Younger Actress Nominee Interviews

Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire, DAYS)  You’ve been nominated two years in a row. How does that feel? “It’s actually better this year, because me and my best friend, Victoria, were nominated together. It’s been super-fun to be able to celebrate with her.” How did you react? “My heart skipped a couple of beats. I freaked out. I had a good happy cry about it. I felt grateful and so blessed. It’s crazy. It’s really crazy. I like to picture how my 7-year-old self would feel about me being nominated, today. I think that helps keep yourself grounded and grateful.” Who did you tell first? “The first thing I did was call Victoria. I could tell I was waking her up, but I was like, ‘I don’t care. We’re both nominated for Emmys.’ It was great. There was about 15 minutes of screaming. Then we spent the whole day together. We spent hours out in the rain, running around. We went out to dinner with the whole fam — my mom, dad, my sister and Victoria. We went out for sushi and then we went out for Greek yogurt. It was just a perfect day.” What did you submit? “The scenes with Ben, when Claire was trying to convince him that they needed to work together to break up Tripp and Ciara, so he could be with Ciara and Claire could be with Tripp. It was when Claire started to get really manipulative and you could see the crazy eyes starting to happen. I also used some stuff with Theo, before he left town. Those last couple of days were very sad and emotional.” Who are you bringing? “I think my sister. She invited herself, but it was a given, anyway. We have a great time together. She’s coming with me, only this time we won’t change seats [during the ceremony]. I’ve learned never to do that again, although it did make for a great story.”

Victoria Konefal (Ciara, DAYS)  This is your first nomination. What was the feeling like when you first found out the news? “It was pretty surreal. I don’t even remember much. I just remember screaming a lot and being really overjoyed. Olivia called and told me. She’s my best friend in the entire world. She said, ‘Did I just wake you up?’ I said, ‘Yeah. But what’s up?’ She said, ‘We both got nominated.’ I said, ‘No way!’ and just screamed.” Is it tough being up against your best friend? “She’s been on the show longer than me. I was like, ‘This is your year.’ She was like, ‘No. This is your year.’ We are both supporting each other to the fullest.” Did you get many congratulatory texts or messages? “Yeah, from everyone. Nowadays things are pretty much handled through social media, which I’m not really fond of. When I called my mom, she congratulated me. So did my dad and my brothers. Robert Scott Wilson [Ben] congratulated me. Everyone on set did.” What scenes did you submit? “It was with Galen [Gering, Rafe]. Ciara confronted him about cheating on Hope with Sami. I remember saying to him, ‘How could you do something so gross?’ That line stood out to me for some reason. I submitted a scene where I spoke to Kayla about Ciara’s rape. Then, to lighten things up a bit, I submitted a cuter scene with Ben, where Ciara finds out that he fixed her motorcycle.” Who did you tell first? “My mother. The first thing she said was, ‘Oh, my gosh. That means I get to go to the Emmys.’ She started worrying about who’s going to do her hair. She was just thrilled for me. She’s been dreaming about something like this ever since I told her that I wanted to be an actress. She was super-grateful. She told me how proud she was of me, and that was that.”

Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle, GH)  How did you get word of your nomination? “Hayley [Erin, ex-Kiki] texted me when the nominations came out and we FaceTimed for a bit. I  was super-excited that she was also recognized, because she had a great storyline last year, and of course I was excited for Eden, too, because it’s her first nomination and she’s just wonderful. But it was fun to hear it from Hayley because last year, I was the one who told her that we got nominated.” You won last year in this category. What would a second win mean to you? “I mean, I would love it! That would be fantastic; I would welcome it with open arms. But whatever happens, I’m just excited to get to be there and to see everybody from GENERAL HOSPITAL, which is what I’m most looking forward to. If I don’t win, I’ll be happy for whoever does.” What was on your reel? “The scene with Carly where Nelle is confessing to gaslighting her, the scene where Nelle convinces Chase to kill Michael for her, a fun scheming scene with Ava, the scene where Nelle asks Brad to take her baby, and then the scene where Michael tells Nelle that they were never actually married. It’s pretty high drama!” Are you preparing a speech? “I’ll probably prepare one. Last year, I had a little outline, but the thing is, I completely blacked out when I won. I don’t remember much of what I said because I was so shocked. It all goes so fast! It feels like three seconds when you’re on stage. But as someone who has suffered from minor stage fright, that’s kind of great! I’ve grown so much as a person this last year and feel much more comfortable in my own skin, so I think I’ll be able to keep my cool and just enjoy the ride.”

Eden McCoy (Josslyn, GH)  How did you get the good news? “I was at school and my mom texted me. I don’t like to get my hopes up, but it happened! I screamed, I got ice cream and I was in a daze for about two days.” What does it mean to you to get your first Emmy nomination? “It feels like Christmas morning. It’s an incredible honor, especially because there are so many actors competing who have been doing this a lot longer, and a lot better! It’s a bucket list thing, for sure.” Were you bombarded with congratulations? “Yes! Going to work the next day was very special. Producers and directors were congratulating me, and our studio teacher brought doughnuts for me and Garren and William. Everyone was saying, ‘Wow, that’s amazing, the whole teen scene is nominated!’ We were all very excited about it.” How do you feel about being in the same category as your former co-stars Hayley Erin and Chloe Lanier? “They’re amazing friends, amazing women and amazing actresses. If I don’t get it, I hope they get it, and I know that they feel the same. I adore them.” How did you put your reel together? “I pulled scenes of Josslyn with Oscar, with Cameron, with Carly, with Jason, that showed a range of emotion. I have to say, I pretty much owe my nomination to Laura Wright. I must have had 10 different versions of my reel and she was there every step of the way with advice and guidance. She didn’t have to be, but she was. I’m very grateful.” What are you looking forward to most about Emmy night? “Seeing everyone all dressed up without it being for the Nurses’ Ball! And I was just thinking, ‘Wow, they’re going to play [a clip of me] while I’m sitting in my seat and they’re going to film my reaction.’ I’ve been picturing that for as long as I can remember. That’s so exciting to me. Win or lose, that’s enough for me.”