.
Which showdown or confrontation between Nelle and Michael stands out to you?
CHLOE: I particularly loved the scenes where Nelle, nine months pregnant, leaves Michael in the rigged car, hoping it would explode. It’s rare that you’re given comedic material on a soap, so that was particularly exciting for me. Also, Chad’s reactions always make me laugh. He’s great.
Photo: ABC
What is it like working with Chad Duell as feuding exes and parents of Wiley?
CHLOE: Chad is so easy to work with. He’s been doing the show for so long and is very technically gifted. The writers graced us with some meaty material that we were able to sink our teeth into.
Photo: JPI
What does Nelle think of Willow (Katelyn MacMullen)? She really hates her, huh?
CHLOE: I don’t believe she hates her. She’s envious. Willow is the exact opposite and oftentimes we’re afraid of what we don’t understand. Particularly someone like Nelle, who was raised by a con artist and taught to exploit and manipulate anyone she comes across. So when she sees someone so pure, so innocent, she immediately distrusts her because that behavior is so far outside the lines of how she operates.
What was it like taping the fight scenes between Carly and Nelle, where Nelle “Plummets” to her death?
CHLOE: Shout out to Amanda Hall and Heather Bonomo, our amazing stunt doubles for those scenes. They were fantastic.
Courtesy/ABC
When you and Laura Wright get the scripts; where Carly and Nelle are having a huge showdown, are you thrilled about getting the chance to play the emotional beats of those moments? What if it’s a fight scene?
CHLOE: Those scenes were such a joy, because we got to explore some of the deep roots of Nelle’s trauma, and Carly explicitly said, “I believe you love your son.” That, for me, was important. Because despite all of her failings, she truly did love her son—in her own warped, off kilter, way.
Photo: Paul Smith
Nelle has really been blackmailing Julian, until he turned the tables on her on the pier? What has it been like acting opposite Will deVry in those scenes?
CHLOE: I love Will. He and I actually have the same acting coach, so our prep and how we’re working is from a similar place. What I love about Will is the confidence he has in his stillness. He’s lovely on camera, so connected.
Photo: ABC
Nelle has the other half of the necklace belonging to Nina. What do you think if it turns out that Nelle is Nina’s daughter? It is quite possible, tho, that she is not, and it’s all a red herring. How has it been working with Cynthia Watros?
CHLOE: Cynthia is one of the kindest human beings I’ve ever met, truly. We haven’t known each other for long, but earlier this year, and not many people know this other than my close friends, I was having glaring mental health issues stemming from unresolved trauma. I was going going going for so long that I couldn’t run away from it anymore. I had never dealt with any of it. She saw it and could tell I was silently struggling and reached out. You don’t forget kindness like that. So I’m very grateful for Cynthia—and of course, therapy. I would be flattered if they decided to make Nelle Nina’s daughter.
Photo:ABC
What do you think about how the writers have kept finding ways to have plot points that get all the other characters in trouble and make it look like they did something to Nelle, but she ultimately has her own diabolical plans for them with her actions? She is pretty smart!
CHLOE: Nelle is the perfect victim, and her love language is sabotage. She’s also a narcissist, so she’s always going to think she’s the smartest person in the room. She’s basically a walking version of Taylor Swift’s song, Look What You Made Me Do. I love that the writers gifted me the opportunity work with almost everyone on the show. Josh (Swickard) and I always had a great time together. And Maurice (Benard)—god he’s hilarious. I would have loved to work with Briana Nicole Henry (Jordan) more though. I love watching her work. She’s going to have an amazing career.
Photo: ABC
Do you think Nelle can ever be redeemed at this point?
CHLOE: Redemption is a weird one for me, because I don’t believe that people are inherently good or bad. We’re all human. We all have flaws, make mistakes, have regrets, experience shame. We have the ability to grow and we learn from our past. Nelle has done and felt all of those things, to a degree, but continued to do the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. A character either has to change or they die. So, I’ll say this—if Nelle is alive out there somewhere, I hope she’s going to therapy.
Photo: JPI
What has been the hardest scene for you to play emotionally in the time you have been playing Nelle?
CHLOE: Probably the scene with the newborn, where Nelle runs into Brad on the side of the road. I had never held a newborn baby before, so I was TERRIFIED. I realized I was the only thing in that moment keeping that baby alive…a very bizarre and life altering feeling, I’ll say.
So, have you enjoyed Chloe’s performances? Do you think Nelle is plotting from afar? What would you like to see happen in the storylines with baby Wiley, Nina’s child, and more? Comment below.
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