Scene and Heard

Y&R’s Beth Maitland (Traci) clearly recalls when Marla Adams (ex-Dina) came on board as her character’s estranged mother in 1983. “Marla, is, and always will be, sort of bigger than life, and she first came in with so much presence,” Maitland relays. “The feel was almost like old-world Hollywood and she was the queen of her airspace. That being my first impression of her, she was a little intimidating, although not unwarm. Our scenes were very emotional and interesting because Dina had abandoned her children and Traci, the youngest, felt her mother never noticed her. So, it was a very adversarial relationship.” Despite the fictional turmoil, the women developed a strong bond. “I started calling her Mutie, just as a nickname for mother and I still call her that when I call her on the phone,” Maitland smiles. “We still have a lovely relationship and I’m very close to her, but it started in a real interesting, but not negative, first meeting.”

B&B’s Naomi Matsuda (Li) was thrilled to learn that not only did her character survive the fiery crash, but she would be working with Don Diamont (Bill). “I was told at first that I would be going off the [pier] and I would be dying and at that moment I just said, ‘Thank you. This was so much fun,’ ” she recalls. “And then I found out later, ‘Oh, no. You’ll be homeless but you did survive,’ and I was really grateful that I was alive [laughs]. Don was really nice to work with. He was patient, wonderful and so charming. I loved working with him. He assisted me in so many ways here and there, and I am appreciative of that.” As for Li’s look once she washed ashore, Matsuda smiles, “The makeup and hair department were so wonderful,” she enthuses. “They just went to town and [Supervising Producer] Ed Scott kept saying, ‘‘More! More! More dirt! More teasing! Hair bigger!’ It was great standing there and having dirt poured on me. It was awesome. I definitely think that Li has gotten some great looks on the show.”