One Life to Live News & Gossip
News for the week of 25-Aug-2008
Fall in Llanview under head writer Ron Carlivati continues the stories that reached their peak this past summer, starting with Todd and Marty’s growing interest in one another as more than caretaker and patient. Tess knowing about Todd’s business expands the island he and Marty have created for themselves. Tess may not seek the death penalty for Natalie and Jared, but a fate worse than death—permanent separation. Tina will serve as Tess’s annoyance to bear. Todd had no intention of permitting Starr to give up her baby to Marcie-the former kidnapper of Sam, and will work double-time to prevent that from occurring. John and Blair obsess about the woman Todd’s been keeping under wraps, both for different reasons. With John, it’s about Todd and his secret. With Blair, it’s about jealousy over Todd and this woman. Clint uses Dorian’s closeness with Langston to get a foothold into BE. What he uncovers is an uncle Langston had no idea she had, an ex-con named Ray (A Martinez), and vice versa. Brody will not go away quietly once Rex and Gigi inform Shane about his true father. There’s a big reason for that.
Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio) won this year’s ALMA awards for his performance on OLTL. Other nominees in the daytime category were fellow co-star David Fumero (Cristian), GH’s Maurice Benard (Sonny), GL’s Jessica Leccia (Natalia) and PSNS Galen Gering (Luis).
Trevor St. John (Todd) had to apologize for his “I’m all for gang rape” comment made “in jest” during a recent fan event. He told SOAPnet.com that he shouldn’t have said the comment the way he said it, in answer to a fan’s question about where Todd and Marty were heading in story. “…I should know better than to ever try and make a joke about such a serious subject. I intended no disrespect and apologize to anyone I offended.”
A lot of viewers rush to the conclusion that Todd and Marty’s closeness is that of a romantic nature, simply waiting until the inevitable make-out session. Not so, head writer Ron Carlivati said. He still sees them as different characters feeling each other out, still in the stage of therapist and patient. The growing closeness is a result of Todd and Marty starting over, by benefit of her amnesia. Without the amnesia, Carlivati stressed, there could be nothing of an intimate nature whatsoever. A fully recovered Marty would never go anywhere near Todd as anyone other than a wary rape survivor. The current dynamic of Todd and Marty also hasn’t veered (yet) into romantic territory. The head writer is still too fascinated by the restart of this couple with such baggage unremembered and unwanted. “The goal is more to take these two characters who have an unbelievable, dark history with each other and explore where we could go if they didn't have that obstacle-the rape-between them,” Carlivati explained. “That obstacle still exists and you're going to see close moments, like when he helps her walk, with physical contact. I think the thing about the two of them, the characters and the actors, is you feel a chemistry when they're just talking, so I don't necessarily categorize it as romantic. They're definitely forming a relationship and it continues to grow and build through the fall.” –Soap Opera Digest, September 2, 2008
Kassie DePaiva (Blair) has been very effusive about her pairing with Michael Easton (John). She also knows who the fans really want to feast their eyes on during any love scenes between them, and it’s not her. Both she and Easton, she relayed, have been self-deprecating to the point of obstinacy, pushing the cameras on the other one. Once during the prelude to a love scene, DePaiva said she had to trip and land in Easton’s arms. Instead, she tripped a little too hard and nearly knocked Easton out. “I heard a ‘Crack!’ and he was like, ‘I’m okay.’ And then, the blood started to trickle out.” –Soap Opera Digest, August 26, 2008
Back in 1997, reporters got the name of Kassie (Blair) and James (ex-Max) DePaiva’s firstborn son wrong. The actress figured they probably misheard her pronounce Quentin as “Clinton,” and even one time, J.Q., for “Jake Hugh.” It’s really James Quentin, J.Q. for short. If it were up to her husband, J.Q. would’ve turned out to be Django after a favorite jazzer named Django Reinhardt.
