‘The Regis and Kathie Lee Show’
With Mary Beth Evans
1990
Regis: Our next guest is one of the hottest…is one half of the hottest couples on daytime television, there they all are together.
Regis holds up a picture of “Patch”/Stephen, “Kayla”/Mary Beth, and “baby Stephanie” on the cover of Soap Opera Update.
Regis: She plays the sweet and caring Kayla, living life vicariously through her soulmate Patch.
Regis points to Stephen wearing the patch on the magazine cover.
Regis (talking to Kathie Lee): Patches are very big; notice the lady on Twin peaks had a patch.
Kathie Lee: Yes.
Regis: This guy’s had a patch now for a long time.
Kathie Lee: His patch does more for him than that patch does for her though, don’t cha think?
Regis (laughs): Ya, it looks a little more normal.
Kathie Lee: Somehow it looks sexy on him, yes.
Regis: Let’s look at Kayla, and Patch, in action on Days of our Lives.
CLIP FROM DAYS OF OUR LIVES:
(Music in background- ‘She’s No Lady, She’s My Wife’ by Lyle Lovett) Kayla opens a ring box; Steve has a champagne glass in hand.
KAYLA: Oh Steve….
STEVE: Oh, you don’t like it do you? I’ll take it back.
KAYLA: No! Don’t you dare, I love it. It’s the most beautiful ring I ever saw.
(Slips cigar band on her finger)
KAYLA: It must have cost you a fortune.
Steve kisses her hand.
STEVE: You’re worth it.
End of Clip
The clip fades, and we see Regis wearing a patch!
Regis: Let’s bring her out and show her what a real man in a real patch looks like.
Kathie Lee: Reeg, is that where you’re supposed to wear that?
Regis: I don’t know, where am I supposed to wear it?
Kathie Lee: Oh, I just wondered…
Regis laughs: Oh, is she a riot.
Regis: Here’s Mary Beth Hughes!
Regis: Mary Beth Evans!
Kathie Lee: EVANS!
Mary Beth walks onstage, laughing, waves at audience.
Regis (still with the patch on his eye) kisses Mary Beth’s hand and she greets Kathie Lee.
Regis: Hi baby, how are you?
Mary Beth to Regis: Now you just have to call me Sweetness.
Regis: Mary Beth Evans, come on and have a seat.
Kathie Lee: New mother also…
Mary Beth: Yes.
Kathie Lee: Again, for the second time…
Regis: Boy, the patch made a big hit with her, did you see that?
Mary Beth: It’s because you have to say Sweetness…
Regis takes the patch off.
Regis: Yes, Sweetness. Anyway, this is quite a little thing this guy’s got going.
Mary Beth: His is leather actually…
Regis: Well, what do you think this is?
Mary Beth: (laughs) Don’t think it’s leather…sorry.
Kathie Lee: Polyester…
Regis: So, how ya doin?
Mary Beth: I’m very well, thank you.
Regis: You and Patch have been going together how long?
Mary Beth: It’s four years now.
Regis: Has he always worn a patch?
Mary Beth: Except when we did an eye, a glass eye implant…in the living room of our house. It was after a little while and now he’s back with the patch…(inaudible short comment).
Kathie Lee: (inaudible short comment)….Sometimes, when you’re sick of playing Parcheesi, there’s nothing like poking in a glass eye.
Regis: Ya, ya,….get that patch back on.
Mary Beth: That’s right. They liked it so they put it back.
Regis: But, in real life, you’re married to a plastic surgeon.
Mary Beth: Yes. You’d think he could help out, right?
Regis: Ya, right, exactly.
Mary Beth: He didn’t want to ruin a good thing.
(all laughing)
Kathie Lee: He doesn’t watch soaps though, you say.
Mary Beth: No, not really.
Kathie Lee: He’s too busy for one thing.
Mary Beth: He’s too busy. And I think it’s safer that he doesn’t. I don’t tell him anything and he doesn’t watch. Well, the nurses, a lot of times, tell him what’s going on.
Regis: But aren’t you lucky to be married to someone like that?
Mary Beth: Because I have a roof over my head all the time, right?
