This weekend, The New York Times will hold its ninth annual Arts and Leisure Weekend at the TimesCenter in New York. The four-day event (Jan. 7 to 10) spotlights the arts, as Times journalists interview celebrated guests, including a panel celebrating the 40th anniversary of ALL MY CHILDREN. Set for Sunday, Jan. 10, from noon to 1:15 p.m., the panel features AMC creator and writer Agnes Nixon; executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers; and actors Susan Lucci (Erica), Cameron Mathison (Ryan), Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) and Debbi Morgan (Angie). We spoke to Budig, who recently returned to the role of Greenlee, about what to expect.
Soap Opera Weekly: How did you get involved in the “All My Children at 40” seminar?
Rebecca Budig: The timing of my involvement worked out perfectly. My return to the show just happened to coincide with [its] 40th anniversary, and I was asked by the network to participate along with Susan, Cameron, Debbi, Agnes [and Julie]. It is definitely an honor to be asked to be part of such a high-profile event, and be able to talk about All My Children — and everything the show and the people who have worked on it have accomplished over the years.
Weekly: What’s the format?
Budig: The panel will be led by Jacques Steinberg, an editor at the Times, and he will be asking us a variety of questions about our individual experiences working on the show and our characters. We will also talk about the show’s history. I watched AMC growing up, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Weekly: Any idea of the specific AMC plots or subjects that you’ll be reading from or talking about?
Budig: They will be discussing the history of each of our characters and how they relate to each other and other characters on the show. We’ll be discussing some of our individual storyline highlights, as well as overall AMC iconic moments. It will be a fun trip down memory lane.
Weekly: Is there anything special you can tell us about the event?
Budig: What I’m really looking forward to is watching Susan and Agnes perform a scene from one of the original episodes, between the characters Erica and her mother, Mona [Mona was portrayed by the late Frances Heflin from 1970 to 1994]. That will be really special.
[Advance tickets are $30, plus a service fee; call 1-888-NYT-1870 or visit www.ArtsandLeisureWeekend.com for more information.]
