BREAKING NEWS: Gene Hackman, Robin Wright in local movie based on new book

The basis for a local movie in development is the provocative book - ‘Our Common-Wealth’ - which is now available on Amazon.com.

A preliminary assumption indicates that copies will sell quickly and it is predicted to be a top seller. There is speculation that the price will increase, especially with a movie in the development.

With Gene Hackman and Robin Wright in the lead roles of this satirical comedy and action adventure it will be a ‘block buster.’

‘We wanted to publish the book at the same time the movie is released, but there was increasing pressure to get the book in the hands of citizens before the national elections. We made a decision to place in with Amazon,’ the executive producer explained.

Can’t wait, Ms. Wright!!

TERRY LESTER JOINS "SANTA BARBARA" AS A FAN

Orlando Sentinel - October 13, 1989

NEW YORK — “I feel about unemployment the way a cat feels about a dip in the pool,” says Terry Lester, about his decision to join the NBC soap Santa Barbara as Mason Capwell after vacating his role of Jack Abbott on CBS sudser The Young and the Restless in August. Lester created the role of Abbott in 1980 and played him for the past nine years, although he left The Young and the Restless briefly in 1985.

“I love to work,” says Lester. “Santa Barbara was the best offer I had at the time. Besides, I always believe in having another job before leaving the last one.”

Lester was approached about his new role as Mason Capwell on Santa Barbara shortly after his predecessor, Lane Davies, left the role last July. According to Santa Barbara producer Jill Faren Phelps, Lester was the only real candidate for the job. In fact, he was hired solely on his previous credits after the usual audition and screen test processes were waived for the daytime veteran.

“It was one of those nice times to be an actor,” says Lester.

One reason Lester joined Santa Barbara was the multi-faceted character he is portraying.

“I always said that the character I had been playing (Jack Abbott) was one of the greatest roles in daytime,” says Lester. “Now, I'm playing the other one. Mason is in many ways more suited to me than Jack was. I feel like I have more in common with him personally. Privately, I read a lot and I'm a musician. Those were things Jack never got around to doing. I'll probably be able to use more of myself in this role than I've ever been able to do before.”

Lester is also a great fan of Santa Barbara and thrilled to have been granted the chance to work with its talented cast.

“I’ve been watching Santa Barbara for the past year,” says Lester. “I think it’s going to be the next great show on daytime as soon as the word gets spread a little further and more people become aware of it. Some of my favorite actors are on this show including Nancy Grahn (who plays Lester's on-screen wife Julia Capwell), A. Martinez (Cruz Castillo), Marcy Walker (Eden Castillo) and Robin Mattson (Gina Timmons). I could go on and on. What actor doesn't want to be on a great show with great actors and great writing?”

“Several months ago, I heard from Lane through a mutual friend,” says Lester. “He was doing the play, Man of La Mancha at the time and needed some relief. Lane sent word to me asking whether or not I might want to step in for him. It was just about the same time we the Santa Barbara producers and Lester had started talking about my coming over to Santa Barbara. It’s pretty ironic how the whole thing worked out.”

"SANTA BARBARA" IS PARADISE TO STEVENS

Orlando Sentinel - January 26, 1990

1989

NEW YORK — “After 30 years as an actress, I feel as if I have ventured through the looking glass into a whole new world,” says veteran film and television star Stella Stevens while describing her first-time starring role in daytime television as Phyllis Blake on Santa Barbara. “Here I am acting for a whole new world of people who might not ever have seen my work before.”

Stevens joined the cast of Santa Barbara last November as the ostentatious con-artist mother of Gina Timmons (Robin Mattson) and Mack Blake (Steve Bond). With an array of credits under her belt, including the nighttime drama Flamingo Road and the films The Poseidon Adventure and The Nutty Professor, Stevens felt an urge to tackle a medium she had never acted in before

“I’d heard rumors that a good part was coming up on Santa Barbara,” she explains. “They (the show’s producers) sent some feelers over to my manager to see if I’d be interested in joining the show.

“I told my manager to tell them I would be delighted to audition for Santa Barbara,” she continues. “I thought it might be fun and challenging to do a soap.”

After Stevens read for her test scene on Santa Barbara, the actress knew instantly that she had struck gold.

“I fell in love with Phyllis as soon as I read the script,” says Stevens. “I remember laughing out loud. I thought Phyllis sounded like a caricature of me and the roles I’ve played over the years.”

today

When Stevens auditioned at the studio, she knew that she was destined to win the role of Phyllis.

“I went in feeling I was Phyllis Blake and that everyone else was an impostor pretending to be Phyllis,” she recalls.

The powers that be at Santa Barbara signed Stevens to a two-year contract.

Stevens admits, “I was thrilled with the prospect of creating a monster with Phyllis. She’s someone that can entertain and delight people with her wit and wily ways, silly costumes and funny hairdos.”

"SANTA BARBARA" MIXES HISTORY WITH SOAP WHEN IT TALKS TO SOVIETS

- From "Los Angeles Times" October 13, 1991 -

“Santa Barbara” one of the few daytime soap operas ever set in a real-life city, is about to take that sense of reality a giant leap further. For three consecutive episodes beginning Friday, the NBC serial will feature interviews taped in Moscow with Soviet citizens who resisted the failed August coup.

Though other entertainment shows have filmed in the Soviet Union - “Dallas” for instance, used Moscow locales during the 1988-89 season - “Santa Barbara” is the first United States daytime soap to shoot there.

The storyline calls for Warren Lockridge, the Ernest Hemingway-esque newspaper publisher played by Jack Wagner, to jump bail in Santa Barbara, where he is a murder suspect, and journey to the Soviet Union to be at the forefront of that country’s emerging democracy. His interviews will air on the show’s fictional local television station.

The idea for this blend of fact and fiction was conceived by Bridget Dobson, “Santa Barbara’s” co-creator, co-head writer and co-executive producer (with husband Jerome Dobson), after her initial plan to tape an elaborate multi-character remote in Moscow proved too costly. That shoot, in turn, was to have celebrated the sale of the show to Soviet television: In December, it will become the first American soap to air there.

Indeed, in August the Dobsons had been in Leningrad to publicize the sale--departing a mere three hours before the coup. With the dramatic turn of events, Bridget Dobson said, “it took me one day to come up with the idea (of doing interviews). I was so in admiration of the people who resisted the coup, I had to get over there.”

Accordingly, she, Wagner, “SB” supervising producer Steven Kent and coordinating producer Eric Preven spent a whirlwind four days last month in Moscow, operating on a shoestring $ 50,000 budget.

They devoted one day to scouting locations, choosing, among others, the exterior of the Parliament building, Red Square, the sites of the fallen statues and the still-guarded encampments, and McDonald’s. (“We didn't eat there, though” Dobson said. “We ate at Pizza Hut”.)

Dobson then interviewed English-speaking Soviets who had been at the barricades, pre-screened by the Russian Television and Radio Network for the most compelling tales. The finalists found themselves on camera answering loosely scripted questions from Wagner, taped by an all-Soviet crew.

“We got real stories, stories that I couldn't have fictionalized” Dobson said. “They don’t think of themselves as heroes. They said they couldn’t let the gangs—that’s what they called them--take over. The one story that stands out, that makes me cry, is when Jack asked a man, “Were you afraid for your lives?” And he said, “No. But my wife and I put in our pockets (a note with) our names and address (that said), “ Tell everything to my mother”.

Then there was the young man who told the crew how he phoned to tell his mother that he planned to resist the coup, only to have her hang up on him.

And some fishermen came up the river and told the resistance, “We’re with you” and people said, “Oh good, we have a Navy” Dobson said. “They stayed in position and used the strong lights on their boat to light the bridge leading to the White House (the Soviet Parliament building), so that they could see if tanks were crossing”.

In the interviews, Wagner had a great deal of latitude on the questions Dobson had charted. “Things sometimes came out in his interviews that didn't come out in mine” she said.

Wagner, who joined SB only in July after several years on General Hospital, agreed: “Everything was basically spontaneous. I really wanted them to feel I was asking questions unrehearsed. Once I got an answer, I could feed off of it and draw them out. I tried to make each interview its own. I asked one girl about her father and someone else about his family, which dated back to the czar”.

