How do you adjust your look when Sheila is behind bars? “You know, the orange jumpsuit is a little different than the blue one. When I was in the orange jumpsuit, it’s like, ‘I’m in prison now’ — and that’s when there is no makeup, no powder, nothing. I’m not one of those actresses who feels that I need to be pretty for everything. Evil is not pretty. I let hair and makeup and wardrobe decide how I need to look that day. That’s not my call. In our recent scenes with Steffy and Finn, they look like a million bucks and I look like I just came in from the rain. I’m so okay with that.”
In terms of your performance, what is it like being confined to a jail set? “You know what I love about it? I know my blocking. I’m handcuffed to a table, so I don’t have to worry about hitting my mark or looking for my lighting or anything like that. The one great thing about being confined in a cell or an interrogation room is your movement is confined. It makes it so you can concentrate on what you have to say within that scene versus whatever movements you have to go with it.”
Sheila has escaped many a time. When a story starts, do you ever wonder how she’s going to get out? “Always! The one thing I can say about my character is, ‘Get ready, the best is yet to come.’ You never know what she’s going to do next and in all honesty, Kimberlin doesn’t know what she is going to do next, either.”
Does it surprise you that Sheila always seems to get away with it? “Always. I don’t know until I get the script and it is just as shocking to me as it is for the audience. I love to be thrown from the frying pan into the fire, and Sheila is definitely in the fire right now.”
How do you explain the lack of security that enables her to constantly slip away from the law? “When you know people in the right places, things tend to happen.”
Let’s talk about Sheila’s various accomplices behind bars. In 1995, Ellen Wheeler played her cellmate, Sarah, who let Sheila get released in her place. “Ellen Wheeler was fabulous! Talk about an incredibly talented woman. It was a thrill to act opposite her and being my buddy in the psych ward. Years later, I played her cohort [Shelly] on ANOTHER WORLD [where Wheeler played Marley]. She actually asked me if I wanted to play that, and it was so much fun. Ellen was a joy to work with.”
What about Peg London (ex-Cybil, 1998)? “It’s a walk down escape lane! Unfortunately, her character was used but back then, Sheila would say anything to get what she wanted.”
In 2003, Robin Mattson played Sugar, the prison warden who aided in Sheila’s escape. What was that like? “Robin played Sugar brilliantly. She brought color to a character that was so interesting to watch, and [made you] wonder about the relationship between her and Sheila. The fire behind Robin’s eyes was enormous. It was one of those relationships that left the audience wondering who had who. She was powerful in that role. No doubt about it.”
And we have to mention Ken Hanes (Mike). What has it been like to reconnect with him? “I could not have been happier to work with him again. Are you kidding me? He was so prominent, and he is such an incredible man, and he brings so much color to our scenes. It’s almost like he is a modern-day Dick Van Dyke. Even in the most intense scenes, he can find a comic [side]. He makes it fun, and sometimes it’s hard for me to keep a straight face because Mike wants to make Sheila smile, as well.”
What is Sheila’s mantra regarding jail time? “Sheila will always find a way to maintain her freedom, no matter what it takes.”
