On Monday, October 31st, Season 3 AMERICAN IDOL runner-up Diana DeGarmo will make her debut on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS as Angelina, the Jersey-girl daughter of mob boss Angelo (Mike Starr). DeGarmo landed the role as Angelina by performing at the right place at the right time.
“I booked the part thanks to a performance of 'Hairspray' I was in at the Hollywood Bowl in early August," she explains in a new interview with AmericanIdol.com. "The right people from Y&R were in the audience and were pleased with my performance, and apparently they saw me as a perfect fit for the gum-smacking Jersey girl who can’t sing.”
In a comedic twist, the character of Angelina does not sing well.
“Angelina is a fantastic character," she says, "and I’m never afraid of a challenge. In comedy there’s no vanity. It’s a lot of fun because you get to throw the ego out and belt out whatever comes. It’s challenging because singers can hear the melody in songs, and they’re throwing some standards my way, so it’s pretty funny to ignore that. The looks on the cast and crew’s faces are pretty great. The performance is not to be missed; it starts on Halloween."
How much will we be seeing DeGarmo on Y&R?
"You’ll see Angelina about once a week as she comes in to stir things up in Genoa City and cause trouble," she previewed. "I acted a lot on Broadway, but this is my first time acting on TV. I am able to apply what I learned on Broadway to the show and everyone has been very supportive. It’s been a blast and the cast, crew, and office staff are so talented and nice and it’s been an adventure for me.”
On the difference between performing on Broadway on a soap she says, “The visual space is much smaller on a soap opera. On TV, I can really simplify everything. In this realm of soaps, we do shows four times a week so you really have got to be in the moment. I have to live as Angie from the minute I put the costume on—it’s really more of a costume. I can’t call it clothing! I think what they’re getting out of me is great."
Word has it that Angelina sets her sights on Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart).
Are you excited about DeGarmo's new Y&R character?
DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS
