Interview with OLTL’s ex-Dr. Paige Miller by Katherine Thurston

KT: How did you first get your start in acting?
AN: Pretending in my bedroom by myself. I was an only child, so I had imaginary friends. I also was a pretty serious ballet dancer till the age of 17 — it was a natural progression. I put on the Wizard of Oz every summer in my backyard. I was always the Witch.

KT: Is there anyone in particular in show business that you really look up to? And if so, why?
AN: So many people! There are so many fine actors who work hard and do amazing things. And directors, and writers. I look up to anyone who pursues his or her craft in a dedicated way. Some favorites — Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Judy Dench — oh, Billy Crudup and Ethan Hawke, who are both so excellent in the Stoppard trilogy at Lincoln Center... And of course, Frank Langella — I worked with him in Match, which was an incredible experience. He is a huge talent in the theater.

KT: I see you were born in Boston, Mass., do you happen to be a fellow Red Sox fan, like myself?
AN: My mom was a Red Sox fan all her life, and still is! We moved to Detroit when I was a child, so I grew up rooting for the Tigers. I am now a Yankees fan. And my husband would leave me if I didn’t mention the Princeton football team. We go to all the games.

KT: Any there any favorite primetime TV shows you watch on a regular basis?
AN: 24 and Project Runway. And endless reruns of Law and Order.

KT: And finally, do you know what the writers have planned next for your character in Llanview?
AN: No! It’s kind of like life — I have no idea what will happen next.

UPDATE: Alexandra Neil (Paige), who joined the cast in October 2004, left OLTL at the end of July 2007. The departure for her character was storyline-dictated.

© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, March 2007