John McCook (Eric, B&B) “I think it was the paternity issue with Ridge, because it wasn’t just about, ‘He’s not my son,’ but it was also about how Stephanie lied to him for so many years. That was very emotional for me to play.”
Photo credit: Gilles Toucas/Courtesy Of Bell-Phillip Television Inc
Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH) “When I played Annie on GUIDING LIGHT and she was in court testifying about Reva pushing her down the stairs and I’m trying to convince the court that she killed my baby. By the end of the episode, she’s in tears and she [admits] that she lied and you see how vulnerable she is and she speaks directly to the jury box. I remember that was not something the director wanted, but I felt that if I was talking to the jury box, I was speaking to the audience watching. After that, I was really exhausted; those scenes were really challenging for me.”
Tricia Cast (Nina, Y&R) “Chance’s ‘death’ at the hands of Ronan. What a roller coaster!”
Photo credit: Elaine Lee Photography
Martha Madison (Belle, DAYS) “I think the DNR storyline [with Marlena in 2018], mainly because it was, in part, very similar to what was happening in my real life at the time, so it was both emotion- ally challenging and cathartic at the same time. It was a well-timed story for me personally.”
Bryton James (Devon, Y&R) “Hilary’s death, because of the pressure of wanting to give a worthy performance at the end of such an impactful storyline for Devon.”
Emily O’Brien (Gwen, DAYS; ex-Jana, Y&R) “On DAYS, the most emotionally challenging was the stuff leading to Laura’s death — Gwen’s reveal had a tie to my personal life — so it was difficult for me to do those scenes. And then the death of Laura and the panic and the fear. That was really heightened for me. On Y&R, I think it was my final scenes where Jana holds the gun to her husband Kevin and she has a seizure and dies. That was a lot.”
Don Diamont (Bill, B&B) “When I was on Y&R [as Brad], when Ashley was in the car accident and she lost their son, and he almost lost her. That was gut-wrenching.”
Photo credit: Gilles Toucas/Courtesy Of Bell-Phillip Television Inc
Kathleen Gati (Obrecht, GH) “The scenes with Faison when he kept her a prisoner; the dark, evil scenes with Peter in the cabin; my first encounter with Britta in the park nearly nine years ago, after not having seen her for years (before either of us were on the show); and saying good-bye to her son, Nathan ... to name a few.”