"It's always nice to get that kind of call," Collins says of her reaction to ALL MY CHILDREN's interest in bringing her back as Janet. "One never assumes, especially when one has been out of the business as long as I have been," she adds. "I'm not used to all of this anymore! I had the best time, I have to say. I really enjoyed it, getting to come back and see guys on the crew who've been there, gosh, since I first started 20 years ago, and the actors, who I've been watching, of course. So it was great to see these wonderful actors that I've been cheering for — or rooting against [laughs]."

She shared her scenes with Chrishell Stause (Amanda), Jacob Young (JR), Justin Bruening (Jamie), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal) and Alexa Havins (Babe). "My boys [she has two sons, Jake and Luke] were very curious and interested about who I worked with," she reports. "When I said JR was one of the people, they said, 'JR? Was he nice?' I said, 'Well, yes, he was. I know he's not so nice on TV right now.' "

The experience of interacting as Janet with the character's now-grown daughter, Amanda, was, of course, a mite surreal for the actress. "I hadn't played Janet since 1992," she points out. "One of the last scenes I remember doing as Janet was giving baby Amanda to Natalie in the hospital!" It was the Bianca/Babe baby-switch story that got Collins back to watching the show every day, but she feels a special connection to Amanda. "When she came onto the palette I felt like, 'I feel like I know you.' I had an odd attachment."

What else keeps her tuning in to AMC these days? "I love the Krystal/Adam thing," she says. "They are just a shot in the arm; I love the energy of the two of them coming together. I'm a big fan of JR; I think Jacob is such an interesting actor. I love Michael Knight [Tad]. I have always loved Michael Knight, but he has done something as he's gotten older ... he is richer and a more wonderful actor as the days go by. I don't know what he's doing, but he's wonderful to watch. And the whole Di/Dixie thing? I'm sold, man. I'm really hurt that she's not Dixie. That young woman, Kelli Giddish [Di], is amazing, truly amazing. And I know Cady McClain [ex-Dixie], you know what I mean? I know Cady's Dixie. But I'm like, 'I am so buying this.' I am such a sucker, just loving every minute of this story." Her love for AMC pre-exists her own time on the show. "Oh, yes, I was a fan before I even got cast," she nods. "I was so psyched when my agents in those days said, 'How about an audition for ALL MY CHILDREN?' I said, 'Are you kidding me?' " The show actually asked her to come back in 1994, when they wanted Janet to return, but the actress was "quite pregnant" and living happily in Chicago. "There was no way I could even think about it at that time," she shrugs. "I was so pleased that they got Robin [Mattson] to take over the role; I thought she was just wonderful."

Although she only spent a few days back on the set, she did get to play catch-up with some old friends. "I was thrilled to see Susan Lucci [Erica]," Collins sighs. "She is stunning. She's always been stunning, and even 20 years ago, in the old days when we were there all day long, we'd all come in with no makeup and Susan looked like she was about 18. I mean, she's beautiful all made up, but with no makeup on, she's equally stunning."

So what did she and Lucci talk about? "The kids! In the old days we'd talk about kids, too, but I didn't have any! I kept saying to her, 'Now I understand why you would do this, that and the other thing!' She taught me some interesting things about having children. She's a wonderful mom. So that was really fun, to get to talk to her about, 'You always said that taking off the first day of school to be with the children was so important, and now I really understand what the first day of school is about!' She has such a beautiful connection with her children, which I know she would probably attribute to her mother; she always was so gracious that way and apparently has just wonderful parents. But it's true, that first day of school means so much to the kids. So things like that she always talked about, now I know why, and it was so fun to talk to her about it."

Reuniting with Eileen Herlie (Myrtle) was also a thrill. "Oh, that made me so happy," she beams. "I'm so happy they're using Eileen more on the show. I grew up as a stage actress and her work in Hamlet with Laurence Olivier is just blatant in my mind from when I was younger and an aspiring stage actress. I remember the first time I met Eileen Herlie, words could not come out of my mouth properly, I was so much in awe. We became friends and had mutual friends who brought us even closer together, so when I lived in New York, we would see each other socially sometimes. She's like the grand dame. I was really happy that she was working the same day I was and I got to visit with her. Her stamina is amazing!"

There were a few people who Collins didn't get the chance to see, like Julia Barr (Brooke), with whom she used to share a dressing room, and James Mitchell (Palmer). "Oh, my God, do I adore James Mitchell!" she gasps. But she did get to meet AMC Executive Producer Julie Hanan Carruthers. "I was thrilled. She is lovely. Julie is really neat and was so gracious to make sure she came and found me to say hello and all that. But I gather that that's just who she is. I really admire her sense of perspective; she's a family woman. She left, for instance, to run briefly to her son's school. I don't think she was gone even for a half-hour, and yet it was obvious that whatever was going on with her child, she wouldn't have missed it. And at the same time, she was so confident that she could leave for a half-hour. That sort of ease and confidence she has in everyone there just trickles down. These people are working so beautifully together."