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Interviews

THE TEXAS BATTLE AND JENNIFER GAREIS INTERVIEW – THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Listen to the audio:

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TV SOAP:
Jennifer, what did you think when you found out that they were going to bring in a son for your character on the show?

JENNIFER:
It’s really funny. Someone at the show said to me, “They are bringing a guy on for you!” And I go, “Really? Is he hot?” And they say, “No. You really don’t want to know.” I don’t like to know storyline ahead of time, but they did tell me they were going to bring someone on ahead of time. I am like, “Am I going to like him?” Then, when they describe that he is my son, I was like, “Oh, my goodness. I had no idea they were going in that direction!” I thought it was a love interest or something. (She laughs)

TV SOAP:
This seems like such an amazing time for you, professionally. Jenn, they are really giving you the ball and letting you run with it.

JENNIFER:
Exactly! This is a dream storyline, trust me! We can’t tell you, but trust me, it’s a dream storyline, and it’s awesome.

TV SOAP:
Texas, did you have any idea that you would be playing the son of a very young and sexy gal at “”B&B”?

TEXAS:
No, not at all! When I first got the call that “B&B” wanted to see me, I was under the impression that I was the new young leading man, and in the audition process we read scenes from a previous episode. I did not know at all what was really going on until it got closer to booking it, and they go, “Oh, by the way, you are going to be the son of one of our leading ladies on the show, Jennifer Gareis!” And I go, “Oh, that’s cool.” Then they say, “But, she is your mother,” and I go, “My mom? Well, that’s good to me!”

TV SOAP:
Did you know Jenn previously?

TEXAS:
I knew Jennifer was on “Y&R”. The funny thing was when they told me I was going to play her son. I actually went online first, because I could not put a name to a face. I was saying to the casting director, Christy Dooley, “Which one was playing my mom?” Of course, I was looking for an African-American female. Then, she pointed to Jennifer and I was like, “No way! She is so young and beautiful. How?” Hey, we will make it work, though.

JENNIFER:
I have had twenty face-lifts, babe. (She laughs)

TV SOAP:
So, as the story goes, Donna gave up her son, correct?

JENNIFER:
As a teenager, Donna gave up her baby for adoption and Texas is 20. I won’t be disclosing my real age, but if you do the math, it all kind of works out. (She laughs)

TV SOAP:
Did you have a hand in Texas landing the pivotal role of Marcus?

JENNIFER:
I auditioned everyone in the room together, and there were three guys in contention. I felt that Texas had the most passion behind the role, and had a lot of different levels to his performance. He yelled at me, scared me, and made me sad, and he has all of this and the softness and strength, as well. I was sure he was the best guy for the part.

TEXAS:
When I came in to read, I got the respect from Jennifer so fast, because she was working that day. When I got to the audition she was off script and was ready, and she gave me something to go on. The first time, I did a rehearsal with Jennifer, once I booked the part she said, “I just want you to know it will be better once we get on set.” I go, “Excuse me? That was rehearsal?” It was a good experience with her. I felt automatic chemistry. Jennifer has been doing soaps for years, and I have to follow her lead. I know I have to follow it.

TV SOAP:
What scenes of your storyline, thus far, are both of you most proud of?

JENNIFER:
I really liked the part when he pulled out the birth certificate, and I come to the realization that this is my son. On another episode, there was this odd chemistry at Storm’s funeral. Marcus gave Donna this apology for the tragedy that happened to the Logan’s. There was this moment with this stranger that had such an effect on Donna. But as far as the pinnacle point, it would be her realization that, “Oh My God, this is true! He really is my son!”

TEXAS:
I did like the feeling she gave me when I gave her the birth certificate. I felt she was accepting me as my birth-mom, and that now we are established as mother and son. I like the scenes we are doing now, because she is now doing more of a motherly thing. It’s nice to hear. I am responding back as a son would. Now, I am protecting her against the Forresters. I like that. It’s natural and good, and she is my mom.

TV SOAP:
Does Donna regret what she did all those years ago?

JENNIFER:
I think it’s a secret she carried around for years and years. The first time Donna lets that secret out is with Katie, and that was a very traumatic moment with tons of regret and pain. Now, it’s not as much since we found each other. This boy can be part of Donna’s life from now on. I feel the regret will disappear over time as they bond and the relationship grows.

TV SOAP:
How does Marcus feel about his mother’s original abandonment?