Andrea Evans (Tina) didn’t sit around the house hunkering down and hiding from the world during the lost years when a New York City-based stalker forced a premature exit from soaps. She carved out a life for herself, with a husband, an adopted daughter Kylie, now 4, philanthropy and eventually, a slow but steady return to daytime acting. The first person from soaps to reach out to Evans and coax her back was B&B’s executive producer/head writer Bradley Bell. He gave Tawny to her in 1999, and from there, she moved on to PSNS as Rebecca, and back to OLTL. Her stalker has grown old, too old to be a nuisance any further, and even if he weren’t, unfortunately there’s nothing she can do legally to punish him for the 18-plus years of hell he put her through. “I take every precaution that needs to be taken and I have advisers that advise me on how to be safe and things like that, but it feels that it’s time to just get on with my life. You can’t spend it living the way someone else would have you live it.” –Soap Opera Digest, “Who Says You Can’t Go Back?” by Lauren Flynn, August 26, 2008
Evans is a big name in soaps. But she wouldn’t mind being a big deal to her daughter Kylie. That could happen if the actress ever landed a part on an animated Disney feature or some other children’s program. As it stands now, it’s hard for Kylie to think of her mom as anybody other than mom and the lady who walks (as celebrity ambassador for City of Hope’s annual walk for a cancer cure). Kylie—who’s very much like headstrong Evans—isn’t allowed to watch the grown-up soaps in which her mom works/worked, so…
Check out the Lather website next month for a special soap created in conjunction with Evans, representing City of Hope Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer. Long an advocate for the City of Hope’s annual Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer and its celebrity ambassador, Evans and the people of LATHER Inc. came up with a Sandalwood Rose Soap to help benefit breast cancer research. The alliance came about because the Lather people heard of Evans’ admiration of the company’s natural ingredients and aversion to animal testing. The Sandalwood Rose Soap relies heavily on rose petals for its pink color, and will be sold individually and in gift sets. Proceeds of the sale of the soap will benefit City of Hope’s breast cancer research programs.
Too bad for Evans. She’s dying to be a celebrity on Dancing With The Stars. The A list is revealed Monday, August 25th, and she’s not on it.
Congratulations to Melissa Archer (Natalie) and her newly wedded husband Glenn Angelino. They were married on August 8th, somewhere lovely in Mexico, surrounded by family and friends.
Forget the rumors. David Fumero (Cristian) re-signed to stay on OLTL for a few more years.
Thom Christopher (Carlo), however, will make his leave August 28th. For now. Same with Kevin Spirtas (Jonas).
Peter Bartlett (Nigel) joined the cast of the world premiere musical-comedy stage production of What’s That Smell: The Music Of Jacob Sterling. He plays a musical theater talk show host. Previews of the off-Broadway play kick off September 2, the opening September 10, and the run-through schedule through September 28 at the Atlantic Stage 2 on 330 West 16th Street in New York City. Tickets cost $35 per person. Info: Ticket Central (212) 279-4200.
Loyita Chapel (Dallas; Renee, 1968; ex-Blaize) re-lived a dramatic moment in her own personal history with husband Robert S. Woods (Bo; Asa, 1968) recently in the airport scenes. As Renee, Chapel had to see a younger Bo (as portrayed by Rex’s John-Paul Lavoisier) off to Vietnam. Many years before the filming of that scene, she had to do it with her husband Woods (he served as a Green Beret). Having their college-aged son Tanner portray Bo about to ship off to Vietnam, in the same kind of uniform that his father Woods wore…well, that was also very dramatic for Chapel. Chapel added that their son isn’t an actor and doesn’t want to be an actor, so she was a little concerned beforehand how it would go, but it went well. She was especially impressed with Lavoisier and Farah Fath’s (Gigi) good work ethic. Despite the volumes of pages they had to memorize and know for their 1968 scenes, Chapel said, they did it without whining. “J-P is a gift for my husband to work with, because he always has a good attitude. He is always prepared, he is grateful for the job, he loves it and has his head screwed on straight.” –Soap Opera Digest/Weekly online, interview by Gabrielle Winkel
Ashley Wilkens played an ob-gyn’s assistant last week, on Starr’s case. Wilkens herself got pregnant as a teen and put her baby up adoption.
As soon as casting finds its actors, Langston may soon meet more than her uncle Ray. She may also meet a cousin her age and Ray’s trophy wife.
Heather Tom (ex-Kelly; Katie, B&B) and Wally Kurth (ex-Ned, GH; Sam, ATWT) will also compete in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon September 14. Alec Musser (ex-Del 2, AMC) and Winsor Harmon (ex-Del, AMC; Thorne, B&B) are already on board to compete as well, joining tons of celebrities, athletes and amateur athletes for the swim/bike/jog along L.A.’s Zuma Beach. For the second year, the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and its Pediatric Cancer Research Program will benefit from proceeds raised from the Triathlon. Other celebrities participating in this Triathlon include Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), husband William H. Macy (Wild Hogs), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Monique Coleman (High School Musical), and Anna Kournikova, tennis star.
Gossip for the week of 25-Aug-2008
Mark Lawson (Brody) wasn’t expected to last very long, playing a foil to Rex and Gigi. And he may not still, as his story changes back into dark, murky waters.
They’re trying out brand-new actors for another Joey recast. Hush, hush.
One Life to Live News & Gossip, Copyright © 2008 Carol Banks Weber. Published by SoapZone.com / Jeff Jungblut. No part of this page may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed on this page are those of the author and may not be representative of SoapZone.com or its advertisers. Don't steal scoops.