One of the most memorable accounts, Wagner said, came from a man who went home and told his wife that he was going to participate in the resistance. “They didn’t speak for half an hour. Then she said, “I’m going with you”. He said, “No. What about the future?”-- meaning their daughter. And she said, “That’s exactly why I’m going. For the future of our daughter”.

As of now, Dobson has no plans to repeat this ambitious undertaking in other parts of the world. “It would depend on the budget and the story” she said. “The show is not going to be a documentary”.

“I’m proud that we did this” she added. “It was important to me to celebrate these people, to celebrate their freedom. 'Entertainment Tonight' was there and said, “Isn't it lucky for them to be on American television?” I feel just the opposite. We’re the lucky ones”.

EXCLUSIVE AND UNUSUAL INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL BRAINARD (Ted Capwell #2 on SB)

Today I’m presenting to you the interview that Michael Brainard has granted exclusively to Santa Barbara Blog. He starred on NBC’s soap opera Santa Barbara as the second Ted Capwell. He portrayed the role from 1991 to 1993. He also portrayed Dr. Jake Martin on an ABC soap, All My Children, from 1988 to 1991, prior to joining Santa Barbara. Later he starred on TV series like Silk Stalkings (1994), Family Law (2000), American Heiress (2007) and on movies like Invincible (2006). In 2011 he acted on Gregori J. Martin’s movie “Sebastian”, in addition to having starred on several short movies.

You came to Santa Barbara in October 1991 and you remained until the end. Can you tell us about your audition?

Of course, before SB I worked on AMC for three years. AMC was in New York City, so I moved back to L.A. and six weeks later I was on SB. I auditioned, had a screentest along with three other candidates, and waited. They liked me, but I guess they thought they could do better, because they continued auditioning guys after the initial screentest. A few weeks later I did a second screentest with Paula Irvine, along with another three candidates (one of them the son of Jed Allan), and a day or so later was told I was the new Ted.

In an 1991’s interview for Soap Opera Magazine you said: "I don't quite know what shape Ted will take yet but I do know that there are lots of different things I can do with him, since he's a much stronger character than Joey was." Do You still think that? Are you satisfied with the path of Ted ?

Since I had never watched SB before I got a job on it, I only knew what I was told about Ted. I think I just wanted to play a character that was a polar opposite of Joey Martin (AMC). I played Joey from High school to college age, so I wanted Ted to be a bit more worldly...in short, an adult.

Before SB, you starred on AMC. Which character do you feel more connected with? What were the differences between the two soaps? Which do you think was the most innovative soap?

I felt connected to both characters, but I certainly liked playing Ted much better. Joey didn't have hot tub scenes with his clothes on, and was never handcuffed to bedposts by beautiful women, so it was easy to enjoy Ted's world more! The differences between the two soaps were night and day, as far as I was concerned. AMC was filmed in NYC and SB in LA, a huge difference in temperament right there. My family and friends are in LA, so I was very happy to be working where I came from. It's tough to say which was the more innovative soap, as AMC has always been considered a ground-breaker on social issues over here in the States. They had Vietnam war protest storylines during the war back in the early 1970's, pretty ballsy stuff. AMC also did a storyline about abortion in the early 1970's when the U.S. supreme court was dealing with Roe vs. Wade, a seminal case in the history of the States that gave women the right to abortion. They were also the first to have a same-sex kiss, so it's tough to say SB matched up with that kind of fearlessness. However, compared to SB, AMC is as boring as hell!! SB certainly blew the lid off of soap style and it has not been matched since. The most fun I had there was determining and interpreting the humor in the script, and I was never discouraged to do so by the directors...as they would do with me on AMC.

In the beginning, Ted is very much attracted by Katrina, the typical good girl. He does not return the attentions of Lily, the typical complicated girl. But finally he ends up marrying Lily. Not before having an affair with Angela, a maneater. Maria Ellingsen, Paula Irvine and Nina Arvesen: With which of these actresses you had more chemistry?

Maria, Paula, and Nina....

