From the Archive: Mary Beth Evans Interviews (2010, 2011, 2012)

Mary Beth Evans came in at #48 on the We Love Soaps TV 50 Greatest Soap Actresses countdown back in 2010. We've spoke with her several times over the years about her roles on daytime dramas and indie soaps, highlighted by the interviews we are featuring below from the archive.

August 2010
A four-part in-depth interview with Evans.

On the small world of daytime television: "I was just back at As the World Turns where Jon Linstrom (her co-star Rituals and in Port Charles) is now playing Craig. You’re standing there thinking, “This is so crazy.” I realized this last year, going back to As the World Turns, and going back to Days for the Frances Reid memorial, how big my circle is in daytime. What a gift it is to have all these friends."

Part 1 - Evans' journey of joining THE BAY as a producer and actress, her year on RITUALS, and getting hired on Days of our Lives.
Part 2  - The Days of our Lives phenomenon of Steve & Kayla, the downfall of Shane & Kayla, and her time as ill-defined Katherine on General Hospital.

From the Interview Archive: Scott Evans Interviews (2009, 2010)

We Love Soaps TV spoke to actor Scott Evans in 2009 and 2010 to discuss his evolution as an actor and activist.  And, of course, he shared thoughts on his One Life to Live character, Oliver Fish, and the popularity of "Kish" (Kyle and Fish). Watch and read the interviews below.

December 2009
Evans was the featured guest on Episode 8 of We Love Soaps TV in December 2009.

[On being outed by his brother, Chris Evans] It was in The Advocate where he said it and told my story. When that article came out, he took a lot of flack from a lot of his friends who said, “I can’t believe you did that.” Immediately I got a phone call from him. He left me this message freaking out, “Are you okay with this? I didn’t mean to this, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I was like, “Dude, I don’t care. It’s as if you said Scott Evans has blonde hair and blue eyes.” It’s who I am, I don’t really care. He was relieved to hear that, but he still comes up and says, “Dude, I’m sorry about that.” I’m like, “I don’t care.” I’m glad that he’s comfortable enough to talk about it and he’s not ashamed.

Watch the episode below.

From the Archive: Tom Casiello Interview (2011)

In April/May 2011, We Love Soaps TV ared a fascinating five-part interview with Emmy-winning soap opera writer Tom Casiello. Casiello started as an interview on Another World and then joined the writing teams at As the World Turns, One Life to Live, Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless.

From our archives and back online for the first time in over a decade, get to know Casiello in our exclusive interview below with two hours of insider stories, bold opinions, and deep soap talk.

Part 1: Casiello reveals how he went from being a fan of soaps to actually working in the industry, starting as an intern at Another World.

EXCLUSIVE: Actress Rebecca Staab Reflects on her 'Guiding Light', 'Loving' and 'Port Charles' Days

In August 2013 We Love Soaps TV spoke with actress and former soap star Rebecca Staab about her career and time in daytime TV. The interview was never published, and was tucked away in our archives until now.

Staab was born in Hays, Kansas and grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. Excelling in academics, she had a 4.0 GPA in both high school and college, and placed in the top five finalists in the Miss USA pageant as Miss Nebraska.

Staab is known to soap opera fans for her portrayal of Jesse Matthews on Guiding Light, Cecelia Thompson on Loving and Elizabeth Barrington on Port Charles. She also guest-starred in numerous primetime TV shows including Cheers, Beverly Hills 90210, The Wonder Years, Home Improvement and Dark Shadows. She can presently be seen in Netflix's #1 series, The Night Agent.

