Her Name Is Lola: Vanessa Simmons Dishes About Her Daytime Debut
As the daughter of Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons (of the legendary rap group Run-DMC) and star of MTV’s RUN’S HOUSE, Vanessa Simmons isn’t a stranger to the camera, but she is a daytime newbie. The actress recently took a few minutes from her busy schedule to give Digest the skinny on her first acting experience as Lola (Remy’s new love interest) and the trouble with reality television.
Soap Opera Digest: Is this role a result of your meeting with GL Casting Director Rob Decina back in December?
Vanessa Simmons: The opportunity just sort of came along. They asked if I wanted to audition for the show, so I went in and I did the screen test and they called me like two months later … and asked me if I could come and do stuff for the summer. It’s been a really, really great experience. I never imagined working on a soap opera would be so much fun.
Digest: A person in your position has tons of opportunities, especially in fashion and music. Why acting?
Simmons: Acting makes me feel free. I can’t explain the feeling I get, like the adrenaline rush when I’m actually doing it and then when it’s all over I feel just like yelling! It’s so much fun! It’s always been like that for me. When I get scripts and go to auditions and being on the GUIDING LIGHT set is just this dream come true and so amazing. I can’t explain it.
Digest: Tell us about Lola.
Simmons: She’s a little bit different [laughs]. She’s been a lot of fun to play, though. I don’t think she’s quite sure of herself or who she really is. She’s trying to be this bad girl. And I’m like, “Geesh. This is so opposite of me! How do I really get into
this?” But it’s been fun. I get very anxious when they tell me they’re going to send my script. I’m like, “Oh, God, what’s she going to do next?”
Digest: This is your first acting experience. What was it like walking on to the GL set for the first time?
Simmons: I’ve been preparing for this, I feel like, all my life. Now to just finally have it there in front of me is just so exciting. I thought I was going to be nervous. When I woke up, of course, the first morning to do it — I woke up at 4:30 [a.m.], couldn’t sleep, kept reading over my lines. And then I got there and my co-stars made me really comfortable. We got on to the set and we did it. I was like, “That’s it? We’re done?”
Digest: Did your dad and your family see your daytime debut?
Simmons: Yeah. My mom called after she saw it and was just like, “Oh, my God, you’re so good!” She’s just really proud to see me doing it and just going out there and seeing me give it my all.
Digest: What other projects do you have going on? Any other acting gigs?
Simmons: Right now we’re just working on RUN’S HOUSE. Me and my sister have a sneaker line that we’re doing, Pastry. It’s been a really great, busy summer. We’re working on the clothing line [for Pastry] that should be premiering in January. I have so many dates swirling in my head!
Digest: Do you prefer acting over fashion?
Simmons: I always [thought] acting’s going to be it and then we got into the whole sneaker thing and I was like, wow, this is actually kind of cool. It’s just two different kinds of experiences for me. I heart acting, man! That’s how I know it’s so right.
Digest: What’s the biggest challenge of being on a reality show?
Simmons: There’s always a camera there when you may not necessarily want one to be. You just try to be yourself at all times. That’s the main challenge with reality television.
Digest: For some soap stars, the biggest challenge of daytime is memorizing all those lines! Do you have a good memory?
Simmons: I’ve learned that I have a really, really good memory. The second script I got, I remembered that thing in not even a day — a plane ride home from Los Angeles to New York! I went over it an hour or two before I went to set and surprisingly, I knew everything. I must have a better memory than I thought!
Digest: So we can expect to see Lola in Springfield for a while?
Simmons: For a little bit, yeah!
Simmons’s next appearance on GUIDING LIGHT is set to air on September 4.
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