Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 20 Read online

before. How refreshing was that?

  That’s very Claire Labine.

  I don’t know. I’ve never worked with Claire Labine. Well, it certainly wasn’t Bob Guza. I probably talked Ron’s ear off because someone finally gave me a chance to talk.

  Backtracking a bit… what happened with Garin Wolf: The head writer who cried wolf!

  I have no idea. I had every reason to think that he was interested in writing for the character but it never happened. I’m not saying anything other than that. It’s just a fact.

  Why did Garin Wolf — when he was trumpeting “the great return of GH” — use your character as a main selling point in all the magazines yet nothing materialized for Alexis?

  I have no idea! I was touting him… and now the fans don’t trust me because I wasn’t on TV for nine months! [Laughs] Now no one believes anything I say. [Laughs] I don’t want to shove my head up people’s asses…

  Don’t worry — you weren’t the only one. During Wolf’s first week, SOAPS IN DEPTH gave him “Performer of the Week,” and heralded GH as “Better Than Ever” on its cover with Siobhan/Lucky/Liz! But for Garin to use and single out Alexis as a selling point makes me think he knew the value and popularity of the character, but yet he didn’t use Alexis to help realize his vision. It’s schizo and suspicious to me. Did ABC interfere with Garin’s vision?

  I don’t know. I think it was just a choice. I don’t have an answer. You can’t blame a writer all the time. Yes, Bob Guza and I didn’t get along, which is why I never had a story. Yes, I was wrong about Garin, but my instincts about Ron are that he really does want to write for Alexis and probably will. And that comes from me watching the actresses and women on ONE LIFE.

  Ron loves women. The women are going to dominate Port Chuck.

  Well, that will be the first time since I’ve been there! And just to be clear: I’m not interested in the women reigning over the men, or vice versa, but our show has been so tilted and skewed over the years that some kind of balance is needed.

  Ron writes smart men, too. His police department actually solves crimes.

  I know! We were talking about that the other day.

  OK: The big question everyone wants answered — are you ready? — who dresses you in blue, booby dresses all the time! Clearly, someone at GH has an agenda.

  [Laughs] I think it’s the law of attraction! [Laughs] It just happens! It’s become such a ‘thing.’ I think Alexis doesn’t remember from one dress to the other. Alexis just keeps pulling out these blue, booby dresses and there they are.

  How do you stay in shape?

  I’m not in shape! Remember that menopause scene when Alexis said she was fat? I wrote that in. I’m so fat! [Laughs]

  Shut your mouth! You’re bird like.

  According to these swivel sticks I work with, I’m obese compared to them!

  No!

  The truth is — and it happens to almost everyone — I’m up almost two sizes from a couple of years ago. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t change my eating or exercising habits. That’s quite the question to ask me because I’m quite ready for the Lap Band and liposuction.

  Your on-screen love interest John J. York has been stealing the show lately with Mac’s reaction to Robin’s death much like Kristina Wagner did with B.J.’s death storyline.

  It’s about time. He’s so happy to have something to do. Since I’ve been there, Mac’s never been a character anyone had any interest in writing. I’m very happy for him. He’s my neighbour. He’s always a gentleman. He also lets me tell him what to do so he’s perfect!

  [Laughs] What’s it been like for you as a fan and as an actor to see AMC and ONE LIFE go off the airwaves? ONE LIFE was your first soap gig…. Are you psyched certain Llanview residents are visiting Port Chuck?

  It’s sad and unnecessary regarding the cancellations. But regarding some of the actors from ONE LIFE joining GH, well, my feeling is… whatever brings the ratings up. ONE LIFE isn’t coming back, as far as I know, but we hope to make the fans happy by having a few of them over here for a while.

  It’s smart. You were tweeting during ONE LIFE’s final shows. What did you think of LLanview’s swan song?

  I thought it was great. You could see the energy on the show. They went out with their head held up high and with dignity. The other day, I was talking to Michael Easton and we agreed, “When you go down, you have to go down fighting.” And they did. And, so will we. We’ve tapped the iceberg… now we’re hoping to steer the ship and get out of these [dangerous waters].

  More people watch me take a shower each morning than watch THE REVOLUTION…. does that give the GH family some hope?

  We have hope because we have faith in our leaders right now. I think we’re unified across the board, including representatives at the network. We hope ABC gives us enough chance to turn it all around. With soaps, you can’t turn around a show in a couple of months. You need a good six months to be able to see the difference and create some impact. These days, it’s less likely to happen over night because you can scrap old shows like Gloria Monty did and re-shoot everything. What we have now is we have faith. We also have hope, but faith is the key thing we have because we didn’t have that before. The reality is we’re in a serious situation. It’s serious. The ratings must go up. It’s a requirement. And that takes making the audience happy and having them take a leap of faith to tune in. Give us six months, and if it’s dreadful, well, we’ll all give up!

  GH was in this exact same situation back in the late 70s. And if history repeats itself it will only happen under the leadership of Cartini.

  But what Gloria Monty did… and if it were me and it’s not… I wouldn’t be afraid to make a major shift. I would totally go in a different direction. In fact, I would. There wouldn’t be another gun, car crash or explosion. In fact, I think someone should come in and make everyone put his or her guns in a safety box and dump it somewhere. Recycle all those guns and build a building. Luckily, while I can’t see the big picture yet, our show is crisper and smarter, for sure, and that’s a good start.

  You were on SANTA BARBARA went it was cancelled. How is GH’s possible cancellation and the experience at SB different or the same?

  For me, on SANTA BARBARA, I hadn’t become a mother yet. I didn’t have Kate yet. Because my character, Julia, was so well developed and the writing was so good, by the time ten years went by on SANTA BARBARA, I had completed a story. I completed a journey with a character — and that was satisfying. I was also at an age when soaps weren’t dying so I thought at some point I’d land another role. I wasn’t as panicked. I felt complete. On this show, with the exception of the nine months Megan McTavish wrote for me, I never felt like I ever got started on this show. And that’s what I think Ron can offer me here. I think he’ll breathe some life into this character, which she clearly needs. And there is no bitterness in me saying this because GH is the job that made Kate. I have a great time at GH and I love going to work. Artistically speaking, I just haven’t gotten started.

  Well, I only wish all the best for you guys at GH. Daytime really needs a success story right about now.

  I know of two more shows ABC is developing very generally. I’m not sure Katie Couric wants to follow THE REVOLUTION, which cannot stay on the air. I have a feeling that’s going to go. But they could either replace it with something else or put us in the 2 P.M. timeslot and we all better be the perfect combination or else! Pretend I’m not even on GH, I would personally not cancel GH if it were I. Yes, we needed a really serious spanking, and we got one, and hopefully we’ve all learned our lesson. You know what I mean?

  Yep! ABC saving GH is the least the network can do.

  Money needs to be spent figuring out how to ‘Gloria-Monty” GH, ‘Frank-Valentini” GH. We need to figure out how to give GH some gas. We have a heartbeat now… but we’re still in the E.R.

  My sources have told me Katie doesn’t want to replace GH because she doesn’t want to experience the same f
an backlash THE CHEW and THE REVOLUTION received. She’s not dumb.

  I heard — and I can’t remember the source — that Katie wants to follow GH.

  Yeah. I mean, I don’t know what a timeslot change would do to GH’s ratings. I haven’t thought that far ahead because with ABC you don’t want to get your hopes up.

  I don’t know, either. A timeslot change could be better for us — or not. Who knows? Maybe airing near lunchtime could work in our favour. Time will tell… but I don’t think us airing one hour earlier will make a huge difference. What I do know is that we need to attract viewers back and fast — no matter what timeslot we’re in.

  Wanna know how I would do that? The first thing I would do, after cleaning up the mess Garin and Bob left, and I don’t know how you feel about this, but I would put Alexis and Sonny back together in a big, the sweeping character-driven storyline that would address all that rich character conflict and history between “Sexis.”

  Funny you say that. I asked Ron what he thought of Alexis and Mac, and he said, “I liked you with Sonny.” That meant he was watching GH. I said, “I think that ship has sailed,” but I loved that he was watching the show and said that because that was the only time on GH when I had a character. It was