Well, Paula and I were good pals, but we both felt it was like a brother-sister kind of chemistry. Maria and I were close as well and there was an ease about us, very comfortable in close space. She has an intimacy to her acting that I think was unmatched on SB, so it was clear that there was chemistry there. Nina didn't really think her character should be in a storyline with mine, so we had a difficult time getting close as friends. When one participant isn't willing to work at what you are presented in a script, it makes it tough to work on chemistry. That being said, I think chemistry happens despite what you, as actors, try to bring to it, and I think that was true of Nina and I. The stuff we filmed together remains some of my favorite acting work I have ever done, and part of that is due to the fact that she and I seemed to harmonize.

I had the impression that Maria Ellingsen was a bit cold and detached and in fact she was the only SB actress not to grant me an interview. Can you intercede on my behalf?

Can't help you there, big brother.

One of the differences that I think I've noticed compared to Todd McKee’s Ted, was that your Ted seemed to have a more critical look towards the family, while the first Ted was more compliant. Was this your choice or not?

Not my choice. The writers wanted to grow Ted up as much as I did, and they had control over content. I, as an actor, just did what actors do and interpreted. Ted went away and came back a person able to sustain himself away from the help of his parents, and adult.

In 1988, the Dobsons, SB creators, were locked out by the NBC studios. Following a legal battle, they were reinstated in 1991. In those three years, the soap was also damaged because of producers who did not know well the spirit of the soap. But in 1992 they left again the show. Do you remember if they left or they was fired again? How was it working with the Dobsons?

I never really knew the Dobsons. I think I met them once or twice

A true fan is very curious about all the background. It is true that this adds nothing, but this is fun. Can you tell us something more spicy: a few secrets on SB? There was some antipathy between the actors? some tension?

--I've got nothing for you here. This is a strange business. You never know who you may work with again.

In his autobiography Jed Allan said that he literally hated Wanda DeJesus (Santana), and in fact she did not seems to have an easy temperament. In your opinion, what makes her so unbearable? Do you have any anecdotes?

Wanda is a terrific flirt. On the surface she seemed serious, but that was only with the work. Like most good actors, you want to get things right...according to what you think is right. Certainly what you think is right will sometimes clash with what other actors will think is right, no? Wanda and I had a great working relationship, when she and Jed were bickering I would stay out of it. I could always get her to laugh, though. We were always having fun.

In 1992 Paul Rauch was the Executive Producer of the show and Pam Long was the Head Writer. Which are your memories of them?

Paul and Pam. Paul is a serious man. I think back in '92 he once cracked a smile!! I remember he had a couple of original Frederick Remington paintings in his office. Remington is the quintessential artist of the American west. I have always been an admirer of American western artists, I am still to this day, and when I identified those paintings to him he was much impressed. I think it went a long way in establishing a good relationship with him. He wasn't one for small talk, if you started talking about the weather he would turn heal and leave, but if you could engage him on a loftier level, you could have an amazing conversation.

Pam came aboard and immediately I started working more. She wrote the Ted/Angela story line. I would visit her in her office and encourage her to write me more scenes, which she was graceful enough to listen to my...needs.

In 1992 NBC decided to cancel SB. Is it true that at the last time NBC gave six months of life to the show and then they deleted it?

I don't remember how it went down. I do know that it was on the bubble when I first came on, and that NBC was extending it 6 months at a time. So, as far as giving us 6 more months and then cancelling, it sounds plausible but I don't recall.

You starred on the last episode of SB. What are your memories of it ? There were actors like Jed Allan, Judith McConnell, Nancy Grahn, Robin Mattson and Nicolas Coster who were on the show from the beginning (or almost). What was their mood? I was not very pleased with the final because it was a bit away from the ironic style of SB. And then not even a mention to Eden and Cruz!

The last three or four episodes were shot on location in Laguna Beach at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. My story line was closed out before the last episode, but I was in it. I remember dancing with Paula. Since it was a location shoot I think we all felt like we were on vacation, so though there were tears, I don't think it was as emotional as when we shot our last episode in studio a week before.

In the USA “Santa Barbara” always remained in the bottom of the rankings ratings. In the rest of the world and especially in Europe it has had excellent ratings. Furthermore, despite having low ratings, it has been the most award-winning soap and still there are dozens and dozens of sites dedicated to this soap, unlike the others soaps cancelled. How do you explain this different reception?

