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News for the week of 12-Apr-2010
Last week, Michael Fairman wrapped up his video coverage of OLTL’s movers and shakers, as well as its move to AMC’s former studios in NYC.
Among the OLTL cast members, he spoke with the goofy Melissa Archer (Natalie) for his April 7th interview about a lot of things related to her character, the triangle with Susan Haskell’s Marty and Michael Easton’s John, and life on-set. She’s aware of the couple nicknames fans have come up with for the various characters, and has taken to making up her own, making up names “no one would ever think of,” with pairings no one would ever think of, like Marty with Natalie, Natalie with Tea. Even though she’s supposed to be in some rivalry with Marty for John, Archer can’t help but be starstruck watching portrayer Emmy-winner Haskell in scenes. Overall, she counts herself lucky to work with such a good, supportive group of people. “We’re very family-like,” she said, adding that whenever anyone does a good job, they’re “good about patting each other on the back.”
In another April 7th-uploaded Michael Fairman interview, Mark Lawson (Brody) reacted with positive appreciation at the respect that has been expressed by co-stars about his hardcore work ethic and generosity as an actor. It meant a lot to him. “I always want to give them as much as possible. … It’s only worth doing if it comes from the heart,” he said. He also brought up a veteran actor he himself respected enormously, Brian Kerwin (Charlie). Both of them have been pre-nominated by the cast for this year’s Daytime Emmys. “He’s been the guy I’ve idolized, his acting choices, his taste,” Lawson gushed.
As for those Emmy submission reels, Lawson said he was torn between the scene where he admits to Jessica that he loves her while they bond with the baby girl, or the scene where he falls apart after having been impaled. The scenes in the hospital after the impaling took a lot out of him emotionally, to the point where the director had to come down to comfort the crying actor. Lawson said he just found himself totally there in the scene, body and soul, and had a hard time coming out of it.
Working opposite Bree Williamson (Jessica) for most of his scenes has been a treat. He admitted to having had “actory” crushes on each other, which has been weird when he’s playing like she’s his girlfriend but she’s not really. “She has a spirit about her that inspires great things to happen on the fly. It’s easy to work with Bree.” Having to court her character all over again after Mitch wiped out her memories of him has been quite a challenge, though. Lawson thought it’d be cool if he could revisit Brody’s pre-Jessica period, where he dealt with stress by drinking and fighting. “I’d like to see Brody flip out again, really flip out.”
Playing a quadriplegic, however briefly, provided its own set of challenges for the young actor who grew up on OLTL. Eddie Alderson (Matthew) told Michael Fairman (April 6th interview) that he did have trouble trying not to move his legs in the initial scenes. The first time, he leaned forward to embrace his on-screen dad, Bo, and was told by the director that they had to cut that scene and do it again. He’d moved his legs inadvertently. So they put weights on his legs to prevent them from moving again the next time.
When Kelley Missal (Dani) came on as his love interest and had to kiss him on-screen, Alderson was so nervous he went to his big sister Kristen (Starr) for pointers. Their mom gave her pointer to him after the fact, telling him he had to aim for her mouth, which embarrassed him a lot to hear. He did say though that it looked like he’d missed Missal’s mouth that first time.
Eddie’s sister Kristen was also interviewed by Michael Fairman (April 9th), and she elaborated on her brother’s nervousness prior to his first kissing scene with Dani. It was so cute him worrying about his breath and stuff, she said. They get along great, too, Kristen added, Massal thinks he’s so funny. Kristen remarked on the amazing resemblance between her and Massal as sisters too. She also touched on lots of story coming up.
“He’s very cute, but he’s also such a sweetheart… We have a good time together,” Brittany Underwood (Langston) described David Gregory (Ford) in her April 9th interview with Michael Fairman. She said it can be sort of weird and awkward to be the new guy, but Gregory’s fit right in with their crowd and all the in-joking around.
Her on-screen relationship with Jason Tam (Markko) benefited from the show’s slow build. During that slow build, the two actors became fast friends and very close. So, by the time they finally came out on the show as an official couple, the portrayers were very comfortable with one another, Underwood said.
Underwood had a chance to have her own dressing room when OLTL moved into AMC’s former digs, but she didn’t want to. She and Kristen Alderson (Starr) are such good friends that Underwood wanted to still be dressing roommates. (Shallow note: Underwood totally needs to Neti. Her nose sounds congested all the time.) Besides great talk about her co-stars, Underwood previewed some of the upcoming high school musical (rehearsals currently in progress).
ABC Daytime PR chief Jori Petersen angered Kish (Kyle and Fish) fans by issuing a statement to TV Guide Magazine recently that this gay couple’s love story “did not have the appeal we hoped it would [ratings were down]. We are going to spend our time on stories that have a more favorable reaction from our audience.” One-half of Kish, Brett Claywell (Kyle), said that perhaps TPTB [The Powers That Be] pushed the gay angle a little too much with the mass-gay wedding several months ago. It was a part of story that he and his co-star, real-life gay actor Scott Evans (Oliver Fish), worried was going too fast. “From the beginning, Scott and I were uneasy about that big gay political wedding. We were telling a slow, subtle love story about two guys who just happened to be gay. We didn’t want to make it in-your-face, which is what the wedding was. It pulled us away from what we were trying to do. We wanted to exist separately from that. It was too much and, in a way, Scott and I became the sacrificial lambs.” –TV Guide: “Was OLTL Too Gay For America?” by Michael Logan, April 5, 2010
For a light and lively young look at the new OLTL digs in NYC, head to SOAPnet. Co-stars and friends Kristen Alderson (Starr) and Brittany Underwood (Langston) led a brief, uneventful – no other stars were seen – tour of their dressing room, hair/makeup and the La Boulaie set. Alderson and Underwood are still dressing roommates enjoying their downtime with their essential ipod player, and Alderson’s mom’s gift – comfy couch with stylish pillows.
Besides Lenny Plat (Nate) – brought on for Langston’s high school musical – there is Tramaine Montell Ford, also on for a short, spring time, presumably for the musical too.
Gossip for the week of 12-Apr-2010
There’s a new audition script floating around involving a wedding singer. Maybe Bo gets Nora to finally say yes and marry him.
Marty is only a means for John to reunite with Natalie. But what if Kelly sparks, too? Triangle, baby.
Remember official denials that Florenzia Lozano’s Tea was leaving OLTL? Guess what? She just may be. A recent Soap Opera Weekly blurb had Tea exiting after suffering from a brain tumor.
Amanda Setton (Kim) left OLTL a little darker and sadder, but left she did. I predict bigger things for this spellbinding chameleon of an actress. She single-handedly saved Stacy and Stacy’s abominable storyline, by doing so much more than reading rote-villain off the script. She even sold a real romance between her and the considerably older Clint.
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