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Riot Girls Page 2

Digest: So many fans want a romance between Maggie and Bianca — and it’s not every day that viewers ask to see a gay couple.
Riegel: We want it, too. I think Liz will agree that it would be an amazing storyline. It would be an important storyline.
Hendrickson: Definitely.
Riegel: Every single day, I meet a fan who has been spoken to personally by what they see on the screen. I realize what an incredible opportunity we have to show a real love between two women that really speaks to people and can promote tolerance and respect.
Hendrickson: That’s one of the reasons that I took the role of Frankie. They didn’t necessarily say that Frankie was going to be a lesbian, but they alluded to the fact that she could be. I felt that I could make an impact, and what better way to choose a role? I am more than willing to go that way.
Riegel: I would feel so safe playing a scene of intimacy with Liz. Not that we have any say!
Hendrickson: If we had any say in it, it would have happened a long time ago.
Riegel: But that’s not to say that it won’t happen, and when it does, I think the show has proven itself capable of doing the storyline in a very sensitive and positive way. Nobody could do it better than ALL MY CHILDREN.
Hendrickson: I met a mother at SuperSoap Weekend who came up to me in tears about how her son was gay and because of our storyline, he had come out to her, and it made their relationship so much stronger. That’s amazing!Digest: So, we know Bianca’s gay, but what about Maggie?
Hendrickson: There’s a huge question mark hanging over her head, isn’t there? But I think that almost any woman at that age [has one]. I think every woman and every man, at some point at their life…. It’s only natural to think twice about your sexual orientation.Digest: When you took on your roles, did you anticipate at all how much your storyline would affect you personally?
Hendrickson: I’ll be completely honest. When I signed with my agency, they asked me, “What do you want to do and what do you not want to do?” And I said, “I will not do soaps.” I didn’t want to be involved in a medium that I didn’t feel would challenge me. But after a couple of years of pounding the pavement and not getting a job, I was like, “Okay!” After my very first day, I realized how challenging it would be. You take on a whole new life with your character.
Riegel: I did anticipate being affected. But I think it has more so than I expected because of the nature of the storyline and the fans. I meet them, and I am actually making an impact on their lives. I’m just an actress, you know? But there are people listening, people who really care. It means so much when fans come up and talk to us because they care so much. It makes us care so much, too. I mean, this is our lives — it’s not just our job.This article originally appearred in the November 5, 2002 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

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