I am not really a watcher of soap operas. It's difficult to compare them. I think for most Europeans that SB was familiar to them. It has the disparity of the classes, Rich moguls and scions and the others struggling to live in their shadow. The set design was familiar, old Spanish style architecture, as the real Santa Barbara was built when Spanish architecture was in revival in California, which is reminiscent of old Europe. And somehow the humor and circumstances struck a chord as well. But I don't know why it didn't catch on here in the States. New soaps never caught on on any network, no matter how hard they tried. Unless you began by the early 1970's, it seems you were doomed for cancellation. I wish it were not so.

This interview is designed primarily for the Italian public. In our country, “Santa Barbara” was very much loved and followed. Do You want to say something to the Italian public who loved your and our Ted Capwell?

I miss SB as much as you do. Good luck. It was fun thinking about those times again!

INTERVISTA ESCLUSIVA ED INUSUALE CON MICHAEL BRAINARD (Ted Capwell #2 in SB)

Oggi vi presento l'intervista che Michael Brainard ha concesso in esclusiva a Santa Barbara Blog. Egli ha recitato nella soap targata NBC, Santa Barbara, nei panni del secondo Ted Capwell. Interpretò il ruolo dal 1991 al 1993. Ha anche interpretato il dottor Jake Martin nella soap La Valle dei Pini dal 1988 al 1991, prima di entrare in Santa Barbara. In seguito ha recitato in serie TV come 2 Poliziotti a Palm Beach (1994), In tribunale con Lynn (2000), American Heiress (2007) e in film come Imbattibile (2006). Nel 2011 ha partecipato al film di Gregori J. Martin, “Sebastian”, oltre ad aver recitato in diversi cortometraggi.

Sei arrivato a Santa Barbara nel mese di ottobre 1991 e ci sei rimasto fino alla fine. Puoi parlarci della tua audizione?

Naturalmente. Prima di SB, ho lavorato ne La Valle dei Pini (AMC) per tre anni. AMC veniva girata a New York City, così poi mi sono trasferito di nuovo a Los Angeles e sei settimane dopo ero nel cast di SB. Ho fatto l’audizione, compresa una prova video insieme ad altri tre candidati e ho aspettato che mi facessero sapere qualcosa. Io ero piaciuto ai produttori, ma credo che pensassero di poter trovare di meglio, perché hanno continuato a provinare altri ragazzi dopo la prova video iniziale. Poi poche settimane dopo, ho fatto una seconda prova video insieme a Paula Irvine (Lily) insieme ad altri tre candidati (uno dei quali era il figlio di Jed Allan) e il giorno dopo o poco più tardi mi fu comunicato che ero io il nuovo Ted Capwell.

In un intervista del 1991 per la rivista Soap Opera hai dichiarato: “Non so ancora bene che forma avrà Ted, ma so che ci sono un sacco di cose che posso fare con lui, perché è un personaggio molto più forte di quanto lo sia stato Joey”.  La pensi ancora così? Sei soddisfatto del percorso fatto da Ted?

Dal momento che non avevo mai visto Santa Barbara prima di aver avuto una parte nello show, io ero a conoscenza solo di quello che loro mi dissero riguardo a Ted. Io credo che all’epoca volessi solo interpretare un personaggio che fosse l’opposto di Joey Martin (in AMC). Ho interpretato Joey dall’High School fino al College, e quindi volevo che Ted fosse un po’ più mondano, un adulto insomma…

Prima di entrare in SB hai lavorato in AMC. Quale personaggio senti più vicino a te? Quali sono le differenze tra le due soap? Quale  pensi sia stata la soap più innovativa ?

