TAKING THE LONG WAY
Y&R’s Hunter King (Summer) says that she and co-star Michael Mealor (Kyle) are still working on developing a shorthand. “He has trouble following me when I’m trying to tell him something,” she chuckles. “The other day, we were talking about this one hallway in CBS where these dressing rooms are and he was like, ‘I hate that hallway. It’s creepy,’ and I said, ‘Do you ever hide in that X thing?’ He looked at me funny and said, ‘What? What are you talking about?’ and I continued on and on trying to explain what I was talking about, and he just sat there for three minutes looking at me with this blank face. Finally, he said, ‘Hunter, you’re horrible at describing things because I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ And eventually we got to it, but we realized I do this often.”
DYING YOUNG
“We were all so excited to bring closure to this heartbreakingly beautiful story and I learned a lot, which is always good,” says Eden McCoy (Josslyn, GH) of the difficult days she and her co-stars spent on set taping the end of Oscar’s life. “It was kind of like we were suffering a real tragedy. It was very real for all of the actors because everyone was in that certain head space and so was the crew, because the actors weren’t, like, talking with them and joking with them like we normally would. Everyone was kind of a little bit off and zoned out because we all had to be focused, and everyone wanted it to be the best that it could be. It was very brutal; it really was a downer for like a week straight. I couldn’t do anything else! I’d come home and just sleep and try to regain some strength for the next day. I’ve never really experienced anything like it. Your body doesn’t know it’s faking all of this trauma, so when you’re putting yourself through this kind of situation every day — the relief and the hope and then the gut-wrenching truth, you are actually going through that, and it knocks you out.”
GEORGIA ON HIS MIND
Matthew Atkinson (Thomas, B&B) keeps his home state of Georgia close to his heart. “I was born just north of Atlanta, in Marietta,” he shares. “I came out to L.A. straight from Atlanta, but then I went back to do some acting work because the industry in Atlanta was booming, and then I came out here again. And like a true Georgian, “Yes, I am a [University of Georgia] Bulldogs fan,” he reports. “My dad was a Bulldogs fan and I never wanted to have the same teams as my dad. I always enjoyed rivaling him, and I never really cared about college football until I was a older — but I fell in love with the Bulldogs. My friends are Bulldog fans. I went to some games. [Sanford Stadium] is a cool place to see a game, if you get the chance. The fans are insanely devoted, which is so cool to see.” Atkinson’s last trip down south was to attend the Masters, where Tiger Woods reclaimed the famous green jacket of victory. “Who says you can’t go home again?” he enthuses.
ADMIRATION SOCIETY
Suzanne Rogers (Maggie) has a secret admirer on the DAYS set. “Paul’s [Telfer, Xander] a big fan,” reveals Linsey Godfrey (Sarah). “He likes working with the two of us, and he loves himself some Suzanne. He thinks she’s the greatest. The three of us finished some scenes the other day, and Paul said something about how good Suzanne was. I said, ‘She’s the best.’ Paul said, ‘And she’s such a babe.’ ” Rogers, who’s flattered, takes the compliments in stride and thinks she knows where they stem from. “When Paul was first on the show a couple of years ago, we had a little scene together and it was so sweet,” explains Rogers. “When somebody new comes on the show, I go overboard, especially if I have to work with them. I want to make sure they feel comfortable; that I’m there for them if they want to run lines. I want to make them feel nice and welcomed. We got off to a great start back then and it just continued when he was bought back.” Welcoming castmates has always been important to Rogers, who still remembers what it was like when she joined the soap. “I was the first person who was new in years, and people stood back and were like, ‘Let’s see what she’s going to do,’ ” recounts the actress. “It wasn’t as warm and fuzzy as I would have wanted it to be.” So Rogers makes sure that’s not the case with today’s newbies and returning players. “I went up to Paul the first time he returned and said, ‘I’m so happy you’re back. I saw you on NCIS and boy, you were mean.’ I just think he’s terrific. I really like him a lot.”