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Laura Saltman Gets YOUNG AND RESTLESS

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD correspondent Laura Saltman just taped her second appearance on YOUNG AND RESTLESS. This time around, she played Lynda Culpepper, a Genoa City anchorwoman who films a major spat between Lauren and Jill at their father’s grave. The episode airs on August 2. Saltman shares the scoop on her day on the CBS soap.Soap Opera Weekly: Are you playing the same character as last time?

Laura Saltman: No. Last time, I was a reporter with a tabloid. I’ve been saying I’m playing the evil stepsister of my other character, because it’s a soap opera!



Weekly: Is your character evil?

Saltman: Actually, the first character was a little more ruthless. This one is much more above-the-line. In fact, she sort of gets caught in the middle of the story instead of being the one looking for the story.


Weekly: She actually gets caught between feuding sisters Jill and Lauren.

Saltman: I come in to do an interview at the cemetery with Jill. It gets interrupted by Lauren, who is very upset that her family [secrets] are being spilled by Jill on television, and a nice little diva catfight ensues. I just get trapped in the middle. As a reporter, your instinct is to keep the camera rolling and stick your microphone in as far as possible. That’s what ends up happening.


Weekly: Do you have any acting tricks up your sleeve?

Saltman: I never worked in local news. So I definitely had to act a little bit more. We definitely do things a little different [on ACCESS HOLLYWOOD], when it comes to entertainment. So I had to bring out my serious side. Being caught in the middle of two soap opera divas is fantastic. You can’t get better than those two going at each other. Jess Walton (Jill) and Tracey Bregman (Lauren) were fantastic, and so much fun to work with. We had a blast that day.


Weekly: Did Jess and Tracey give you any tips or advice?

Saltman: They didn’t. They know this is what I do for a living, and I was just doing my job. Jess said, “You know what you’re doing.” She sensed that there were certain things I was trying to add, because I know, having done news, the urgency you get when you see something unfold before your eyes. I was trying to bring that to it, like pushing the cameraman to get the shot.


Weekly: Did they fill you in on their storyline?

Saltman: I definitely knew what was going on, because I watched the show once I knew I was coming on.


Weekly: Are you a regular soap opera viewer?

Saltman: I was for a really long time. From the time I was 4, probably until after college, I watched a lot of different soap operas, religiously. But unfortunately, this job doesn’t give me a lot of free time.


Weekly: It’s obvious you really enjoy these stints.

Saltman: It’s so much fun! I never in my life ever said, “I want to be an actress.” It’s fun to go in and try something that you are not trained for, and hope that you do a good job. Last time I was on, we moved really quickly. I had one take, and that was it. This time, the material was a little bit more sensitive, so we moved a little bit slower. That worked a little better for me. I felt like I could really bring out the best performance that I could give.


Weekly: Do you get nervous before doing something like this?

Saltman: No. I really don’t. The cameras pop on, and I just do it.


Weekly: It’s just another day at the office?

Saltman: Exactly.

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