Soap Opera Digest: Welcome back to daytime.
Rebecca Staab: Thank you. It's only for a couple of days, but I'm really having fun.
Digest: What's been going on with you since you left PC? Have you gotten married? Had a baby?
Staab: None of those. My life isn't as dramatic. I've been living out in Malibu for the last year and a half.
Digest: Was your place caught in any of those bad fires?
Staab: I was close enough to the first one where I had to evacuate. The second one, thankfully for me was on the other side.
Digest: What else have you been doing?
Staab: I've been working a lot. I just wrapped a pilot for Benjamin Bratt's new show on A&E called CLEANER where I play his hot-to-trot neighbor. It's really funny, which I like. I also did a little independent film that I think will get a lot of attention. Some of my favorite working experiences have been on low-budget films. It has to be a collaborative effort, so I love the spirit of camaraderie and you really get close with the cast and crew.
Digest: What's the name of the movie?
Staab: It's called All Ages Night and it's about two days that this one band goes through to make it to their big night. I play a mom.
Digest: A mom? What's up with that?
Staab: I know! What happened? I never played a mom before until PORT CHARLES, then all of a sudden I was the mother of a 21-year-old. I never had a child so it's kind of funny. But there's always this through line with those roles that I have to take as a compliment and that it's at least a "hot mom." I also played a mom on a CSI and then I had this commercial for a men's body spray where I was hitting on my teenage daughter's boyfriend.
Digest: Does playing a mom bring out the maternal instinct? Would you like to have kids?
Staab: I go in waves. I always wanted a lot of kids since I was young, but life just dishes out what it does. I just think that God made me naturally maternal and nurturing for a reason and I'm blessed with fantastic nieces and nephews — and my little dog.
Digest: It's interesting to note that you played Sue Storm in the movie, Fantastic Four back in 1994. Long before the megahit in 2005.
Staab: We actually shot the original in 1992 and they finished it in 1993. It's the underground version because there was a lot of controversy surrounding it.
Digest: What was that?
Staab: There was a contractual thing that nobody knew about until later that the producer of the project only had to go into production to maintain the rights for another 10 years. But nobody could figure out why he finished the whole film, with all the music, special effects and titles. It was a completely finished project and then it was shelved. But it's fun when you get to play a superhero.
Digest: Ever meet any of the actors who played the current Fantastic Four?
Staab: It's funny, the first time I met Michael Chiklis [who played Ben Grimm, The Thing], I told him that I was the original Sue Storm. So, every time he sees me, he calls me Sue. I also did a NIP/TUCK episode and I have this very graphic scene with Julian McMahon [ex-Ian, ANOTHER WORLD] who played Dr. Doom in the Fantastic Four movies. So it's kind of funny that this movie keeps coming back into my life.
Digest: Jessica Alba plays Sue Storm in the movies. Would you play Sue's mother in a sequel?
Staab: I so would be there! Another mother role!
