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REFLECTIONS BY JILL….
Special Report on the 2002 Annual One Life to Live Luncheon
I have just returned from the OLTL Fan Club Luncheon here in New York City and so I am devoting this week's column to my thoughts on the day, what went on, who I met and all the good stuff that hopefully you're waiting to hear about.
First, you should know that this was the very first OLTL Fan Club Luncheon that I've ever attend, so I didn't exactly know what to expect. In previous years I had always been away on business trips with my former job on the weekends the luncheons took place…but this year, with a new job and the luncheon being a month earlier than usual, I was finally free to attend so you get to see it through the eyes of a first-timer.
I was very privileged to be given a Press Room pass through my affiliation with About.com (thank you Katherine) and I will tell you later all about that and give you the answers to some of the questions that were submitted to the website by the fans. Yes, I really did ask as many as I could squeeze in, along with my trustee partner, Caboose, About.com's Chat Master and photographer of the day. We were far from Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, but we sure had a blast.
The day started early. People started checking in at 9:00 a.m. at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. We were given bracelets to wear that allowed us entrance to the luncheon and then, proceeded to walk around and check the place out. By the way, I am still trying to get the bracelet off my wrist. It's one of those hospital bracelets…I could use that crowbar that Lindsay clocked Troy with. There were lots of tables set up with items of memorabilia from the show. Everyone bought raffle tickets and later they raffled off the items….good stuff…like the urn with Asa's ashes… tee shirts that said "Serenity Springs"…a tour of the OLTL studio…packets of photographs…Ben's drivers license (somehow I missed that and would have wanted it…LOL)…oh and the one thing I really did want, which was the baseball cap that Mark Derwin wore as Dave…you know, the one with the face drawn on the top…but it did go to my friend Dawn, which is cool, too. She modeled it for me and was very lucky I didn't snatch it…LOL. Think of me when you wear it, Dawn!
After checking out the auction items there wasn't much to do but hang out and people watch until they opened the ballroom, so that's what we did and FINALLY, I got to meet all my on-line friends who I've been talking to with my fingers for three years. That was so great. I was thrilled to me all of you.
We got our seats in the ballroom at 11:00 and at 11:30 Caboose and I were let into the Press Room. We were given 30 minutes to get whatever photos and interviews we could and I thank Carol, the head of the Fan Club for giving us that opportunity. It was the first time I'd done anything like that and it was so much fun. Caboose and I were the only two website people in there, along with some people from the soap magazines and a couple of freelance people filming the whole thing.
When we walked in, the only stars that were there at that point were Kristen and Eddie Alderson. Can I just say this….if there are two cuter and more polite and gracious kids anywhere, I'd like to meet them. We asked if we could talk to Kristen for a few minutes while Eddie was having his picture taken and she very graciously came over to the next table where I had taken a seat. I told her, of course, how much I loved her as Starr and asked her lots of questions. I told her that so many people on the website wrote in questions for us to ask her and she said how nice she thought that was. I asked her what she likes to do when she's not acting and she said that she likes to be at home playing with her friends. She is 10 years old and I also asked her if she gets to go to her own school most of the time or if she has tutors on the set. She told me she gets to go to her own school most of the time and her home is in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I asked her about working with Roger Howarth and if she'd miss him when he left the show and she very seriously said that she loves working with him and will miss him very much. When I asked her which parent she thinks Starr would like to grow up to be like, she thought about it for a while and then said, "Well, I think she'd rather be like her father because he does a lot of bad things, but he's fun." She also was quick to remind me that Kristen is nothing like Starr…but I could tell that from the minute I started talking to her. I loved the question that one of the fans submitted and I asked Kristin if she ever dreams about the actors on the show like in her cartoon dreams on OLTL. She said she really doesn't remember her dreams, but she did dream about the actors once…and didn't tell me who…LOL.
I threw in a couple of questions of my own for Kristen…like, "How could you stand that spider crawling up your arm?" She admitted that at first she thought she would be fine with it and she thought it would be a bigger spider, but she decided she didn't like the idea of it crawling on her and a double was put in that scene for her. I sure can't blame her. And of course I had to ask her how she liked working with Mark Derwin and she said Mark is great…he's funny and does all kinds of funny things when they work together. She also said that the scenes coming up where Starr is with Niki are great and that we shouldn't miss them. Oh, and I told her that I always thought Ichabod was a man's name from a famous story, but that Starr's doll, Ichabod, looked very much like a female doll named Barbie…at least when her head was attached to her body. She laughed and said, "You know, Starr is kind of a strange kid and likes weird things." Enough said.