TEXAS:
At first he had resentment for her. He had so much going on, because his birth-mom gave him up in the first place. Then, she tells him the reasons for it, and he sees and understands why she had to keep this big secret, and he is going to protect her. I like the fact that she is protecting me, as well.

TV SOAP:
Have you heard any response about this unique twist for “B&B”?

JENNIFER:
While I am at work, some people have told me that the scenes we do together are tremendous. And that this provides the element of incredible softness in Donna to surface, and it’s wonderful. It helps shows her nurturing side, and it will develop her more as a woman.

TEXAS:
I have to say since the show has aired, I went to get a manicure down the street from the studio. A lady that was in there goes, “Oh, my God. You are Marcus. You’re Donna’s son!” And I go, “No I am not. I am Texas.” The lady was real excited to know more about our story. The storyline to me is juicy.

TV SOAP:
Jennifer, wouldn’t you say Donna is evolving?

JENNIFER:
Donna went from this young flirtatious, almost girly type, to this blossoming woman who is nurturing and soft. It’s an amazing transition!

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TV SOAP:
Do we know who Marcus’s father is yet?

JENNIFER:
Not yet. I think he was a very tall and athletic black man!

TEXAS:
Marcus does not know his father.

JENNIFER:
I was thinking Shemar Moore (Ex-Malcolm, “Y&R”) would be a good casting for him.

TEXAS:
People would love that one, if I were the son of Shemar Moore! (He laughs)

JENNIFER:
Shemar Moore… I have always had a crush on him since day one at “Y&R”. He is so great, and his personality is even better.

TV SOAP:
Do you two goof off on set?

TEXAS:
Jennifer’s personality is like mine, but when she is focused… she delivers. When we mess up a line or miss our mark, we joke and laugh. But, Jennifer has this snort that she does, and the first time she did that I went, “Wow, did that come from you?” (He laughs)

JENNIFER:
Are you talking about my snort? (She laughs)

TEXAS:
When we get on the set, we have fun and are ready at the same time. It’s great, and she is definitely one of those characters.

JENNIFER:
At first, Texas’s personality shined through. There were a few days when I didn’t work with him, and then he came back with me on set. I was like, “Wow! He has really learned life here, and I really liked that.” He is very professional; you can tell he is very comfortable on set.

TV SOAP:
To clarify, is Texas Battle your real name?

TEXAS:
My birth name is Texas Quincey Battle. My mom gave it to me, and it was never a big thing until I came to California in the summer of 2003. I had people telling me, “Oh no, that’s your stage name?” I didn’t even know what a stage name was at that time. Now, it’s working out for the best… and it stands out!

TV SOAP:
You both have done modeling. How do you like it as compared to acting? Do you still enjoy doing photo shoots?

JENNIFER:
I liked it when I did it. But when you are an actor, they ask you do to different photo shoots. I do like to have fun with it, but it’s not as fulfilling as acting, for sure. I still am fine doing photo shoots. It’s playtime, especially if the stylist is good and does great hair and make-up.

TEXAS:
I have to say, I like photo shoots as well. That is a time when you can be sexy and flirt with the camera. You move, and it’s about the wardrobe and the sexiness, and all that. I like that.

TV SOAP:
What should we watch for in the coming months from Donna and Marcus?

JENNIFER:
I would say a real bonding. Now that Donna is the lady of the house, it’s appropriate that she has a son. So, I would say more development of her character. I believe Marcus is going to be integrated throughout the characters on “B&B”, not just with Donna. There will be some really good bonding moments between the two of them.

TEXAS:
We just started this and there is a lot more to come between Donna and Marcus, and with Stephanie, the Logan’s and the Forrester’s. I am really looking forward to it.

TV SOAP:
It looks like Marcus has a potential love interest in the returning Steffi Forrester.

TEXAS:
The plan is always to have love on the set, and one of the Forresters is back in town, and that is Steffi. There may be some love chemistry going on there, and I definitely have my eye out on her. She has an eye out for me. But again, I got to get my momma’s approval because Steffi is a Forrester.

JENNIFER:
Yeah, that might be a tough one. I don’t know. We shall see…. (She laughs)

Interviews

The Young and the Restless’ Michael Damian On Christine/Danny/Phyllis: “It’s a Fun Triangle Story That They’re Having Us Do, Because It’s Very Retro”

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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