Soap Opera Weekly: Rosanna has had some scenes with Paul and they don’t get along. What’s going on there?
Cady McClain: Craig rents him my apartment and I come to get it back and he’s all pissy about it.Weekly: What’s it like working with Roger Howarth (Paul; ex-Todd Manning, One Life to Live)? Did you know him from before?
McClain: I didn’t, but we both have longtime ABC experience so coming here is interesting for both of us. It’s a totally different world, no pun intended. He’s been great. He’s really sweet and a lot of fun to work with. Ultimate professional. I’ve really enjoyed what we’ve had to do together. It’s funny — sometimes you speak a common language with somebody. Everything goes really quickly and easily with him.Weekly: Did you show him the ropes at ATWT?
McClain: Not really. I just told him to relax and enjoy it, that it’s a good group of people, he’s going to be happy and have a lot of fun, and work harder than he’s ever worked in his life! But it’ll be very rewarding. You walk away feeling good. When you come into a new experience you don’t know what it’s going to be like and it’s good to hear from other people that this is a friendly and safe place.Weekly: It will be fun for ABC viewers that have come over to ATWT to see Dixie and Todd in a scene.
McClain: I was watching the show and thought, “Wow, there are a lot of ABC people coming over here.” It does change the tone of the show a little bit, but no one would want to affect what the show is or its history. I feel like I’m finding a way to fit in and I enjoy being a part of it.
Weekly: You and Hunt Block (Craig) have a fun working rapport.
McClain: I adore Hunt. He’s the best. He brings his own energy and his own ideas to everything. I think that brings so much to his character and this show. We are all very lucky that he’s here.Weekly: You ran into your former AMC co-star Michael Knight (Tad) recently at an event in New York.
McClain: It was great. Michael’s like family in a way. He’s always been such a dear friend to me, and I haven’t gotten to see him in a few months. We went out to lunch not so long ago to catch up. I miss him. He’s one of those people who’s just painfully funny and such a goofball. We had so many good years and so many good times. Sometimes I feel bad, like, “Oh, I abandoned him.”
Weekly: With whom would you like to see him paired on AMC?
McClain: Marcy Walker (Liza) and he are a terrific match. Marcy is incredibly bright and an incredible actress. Tad and Liza had affairs…there is so much there to play off of. I think there is something great about his “Tad the Cad” thing. Even though he’s a little bit older, he’s still witty, handsome and charming.Weekly: Rosanna and Carly are getting along for a change. Do you like that?
McClain: Oh, yeah. It’s great. It’s a little strange because for a year I’ve been telling her how much I hate her guts (laughs). But it’s nice because the character’s drive is to be accepted and when she finally is, how everything changes. I like when characters go through big changes. That doesn’t mean that Rosanna still can’t turn around and rip somebody’s head off, it’s just that she has a goal of becoming the person that she wants to be. Now she’s one step closer to that.
I think that turbulent sister relationships are interesting to watch. I have my own sister relationship and know how complex it is. We love each so much and we drive each other so crazy. You want to kill them and they want to kill you (laughs). I don’t think it’s the end of conflict because the two characters are so different and come from such different worlds and upbringings. They have so much to teach each other. There are definitely plenty of other conflicts down the road, but it’s nice to have Carly as an ally for a while. She’s a powerful ally.Weekly: It’s definitely not the end of that story.
McClain: I don’t think so. It’ll be interesting to see where they go with it. It was nice because you can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again. Things have to change and evolve.