Mi sono sentito vicino ad entrambi i personaggi, ma certamente mi è piaciuto molto di più interpretare Ted Capwell. Joey non è mai stato coinvolto all’interno di scene in cui si trovava dentro una vasca idromassaggio con i vestiti addosso e non è mai stato ammanettato da belle donne alla testata del letto, quindi era facile apprezzare molto di più il mondo di Ted. AMC e SB erano come la notte e il giorno per quanto mi riguarda. AMC era girato a NY, mentre SB a Los Angeles: due climi decisamente opposti quindi. La mia famiglia e i miei amici vivono tutti a LA, quindi io ero molto felice di lavorare nei posti dai quali provengo. E’ difficile dire quale tra le due sia stata la soap più innovativa, AMC è sempre stata considerata una pioniera per quanto riguarda i temi sociali qui negli USA. Ci fu una storyline molto critica nei confronti della Guerra nel Vietnam proprio nel momento in cui la guerra scoppiò di nuovo nei primi anni ’70, cosa piuttosto coraggiosa. Ci fu poi un’altra storyline sull’aborto nei primi anni 70 quando la Corte Suprema affrontò’ il caso Roe vs. Wade, un caso di inseminazione nella storia degli Usa che portò al diritto di aborto per le donne che lo desideravano. AMC fu anche la prima soap ad aver portato in tv un bacio tra due persone dello stesso sesso, quindi è difficile dire se SB abbia potuto davvero competere con questo tipo di coraggio. Tuttavia, rispetto a SB, AMC è tremendamente noiosa. SB di sicuro ha smascherato “lo stile soap” e nessun’altra soap è riuscita a fare lo stesso da allora. La cosa più divertente era scovare ed interpretare l’umorismo insito nel copione, e non sono mai stato scoraggiato a farlo da parte dei produttori. Nemmeno una volta. Cosa che invece mi sarebbe certamente accaduta in AMC.

In principio, Ted è molto attratto da Katrina, la tipica ragazza per bene. Non ricambia le attenzioni di Lily, la tipica ragazza complicata. Ma poi finisce per sposare Lily. Non prima di avere avuto una relazione con Angela, la tipica mangiatrice di uomini. Maria Ellingsen, Paula Irvine e Nina Arvesen: con quale di queste attrici hai avuto maggiore alchimia?

Maria, Paula e Nina…

Bene, io e Paula eravamo buoni amici, ma entrambi sentivamo che la nostra era un’alchimia più del tipo fratello-sorella. Maria ed io eravamo molto vicini ed era quindi facile per noi, eravamo molto a nostro agio nelle scene in cui eravamo in intimità. Lei aveva molta dimestichezza nel recitare e penso fosse impareggiabile in SB, quindi era evidente che c’era alchimia tra di noi. Nina invece era fermamente convinta del fatto che il suo personaggio non avrebbe dovuto avere una relazione con il mio, quindi abbiamo passato alcuni momenti difficili nell’ avvicinarci: quando uno dei due non è disposto a lavorare su quello che il copione richiede, questo rende difficile raggiungere un’alchimia. Detto questo, io credo che l’alchimia si crei indipendentemente da quello che tu, come attore, cerchi di fare e credo che questo sia stato il caso mio e di Nina. Le scene che abbiamo girato insieme rimangono una delle migliori esperienze da attore che io abbia mai fatto e parte di questo è dovuto al fatto che lei ed io sembravamo andare d’accordo.

Ho avuto l'impressione che Maria Ellingsen fosse un po’ fredda e distaccata e infatti lei è stata una delle poche attrici di SB a non rispondere alla mia richiesta di avere un’intervista. Puoi intercedere a mio favore?

In questo caso non posso aiutarti, grande fratello.

Una delle differenze che penso di aver notato rispetto al Ted di Todd McKee, era che il tuo Ted sembrava avere uno sguardo più critico verso la famiglia, mentre il primo Ted era più accondiscendente. Fu una tua scelta?

Non fu una mia scelta. Gli sceneggiatori volevano fare di Ted un personaggio più adulto tanto quanto lo volevo io ed erano loro ad avere il controllo sui contenuti. Io in quanto attore ho semplicemente fatto quello che fanno gli attori e l’ho interpretato. Ted se ne andò e tornò una persona capace di provvedere da sola a sé stessa senza l’aiuto dei suoi genitori, un adulto insomma.

Nel 1988, i Dobson, i creatori di SB, furono letteralmente cacciati dagli studi della NBC. A seguito di una battaglia legale, furono ripristinati nel 1991. In quei tre anni, la soap è stato danneggiata pesantemente a causa di produttori che non conoscevano bene lo spirito della soap. Ma nel 1992 se ne andarono nuovamente. Ti ricordi se furono loro a lasciare o se furono licenziati? Come fu lavorare con i Dobson?

