ICYMI: Laura Wright Interview

When Laura Wright went to a reception for her fellow Daytime Emmy nominees the week before the ceremony this past April, she had no idea that her life was about to change when she reconnected with Wes Ramsey, who had been her castmate at GUIDING LIGHT in the early 2000s (ex-Sam) and is now her significant other.

But in truth, Wright’s life had been in the process of changing for quite some time. In April 2016, she announced her divorce from John Wright, who she met when she was a teenager and wed in 1995 at the age of 25. They’d been legally separated since 2014, and split even earlier, which is to say that she had spent several years “getting to know me as a single, independent woman.”

Despite being on good terms with her ex, getting divorced and all the transitions that go along with it “is never easy,” as she puts it. “It’s a very interesting process, you know, to be in your 40s, getting divorced, being on a TV show, having kids going off to college and have to go, ‘Wow, who am I now?’ ” It was a painful time, and Wright says, “Believe me, I tried to run from it, probably for the first year and a half. You know the big ball that chases Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark? For me, that was pain and fear and loneliness and insecurity and feeling unworthy, all that stuff. Everyone knows what I’m talking about — I don’t care if you’re on a soap opera, everyone has their stuff. Going through a transition like your marriage ending and your kids becoming more independent, all of those insecurities and fears have a spotlight shined on them. That big ball chasing me, I finally had to learn to stop running from it.”

Getting comfortable with her inner “stuff” was an ongoing process. “I had to be by myself a lot. The times that I felt insecure or uncomfortable or unhappy, I wanted to sit in those places and go, ‘What does this look like and why?’ It might not be fun sometimes, and you may be lonely, and you may cry, but what’s wrong with any of those things? Some of the biggest growth and most beautiful moments come out of our lonely, dark time. My biggest growth was sitting in my stuff, in my fear, and then waking up the next day and going, ‘I’m okay. I didn’t die and I’m okay.’ And then it was like, ‘Wow.’ I really saw life through different eyes. I’m a totally different person today, as I should be. I was ashamed that I was getting divorced, ashamed that my marriage didn’t work out, ashamed that I didn’t know if I’d ever be wanted again. I had this blanket of shame over me and now, the blanket’s off. I’m proud and happy about who I am — and my flaws! I have them. And guess what? So does everybody else! It makes us human.”

This cheerful, albeit hard-won, self-acceptance created noticeable changes in her interpersonal relationships even before Ramsey came back into her life. For example, “When I hang out on set and talk to Genie Francis [Laura] and Jackie Zeman [Bobbie], I’m present in a way that I didn’t allow to happen prior,” which she attributes to “this feeling of not being on the same level or worthy of a conversation with them, like they were grown-ups and I still put myself at the kids’ table. And my whole relationship with Maurice [Benard, Sonny] is different, too. I have all new relationships with everybody, ones that are honest and authentic and real, because when you become more honest and authentic and real, your relationships have to, too. You don’t want bulls— anymore.”

It was this new-and-improved Laura Wright who walked into that Emmy party in April. She wasn’t looking for love, per se (“I can’t do dating sites; I’m on television!”), but was open to it (“and clearly, I was ready for it!”). She arrived at the party with Donnell Turner (Curtis, “and there were all these rumors that we were together, which was so funny; he just gave me a ride!”). In line at the bar, who should be in front of them but Ramsey, who she’d known casually during their GUIDING LIGHT days. “He turned around and we were like, ‘Oh, my God!’ ” They struck up a conversation in which Wright off-handedly mentioned that she was recently single. “He was like, ‘Wait, really? You have to let me take you to dinner.’ I was like, ‘Oh, be quiet.’ And he goes, ‘No, I’m serious.’ ” She gave him her number, and two days later, they went on their first date, to a play. “And that was it. We’ve been together ever since.

“He’s seven years younger than me, let’s just put it out there,” Wright continues. “People are going, ‘[Gasps] He’s such a boy toy!’ I’m like, ‘He’s seven years younger!’ And in your 40s, I don’t know how big of a deal that is. But he looks even younger. Sometimes when we take pictures together, I’m like, ‘Stop smiling! You look like you’re 12! Look angry; you’ll look older!’ ”

Wright resists the notion that Ramsey has made her a happier person. “I’m a happier person because of me,” she declares. “Am I in an incredible relationship and am I madly in love with this man? Absolutely, I adore him head to toe. Has he changed a great deal of things for me? Yes. But it was the work I did, or who I became before I ran into him, that has made me happy.”

Still, there’s no question that his presence in her life has been a joyful one. “We spend probably 75 percent of our day together laughing, and I mean belly laughing,” she reports. “We were hiking Runyon Canyon a couple of weeks ago, and coming down the mountain we were laughing so hard that I was like, ‘People must want to push us down this hill!’ And he’s not hard to look at [laughs]. He’s amazing. I’m thrilled to share this part of my life with him.”

With some difficult years behind her, Wright is savoring her contented present. “I just turned 47 and I’m having a great time,” she beams. “Every day it’s a choice, to be aware, to be accountable and to be grateful, really grateful, for everything I have. An incredible relationship with my daughter. A son that adores me, and I adore him. A relationship with an amazing man and a relationship with an ex-husband who will always be a close friend. I’m proud of all that, really proud. And it was because, I think, of the stumbles and the pain and the sitting with the struggles that I get to have it and enjoy it. I can have today, and today is great. Today is amazing.”

Just The Facts

Birthday: September 11
Hails From: Clinton, MD
Mom’s The Word: She and ex-husband John Wright, who divorced last year, are parents to Lauren, 18, and John, 16.
Role Call: Wright played Ally Rescott on LOVING (1991-95) and THE CITY (1995-96), and GUIDING LIGHT’s Cassie Layne (1997-2005) before joining GH as Carly in 2005.
Significant Other: Since April, Wright has been involved with Wes Ramsey (ex-Sam, GL). She says she was a goner even before their first date, when he texted her and asked permission to pick her up. “He’s a Southern boy, he’s a gentleman, and when he said, ‘May I come pick you up?’ I was done.”

Watch List: “Wes and I just finished GAME OF THRONES, and I’m a THIS IS US junkie.”
Under 30: “I usually learn my lines and memorize my script while they’re blowing out my hair. It takes half an hour, if that.”
Flaired Nostril: Wright discovered that daughter Lauren had pierced her nose shortly after leaving for college via Snapchat — but she wasn’t upset. “I was jealous!” she exclaims. “I was like, ‘I always wanted one of those!’ But Frank [Valentini, executive producer] would kill me.”

Did You Know?

• When she started her daytime career as LOVING’s Ally in 1991, “Bernie Barrow [ex-Louie] was the one who held my hand through everything, who would sit and work with me and help me as an actor. Whenever they’d give me notes after a scene and I didn’t know what they meant, he would explain them to me.”
• When she and daughter Lauren got matching wrist tattoos in honor of Lauren’s 18th birthday, “Frank [Valentini, GH’s executive producer] was ready to kill us both!”

Longtime Companion

Laura Wright has a new man in her real life and a returning one — Steve Burton — in her reel life. From 2005-12, they worked together closely as on-screen besties Carly and Jason, and she enthuses, “Having him back on set has brought back an energy that’s just amazing. It’s like a burst of tears of joy. I found out, like, the day before they announced it, before it was even a for-sure thing. Maurice [Benard] told me, ‘Hey, I think Steve’s coming back,’ and I was like, ‘Get out of here! Are you serious?!’ It’s just awesome and I know whatever they have planned will be great. He’s my buddy. We just adore each other and love working together. There’s a lot of respect and a lot of fun. It feels like a family member coming back and it’s been just incredible.”