Laundry detergents aren’t the same—and neither are the soap operas they sponsor! On DOOL, our first call was at 6 am. We’d “block” the whole show. At 8:30 am, we’d do it again, with cameras and technicians. Then came hair stylists, make-up artists and wardrobe specialists. While we were being powdered and coiffed, the tailors were nipping and tucking. After lunch we’d have dress rehearsal. At 2 pm we’d break and go for final changes. Finally, we’d tape the show in the same order in which we had rehearsed. DOOL shoots a show a day and we’d finish in the late evening.
But I arrived at GH to find my clothes all ready. (Confession: now and then you try on something that gets worked into your own closet!) In the morning we block the scenes while hair and make-up artists dart in and out. Taping begins at 8:30 am and you’d better be ready! GH shoots four scenes an hour and we’re often through by early afternoon. They also pre-tape and post-tape, which means I may shoot several scenes that are edited into various shows. I may work four or five days one week and just one the next.
DOOL has supercouples. I was with Stephen for five years. There were about six main characters on DOOL and the rest were background. But GH has an ensemble cast and everyone is equal. (clearing throat, comment by me…back then the cast was equal, I don’t know about now) We all get recycled! It took Patch and Kayla a year before they ever kissed–but on GH Katherine was in bed with someone the first week!
The hardest part of going from Kayla to Katherine was the year I took off between. Also, I am more like Kayla, though not so serious. Katherine is quite a s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Sometimes when I play her, my heart pounds.
Leading men have their own styles too. Stephen and I ran our lines a lot. By the time we were on screen, we were Patch and Kayla. Kin Shriner was spontaneous. He rarely ran a line until moments before we shot. He once told me: “Take it course by course. Once you’ve finished the appetizer, look over the salad menu, then think about the entree.”
Leigh McCloskey is in the middle. He’s happy to run through our lines and then wing it.
Laundry soap, soap operas, even leading characters may look alike, but it’s the subtleties and nuances that make them unique.
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