‘New Days’
By Michael Maloney
Soap Opera Update – January 4, 2000
Earlier this year, when Katherine Bell (almost Cassadine) fell for a second time off the parapet at Wyndemere, her portrayer, Mary Beth Evans ended her six year run on GH. Originally brought on to fill the storyline void for Kin Shriner’s Scotty–after the death of his beloved Dominique–Evans most successful GH pairing would be, ironically, with Stephen Nichols, whom she enjoyed enormous popularity with from the mid-80’s to early 90’s on DOOL as Patch and Kayla. While Katherine alternated between good and bad, viewers had hoped the GH writers would opt for her to assume more of the former, once Nichols made the scene, so that the couple’s magic from Days could be recaptured. “I think we accomplished that,” Evans replies when asked if Nichols and she succeeded in getting the audience to see them as different characters.
“Stephen and I have chemistry even if we’re sitting around a 7-11. We’re very good friends and we connect on a visceral level. I truly believe that would be there no matter what we played. I loved it when the writers committed to us as a couple. Even when Bob Guza took us to the Bacchanalia Ball [in 1998], it was a nice story.”
Sadly, all good things come to an end. Katherine survived her first fall off the parapet, only to return a wounded woman who was all too aware that Stefan, her former fiancé, harbored feelings of love for another woman, namely Laura Spencer. While Katherine’s quest for revenge led to a second fall and her ultimate death, Evans feels that Kat’s evil side finally felt justified. “After the betrayal from Stefan, there was a reason for Katherine to be the way she was. Before that, I felt it was back and forth. Nobody committed to what her true nature was.”
The end, though sad, proved divine. “I feel so positive and happy about this exit,” the actress reflects. “I know better things are coming my way. I felt it was time to shake things up a bit. I’m looking forward to doing some different work.” Evans has hardly been simmering on the backburner since leaving GH. She’s taped a segment of Celebrity Dish, a new (soon) cooking show on TV Guide network. Next spring, she’ll complete a role in the film China Boy. “I play the evil stepmother to a young boy,” shares Evans. “It’s a fun character. She starts out being nice and ends up acting horribly.”
In the meantime, the actress is enjoying playing an even more active role in her children’s lives. “My kids (Danny 12, Katie 9, Matthew 6) are doing great,” enthuses Evans. “The nice thing now is that I can be available on a specific date and time. Before, I could never say, ‘Sure two months from now, I’ll be there.’ I could never know my schedule so far in advance.”
Settling into her new routine, Evans still appreciates her loyal supporters who followed her from Salem to Port Charles. “They’ve really made the journey a fabulous one,” acknowledges the actress. So the question remains: Will Days make a smart move and ask Evans to return to her coveted role as Kayla…and will the actress come back? “When I went on GH, Days still felt like my home. I’d rather go back to Days before I’d go to another show,” she admits. “I don’t know if that’s in the cards, but you never know.”
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