Linsey Godfrey (Caroline, B&B) and Kate Mansi (ex-Abigail, DAYS) have become fast friends, and Godfrey is impressed by her new pal. “She’s just fantastic,” Godfrey raves. “Kate is so organized and I’m so scattered. Every once in a while, I’ll have a moment of organization and she’s like, ‘Yay! You did it!’ She’s so strong and so happy and it feels good to be around her. Even if she’s not having the best of days, I’m still like, ‘You’re such a lovely person to be around at all times.’ ” The duo meets up once a week to try out a new fitness class. “It’s been so much fun,” Godfrey enthuses. “We’ve really gotten to explore the city and the different studios and different types of workouts. We know that every week we’re going to go do something together and we’re always going to get a workout in. It’s been a really fun time just kind of seeing who’s good at what and who’s not good at something, because sometimes we walk into a workout and I’m like, ‘I’m going to be amazing at this.’ And then we’re halfway through and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I am so bad at this.’ It’s great.”
Peter Bergman (Jack) makes it a point to welcome new actors to Y&R. “In general, I like people,” he shrugs. “I also know that it’s a very difficult thing to walk on to these shows and make them your own. Everyone but you knows exactly where they’re going, the people you’re working with have a clearer idea where they’re standing and why they’re standing at a certain place than you do. Everybody seems to know more about your character than you do. It’s just a little effort on my part to make people feel welcomed and valued.” And a word of encouragement helps, he adds. “I tell someone new that I’m eager to learn from them, too, and that goes a long way,” Bergman smiles. “I’m thrilled that I’m in a position to do that and I would be stupid not to take advantage of the opportunity.”
DAYS’s Eric Martsolf is thrilled to see his alter ego, Brady, once again paired with Nicole, but the experience is also bittersweet. Arianne Zucker’s (Nicole) decision not to renew her contract means that Martsolf won’t have the opportunity to continue working with her for much longer. “The knowledge that Ari’s time on the show [is] coming to a close has given more of an impact to our scenes together,” Martsolf shares. “I find myself watching Brady and Nicole and getting slightly choked up. I just enjoy Ari’s company so much. Seeing her leave [is] a tough one. I’m hoping that it’s not for too long.” Meanwhile, Martsolf has also enjoyed the addition of babies Tate and Holly to their relationship. “It’s a nice example of how the ties can bind,” he notes. “It’s not really blood that is the final determining factor in their connectivity. Family is family, no matter how you design it and put it together. I think that Brady, Nicole, Holly and Tate are a beautiful example of a blended family.”
As Daya Vaidya adjusted to the GH set during her run as Martina, she looked to Laura Wright (Carly) as a mentor. “She’s amazing,” Vaidya declares. “I honestly felt like when I worked with her, I was a student. I learned so much from watching her. Even when I wasn’t working, like when I was about to go on or it wasn’t my scene but she was on set, I stood behind and watched her to see how she was handling things. I immediately clocked into her, like, ‘She’s the one I’m watching. I’m going to be a student of this woman.’ I didn’t even know that she was an Emmy winner; I learned that later, but I could tell just by watching her work that she was just a pro in every sense of the word. I was so impressed with how she handled everything. Plus, there were a lot of technical things and code words that they use on soaps that I didn’t know coming from episodic TV, and she was such a sweetheart and was sort of translating for me. I felt like I got a lot from her that made it easier for me on set.”