Scene And Heard

One thing that was on Robert Scott Wilson’s (Alex) DAYS bucket list is working with Jackée Harry (Paulina). “I always thought it would be cool to have scenes with Jackée,” notes Wilson. “We actually did get to do some, which are coming up soon, and they were great.” Wilson already had a connection to the actress behind the scenes. “We have the same manager, Bob McGowan,” he reveals. “After Jackée started on DAYS, he told me that he was working on a deal for her; that she was having a great time, really liked the show and wanted to stay. So, of course DAYS was like, ‘Yeah, we’ll put you on contract right away.’ Jackée and I kind of talked about that and became buddies, but we never worked together until Alex came into play. We had a couple of scenes recently that were wicked funny, and we’re going to be doing more in the future.” Wilson’s enjoyed getting the opportunity to do more comedy as Alex. “I like having the chance to show that I can do that kind of work, but I love both. They know my drama chops. I’ve been doing drama for a long time. I just wanted to show the other side of me and find Alex somewhere in between.”

Joshua Morrow (Nick, Y&R) always takes a sensitive approach when it comes to executing a love scene with a new acting partner. “Asking these women to remove most of their clothing to simulate sex with somebody who’s not their significant other in real life cannot be taken for granted,” he explains. “I do everything I can to keep things light. I’m joking around and constantly teasing, so everyone can be as comfortable as possible.” That’s why Morrow appreciates co-star Courtney Hope (Sally). “Courtney is an absolute pro,” he praises. “She’s very comfortable with her body and she jumped right in when Nick and Sally had sex for the first time. Courtney is obviously an incredibly attractive woman who’s very confident with herself, and that really comes across in those scenes. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to connect with. I have so much respect for her and I like what she’s brought to our show. I really love working with her. I don’t know where this story is going, but I’m enjoying every moment.”

Brook Kerr (Portia, GH) employed a clever trick to stay engaged during the scenes of Trina’s trial, where she had little dialogue but was required to react to the testimony and courtroom antics going on around her. “Sometimes I didn’t read the material [in advance] so that I would really be paying attention to what everyone was saying. Especially during the courtroom stuff, I don’t have a lot of lines; sometimes I have a few things to say about what’s going on, and I already know what I’m playing, but as far as the other stuff, I try not to read it so that I really am listening with the proper ear. That makes it less stagnant, I think, when I’m really listening to what Diane is saying or what the witnesses are saying or what the prosecuting attorney is saying. So that’s actually what I did throughout all the court scenes!” While Kerr was impressed at Carolyn Hennesy’s (Diane) facility with her dialogue-heavy performance in the courtroom, Kerr did not envy her one bit. “She was awesome but yeah, I definitely don’t want to play a lawyer! No, no, no, no, no.”

Susan Sarandon (Dottie, MONARCH) began her career doing soaps like A WORLD APART (ex-Patrice, 1970-71) and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW (ex-Sarah, 1972), and after a storied body of work, she’s come back to serialized drama on MONARCH. “I just go where the fun is,” says the actress of her latest gig. “I love the storytelling of country-western music. I never knew it in depth. I’ve smoked a joint with Willie Nelson. That was about the deepest I got. But I was so eager and looking forward to meeting Trace Adkins [Albie], and to being able to wear that hair and the jewelry and find out about a life on the road. I do know about family, so that was easy. I’ve never been limited by what screen something’s going to be on. I’ve guested in a number of [drama] shows. I mean, I did two seasons of RAY DONOVAN, so I’ve done them before. This is a real guilty pleasure, you know, ‘Tune in next time’ kind of thing. I just thought it would be fun. And it was — wearing those outfits, and I just love a good accent. You can say so many things with an accent that you can’t say without. Write that on your T-shirt.”