A few minutes later, Melissa Archer (Natalie) and Barbara Garrick (Allison) walked in. May I say that Barbara looks very lovely and sane in person…LOL…unlike Allison, whose expressions scare the heck out of me. We never got to talk to Barbara because she was swamped by the cameras and reporters from the minute she walked in, and even though she did say we could ask her some questions, she never did get around to us.
I must admit to being a bit star struck when more of the actors started walking in. I really wanted to talk to Melissa Archer, but there was food provided for the actors and she was having a bite to eat. Caboose reminded me that we only had 30 minutes and that I should get my butt over there, so yes, I am now one of those fans who annoys stars while they're eating…I am ashamed…LOL…and glad I did it! I asked Melissa if she minded me asking a few questions which she happily agreed to, and so I plopped down next to her while she tried to eat some asparagus. Shame on me! She was so gracious. I asked her some of the questions that the fans wrote in…like whether or not she misses living in Texas. She said she misses her family, but she's very happy here and loves being on the show. I told her how much we all love Natalie…the good, the bad, the vulnerable, the nasty…and she agreed that Natalie sure does have a lot of "personalities." We both laughed at that and she said, "I'd love to see Natalie have some alters. Wouldn't that be something if she was just like Viki in that way?" I had to agree that it would be something to see. I asked her how she liked being a part of what I consider the best family on the show, the Davidson/Buchanans…and she just nodded her head in agreement and said how wonderful the group of actors is that she gets to work with. She, too, said that lots of good stuff is coming up.
My final interview (before we had to leave the Press Room) was with Ilene Kristen who plays Roxy. I told Caboose I had to talk to her. First of all, she's adorable. She looks beautiful with her hair combed…LOL…and she is warm, friendly and makes you feel special talking to her. Everyone wanted her picture…and not just a couple of pictures. She was very much in demand but she agreed to talk to us and after all the cameras died down for a second, she came back and sat down with me, which I thought was really nice of her. I told her that I promised myself I wouldn't gush and tell her how big a fan I am and how much I loved Delia on Ryan's Hope…but that went out the window. She was so sweet and loved hearing how much we all love her being on the show. She said that when she first came on the show, she was nervous getting back to work and all, but so many people made her feel welcome. She said she actually got the job on September 10th, which made for a very strange week since we all know what happened the next day. I asked her about Erika Slezak and she said, "Let me tell you something. On my first day working with her, I was very nervous and she made me feel so at home it was unbelievable." I sure wasn't surprised to hear that about Erika. I told Ilene how thrilled we all were to hear that she was put on contract and she said she was very excited. I asked if she could tell us how long the contract was and she said it was for four years. Can you imagine all the trouble Roxy can get into if she hangs around that long? I can't wait! I asked about her "daughters" on the show and she said they are both wonderful to work with.
I enjoyed Ilene the most because when she speaks to someone, she focuses totally on them and asks what they think. She must have noticed a bit of a New York accent coming from me (can't imagine why) and she asked me where I'm from. I said I was a New York girl and told her what part I was from and she said she lived 10 blocks away from me for 15 years before she got her job on Ryan's Hope. What a small world. She asked for my email address and said she'd send me information on an upcoming singing engagement she's got here in New York. I'll let you know where and when it is when I find out. Oh, one funny thing….I asked Ilene how she maneuvers around the set of her Atlantic City apartment with all that clutter and mess and wondered how she doesn't fall and break a leg and she told me that a couple of times she tripped on things that were on the floor and although it appeared that it was in the script that she should be staggering around drunk, she really did trip on the props and it wasn't intentional. I thought that was a riot.
I did get to sit next to the new Seth, Steve Harris, although he was being interviewed by a "magazine guy" and my time in the Press Room was running out. I very politely and nonchalantly leaned over a bit and took a few notes while he spoke into the tape recorder. I was discreet…I promise. Hey, in my real life, I am a legal assistant and I figured why waste my great shorthand skills! Steve said he likes New York. He lived in California for six years after his stint on Another World. He was asked about stepping into the role being vacated by Brandon Routh and he said that it's sometimes difficult to come in and become a character who is already established, especially since he knew nothing about the character, but he did some research, looked at some tapes and Erin filled him in on a lot of information about Seth. He said he is trying to bring what he can that's new to the role while not losing who Seth is. I believe he said his first airdate will be April 23rd. Oh and ladies…he is quite the cutie pie if I do say so myself.
That's about all I could gather from my time with the stars. We did get to see Katherine Hickland, Teddy Sears and Kassie DePaiva come in, but we didn't have time to interview them…sorry.