Non ho davvero mai conosciuto i Dobson. Penso di averli incontrati solo una o due volte.

Un vero fan è molto curioso di conoscere tutti i retroscena. E’ vero che questo non aggiunge nulla, ma è divertente. Puoi dirci qualcosa di piccante? Segreti o antipatie e tensioni tra gli attori?

Qui non posso proprio aiutari. Questo è uno strano mondo. Non si sa mai con chi potrei lavorare di nuovo…

Nella propria autobiografia Jed Allan  dichiara di aver letteralmente odiato Wanda DeJesus (Santana), e in effetti lei non sembrava avere un temperamento facile. A tuo parere, che cosa  la rendeva così insopportabile? Hai qualche aneddoto?

Con Wanda mi sono divertito terribilmente! In apparenza sembrava seria, ma in realtà lo era solo in ambito lavorativo. Come la maggior parte dei buoni attori, lei voleva fare tutto alla perfezione….in base a quello che lei pensava fosse perfetto. Ovviamente capita che quello tu pensi sia giusto a volte entra in contrasto con ciò che gli  altri attori pensano sia giusto. Wanda ed io abbiamo avuto un ottimo rapporto professionale e quando ci furono battibecchi tra lei e Jed, io ne rimasi fuori. Potevo sempre farla ridere però! Insieme ci siamo sempre divertiti moltissimo!

Nel 1992 Paul Rauch era il Produttore Esecutivo dello shoe e Pam Long era lo Sceneggiatore Capo. Che cosa puoi raccontarci di loro?

Paul e Pam… Paul è un uomo molto serio. Se ci ripenso, ricordo di averlo visto sorridere una sola volta nel 1992!!! Mi ricordo che aveva un paio di dipinti originali di Frederick Remington appesi nel suo ufficio. Remington è il pittore per eccellenza del periodo western americano. Io sono sempre stato un ammiratore degli artisti di questo genere, lo sono tutt’ora, e quando riconobbi quei dipinti, Paul ne rimase molto impressionato. Penso di averci messo davvero molto prima di riuscire ad avere un buon rapporto con lui. Non era un tipo a cui piaceva chiaccherare: se iniziavi a parlargli del tempo fuori, lui si girava e se ne andava, ma se per caso riuscivi ad elevare il discorso ad un livello più alto, potevi avere con lui una conversazione sorprendente!

Quando Pam divenne la nuova Head Writer, io immediatamente cominciai a lavorare di più. E’ stata lei a scrivere la storyline di Ted ed Angela. Io le facevo visita nel suo ufficio e la incoraggiavo a scrivere sempre più scene per me e lei era carina abbastanza da ascoltare le mie richieste..

La NBC decise di cancellare SB nel 1992. E’ vero che all’ultimo però decisero di concedere alla soap ulteriori sei mesi di vita per poi cancellarla definitivamente nel gennaio 1993?

Onestamente non mi ricordo come sia andata. So che lo show era in una situazione decisamente critica quando sono arrivato io e che la NBC lo rinnovava di sei mesi in sei mesi. Quindi quello che dici sembra plausibile, ma non mi ricordo più.

Tu hai recitato nell’ultimo episodio di SB. Quali sono i tuoi ricordi di quel giorno? C'erano con te attori come Jed Allan, Judith McConnell, Nancy Grahn, Robin Mattson e Nicolas Coster che erano in SB fin dal suo inizio (o quasi). Qual era il loro stato d’animo? Io, come fan, non rimasi  molto soddisfatto del finale perché era parecchio lontano dallo stile ironico di SB. E poi nemmeno un accenno a Eden e Cruz!

Gli ultimi tre o quattro episodi furono girati al Ritz-Carlton Hotel a Laguna Beach. La mia storyline era stata portata a termine prima dell’ultimo episodio, ma comunque vi presi parte anche io. Ricordo di aver ballato con Paula in quell’occasione. Dal momento che stavamo girando in una location in esterna, credo che tutti ci sentissimo come fossimo in vacanza. Quindi sebbene ci fosse molta commozione, non penso che comunque sia stato emozionante come quando girammo per l’ultima volta negli studi di Burbank una settimana prima.

