Soap Opera Digest: I’ve been really looking forward to this interview.
Elizabeth Hendrickson: That’s sweet. Hopefully Greg won’t mess this up.
Greg Rikaart: I’ll be fine.
Digest: I just loved the recent scene when Chloe flashed Kevin.
Rikaart: Thanks! Liz, can I tell the story of what happened?
Hendrickson: Oh, my goodness, yeah.
Rikaart: What do you call that thing that was covering up your boobs?
Hendrickson: A bandeau top.
Rikaart: She was wearing something called a bandeau top, which basically is like a nude, strapless thing so you look naked.
Hendrickson: It was too big. It was for, like, a double D breast.
Rikaart: She went to flash me, but her bandeau thing had dropped down, so I actually got flashed. Along with half the crew.
Hendrickson: I was down in editing and Derek asked, “Hey, do you want to see the great scene that you did with Greg? It’s so funny,” and I was like, “Oh, no, the scene!” I told him what happened and he said, “Well, believe me, if anyone would have seen that, it would’ve been me, and they didn’t catch it.” Even when we’re doing dress rehearsal, you can see it [on monitors] in your dressing room. I, for sure, thought that everybody who was working at CBS that day had seen my right breast. Now, Greg I’m fine with. I had no problem with Greg seeing my boobs [laughs].
Digest: Great story. Let’s back up now with you first, Greg. What did you miss most about not having Liz around?
Hendrickson: I’m glad I’m here for this.
Rikaart: I know, right? There are a few people I have that sort of familiarity and fun with at work, and Liz is such a great pal. I missed having my compadre to be serious with when we need to be serious, and also just have a good time, goof around and gossip.
JPI
Digest: Liz, what did you miss about not playing Chloe?
Hendrickson: Well, Chloe’s been through a lot since I started and when you leave a job like that, you just miss doing it every day. I missed developing a character on a daily basis. When I got back, it was like, “Ah, I missed my friends.” As dramatic as sometimes we have to be, we really enjoy ourselves here, and that’s very rare to find in this business.
Digest: You guys are real-life pals, but how often did you stay in touch when Liz was off the show?
Hendrickson: We always kept in touch, we always texted. If Greg and I lived closer to each other, I’m sure we would see each other more often.
Rikaart: Not as much as I would have liked, but life gets crazy. We’ve both had a lot going on.
Digest: Greg, at any point did you beg Liz to come back?
Rikaart: No, because I was glad, honestly, when she decided to leave. I remember when Liz was talking about leaving, and I was like, “You need to leave.” We all want the opportunity to do other projects and flex different muscles. I knew she never fully got the opportunity to do that. So, I was sad to see her go but also happy for her, personally, that she was getting to do something she’s wanted to do for years. I’m glad she’s back.
Hendrickson: I remember when I told Greg that I was leaving and he was so excited for me, but I didn’t think about the other half of me of, “Wait, I’m not going to be here anymore! My character isn’t going to exist!” Greg was extremely supportive, as well as other friends, because it was bittersweet for me. I didn’t know if I was making the right choice, so when you have that kind of support, it makes you feel good.
Digest: What was your reaction, Greg, when you found out that Liz was returning?
Rikaart: I was really excited just having her back, and then I was excited about the possibility of exploring the story of who’s the father of Chloe’s baby? I didn’t know that her returning also meant that Kevin and Chloe would get back together, so that was a fun surprise.
Hendrickson: You had another love story going on.
Rikaart: I know. When she first got back, at one point it was Natalie, Mariah and Chloe all interested in Kevin. I was like, “Is this a joke?” No other actor on the show had three women fighting over him, let alone Kevin.
Digest: What was is it like when you two met in the studio on Liz’s first day back?
Hendrickson: It honestly felt like I was just on vacation. When you haven’t worked with someone for a couple of years, then you come back, things feel a little more fresh. There was something new about it, but familiar at the same time.
Rikaart: I thought we instantly fell back in our old routine. It’s good to miss somebody. Liz, your boyfriend travels, right?
Hendrickson: I was just going to say when my boyfriend is gone for three weeks and comes home, it’s like a whole new relationship. I love it.
Rikaart: [Husband] Rob goes on writers’ retreats sometimes, he’s on one right now, and when he comes back, it’s like, “Oh, yeah. I missed you!”
Digest: At first it seemed like there would be no Kevin/Chloe reunion. How did you feel about that, Greg?
Rikaart: I was definitely surprised by that. That happened when Chuck [Pratt, former executive producer/head writer] was still around, but them getting back together happened pretty quickly. Given Chloe’s resistance at first, I think it happened a little too fast.
Hendrickson: But I think that the first person she would’ve wanted to see in town would be Kevin.
Digest: You both have a crazy sense of humor. Who makes the other laugh more?
Rikaart: I know what you’re going to say, Liz.
Hendrickson: He makes me laugh because Greg finds himself so funny. Greg will crack a joke on set and just laugh at himself. I’m usually laughing at him, laughing at himself.
Rikaart: I’m a riot. We do tend to crack each other up on set a lot.
JPI
Hendrickson: They’re usually yelling at us to stop and then we look at each other and go, “Stop it. Stop it.”
Rikaart: We giggle a lot in rehearsal and get it out.
Hendrickson: When we first started working together, every time we would look at each other, we’d start laughing. We didn’t even say anything funny. It was starting to become a problem for us, remember?
Rikaart: Oh, yeah. I remember.
Hendrickson: We really had to figure out how to stop laughing when we looked at each other.
Rikaart: There are still times, and I have to do this with Camryn [Grimes, Mariah], too. I’ll look at the bridge of Liz’s nose and not directly into her eyes to protect myself.
Digest: Liz, I assume you’ve met Greg and Rob’s son, Monte.
Hendrickson: Yes, but I haven’t seen him in a while.
Rikaart: I stopped bringing him in to work for a little bit because he was still too young to get some vaccinations so he couldn’t be around a lot of people. But he’s 7 months old and has had his shots, so he’ll be around the set a little more now.
Hendrickson: He’s so cute.
Digest: You’ve said in the past that you really want to be a mother. Does Monte rev up that desire even more?
Hendrickson: Yeah, because I’m apparently getting really old. My mom keeps reminding me that my eggs are drying up. At Christmas, she offered to have my eggs frozen, so that was really nice of her.
Digest: How did she wrap that up?
Hendrickson: Right? I’ve always wanted a child, so when the timing is right, it will happen. The other large part is finding the person you want to make a baby with. I’m really enjoying myself as much as I possibly can because I watch my friends who are parents and see how difficult it is. I’m enjoying being selfish right now.
Rikaart: You really knock a lot of things off your list when you decide to have a kid later than sooner. I never wake up now and have the feeling of missing out. That’s the benefit of being a little older when you have a baby.
Hendrickson: I’ve been with my boyfriend, Robert, for a year and a half, and I think he will be the one I go down that road with; get married, have a family, etc. I want us to be able to enjoy each other while we have the time. I think it’s important to nourish a relationship before we expand.
Rikaart: Before little Greg, Jr. arrives?
Hendrickson: Can you imagine if the baby came out looking like you?
Rikaart: Just tell Robert that you’re a Method actor.
Hendrickson: After my boob popped out, everything changed for Greg.
Rikaart: That’s all it took.
