Talk Stewarts
Soap Opera Digest: Is Marie maternal to you?
Kelley Menighan Hensley: For me that is such an obvious, huge “yes” in such a monumental way, that to say anything about it almost belittles it. I’ve spent most of my time with her working and everything’s organic. I don’t know if you can learn that. Maybe you can learn it from experience and being around it. But that’s how I work. It came from somewhere. Yes, it came from myself, but so much of it came from how she works. Marie Masters: Also, it comes from the chemistry. And that, you can’t plan.
Hensley: But from another level, starting the show 16 years ago, not really knowing anything except that I need to come in and know my lines and be professional. All of those things are very important — a lot of people lose sight of [that] when you start this show. It’s imperative. And she lived that, so I just went, “Okay, I’m going to do like she does.” But Marnie’s like that, too.Marnie Schulenburg: If I have a question, I’ll ask it, but for the most part we stay on the same page. With both of them, I have a lot of chemistry, and especially Kelley and I have been doing a lot of intense scenes together, and a lot of times you don’t need to think about it because….
Hensley: It’s just there. Schulenburg: In the month I’ve been here, I already care so much and respect everything they’ve done for me because this has been a lot harder experience and I’m sure a lot of new actresses have probably gone through more uncomfortable experiences. I’m so grateful that I didn’t have to go through that because of them.
Hensley: I feel sorry for people who just start on our show because you have to sink or swim. We’re all here for you, but we all expect you to be a grown-up when you come here, no matter how old you are. You’re expected to get it, unfortunately. It’s just that way. You have one take to do it. So we’re all supportive, but I don’t want to baby anybody because I didn’t want to be babied. I just wanted to learn from watching everybody else. I’ll always say to her, “Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m just throwing this out there.” This is what we do. We like to talk about what we’re doing. Grayson [McCouch, Dusty] has no problem going, “Don’t say that line. You gonna say that line?” “Okay, I won’t say that line.” A lot of people would find that offensive, but everything, from your costumes to your lines, if we can’t talk about that to each other…. [To the other two]: Right? Schulenburg: You have to be able to be open. You have to be secure enough.
Hensley: “Why are you wearing your hair like that? Go upstairs!”
Masters: “Get it fixed!” Totally. Hensley: But never, in a million years, take anything like, “I can’t believe she said that.”
Masters: Because it’s all about helping you.
Hensley: And feeling safe with the people you’re with.
Masters: You know that you’re being supported.
Hensley: It’s a beautiful thing.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Soap Opera Digest does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.