Check out our new podcast, Dishing With Digest!
1 of 4
Photo credit: JPI
GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS) has high praise for Stacy Haiduk, who recently stepped in as both Susan and Kristen. “Well, I’m ready to throw my pom-poms in the air for her,” he says. “When you’re coming into a Salem wedding where pretty much every cast member is present and you’re essentially asked to carry the scenes and the story and the movement, it’s just not easy. She really came in guns blazing. I gave her kudos. It would’ve been hard for any cast member, let alone someone that’s coming in to replace the beloved Eileen Davidson, who has made Kristen so iconic over the years. I was skeptical at first. By the time the first episode had been put in the can, I was skeptical no more. Stacy is very interesting. She’s so quirky and so smart and she really just throws it out there. I think everybody was impressed. We were applauding her and whistling. It was good! It was a great, great way to come into the show. She didn’t take any half-swings; she went for a home run every time and I think she hit it. There’s nothing subtle about Kristen DiMera. You can’t hold back!”
2 of 4
Photo credit: JPI
HER FELLOW MEN
B&B’s Hunter Tylo (Taylor) feels her character has some unfinished business with some of the men in her alter ego’s life. “When it comes to Ridge, I loved the banter that I always had with Ronn [Moss, ex-Ridge],” she recalls. “But, I think it’s going to be fun with Thorsten [Kaye] because he seems to have the same sort of feistiness to him. It’s a shame that Thomas [last played by Pierson Fodé] is off the canvas at the moment. It would be interesting to see the family dynamics now that things have changed so much — and he has gotten quite handsome through the years! The two others that I truly miss the most are Ian Buchanan [ex-James] and Kabir Bedi [ex-Omar]. Oh, my gosh, bringing Kabir back [in 2005] was just such a cool spin to the way Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] brought Taylor back to life that time. He’s so interesting and charismatic. So, I can only hope that we see him again — and James, too, because after shooting Bill, Taylor is in need of some serious, deep psychoanalysis [laughs].”
3 of 4
Photo credit: JPI
FIGHTING SPIRIT
Aside from the late Aretha Franklin being a longtime fan of Y&R, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, was also a dedicated watcher. At a recent Y&R press panel, longtime stars Peter Bergman (Jack) and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) recalled when the famous athlete visited the Y&R set over 25 years ago. “That was a high point in my life, honest to God,” marveled Bergman. “People were crowding around him and I was waiting my turn. As I came up close, he said, ‘I know you!’ That was a great moment.” Scott relayed that Ali “is the only celebrity who has come to visit and production stopped. Everybody in the booth came out; we were all mesmerized. He did little magic tricks and this levitation thing that I still don’t know how he did! You saw his feet rise out of his shoes! I don’t know how he did that. When I said, ‘Hi,’ he said, ‘You pretty, I’m prettier!’ I had to admit, ‘You’re right!’ ”
4 of 4
Photo credit: JPI
THE SCI-FI KID
Back in 1980, James Patrick Stuart (Valentin, GH) starred in the sci-fi series GALACTICA 1980, a spin-off of the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, as Doctor Zee, a pre-pubescent scientific advisor to Commander Adama, played by TV veteran Lorne Greene. “It was a whirlwind,” Stuart recalls. “And I got to skip sixth grade, or at least a portion of it. We were all aware of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, so to suddenly be in the wardrobe department was pretty thrilling. The hair guy didn’t know what to do with me so they just bleached my hair, which turned immediately orange. Then they glued on sideburns because they were just looking for something freaky to do. Every night that I worked, I had to peel this double-sided tape off my hair. After 15 episodes, I’m surprised I had any hair left! Lorne was fantastic. When I graduated from high school, he sent me a little gift. He ended up being a really nice part of my life. We had Kent McCord, who ended up being our Screen Actors Guild president, and Barry Van Dyke knew me because his dad [Dick Van Dyke] had a house just a couple down from us in Encino — so he knew me as a baby! It was kind of surreal for him to look at me as a 12-year-old co-worker. That was trippy!”