Find out more about Staab in our exclusive (12 years later!) interview below.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You have such a fascinating story going from Kansas to Miss Nebraska, becoming an international model, then cast as Cecilia on Loving. How did that transition happen? Did you always want to be an actress or did it just kind of randomly happen?
REBECCA STAAB: I wanted to as a kid, but in the '60s and '70s in Nebraska, there wasn't much of a market for actors, plus my parents just weren't those kind of people. I really wanted to be a dancer. I was always out in the garage dancing, making up my own little ballet and tap routines.  I was a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. You know, all the "Little House on the Prairie" books. My best friend and I in second grade would write plays because we knew the characters so well. And I remember when I heard that they were going to make a TV show for that I was like, I had to be Mary, you know, in my head. It's so funny, I think at the time I was only like six or seven or but I had to be Mary. You know, Mom, I have to. But that doesn't happen when you live in Omaha. So that was kind of my first acting disappointment.

From the Archive: Brad Maule Interview (2013)

With GENERAL HOSPITAL celebrating its 50th anniversary 2013, We Love Soaps caught up with some of our favorite actors from over the years for a series of interviews.  Fan favorite Brad Maule played Dr. Tony Jones on the show from 1984 to 2006, and earned Daytime Emmy nominations in 1995 and 1997 for his work. Check out our interview at the links below.

Part 1 - The Texas native talked about some of his early acting experiences and landing the role of Tony on GH.

Part 2 - Maule talked about his favorite writers over the years, working with Jack Wagner, and leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL for good in 2006.

Part 3 - Maule talked about the many projects that keep him busy in Texas these days including a brand new album, "Miles and Miles of Texas."

From the Archive: Maurice Benard Interviews (2010, 2011, 2013)

We Love Soaps has always enjoyed speaking with Emmy Award-winning actor Maurice Benard, who has played Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital since August 13, 1993. Below are links to four interviews conducted with Benard from 2010 to 2013.

March 2010 (ny Stephen Seidel)
Benhard on the set of General Hospital.

From the Archive: Taylor Miller Interview (December 2009)

Longtime soap fans will never forget Taylor Miller's run on All My Children as Nina Cortlandt Warner. Her pairing with Peter Bergman's Cliff is one of the most memorable in daytime history. Miller created the role of Nina in 1979 and played the role off and on until 1989. She returned in the mid-1990s a couple of times, and in 2010 for the soap's 40th anniversary and then for a tribute to the late James Mitchell (Palmer). Miller also played Sally Frame on Another World for a year during a break from AMC.

From the Archive: Wesley Eure Interview (November 2009)

Wesley Eure is best known to soap fans for his long run as Mike Horton on Days of our Lives which ended in 1981. He made a huge pop culture splash as Will Marshall in the popular Sid and Marty Krofft adventure series Land of the Lost. He also has an extensive background as an author, television writer, producer, lecturer and charity fundraiser. In an exclusive three-part interview with We Love Soaps TV from November 2009, Eure covered all those aspects of his life and more including the price he's paid for being an out gay man in the industry.

In Part One, Eure talked about his background, how he came into show business and shared some fun stories from DAYS set.

In Part Two, Eure recalled Mike Horton's "gay storyline" and revealed how and why he was fired from the soap.

In Part Three, Eure spoke about the dear friend and former cast member he lost because he was gay, and how he has channeled the energy from the devastating AIDS crisis in the '80s into a positive.

Eileen Fulton Interview Archive (October 2011)

UPDATE: Beloved As the World Turns actress Eileen Fulton died Monday in Asheville, North Carolina, after a period of declining health, her family announced. She was 91. Fulton played the role of Lisa on ATWT from 1960-2010.

***

Originally posted on September 13, 2018

Legendary As the World Turns actress Eileen Fulton turns 85 today. Back in October 2011, We Love Soaps spoke with Ms. Fulton in a three-part interview about her career in conjunction with the release of the first Soap Classics DVD collections. Read the interview below:

Part 1 - Ms. Fulton shared a spooky Douglas Marland story, and her thoughts on some of the episodes on the As the World Turns Classics DVD including Bob and Kim's 1985 wedding. "These weddings were shot mostly in the studio, and it took forever to film them!"

Part 2 - Ms. Fulton shared some of the ups and downs from her run including the writing regime of Stephen Black and Henry Stern. "I called them Black and Decker," Fulton joked. "Or Frick and Frack."

