Australian TV Soap Article
Stephen and Mary Beth Interview
2006
What was it like for both of you coming back to DAYS?
MB: It did seem very surreal the first couple of days, but now we’re in the groove and working hard. It was weird at first.
SN: The only odd thing was getting acclimated to wearing the patch again. I had forgotten how weird it was to be walking around and feeling like you exist with half a face.
What was it like seeing nostalgic footage of early Patch and Kayla moments?
MB: It reminded me how connected and vulnerable we were.
SN: There was such a connection between us, and it’s really inspiring for us to look at because we were obviously working hard and it showed. At first, I wasn’t going to look at anything either, but it has been really helpful to inform the work now.
Stephen, is it true you designed the patch you wear?
SN: The first time around on Days they had me the drug-store kind with the elastic band. I wanted something cooler. I found a leather shop on Hollywood Blvd, gave them the design and said, ‘Please do this in leather’. After that, the costume department duplicated that original whenever I needed another.
How do you feel about this new storyline of Patch not knowing his identity?
SN: It sounded interesting to me. I would begin where the character started when I first came onto the show. I would revert to being the rebel and feeling unworthy of someone like Kayla’s love. I thought that was an interesting idea.
How did you know this was the right time to resurrect Patch and Kayla?
SN: I think the transition that the show is currently going through made it ripe for us to come back. Everything just fell into place this time.
What’s it been like working with Matt Ashford (Jack) after all these years?
SN: Fantastic! He’s willing to go way out there. He is willing to explore and he always tries to find a deeper level.
You have amazing screen chemistry- is it natural?
MB: Yes. There has been chemistry with other actors, but it’s different than what we have. We’re very connected. We have known each other for 20 years, and we pay attention and listen to each other. We’re not offended by criticism, and we make it a process when we work together. I’ve never had that anywhere else. Most of the shows I’ve worked on, people don’t even want to run lines, so you’re on your own ’till you get on the set. There’s no rhythm and it’s clunky.
SN: The scenes where we first see each other, I was just blown away by the feeling of that connection, because it was so strong.
MB: If you can just let it go and be with each other in the scene, magic happens, and it’s great!
How does it make you feel knowing your characters are beloved icons of soap genre?
MB: It’s really an honor. The characters are so important to us. We always felt there were more stories to tell. The fans always recognize me as Kayla, even though I have done lots of other soaps. Fans always asked me when I was coming back to Days. It was so important in the first scenes (for) the reuniting and the meeting-up to be right. The fans have waited for it and we have waited for it.
SN: I had a hand in the creation of this character because they didn’t have a bible written for Patch, which is usually the case on soaps. I had the luxury of collaborating with the producers to build Patch from the ground up.
Are there any Patch and Kayla moments you are especially proud of?
MB: One meaningful moment for me is when Patch died on the show. I felt very strongly that Kayla should climb into bed with him after he died.
SN: We have so many, we can’t remember, unless we bring out the DVDs!
Mary Beth, you have a project of selling pie creations. How did it come about and what is Stephen’s involvement?
MBE: Stephen and I were tossing around some ideas for a show called ‘Mary Beth is in the House‘. I told him to come over and I’ll make this pie, and he videotaped me making it. One week later, my husband had read something in the newspaper about ordering apple pies. He says ‘You should do that with your pies’, (so) I pursued it and I put it on the Internet. I looked at the video that we shot and thought it would be cute to have a video on my pie website, but I had my jewelry in the pie crust and on my sleeves, so we thought we needed to make a tidier version. We had garage lights clipped onto ladders. Stephen was sound guy, grip, gaffer and cameraman, and edited and put the music to it. It’s really cute.
Stephen, can fans in Australia still get their ring tones from the website you created?
SN: Soapfone.com is still there. They can get their ring tones of many of their favorite Daytime stars, and more! We’re going to do another wave with soap actors here at Days, as well as some performers from New York soaps.
Tell us about your experiences in Australia.
MB: We had just left there when my son was born in 1993. Not only did they (TV Soap) put us up in Sydney, but also, they put us up in Hayman Island. We were superstars! It was a lot of fun.
SN: I had gone on my own once, then Mary Beth and I went a few years later. It was like a true rock-and-roll experience!
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