Regis: Exactly, and in the years to come, later on, if you feel like it…maybe he’ll give you half price.
Mary Beth: (laughs) He’ll look at me and probably do this to me and be like …(Mary Beth motions as if she were checking Regis’s face for wrinkles)
Regis: Yes he’ll look you over and…
Kathie Lee: Little nip, little tuck.
Mary Beth: That’s right, whatever works.
Regis: So you’ve been on the show now for four years. You have two children. Were they born while you were on the show?
Mary Beth: Yes. The first one, my son, they didn’t write it in, and my nose gained 20 pounds. They were like this (motions that the camera only showed her face), and I looked completely pregnant just right here (puts her hand in front of her face). And the second one they wrote in, but my face stayed the same, I did ok.
Kathie Lee: Typical.
Mary Beth: Right, so the girl was ok and the boy, I kind of lost my look, so…
Regis: Oh gosh. It came back, look how nice.
Mary Beth: Thank you.
Regis: Are you and Patch and your husband all good friends?
Mary Beth: We’re very good friends. We don’t do that much outside of work because of time. I mean, who has time when you have small children? But it’s nice that they like each other and that I like his wife, it makes it a nicer situation.
Kathie Lee: It sure does. Is it awkward though, to do the love scenes with a friend? I mean, when I think of doing one with him (points to Regis), it’s so hysterical to me.
Mary Beth laughs: If he wore the patch it would be better, let me tell you.
Regis: She (Kathie Lee) keeps bringing this up, which means only one thing, she wants me!
Mary Beth laughs.
Kathie Lee: In. Your. DREAMS!
Regis: Any psychologist would tell you that’s exactly what you want, and what you dream about and you see, it’s forbidden fruit. I’m forbidden fruit!
Kathie Lee: Oh forbid this! That’s enough. Poor Mary Beth didn’t come here to talk about your fantasies.
Mary Beth: I think it’s works better when you’re friends, really.
Kathie Lee: You think so?
Mary Beth: Ya, if you practice off camera, you’ll be alright. Don’t be nervous.
Kathie Lee: Oh please!
Regis: What did you do before this?
Mary Beth: I had done a lot of episodic television…you know, rode in the talking car, was on Remington Steele, things like that.
Regis: You’re happy now with the steady role and a steady show.
Mary Beth: It’s been nice.
Regis: Go to work every morning.
Mary Beth: It’s been nice. Everybody in my life always got up and went to work, and I’d kind of say, ‘Well, nobody expects me to be anywhere’ (Mary Beth is pouting), so this is nice.
Regis: You know, I don’t know if I could handle the life of an actor, I really mean it…those interludes…
Mary Beth: It’s hard…the ups and downs.
Kathie Lee: Where you don’t know where your next job…
Mary Beth: It’s hard not to take it personally.
Regis: This is almost like a regular job.
Mary Beth: It is very much like a regular job. I get home by six, which is nice when you have small children.
Kathie Lee: But your days are much longer.
Mary Beth: It’s six to six. So it’s a long day.
Kathie Lee: But you have a good nanny…right?
Mary Beth: Very …oh, excellent.
Kathie Lee: Couldn’t do it without her.
Mary Beth: Is that what you have?
Kathie Lee: Ya, but my baby comes to the show with me usually.
Regis: We put the nanny to bed and we take the baby to us.
(laughs)
Kathie Lee: It’s very difficult to be a working mother.
Mary Beth: It’s true. It’s very hard. I never really felt guilt so much. But now that I am a mother, I feel it a lot.
Regis: But you’re leaving the children alone for 12 hours.
Mary Beth: Especially to come to New York, I had to leave them at home.
Kathie Lee: Leave her alone, Reeg!
Mary Beth: It’s hard, but I think most people in America now are two income families, and you have to do what you have to do.
Regis: Sure. Well it’s great having you here in New York, and we thank you so much for coming by and visiting with us.
Mary Beth: Thank you for having me.
Regis: Mary Beth Evans from the Days of our Lives.
Mary Beth: Thank you.
Kathie Lee: My alma mater.
Regis: That’s right.
As they cut to break, Kathie Lee tells Mary Beth that she played Nurse Calloway on Days.
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