Part 3 - Ms. Fulton shared her thoughts on the ending for Lisa on As the World Turns. "Leaving Lisa standing alone in the hotel was disgusting," she said. "That was their 'Up yours!' to Lisa."

From the Archive: Ellen Holly Interview (2012)

We Love Soaps TV traveled to Westchester County, New York, in 2012 to speak with daytime television legend Ellen Holly about her storied career. In the never-before-released video below, Ms. Holly talks about the early years of soap opera One Life to Live, which premiered on in 1968, and the cultural impact of her character, Carla Gray.

Denise Alexander Dead at Age 85, Revisit Her We Love Soaps Interviews

Longtime soap opera star Denise Alexander, best known for her portrayal of Lesley Webber on General Hospital and Susan Hunter Martin on Days of our Lives, died on March 5 at age 85.

Early in her career Alexander voiced characters on multiple radio soaps before making her Broadway debut in “The Children’s Hour”. On primetime television she made appearances on classics Father Knows Best, The Twilight Zone and The Danny Kaye Show. In the early 1960s she moved to daytime TV on the CBS soap The Clear Horizon.

She joined the cast of Days of our Lives in 1966 as Susan, where she rose to stardom during her seven-year run. She left Days in 1973 and joined the cast of ABC's General Hospital as Lesley to help give the ratings-challenged soap a boost. Lesley fell for Rick Webber (Chris Robinson) and became entangled in a triangle with rival Monica Bard (played by the late Leslie Charleson, who died earlier this year). Lesley also confessed to the murder of David Hamilton, a crime her daughter Laura (Genie Francis) committed. Her acting earned Alexander a Emmy nomination for outstanding actress in a Daytime drama series.

When storyline called for Lesley to be killed off in a car accident in 1984, fans became outraged. It wasn’t until 12 years later in 1996 that it was revealed that Lesley was actually alive. In between the two soaps, Alexander appeared on NBC’s Another World as Mary McKinnon, working once again with Robinson during  a portion of her three-year stint.

“I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber – one of the first female doctors on Daytime Television – for nearly five decades,” GH executive producer Frank said on social media. “It meant so much to have her reprise her role in recent years and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her. On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace.”

Alexander last appeared on General Hospital in 2021. *** Check out our interviews with Denise Alexander from 2010 and 2013 below.

First published in November 2010

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You were involved in the industry when it was transitioning from radio to TV.
Denise Alexander: At the tail end of it. I got to do a little bit of everything.

We Love Soaps TV Compilation: Drake Hogestyn Interviews 2011-2012

We Love Soaps TV sat down with longtime Days of our Lives star Drake Hogestyn (John Black) for three interviews in 2011 and 2012 on the set and at fan events. Check out all three in this compilation video that also includes Days legends Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) and James Reynolds (Abe Carver).

We Love Soaps TV Compilation: Jo Weil Interviews 2010-2015

We Love Soaps TV (and affiliate Serial Scoop Now) interviewed German soap opera star Jo Weil (Verbotene Liebe) four times between 2010 and 2015 when he visited New York City. Check out all our interviews in the compilation video below.

From the Archive: Ellen Holly Offers Behind the Scenes Scoop on 'One Life to Live' (Part 2)

We Love Soaps TV visited with Ellen Holly in 2012 at her home in Westchester County, New York. In this never before seen clip, Ms. Holly offers behind the scenes details about her time on One Life to Live when she portrayed Carla Gray in the 1970s.

From the Archive: Ellen Holly on the Early Years of 'One Life to Live' (Part 1)

We Love Soaps TV traveled to Westchester County, New York, in 2012 to speak with daytime television legend Ellen Holly about her storied career. In the never-before-released video below, Ms. Holly talks about the early years of soap opera One Life to Live, which premiered on in 1968, and the cultural impact of her character, Carla Gray.