So, we headed back to the ballroom where lunch was served and after lunch all the actors were individually introduced. This is the complete list of actors who attended: Eddie and Kristen Alderson (Matthew and Starr), Teddy Sears (Chad), Ilene Kristin (Roxy), Barbara Garrick (Allison), Larry Lau (Sam with a bad cold), Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), Hillary B. Smith (Nora), Ty Treadway (Troy, with his shirt buttoned getting the loudest screams from the crowd), Steve Harris (new Seth), Jessica Morris (Jen), Melissa Archer (Natalie), Fiona Hutchison (Gabby), Kassie DePaiva (Blair who told us hubby James was home watching the kids), and Patricia Mauceri (Carlotta).
Everyone fan who attended the luncheon was mailed a ballot with their ticket and we were able to vote for who we thought were the "Best" on the show. The awards went to:
Outstanding Young Actress - Erin Torpey
Outstanding Young Actor - David Fumero
Outstanding Lead Actress - tie between Hillary B. Smith and Catherine Hickland
Outstanding Lead Actor - tie between Roger Howarth and Robert S. Woods
Outstanding Couple - Todd and Blair
Outstanding Villain - who else? Catherine Hickland
Scene Stealer - Kristen Alderson
Outstanding Newcomer - Melissa Archer
Outstanding Storyline - tie between Viki's baby switch and Todd's baby secret
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Kassie DePaiva
Outstanding Supporting Actor - James DePaiva
Each actor got to give an acceptance speech when they received their awards and all of them concurred that although it was unfair that the show got no Emmy nominations, they feel that these awards are so important because they come from the fans. Patricia Mauceri mentioned that she is on the reviewing committee that sees all the tapes of the nominees for the Emmy's this year and she hopes to get more insight into the process so that maybe our show can get some nominations next year.
Kristen Alderson was thrilled with her award…thanking Kassie, Ty, Roger and all those she works with, and also commented that she loves what she is doing and has wanted to do this for such a long time…LOL…she's 10.
Little Eddie Alderson was asked whom he likes working with and his answer was, Ty Treadway, Nathaniel Marsten and Mark Derwin…he likes THE MEN! Smart kid.
Catherine Hickland said that between the two awards she received, she's most proud of the villain award because it's sometimes very hard to play Lindsay. She couldn't believe Lindsay had to change her daughter's pregnancy test and that she chained Troy to a wheel. She said on many days it's very hard for her to step into Lindsay's skin. She said we should all be glad with what's coming up since we all wanted Lindsay to pay. We all cheered and she said it will be great. You know, it might be a little bit harder for me to hate Lindsay now that I've met Catherine and know what a sweet person she is…geez!
Ty Treadway made a major announcement regarding his rumored departure from OLTL. He said, "BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL…ARE YOU KIDDING? I'M WITH ONE LIFE TO LIVE ALL THE WAY." He also talked about hosting the new Soapnet show with Lisa Rinna, which is currently unnamed. And NO…although countless female fans screamed at the top of their lungs begging for it, Ty did not take off his shirt.
LOL…when Kassie DePaiva accepted her award she thanked little Kristen, saying, "without Kristen I wouldn't be in so many scenes."
Poor Larry Lau was stricken with a horrible cold and apologized for not being his usual "peel me off the ceiling" self. We all loved seeing him…cold or no cold.
Jessica Morris talked about Jen doing the right thing by staying with Al and that we should give Jen credit for that…the whole audience disliked that…LOL…and agreed that she should be with Cristian. She said she's see what she could do.
There was a Q&A session where each actor got a chance to speak and some funny lines were exchanged. Teddy Sears (Chad) said he was grateful for his job and doesn't even know why he's there, but if he weren't, he'd be so broke that he'd be living with his parents. His parents were in the audience. He also said that when he met Hillary B. Smith he recognized her and asked if her husband was Coach Smith. It turns out that Teddy played hockey in school and Hillary's husband was his coach. This made Hillary feel a bit old…LOL…and Teddy came and gave her a big hug.
There seemed to be a wonderful camaraderie among the entire cast who attended the luncheon. It was really nice to see and to be a part of.
The remainder of the afternoon was taken up with incredibly long lines of fans waiting to take pictures and get autographs from the stars. I hung around for a while chatting with friends and admiring the tenacity of all those autograph seekers standing in line…then headed home after a long and totally enjoyable day.
I will be forgoing the Fan Feedback and Questions section this week, since I've already given you enough reading to put you to sleep. I have to say…for anyone who hasn't been to one of these luncheons, try to get here next year…it was a really great day filled with friends, fun and OLTL stars. What could be better than that? And by the way….Derwin, Woods, Fumero, de los Reyes…we missed all of you…and expect to see you next year!
See ya next week......
Jill
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2002