GRACE UNDER PRESSURE
Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS) has high praise for Stacy Haiduk, who recently stepped in as both Susan and Kristen. “Well, I’m ready to throw my pom-poms in the air for her,” he says. “When you’re coming into a Salem wedding where pretty much every cast member is present and you’re essentially asked to carry the scenes and the story and the movement, it’s just not easy. She really came in guns blazing. I gave her kudos. It would’ve been hard for any cast member, let alone someone that’s coming in to replace the beloved Eileen Davidson, who has made Kristen so iconic over the years. I was skeptical at first. By the time the first episode had been put in the can, I was skeptical no more. Stacy is very interesting. She’s so quirky and so smart and she really just throws it out there. I think everybody was impressed. We were applauding her and whistling. It was good! It was a great, great way to come into the show. She didn’t take any half-swings; she went for a home run every time and I think she hit it. There’s nothing subtle about Kristen DiMera. You can’t hold back!”
HER FELLOW MEN
B&B’s Hunter Tylo (Taylor) feels her character has some unfinished business with some of the men in her alter ego’s life. “When it comes to Ridge, I loved the banter that I always had with Ronn [Moss, ex-Ridge],” she recalls. “But, I think it’s going to be fun with Thorsten [Kaye] because he seems to have the same sort of feistiness to him. It’s a shame that Thomas [last played by Pierson Fodé] is off the canvas at the moment. It would be interesting to see the family dynamics now that things have changed so much — and he has gotten quite handsome through the years! The two others that I truly miss the most are Ian Buchanan [ex-James] and Kabir Bedi [ex-Omar]. Oh, my gosh, bringing Kabir back [in 2005] was just such a cool spin to the way Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] brought Taylor back to life that time. He’s so interesting and charismatic. So, I can only hope that we see him again — and James, too, because after shooting Bill, Taylor is in need of some serious, deep psychoanalysis [laughs].”
FIGHTING SPIRIT
Aside from the late Aretha Franklin being a longtime fan of Y&R, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, was also a dedicated watcher. At a recent Y&R press panel, longtime stars Peter Bergman (Jack) and Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) recalled when the famous athlete visited the Y&R set over 25 years ago. “That was a high point in my life, honest to God,” marveled Bergman. “People were crowding around him and I was waiting my turn. As I came up close, he said, ‘I know you!’ That was a great moment.” Scott relayed that Ali “is the only celebrity who has come to visit and production stopped. Everybody in the booth came out; we were all mesmerized. He did little magic tricks and this levitation thing that I still don’t know how he did! You saw his feet rise out of his shoes! I don’t know how he did that. When I said, ‘Hi,’ he said, ‘You pretty, I’m prettier!’ I had to admit, ‘You’re right!’ ”
THE SCI-FI KID
Back in 1980, James Patrick Stuart (Valentin, GH) starred in the sci-fi series GALACTICA 1980, a spin-off of the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, as Doctor Zee, a pre-pubescent scientific advisor to Commander Adama, played by TV veteran Lorne Greene. “It was a whirlwind,” Stuart recalls. “And I got to skip sixth grade, or at least a portion of it. We were all aware of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, so to suddenly be in the wardrobe department was pretty thrilling. The hair guy didn’t know what to do with me so they just bleached my hair, which turned immediately orange. Then they glued on sideburns because they were just looking for something freaky to do. Every night that I worked, I had to peel this double-sided tape off my hair. After 15 episodes, I’m surprised I had any hair left! Lorne was fantastic. When I graduated from high school, he sent me a little gift. He ended up being a really nice part of my life. We had Kent McCord, who ended up being our Screen Actors Guild president, and Barry Van Dyke knew me because his dad [Dick Van Dyke] had a house just a couple down from us in Encino — so he knew me as a baby! It was kind of surreal for him to look at me as a 12-year-old co-worker. That was trippy!”