The Year of Brely Evans: Our Exclusive Interview with the Rising Star of 'Ambitions'

You may have watched actress, singer and entertainer Brely Evans in films like Sparkle, Just Wright or The Man in 3B. You might have enjoyed her work on TV shows like Last Call, Family Business or Being Mary Jane. Perhaps you her loved her music with R&B trio Emage. Or all of the above. But no matter where you might have seen her before, chances are she made a huge impression. Brely Evans is a star. And she's currently starring in Ambitions on OWN as the scene-stealing Rondell Lancaster, the sister of Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster and manager of the Thelma’s Place restaurant. She is fighting to keep her neighborhood from being taken over by corporate developers and discovering new strengths along the way.

We Love Soaps recently spoke with the talented multihyphenate about her career ambitions and her work on Ambitions. Check out our exclusive interview with Brely Evans below.

We Love Soaps: I'm calling 2019 "The Year of Brely Evans" because you're everywhere.
Brely Evans: Oh my God. I love that.

We Love Soaps: Can you give our readers a quick summary of your journey from the "pookie-pie" Twix commercial to starring this year in three primetime shows at the same time?
Brely Evans: Wow, you have done your homework. So that's where I started. I didn't know that I was an actor. I came to LA because music is my life, I love to sing. I was like, "Beyoncé who? It's all about Breloncé, okay?" So a friend of the neighbor said, "Oh, my God, I thought you were an actor. I would tell people that I live next door to this famous actress." And I said, "Well, you lied to a lot of people, because, no, I've never acted in my life." And he said, "Hey, I'm on my way to my agent's office, why don't you ride with me?"

And it was a commercial agent, and she signed me on the spot saying, "You should be on television," after one conversation. In that conversation she would say, "Hey, by the way, count the no's. That's a little game we play in the office, see how many no's you get before you get a yes." Oh, okay. So I went on, 10 auditions, no training, no head shot, no nothing, just walking in these doors. On my 10th audition I got my first yes. That was the Twix commercial. "Pookie-pie, do I look fat in these?" [laughs]

We Love Soaps: I think that pays a lot, so that's a good yes.
Brely Evans: It was an amazing moment for me. And when I got my first check for one 12-hour day of work I said, "Oh my God. I'm an actor. Where do I sign up for classes?" So that's when I began ...

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Robin Givens Teases 'Ambitions' is Full of "Drama, Drama, Drama"

At long last, Jamey Giddens' highly anticipated primetime soap opera, Ambitions, premieres tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN, following a new episode of The Haves and the Have Nots. Ambitions explores the sexy, deceitful machinations of love, power and politics in America’s hottest urban mecca, Atlanta, Georgia. The series centers around the intense rivalry between formidable legal eagles Stephanie Lancaster (Robin Givens) and Amara Hughes (Essence Atkins), former best friends from college who find themselves adversaries in both their personal and professional lives. Full descriptions of ensemble below:

Givens plays the sophisticated Stephanie, who hails from a long line of distinguished attorneys. Stephanie desperately wants to be in charge of her family's prestigious law firm and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

We Love Soaps caught up with Givens when we visited the Ambitions set in Atlanta. Check out what she had to say in our interview below.

WE LOVE SOAPS: What was your first reaction when you read the script for Ambitions? What stood out to you?
ROBIN GIVENS: It was sort of interesting because I was working on Riverdale and The Fix at the same time. With Riverdale, I worked with that character for some time so I understood her. The Fix was a pretty tough character (Julieanne Johnson) for me, and it was a lot of work. When my agent sent me the script for Ambitions, I was like, "No, I'm fine." I was already working on two shows but when I read it I was like, "Okay, no one can do this better than I can" [laughs]. So I borrowed a dress from The Fix, went in for the audition and did my thing.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Brely Evans Recommends You have a Glass of Wine and a Fan When Watching 'Ambitions'

We are only one day from the premiere the most anticipated new series of the summer, the Jamey Giddens-penned Ambitions. Brely Evans stars as Rondell Lancaster, the sister of Atlanta Mayor Evan Lancaster (Brian J. White) and manager of the Thelma's Place restaurant. As the new face of an anti-gentrification campaign, she never thought would become a crusader for the people, but it's a badge she wears with pride – and nobody is removing it.

Check out what Evans had to say when We Love Soaps traveled to the set in Atlanta back in April.

WE LOVE SOAPS: What was your first reaction when you read the script for Ambitions?
BRELY EVANS: When I read the audition sides I thought to myself, “I know her,” because she’s me. She’s outspoken and not afraid to have an opinion. She really doesn’t give a f*** if someone has something opposing to say. She really stands for the people and I’m coming from the “greater good” so “I’m right.” I have that fire in me too when it comes to my love for people. I couldn’t believe how I related to her so quickly.

As we get scripts for our scenes--one day I was standing up on my kitchen counter reading and my knees got weaker and weaker to where I found myself eye level with the counter going “oh my god!” That’s how exciting it is to find out what’s happening with Bella and Evan and my character and my suitors. Yeah, it’s so friggin' juicy! You should see our table reads.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Erica Page Expects 'Ambitions' to Grab Your Attention Right Away

Ambitions premieres on Tuesday, June 18 at 10 p.m. ET on OWN. Erica Page stars as Bella (Tru) Trujillo, Atlanta's newest and trendiest fashion designer. She's the exclusive dress designer for First Lady Stephanie Lancaster (Robin Givens) but has set her sights much higher.

We Love Soaps traveled to Atlanta in April to speak with the cast about the highly-anticipated new drama. Check out what Page had to say in our exclusive interview below.

WE LOVE SOAPS: What was your first reaction when you read the script for Ambitions? What stood out to you?
ERICA PAGE: I was really excited to play Bella. Brely [Evans, who plays Rondell Lancaster] and I actually worked on a show together right before this (Last Call). It was a fun and sassy role. Before that, I kept getting roles that were like the “frumpy nurse” or the “reporter.” It was the first role that I was sexy and fashionable. When I would watch my most recent roles, I would watch the scenes and think to myself “that doesn’t even look like me.” As I learned more about Bella, I relate to her in so many ways as far as her upbringing, not knowing her biological father--I didn’t in real life till I was older. So I connected with her in a lot ways.

WE LOVE SOAPS: Tell us about your character and what we can expect to see with your character as the series progresses.
ERICA PAGE: I talked to the writers so I knew Bella as a person, and then I know apart from what the writers tell us and the character choices we make as an actor. I already knew that Bella is a good person. Yes, she does some really stupid things and makes impulsive decisions that hurt people, but at the end of the day it all comes down to her baby and her company. She came from nothing and wants to make something of herself. She’s determined to make that happen and wants to be able to provide for her baby what she wasn’t able to have growing up. Bella is going to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Yes, she does hurt people along the way but especially as time goes you’re going to see that Bella does have remorse and feels bad. In the first few episodes, she seems like a savage. You’ll see that filters come off and she is a “good person” and has feelings. She’s not just doing this because she is a gold digger or all about herself. There’s meaning and depth underneath all of it for sure.

Kendrick Cross on Playing His 'Ambitions' Character: "Suddenly It Was Perfect"

Ambitions premieres Tuesday, June 18 at 10 p.m. ET on OWN. Kendrick Cross stars as Titus Hughes, a passionate attorney and dedicated husband to Amara (Essence Atkins). Titus has accepted the challenge of being in-house counsel for a big pharma company run by Hunter Purifoy (Brian Bosworth) to fight a class action suit brought by the powerful Carlisle family.

Cross explained how he eased into the role when We Love Soaps visited the Ambitions set in April.

"Initially, when I first got the audition all they gave me was the scene," he said. "I didn’t know the backstory or anything else. I developed that character. When I got on set, I had eleven different people telling me 'no, he's this" or “no, he’s that.' I was a little confused for the first two episodes."