BEN PIAZZA's Broken Dreams

Ben Piazza

He seemed destined for a bright future when he began opposite Gary Cooper in 1952, but something did not work.

                          

In the fifties, Ben Piazza (1933-1991) was considered as a possible rival to Marlon Brando. He made his debut in 1952 alongside a star of the caliber of Gary Cooper in THE HANGING TREE and this seemed to be the beginning of a long and indeed brilliant career, but something went wrong and the young actor while getting several successes on Broadway stage, he was never able to take off at all. In Hollywood after the initial enthusiasm they began to give him more and more secondary roles and his fame was never able to reach that of other actors of his generation as the fearless Steve Mcqueen or the most persuasive Robert Redford.

Piazza in the 50's

However, the television gave him substantial roles in soap operas such as DALLAS and DYNASTY which enabled him to become a familiar face not only in America. We SANTA BARBARA’s fans remember him mainly as Dr. Rawlings, director of the psychiatric hospital where Robin Wright’s Kelly was imprisoned after killing Dylan. The seemingly reassuring face of Dr. Rawlings soon turned out to be a mask that hides the criminally insane he really was. Piazza, which remained on SB from May until August 1986, however, gave his mark, creating one of the crazier doctors than ever. Man of many talents, Ben Piazza also wrote novels and theater pieces moderately successful. Married to actress Dolores Dorn from '67 to '79, the actor broke off the relationship when he fell in love with Wayne Tripp. This love story lasted until the death of Ben Piazza, which occurred due to AIDS in the early nineties.

Where are they now: MIRANDA WILSON

Current Age: 53

Age at the SB time: 29

Survival threshold on the show: February – July 1989

Character’s Highlight:

Sandra has visions of Eden sleeping with Cruz and begins to feel Eden’s “sensations” when she makes love with him.

Character’s Farewell:

this is without farewell or substantive reference to a possible departure from the town that Sandra suddenly disappears from the screen. She couldn’t have Cruz, so she briefly take his brother, Ric.

Miranda Wilson was born September 10, 1960 in Omaha, Nebraska. She began her acting career in 1984, playing Megan Hathaway Dimera on DAYS OF OUR LIVE. She was awarded as Outstanding Villainess in a Daytime Serial 1985. In 1986 she played Kate Wells on CAPITOL.  Before SB, she was known as Cheryl Ann Wilson. Miranda came to SANTA BARBARA in January 1989 as Sandra Mills, the psychic.  “I loved playing Sandra,” she said “and I loved working with the innovative production team. Especially directors who were really able to be present with the actors and let the camera "follow us around" sometimes. We still had blocking of the scenes but there always seemed to be a finger on the button to switch cameras in the case something more interesting came up than they had planned. It was exciting work.” But her SB experience didn’t last very much. In fact she left the show after just six months. “The excecutive at NBC in charge of daytime TV, changed.”she recall “The next executive, apparently, had no interest in a storyline about a psychic. I was told he didn't believe in psychics and was therefore stopping the storyline. As I said previously, it suited me just fine, at the time.”

After SB she felt in love. Got married. Had babies. Became deeply involved in natural healing, early childhood development and education. Ventured into the areas of quantum physics and the new science of healing. So we can say that Miranda Wilson turned into Sandra Mills. Follow Miranda on Twitter!

Namaste!

Great DANE finds new home on CAPITOL

- Waycross Herald-Journal_ November 1, 1985 - 

When NBC spread its initial publicity prior to the premiere of SANTA BARBARA in July 1984, it seems everyone in the soap opera business was a buzz about that face – that absolutely divine soap opera face. The perfect blu eyes and exquisitely sculptured jaw belonged to the show’s leading man, a total unknown named Dane Whiterspoon. A big future for him was predicted by all. But nine months after SANTA BARBARA debuted, Whiterspoon’s face disappeared and Joe Perkins was being played by another actor whose face was much less than divine. The character of Joe was killed off less than three months later. The replacement was a shock for his following and even more so for Witherspoon, who’s shy and won’t comment directly on the circumstances leading to his dismissal.

“From the day the show started I worked 16 hours a day almost every day,” he recalls. Indeed, the character of Joe Perkins was used every single day from the start on SB and was the most overworked character on daytime television. (Heavy leads on soaps normally work no more than four days a week.)

“I was exhausted all the time,” he recalls. At the time it was rumoured that SB producers fired Whiterspoon because of his weariness, which they had caused. “I went to Mexico for six months to recuperate,” he says. “I had to mend myself.”

So it was understandable that Witherspoon was reluctant when John Conboy, executive producer of CAPITOL, offered him the role of hero Tyler McCandless om his show. Witherspoon says it was because of Conboy that he eventually relented. “He’s creative, sensitive and receptive to the needs of his actors,” he says. Whiterspoon still has a pleasant connection with his first soap. Although he’s shy talking about it he’s dating Robin Wright, who’s still on SB, playing Joe’s widow, Kelly Perkins. 

CURSE OF CHUCKY: uncensored trailer starring A MARTINEZ

Universal Pictures released a red band trailer for the sixth chapter direct-to-video of the horror franchise CHILD’S PLAY.

CURSE OF CHUCKY brings together the creators of the franchise Don Mancini (writer of the first chapter of the series and director of THE SON OF CHUCKY) and David Kirschner (producer of the entire series) and tells us on the come back of the famous doll possessed by the spirit of a serial killer, who was imprisoned as a result of a voodoo ritual. Chucky this time swoops to the home of a family as a gift and when he is acquainted with the new location he will begin its work: thinning the inhabitants of the house with the help of cutting weapons and deadly traps.

As I had announced to you last year, A Martinez joined the cast. He does not play a cop this time, but a priest! We know that priests often do not reach the end of a horror movie, but this time under the cowl there is the brave heart of Cruz Castillo. So Chucky, perhaps, is in serious danger.

New trailer confirms the extensive use of CG to give expression and movement to the lethal doll and the video release should give big doses of gore thanks to the “unrated” format. US release is scheduled for October 2013.