Negli Stati Uniti “Santa Barbara” è rimasta sempre in fondo alle classifiche degli ascolti. Nel resto del mondo e specialmente in Europa ha avuto invece ottimi riscontri di pubblico. Inoltre, pur avendo dei bassi ascolti in patria, è stato la soap  più premiata e ancora ci sono decine e decine di siti dedicati a questa soap. Come ti spieghi questa differente accoglienza?

A dire il vero io non sono un telespettatore di soap opera. E’ difficile metterle a confronto tra di loro. Io penso che per la maggior parte degli Europei, SB fosse in qualche modo familiare. C’erano differenze tra le classi sociali, ricchi magnati, giovani rampolli e altri che lottavano per vivere alle loro spalle. La scenografia stessa era familiare: in vecchio stile spagnolo, come quella della vera città di Santa Barbara, costruita nel periodo in cui l’architettura spagnola era lo stile dominante in California, e questo un po’ ricorda la vecchia Europa. E in qualche modo anche l’umorismo e le storie hanno colpito le corde del vostro cuore. Ma non so proprio dirvi il motivo per cui SB non abbia avuto lo stesso successo anche qui negli USA. Le nuove soap non sono mai riuscite a fare molta strada su nessuna rete, non importa quanto duramente ci abbiano provato. A parte quelle iniziate nei primi anni 70, tutte quelle venute dopo sembravano destinate alla cancellazione. Vorrei tanto che non fosse così.

Questa intervista è stata pensata principalmente per il pubblico italiano. Nel nostro paese “Santa Barbara” era molto amata e seguita. C’è qualcosa che vorresti dire al pubblico italiano che amava il tuo Ted Capwell?

SB mi manca tanto quanto manca a voi. Vi faccio un grosso in bocca al lupo. E’ stato divertente ritornare indietro con la mente a quei tempi…

LANE DAVIES to star in Kazakhstan soap

Lane Davies, who is known to Kazakhstan audience as Mason Capwell from Santa Barbara soap opera, will be starring in Kazakhstan TV series.

Almaty film directors and producers keep offering new characters and contracts to him. No sooner Love’s Swings movie, in which Davies was starring as an American psychologist, was released than he was invited to play in a new soap opera called Rescuers.

“This is not just a soap opera,” Mayra Karsakbayeva, film producer said. “This is a TV series about common resquers (Ministry’s of Emergencies employees) and their every day lives. There will be many stunts in the series.”

62-y.o. Davies won’t be risking his lifdoing stunts at the shooting stage. He will play an American consultant who has come to Kazakhstan to share his experience. According to the plot of the series, Davies is an Iraq war veteran and former American 911 Life Saving Service employee.

TV series shooting is going at full blast now. Four series have been filmed already. Rescuers shooting team plans to visit the United States in June this year to film Lane Davies character’s story. It is already known that the soap opera will consist of several seasons with 12 series in each season. It is expected that Rescuers will be released in October this year and put on air of Kazakhstan TV channel.

WANDA DE JESUS (Santana #4 on SB) TO GUEST STAR on "Sons of Anarchy"

The 53-year-old Puerto Rican-American has been cast in a multiple-episode arc on the upcoming season of Sons Of Anarchy.

De Jesus will play Carla, a smart and sexy associate of Nero, who will be played by her longtime off-screen love interest Jimmy Smits. As previously announced, Smits will appear on the fifth season of FX’s hit biker drama as Neron “Nero” Padilla, a Latino gangbanger with an exit strategy who becomes a dangerous mentor for Jax (Charlie Hunnam). De Jesus has previously appeared as a guest star on CSI: Miami, as well as the mayor of Pine Valley on All My Children. She’s most recognized for her role as Santana Andrade on NBC’s soap opera Santa Barbara.

TRICIA CAST (Christy DuVall on SB) BACK TO "The Young & The Restless"

In these days we are seeing her debut as Christy DuVall on “Santa Barbara 2.0” episode # 32. At the time she was 19. Cast nabbed a Daytime Emmy Award win for Outstanding Younger Actress In a Drama Series in 1992. Nearly 2 decades later, she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2011. Now she is coming back to the other soap that made her famous, The Young & The Restless. Looks like the entire Webster clan is heading back to Genoa City, just in time for summer. The actress announced on Twitter: