With this transition, we had the amazing opportunity to sit down with the reigning Queen of Daytime, Deidre Hall. 

Spanning four decades (off and on), Deidre Hall has aired in a staggering 4,955 episodes. As Dr. Marlena Evans Black, she has been kidnapped 33 times, had 18 on-screen weddings, given birth to 6 children, been possessed by the devil twice, and continues to be one of Daytime’s most talked about characters. 

Without further ado, TVSource Magazine is pleased to present to you our discussion with the one and only, Deidre Hall.

TVSource: Hello, and thank you so much for taking this opportunity to speak with us today! We are huge fans of both you and the show. We are so honored that you took the time out of your busy schedule to speak with us today. 

Deidre Hall: Well, you are very kind to say that and thank you for helping us to get the word out!

How was the news of this transition to Peacock shared with the cast? And what are you and the rest of the cast most excited to do on this new platform? 

You know, there was so much rumbling about NBC and Peacock, and we [Days of our Lives] have been on Peacock for awhile and it’s been a very good home to us.

So I think we were all just sort of already on this road and just waiting to see what was going to happen. Then we were told that we were going to Peacock and it was like, “It’s great.”  Without hesitation. We’ve been there before. They’re very good to us and we perform well on Peacock. It’s where we did Beyond Salem Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 as well as the Christmas special, so it’s been terrific. 

Ron Carlivati, our head writer, has that lovely way of turning the crystal just a little bit to make it work for Peacock. A little bit of suspension of disbelief, a little bit of, “Oh, here’s something new. Let’s try this!” Ken Corday, our showrunner, signed off on everything and the two of them just made magic happen. So we’re thrilled to be back and home at Peacock. 

With that said, speaking for myself, I’m excited to see how it goes. And to ask,  “What are the numbers on Monday? How did we do? What do they say?”

What would you say to fans that are nervous about the show’s future as it leaves network television and begins its life on this new platform?

Well, it’s a really good question and the answer is that we’re all feeling that same low-level anxiety. It’s new. It’s different. Nobody likes change, especially after 57 years on the network. So it’s a learning curve and what I’ve been saying is if you can’t get it to work then ask your 8 year old neighbor next door. Because the kids are so savvy about streaming. Streaming is just the venue of the future. 

Days of Our Lives, well, we are the first to truly leap into it with both feet. So I think everybody is watching us a little carefully and we’re just hoping for the best results.

You can catch us in most markets from 6 a.m. on, all day long. With streaming, one of the best things is if you missed yesterday’s show because you were flying in from New York, guess what? It’s still on Peacock and you can go back and watch it. 

Speaking of New York! Recently, Days of Our Lives fan, Elizabeth Capobianco flew over 500 miles to help her grandmother set up Peacock to make sure she continues watching Jarlena’s adventures on DAYS!

SHUT UP! Good girl! We flew in late last night, so I haven’t been able to keep up with all of the fan reaction but you know what? What a great, passionate and caring granddaughter. Wow, just wow. 

I hope she stayed for a while because it doesn’t take that long to set up. Hopefully they grabbed lunch or something afterwards. 

Editor’s Note: We reached out to Ms. Capobianco who happily assured us, “Yes, I stayed all day. We went to lunch and made a day out of it. 

Not to worry, Deidre! Grandma got the Peacock and hasn’t stopped watching yet.” 

While some fans wish for their favorite couple to settle down and trade pleasantries, Jarlena fans have proudly proclaimed, “Shoot the bride” after that now famous wedding shooting and often cheer whenever they hear their favorite supercouple’s lives are in peril. 

What do you think it is about John and Marlena that created such a pleasant group of ride or die fans? 

I think that Jarlena fans — and I think that it’s so weird for me to call them that — so the John and Marlena fans are responding to not just the greatest love story of all time, and not just how these characters have fought their way through some very difficult times, but we’re all hungry for consistency right now. 

You know, we’re all hungry for that feeling of, “I want to turn on my TV and no surprises.” I want my favorite people doing my favorite thing, being happy, being safe, and reassuring me that the world is a safe place. Because for so many people, it is not a safe place right now. Between wars and pandemics. It’s been a hard couple of years and I think we have provided the audience with that adventure and consistency.

Oh, and we’re cute.

Days of Our Lives and in particular, your character of Marlena have been at the core of telling positive LGBTQ storylines with the relationship between her and her grandchildren (Will and Allie). 

What has that experience been like for you as an actress?

As an actress, I’m getting to work with kids that I love and adore and it’s just been so much fun to have screen time with them. As I’ve said before, we really are on the cutting edge of most things, for example, we did the first gay wedding which I got to preside over. We got a lot of letters after Will’s coming out story and from the wedding. We got a lot of positive feedback from the audience about how important these stories were to them and how they wished they had someone like Marlena in their lives and it was rather touching.

We were so delighted by the audience’s response to those stories because it meant that they weren’t just finding it entertaining or even provocative, they were deeply moved by it. And some to the point and it was psychologically important to them.  

Our writers and our whole team are very good about having their pulse on the country and seeing what’s going on, then addressing it.

Does it feel like soaps are slowly having their resurgence again with NBC and Peacock doubling down on support for DAYS?

We’ve lost a number of soaps over the years. We used to have over 13 soaps on the air and we’re down to 4. But what we are seeing now is that soaps and continuing drama is not a lost art form. 

I think people that love us are really dedicated to their shows, and I think the Days fans hands down are the most dedicated of any fans. As I said before, I’ll be so curious now to see what happens with Peacock and to see the numbers from this move. We have shot shows through Christmas, so we will be there. 

How did it feel to record the opening epigraph for the first season of Beyond Salem, especially since John and Marlena are filling the void left behind by Tom and Alice?

When I was asked to do it, I was deeply moved. I had spent 40 plus years hearing Macdonald Carey say the words. So when I was asked to do the opening for Beyond Salem, I was moved. 

I was terribly excited and hearing it on the air was peculiar. It was just peculiar, it was a new animal to me and I was thrilled to do it and would love to do it again.

When you and Drake Hogestyn started working together in 1986, did you ever imagine that John and Marlena would become one of Daytime’s most iconic supercouples?

First, thanks for saying it that way. 

You don’t think about that. You just think about the job in front of you. The day in front of you. There are so many people who are a part of getting a show on the air and it’s not just Drake and me. It’s hair and makeup, and wardrobe, and production, and direction, and sound, and lighting. It’s everybody doing 110% of their very best to get that show on the air. I love the show. 

So, does it surprise me that we are still on the show? No, it doesn’t because I love it and our audience loves it. But I’m glad we are one of the remaining few that are on and having fans come to watch us.

Watching old DAYS clips, it’s so frustrating watching Marlena falling off a building, ending up in a coma, getting kidnapped by the ISA and blown up a few times while John comes to her rescue as we’re cheering for him through the screen.

One of the best parts of DAYS is seeing how your character’s adventures unfold. So thank you for the hard work that you all do every day.

Well, first of all we have to get you medicated for that.

Second, DAYS provides all sorts of different types of entertainment ranging from a damsel in distress and or helping people through incredibly difficult times or welcoming a gay grandchild who is coming out. It’s all a part of what we do. I think that’s why we’re able to have such a wide demographic. There’s something for everybody in every show. There’s always a young love story, there’s always a jeopardy story, there’s always something else that’s surprising.

I watched soaps a million years ago. I watched one. Doesn’t matter what network it was because it wasn’t ours, and I didn’t mean to get hooked on it. I just was watching a show where there was a young girl pianist and I wonder if she’s going to get… and there. Just like that I was hooked. I wonder if she’s going to achieve whatever goal she was after.  So I understand it. I have a very deep understanding of not wanting to miss an episode.

The character of Marlena has been involved in some of Daytime’s most influential storylines, which of those countless storylines are you most proud of being a part of?

Days of Our Lives, with the character of Marlena, told the first crib death storyline. It was so amazing, and I gained such a deep respect for our team at that point. I thought the story was written so beautifully.

You know, Don Craig (Jed Allan) and Marlena’s child was going to die of crib death and our team was deeply concerned about how to announce that. Whether on the one hand, to promote it enormously and say “Days of Our Lives tells a tragedy, a crib death” or do we just air it with no preamble? What was decided in the moment was that when a woman comes in and finds that baby, she doesn’t get a warning. She walks into it. The decision was to let that happen to Marlena and I thought that was beyond wise and disturbing… but beyond wise. 

We got an enormous amount of calls at that point. There was such an outpouring of people who were trusting us with that part of their lives and hanging in there with us. 

I was just so impressed with our ability to do that for our audience.

Over the years, Marlena has welcomed many fresh faces into Salem, and as such, you have welcomed many actors into the soap fold. 

What would you say to someone that is aspiring to set foot onto an iconic soap opera like Days of Our Lives?

I think there’s a grave misconception that Daytime is a good training ground for actors. Every time I hear that, my reaction to it is always the same, “Are you kidding? I mean, seriously are you kidding? A training ground?”

These are some of the hardest working actors you will ever find. We work so hard every single day and everybody comes in utterly prepared and ready to do a day’s work. Not just the actors, but everyone from those behind the scenes including the set people that come in at 4 a.m., to those that are there at the end of the day taking it all down. All day long this job is being done, and the show is being churned out and it is not a training ground, folks. 

This is a place where you better arrive knowing what you’re doing. Otherwise, everybody has to pull you through it and they’re working at capacity already. 

I’m sounding so fierce… whew! 

Not at all! From a viewer’s perspective, we feel the same. 

Daytime’s production model is one of the most rigorous, and you can see the heavy lifting that the veterans are having to do to lift the scenes up sometimes. 

Having said that, my twin sister joined the show, Andrea Gengler, and she had come from working as a special education teacher. When our then head writer, Ann Marcus realized I had a twin, they flew her in and they put her on camera. We’ve never had real twins on a Daytime show, and it’s too difficult to have one person playing twins. So they brought her out of her special education contract and put her on camera. 

Watching her have to learn… oof. That learning curve of how to go from a special education teacher to an actor who is being given quite lengthy material was extraordinary.

So my suggestion — I don’t give advice — but my suggestion is if you want to do a soap opera, go do something else first. Go to a class, go take a college course, go do some stage work. Learn how to hit a mark, find a light and not overlap. 

What does overlapping mean? Don’t pour coffee over somebody else’s line. It’s a world of information and not a thing you want to learn at everybody else’s expense.

There have been numerous actors who have come on the scene with Days of Our Lives and with the urban myth that it’s a training ground, that has to be frustrating. 

With that said, with the nature of our production, we hire young actors who have never really done a three camera production before. At that point, all of us pull together and it turns into a workshop. So when we’re not doing our dialogue, it becomes, ”You need to step back 6 to 8 inches until you see my face, fully lit.” That kind of thing.

Or, “If you step downstage off your mark, you’re now blocking my camera,” the new actor doesn’t know that. So the veteran will take another step downstage and adjust.

It’s all things that we love to help young people learn and it makes them extraordinary performers.

Soap fans love a good wedding, and Marlena has had her fair share of them. Which of the many iconic weddings has been your favorite?

I think it might have been the first wedding with John [then Roman] in 1986. I’m never quite sure because there have been rather a few. It is when Marlena married John in the church. 

Lee Smith designed an extraordinary headpiece, we didn’t want a veil because it wasn’t quite appropriate to have one, but it had these amazing cut out sleeves with cut outs on the side with a lovely little train. I just adored it.

What can you tease for us that’s coming up for Marlena on Peacock?

We have shot through December, with all of those shows in the can. So what’s coming toward you is what was prepared originally to be on network television. But with that said, Marlena will always be consistent. She will always be empathic and available and dare I say in jeopardy from time to time, I’m sure. 

But nothing will really change for the moment. I think farther down the road, Ron Carlivati will figure out a way to relax those margins a bit. But for the moment, no surprise changes to the audience, just find us in a different place. That’s the only surprise.

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us. It was a great honor and we are so appreciative!

Days of Our Lives streams exclusively on Peacock. 

Fans can sign up for Peacock at PeacockTV.com, or by clicking here. Throughout the month of September, new premium subscribers can get Peacock for $1.99/month for 12 months or for $19.99/year for one year. 

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed Greg Meng as Co-Executive Producer and has been updated.

The post A Peacock Preview – An Exclusive Interview With The Queen of ‘Days of Our Lives,’ Deidre Hall appeared first on TV Source Magazine. TV Source Magazine - TV News, Spoilers, Recaps, Interviews

Saints & Sinners became a BREAKOUT hit for Bounce, making it one of its most watched shows. What is it about this series that you think audiences across the nation are connecting with?

I think that initially people found their way into it because it was, and is still to a degree, centered around a Southern Baptist Black church. So people identify with, at least a lot of Black viewers identify with, church drama, and they know that there’s generally something behind the scenes of that. It’s not all pious and happy and holy. Sometimes there are some really shady or unholy things happening, and so people can identify with that drama.

But I think that over time, over the course of the last six seasons, it’s really been them identifying with these characters and our actors that portray them. And they’re really invested just in their journeys. And they want to know what’s going to happen next to these people, how are they going to deal with it? I think that they really are just along for the ride with them. I feel like the world of the show continues to grow. So what started out as a sort of a small church drama became a show that had corporate intrigue and gangster mob intrigue. I describe the show as Scandal with bibles and guns. It’s a show with those sort of twists and turns.

But again, I feel like the world of the show has grown as our characters have grown and deepened.

You joined the show after it began, were you a fan of the series when you joined? If not, what was that on-boarding process like?

I hadn’t seen the show. I joined the show in season three as a writer and binged seasons one and two in the lead up to me joining the writers’ room. So I became a fan very quickly, but it was like through that sort of immersive binge process and then just got thrown right into the fire, as it were, of developing these characters. But they built such a strong foundation in season one and two that it really allowed for things to sort of take off from there. I was a writer on the show for seasons three and four and then took over as showrunner for seasons five and six. So, you know, my journey on the show felt sort of intensified in the same way that our sort of quick, eight episode seasons feel intense and with no filler.

Production value has always been core to Saints & Sinners aesthetics, with the series having a very stylistic view, production values growing year over year. Was this a focus for you and your team?

We are always trying to elevate every season. We’re trying to top ourselves in terms of story, in terms of production value, wardrobe and make up, all of it. We just want to show it all and always feel like it’s just getting bigger and better because I think that when it comes to a primetime soap, there can be diminishing returns over time. You’re telling so many crazy, sometimes outlandish stories that it can feel like, “Oh, we sort of like jumped the shark here” or what have you.

But we really dig in and invest every season to just make it feel more and more rich. We shoot the show at such a fast pace. I don’t even know how we do it. it’s a heroic effort by our amazing crew who just make it happen every season. And I’m always kind of awestruck by what they managed to do. But we shot a lot of location in season five and for season six we’re doing more stuff on set. So it’ll be interesting to see how that plays for the audience, if there’s any sort of difference or distinction. I think the stories are still just as strong, if not stronger. So I think that they’re going to enjoy it either way.

The show from the start was big on sexual diversity. Was telling an authentic story for the LGBTQ community important for you?

You know, I never truly, consciously thought about it. I mean, as someone that identifies as part of the LGBTQ community, I’m always conscious of wanting our portrayals to feel, at the very least, realistic. I don’t need everything to be. Quote unquote, positive. You know, everyone doesn’t need to like the gay character, doesn’t have to be a saint by any means. But I do want to feel like this isn’t just thrown in for the sake of throwing it in. I want it to feel like it’s true to character or are motivated in some way. It was important to me that it felt organic to these characters and authentic. I hope that we accomplish that. I think that a lot of people have the capacity for or a curiosity for exploration, for understanding. If you’re open to it and feel like It makes sense for certain characters of ours to explore those sides of themselves.

In between season 4 and 5, Bounce greenlit the spinoff movie “Saints & Sinners: Judgment Day.” What was that experience like and how did working on that project differ from the show?

That was wild only because I took over the show for season five, so we’d already written the season.  It wasn’t shot yet. But for all intents and purposes, this was the show for season five. Then they greenlit the movie, which was to kind of serve as a bridge between season four and season five. They wanted it to exist in the world of our show, but in the interim, between season four and season five.

So I kind of had to retroactively go back and engineer what could take place in this sort of finite period of time that wouldn’t derail everything we’ve written for season five. I still wanted to create a story that had a beginning, a middle and an end, but also something that felt like, okay, this is a movie. It’s not just another episode of the show. It needed to warrant being this sort of special Saints & Sinners event. So I wanted to have like a really strong arc within it, but again, something that could still play with what we had like meticulously laid out for season five. So that was its own challenge, but it was really fun and I feel like the movie’s kind of heightened things in a way that the rest of the series isn’t. But I think that that works because it’s a movie, it’s a different thing, but it still can exist in the world of our Saints & Sinners universe.

So how was production for the movie handled? Was that done in correlation with the fifth season or did you shoot that separately?

We wrapped season five and then jumped into the movie, I want to say two weeks later. We took a quick break to go into a sort of pre-production and then just jumped right into the movie and knocked that out in a few weeks.

Our readers are very big on the behind the scenes aspect of television creation. Specifically, revolving around the writing process. Can you walk us through how the final season was plotted out, did you come into the writers’ room with an ending in mind?

Well, you know, within our writers’ room for season six, specifically, we allowed for a lot more discovery. I would say with season five, we came in with a more finite vision. I had a plan for what I’d like to do for the fifth season. With this one, it was more like, okay, we’re going to land the plane. Where we have the opportunity to plan where things are going and these characters in a way that we want to and sort of set the stage for where are they going for the rest of their lives that we’re not going to see. That’s its own sort of unique challenge, but one that I hadn’t had the experience of taking on before. So that was exciting.

But we went into it with an open mind, like, let’s discover who’s going to win, who’s going to lose? What does a win look like? Our characters live a lot in the gray as opposed to black and white. Sometimes you have to ask yourself who’s deserving of a win? And again, what does that look like? That should probably be tempered in some way, right? Because you can’t just give them the complete pot of gold after they’ve probably killed a few people. So it was a really interesting process of discussion. But I think that we landed somewhere really satisfying for, I’d like to say, all of our characters. I think that everyone has an interesting journey and my goal this season is, as always, to give you a fresh look at everyone and let’s peel the layers back even more and show you something new about these people. And I think six seasons in, that we’re still doing that.

So you knew going into it that it was going to be your final season, so you were able to actually craft that with in mind.

It’s bittersweet, of course, to find out that the show is ending. But I was thankful for letting me know when we can plan that accordingly.

For six seasons, we watched Vanessa Bell Calloway drive story as the manipulative Lady Ella Johnson. What went into the decision for moving Ella away from the mayor’s office into the role of special prosecutor and what stories did that open the door for?

Well what’s so great about that character and her portrayer is that I feel like with Ella, nothing is off limits.

Like, she is just so driven and so ambitious and she knows what she wants and she goes after it. I feel like that’s common about a lot of our characters and that they’re all going for things at 100 miles per hour. They all want things so deeply, and I feel like that’s the best world to play in because it just means the stakes are so, so high for everyone, everything feels like life and death, even if it isn’t life and death.

For that character, we wanted to put her very much in the driver’s seat in season six. You know, she’s always driven story, but going out on season six, like Vanessa has said to me personally, that this is the most fun she’s had on the show, which I thought was a huge compliment. And the work she does this season is phenomenal. But she doesn’t take her foot off the pedal. She goes for it. She really, really, really goes for it. And so does Ella.

What would you describe as the “theme” of the sixth season?

That’s a great question. I would say there is a lot of reflection. I would say that there are consequences, and I would argue that there’s some redemption. So yeah, I would say that those three words along with being really bold. Really. Unapologetic and really unexpected.

Who was your favorite character to write for when you were just starting out in season three? What was the character that you just really enjoyed getting your hands on?

Oh, you know who I love and still adore Leona? Lady Bird. I think that she is that classic grand dame soap diva, soap villainess. It’s just so juicy to watch, and to write someone that you know pulls strings and you never know quite what she’s up to or what she’s planning.

Then again, over the course of the seasons that I was writing for her, we got to peel back the layers and we got to understand why she’s doing all the crazy things that she’s doing and what’s motivating her. Because I feel like even the best, quote unquote villains are the ones that you understand their motivation, you understand their perspective, you understand why they are the way they are, how they got to where they are. I really enjoyed getting to explore her and her portrayer. Donna Biscoe is truly top tier. Like, I don’t know that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a better actress work and that that goes for Vanessa Calloway as well. But just a true artist.

What can you tease for our audience that is coming up in the final season?

Oh, goodness. What can I tease?

You will see… You’ll see some familiar faces that may have taken a bit of a break. How about that? You’ll see some familiar faces I have described this season as like kind of muscular, kind of gritty. I really wanted to take the men on our show and make sure that they were all kind of playing from the top of their intelligence. Not to say that the women are taking a backseat because I love a soap diva, I think that women drive story in this genre, frankly. I think that women in soaps are meant to be the protagonists. They’re meant to be active and driving stories. So that’s never going to take a backseat on a show that I’m writing.

But I really wanted to kind of toughen up our men, for lack of a better word. And I think the balance is really, really interesting. We’ve got a great new villain this season. It’s emotional, it’s twisty and it’s going to be really surprising. But we’re not taking the foot off the pedal, we’re going like 100 miles per hour.

So as a soap fan yourself, what was it like to get to join the writers’ room of a primetime soap and to have made your mark now on the genre?

It’s crazy, right? I grew up watching these shows, daytime and primetime. I’ve always felt so connected to that genre, but I don’t know that I saw myself going in and writing for it. I certainly didn’t imagine myself getting to run a show.

So to be able to do so and frankly, to be able to do so for a primarily Black cast of just dynamic, juicy characters, it’s a dream. It’s truly been a dream come true. I have to give credit to our network Bounce. They really gave me the opportunity to craft the show that I wanted to write. There wasn’t a lot of interference and no sort of, “You should take a story this way” or “that way.” What you’re seeing in season five or seeing in season six — that’s the vision. That’s what we wanted to do. It’s what we wanted to execute.

How can you ask for more than that? Hopefully people love it. But if they don’t, at least they had a really fun, creative experience.

Your followers on Twitter will know that you’re a very vocal fan of Daytime television, what are you enjoying in Daytime right now? 

You know what I’m loving right now? General Hospital.

I don’t usually gravitate to teen stories or the young stories, but I’m loving everything happening with Trina — seamless recast by the way, Tabyana Ali is wonderful. Avery Pole as Esmé. Amazing. I’m loving Spencer. The young set is really gelling for me. I’m just really enjoying that story on that show. I need more Maura West always. I always need more Ava, because I think that she’s just like the best thing we have in daytime.

I’m watching The Bold and the Beautiful because they were bringing back Taylor Hayes. She’s like one of my favorite characters, and I’m really enjoying Krista Allen in the role, which I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t so sure about initially. I wasn’t so sure that was going to work but I think she is really killing it. I’m just really loving that. I want to see more of her, you know? I’ve been vocal about how I feel I want my Taylor at the forefront driving things.

Oh, can I also just add, I loved the Marlaina re-possession on Days of Our Lives. I loved it. I thought that was so well executed, such a fun revisit of that story. And Deidre Hall’s an icon. Just really, really wonderful stuff.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, what do you think is the biggest opportunity in Daytime? 

Oh, the biggest opportunity in Daytime. I would love to see bigger swings being taken by some of the shows. I think that they really have an opportunity because Daytime is so unique and that you can really see the beats of everything being played day to day, week to week. I have an eight episode season. There are like 260 episodes of Daytime drama every year.

For you to kind of be able to get into and dig into the minutia of a story and the emotional beats, I love that. I think it’s really unique to this genre. So I would love see that played into more. When The Bold and the Beautiful told its transgender story with Maya, I thought it was so beautifully done and I thought like it was so fresh and something that we hadn’t seen. It felt brave. Not brave because we’re seeing a trans character, but just brave because, okay, here we are, like taking the time to tell this story and play the emotional beats and all the ramifications of it. I want to see more of that. I just feel like every show probably has an opportunity to do that on some level and in different ways. All of these shows are very different and their tone and the way they deliver things, but I’d like to see that across the board.

I mean, I think back to Robin, Stone, and the HIV story in the 90s and just how beautifully that played out. That was… I want to say that that might have been my entry into General Hospital. That era with Robin, Stone, Sonny and Brenda. Just getting to see that story play out in just such a raw, beautiful, emotional way. That is what I come to Daytime for. It can apply to romance too. You know, I got to see Sonny and Brenda and their pride and all of the ups and downs. No one does it like them. What’s funny about Sonny and Brenda, they’re best when they’re apart because no one does longing better than those two. The ins and outs of that story, whether it was with Lily or like once Jax entered into it. That’s it. That’s the stuff for me.

Do you have any other projects in the works that you can tease for us? 

It is probably too early to tell. I do have some things that I am actively developing a few at different stages. I’ll leave it at that. We’re working on some stuff, some that actually kind of outside the drama. Some of it soapy, some of it more comedy. But hopefully you’ll have some fun things to hear about it.

You can check out the premiere of Season 6 of Saints & Sinners on Bounce at 8PM EST on Sunday, April 3rd and the following day on Brown Sugar.

Catch up on all of the drama from season 1-5 (including Saints & Sinners: Judgement Day) on Brown Sugar.

The post Going To Church — An Exclusive Interview With “Saints & Sinners” Showrunner Nigel Campbell appeared first on TV Source Magazine. TV Source Magazine - TV News, Spoilers, Recaps, Interviews

As the Matriarch of the Loud family, Rita had a lot on her plate, what was it that drew you to the role?

Well, as someone that doesn’t have biological kids — I am a stepmom– I remember once, I was at a party and there was a psychic there. I went in and talked to her and I remember she looked at my palm and she goes “you’re not going to have biological kids, but you’ll be happy with what you have.” I was like, oh, and I had no idea what that meant, obviously, at that time. But it is just funny how so many children have come into my life, and I with appropriate boundaries, take them on as my own as well. So having been the mom of eleven kids in the Loud house is kind of the best situation because I cannot actually imagine that in real life. It is one of those things that I have had a lot of, like internal resistance to things in my life. And being a Nickelodeon mom has never been one of them, so it just seemed to fit perfectly.

Had you had any exposure, or did you do any research into the Loud Family before filming the role?

I did as much as I could. There are now five seasons of the show, and when I auditioned, they gave us clips so I dug in that way. Honestly, it was really lovely because her backstory is already there. So, I just had to soak in that information. I was not aware of the show prior to auditioning, but now I am a big fan.

The film was an enormous success, becoming TV’s Top Kids Entertainment Telecast Of 2021, would you be up for reprising the role in future or maybe even a spin off series?

I would love to. If you hear anything, let me know. But we had such a great connection, as far as the on-set family, offset that it was such a wonderful experience filming with all of them. There was some magic there that I would love to see keep going somewhere.

Switching gears, let us discuss your latest endeavor as an up-and-coming podcaster! What made you tackle this medium?

The podcast is called Counter Parenting I have found myself, especially during the pandemic, struggling a little bit as a stepmom with what my role is and just feeling empowered in that role while maintaining appropriate boundaries. I realized that a podcast was a great medium to get some help, but also share that with the rest of the world. I feel like stepparents, rightly so, do not have a large voice, but we are still a whole person in a family dynamic. So, I wanted to offer some resources and help for people in situations like me to just be the best that we can be as an active participant in the family, while maintaining boundaries.

I was researching it for myself and there just was not a lot out there because family dynamics are a lot of times shades of grey. Talking to a divorce lawyer or a child behavioral therapist and learning things from their perspective has help me grow as a person. I just want to spread that out to other people who may be in similar situations.

So, tell us a little bit about what you have planned for future installments of Counter Parenting.

Well, we recently dropped an episode with a great divorce lawyer, and he talks about the basics of the parenting plan. I was excited to be talking to someone who specializes in narcissistic behavior because I feel like that is something that comes up a lot, whether it is conscious or not, in the divorced primary parent dynamic with stepparents. Sometimes it is just a power play instead of about the kids. You can check out new episodes of the podcast every Tuesday.

In addition to this project, you also just recently wrapped production as Intersection, a series you co created, wrote, and starred in, tell us a little about that…

It is a six-episode new media format. Intersection is based on the G word, which is gentrification, and while it happens all over, we specifically look at one fictional community in Atlanta and see how just it plays on more of a street level. The intersectionality of lives. I play a real estate agent. I am a realtor in real life, so I used a lot of my real-life experience and it was just heightened for that role. It made the writing process fun and interesting because. I realized a lot of the social impact to which I have contributed. So, I am extremely excited about this series. It is a dark comedy because we say, you know, you are going to laugh or cry, so I do a little of both. It is in the festival circuit now, and we will see what happens.

Is it a one season series or would you like to continue to expand on that universe in future seasons?

We would like to expand on the universe in future seasons. Right now, we are at the community level and seeing how the neighbors interact. In another season we would go to the landlords and developers and bring those characters in as they mix in with the neighborhood. We have it from the political perspective and how your local politicians are involved. It would explore how they impact a community and displacement. We unfortunately do not have any solutions necessarily, but we do hope to start a conversation. Whether it is with your family, friends, or just expanding that bubble on your individual impact or a developer’s impact or a politician’s impact, everyone’s impact on displacement in some communities. I will say we do not have it written yet, but we have it planned out.

We were supposed to shoot the first season before the pandemic, and then we ended up rewriting some things because of the pandemic that explored, how more people have been displaced, even with the eviction moratorium. It is really interesting. But because these are low-income people, they do not often have a voice or anyone fighting for them. It is something that I wish was talked about more and I wish there were solutions that people were actually going to tackle. It starts with our education system on a primary level.

Prior to this you co-wrote and starred in the web series Dyed, Highlighted, and Hopeful¸ what was that experience like?

That was such a dreamy experience that highlighted hopefulness. We wanted to create something fun where females are quirky and have experiences that are not centered around the male gaze or whatever that is. So, we wanted to have it be a series for women that didn’t focus on getting a boyfriend, which I think is often what storylines are about when you are in your in your twenties or early thirties.

It has been nearly ten years since that series came out, would you like to revisit that world and characters in a modern day setting and what do you think would be different?

I mean, there is so much growth that happens in 10 years. It is crazy. I would love to revisit it. I would also love to see how the relationships are now. So much is driven on how we are only “whole” with a partner. That was something that I felt was implanted in me. The whole “Who’s your boyfriend?” “When are you getting married?” And now I am like, “Wow, that is a nice part of life. But it does not make you whole as a person.” So, I would like to explore those dynamics of being older. If you have those relationships, great, but telling stories that are not centered around being whole with a partner and also not finding negative things — like following the play instead of following the drama.

Having worked in multiple mediums, television, web, improv, which medium are you drawn to the most?

I love television. I really do. It has always been a dream to be on a sitcom because you have this ensemble that you work with every week. People can really get to know your characters on the other side of the screen and then you get to perform in front of a live studio audience, if that ever happens again. That would be so dreamy to be able to be on television, but also get to perform in front of a live studio audience because there’s just something about making an audience laugh and having that instant feedback of joy. The joy is just infectious. I love that, and I love TV. I love getting to know characters and getting to revisit them, either in one long sitting as you binge or week after week.

Where can our readers find out more and follow your career?

I am on Twitter. I am trying to be more active on that. I get social media fatigue. I’m, @MurettaMoss on Twitter and on Instagram. Those are the main places where I am putting things out and you can see what is happening next.

New episodes of Counter Parenting are released weekly on Youtube and your favorite podcast listening application.

The post Breaking Down Boundaries With Nickelodeon’s Muretta Moss appeared first on TV Source Magazine. TV Source Magazine - TV News, Spoilers, Recaps, Interviews

How are you today, Ted?

TS: You know, that’s always a loaded question these days. You get up,  read The New York Times and go, “Oh, twenty million unemployed. This is going to go to 2021, 2022, I’m living alone in quarantine.” You know, it’s strange, it’s a strange time to be sure.

For sure. This year has been something.

TS: Yeah, I mean, definitely for the record books.

Think back to January. What was it? The second? We were like, “Oh, world war three. That’s fine.”

Yeah! I, I remember I was flying up to produce episode 19 and we had two people taken off the plane by officers in hazmat outfits and I even posted a picture on Twitter, like, “Oh, well that’s weird.”  And then I was thinking, well, that’s the closest I’m going to get to any of the Covid stuff. And then lo and behold, I was living in a dream world to not think of reality. And you see how now this is going to affect the entire planet. So…

Extremely different. I know they’re experimenting with opening up productions in Australia, but all of it’s going to be completely different. It’s no touching, no kissing, nothing we’re used to seeing on TV.

TS: Yeah. I know. My friend Michelle Yeoh is starring in one the new Marvel movies that was supposed to start shooting months ago in Australia, and so she’s been in a holding pattern, but that movie is a Kung Fu movie. So, she was like, “I don’t know what’s supposed to happen.” How do you do a Kung Fu movie without stunts and action? I don’t know how you do Riverdale without kissing and fighting.

Exactly. It’s a teen drama and that’s what we’re all tuning in to see: these relationships and mysteries. The fact that there’s all these social distancing restrictions in place, I can’t see it happening anytime in the near future.

TS: Well, there’s also elements of… just one of the things that really annoys me about the planet, people put a greater emphasis on the actors than the crew.

Yes.

TS: Just talking about everyone just idolizes the actors, but the crew is out there. They’re standing in the rain. They’re working far longer hours than any actor. I’ve been on shows — not this one (Riverdale) — but I’ve been on shows where actors will say, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe the hours I’ve actually had to be here.” I would have to pull them to the side and tell them, “You have to stop saying that. You work one or two days a week, you have a trailer, you have a cart that brings you to set, these people come here two hours, three hours before you do, leave two or three hours after you do, and they make in one week what you make in a day. So, you can’t talk about how hard your days are.”

The only actor I worked with who I would never say that to, was Doug Jones on Star Trek, that guy, you know, lives in his prosthetic makeup. He was the creature in Shape of Water and Pan’s Labyrinth and all that. That guy worked harder than anyone I’ve ever met in my life and never complained. We’re lucky that our cast is not like that on Riverdale, but I’ve been on shows where I just roll my eyes at those types of actors that just complain out their ass.

It’s good that your current cast has a tighter grasp on the reality of the situation then.

TS: Someone like Cole has been acting since before his frontal lobes were fully formed. You know, Cole understands better than virtually anyone I’ve ever worked with before the role the crew plays. The only person that I would say matches Cole that I’ve worked with is Brenda Song, who also was on the show with him on Disney (Suite Life Of Zach and Cody). I’ve seen him save a shot where, “Oh, no the camera missed its mark!” But, then they adjusted, saved the shot, and I’ll be like, “Holy crap!”

They just subconsciously knew where the camera was and were able to adjust and we’re able to just keep moving. And someone like Cami and KJ, they’re incredible. Like the crew is standing in the rain and we’re shooting on location, and Cami will go around, holding an umbrella, sing songs to them. KJ will do push-ups to make people laugh. I means, that’s the type of stuff that you look for in a crew and cast and go “Oh, thank God they get it!”

That’s so sweet!

TS: No, honestly, they’re really special from that level and I’m super proud. Like, I told KJ one day when we were talking, that, “I’m super proud of you. You’re number one of the call sheet, number one sets the tone.” It reminds me of Melissa from Supergirl. Melissa just does the same thing when I was there. No one works harder than Melissa. She was in every scene, especially season one and it was brutal on her. And she had to do stunts and change costumes and we were shooting out of order.

So, sometimes she would say to me like, “Which episode is this we’re shooting?”

“Well, this scene is for episode four. And then later we’re shooting another one for episode six.”. She would say, “Do they know I’m Supergirl?” She never complained. KJ’s the same way. Number one on the call sheet, sets that tone for the stat. So, we’re really lucky that way the crew loves the cast.

Good. Because you hear some horror stories sometimes.

TS: Yeah, absolutely. I’ve never been on a show where it’s like this many young people in it. You hear horror stories about young people with time, money, and power. You know what, I’m sorry, go on, you have questions, we’re just babbling right now. Sorry!

It’s okay! So we can go ahead and turn to the questions that I sent you. The one I am most curious about is how Riverdale is known to be over the top and kind of campy. And in the list I gave you, I gave you some examples. So, I am really curious to know what is the craziest thing that’s ever been pitched that didn’t make it to screen?

TS: You know, I’m going to tell you this story and this will be my answer, but it might frustrate you. I don’t know if I actually can give you a specific answer. And why is because the rocket that was in episode three has been a pitch in the room for a couple of seasons and then it finally came into episode three of season four. So, some of the things that we talked about in the room that are crazy, may pop up later. So, I wouldn’t want to spoil that. Because I think it was day three that I was in the room and I stopped the room and said, “Okay. I just need to ask a legitimate question. When we say that Edgar is going to get in a rocket in order to fly away. Is that a joke pitch? Is that a metaphor? Is that a real pitch?” And everyone’s like, “No, no, that’s real. We’ve been talking about that for a couple of seasons.”

I said, okay, I just want to make sure that’s what we’re doing. So I wouldn’t want to say something that seems outlandish that we discarded because it might pop up later. And that’s actually what I love most about the show. Like, as soon as people told me “No, that’s a real pitch” I leaned back to my chair and I just started laughing. I said, this is great. That means we can do whatever we want. It’s fun!

I understood that we’re not living in the real world on this show. We’re living in the Riverdale world where things can happen. Roberto says, “Get on the bus, Ted!” And I was like, “I’m on the bus. I’m there with Betty, we’re driving to that group camp, let’s go!” Cause that’s fun. And it’s outrageous and it’s memorable and it has this sense of humor and it’s cheeky. The show goes backwards and forward through heavy drama, over the top, fun, great colors, musical numbers, dance numbers, all that stuff. It’s a blank canvas that you’re looking at and just say like, “Great, we can do whatever we want as long as we adhere to the spirit of the show.”

So, I don’t know what I could say that wouldn’t be potentially a spoiler down the road because things come up and get discarded and then are brought back in. And that’s just the nature of this crazy show.

And that’s one of the things I really like about it. Riverdale knows exactly what it is and knows who their audience is. And it’s not afraid to take those risks. Things that probably wouldn’t work on other shows work perfectly in this environment.

TS: Yeah. We’re, we’re not a Shonda Rhimes show. We’re not as Vince Gilligan show. Roberto, he loves things that make you sit up. He’d like things that make you laugh. He likes things that make you cry. His tastes are as eclectic and diverse, as intelligent and as fun as you could imagine. I mean, this is a man who not only is a tremendous playwright in his own right, but it’s a man who can enjoy independent films like Piranha and the dark underbelly it shows you about youth and violence and authority. And then he can also equally enjoy Batman 66 with Adam West. I mean, I’ve never been in a room with a show runner with tastes that are as diverse as his, that he loved them both equally in their own way, because he can compartmentalize what he likes about each one of them.

And frankly, I think it’s one of those things that made us friends all the way back to the Supergirl days, which is where we met, because my tastes are the same way. I watched Throne of Blood by Kurosawa the night before I watched Robocop, and the night before that I watched Wizard of Oz. So, like I’m all over the place and I love them all equally for different reasons. And I think that’s what makes the show work. It’s a real window into the brilliant, strange, weird mind of Roberto. And I think there’s a reason why people link this show so much to a kind of teen version of Twin Peaks because it’s as specific to Roberto as Twin Peaks is to David Lynch. And that’s what’s so great about it.

I love that little love letter. That was great. We did touch base on the state of the world right now and you had to shut down production and there’s not really a clear answer of when you’ll be able to resume that. We were told that the end of season four will be wrapped up in the beginning of season five. So, is that going to be all three episodes? Is it going to be condensed down to one?

TS: Oh no, it’ll be all three episodes. I mean, on one level it’s frustrating that we ended on nineteen. On another level, it’s kind of great. And the reason for that is because nineteen was always considered to be the moment when the heroes look themselves in the mirror. It’s the darkness before the dawn. And this story about the videotapes, which has been a slow burn all season, truly comes kicking into high gear, which is why we end in that incredibly creepy, “Is that a real murder?” moment, that I have to say, Madchen (Amick) directed the hell out of. In the script it was I think just two lines. And she spent a long time on figuring out how they’re going to come up to Mr. Honey, tied up to the chair, how Mr. Honey was going to be pulling at the ropes.

And that you see for the first time, real fear in what we call “the victim”, but maybe it’s not in quotes this time around. How she shot the head tilt a dozen different ways, some with their head tilted in different directions, some where they tilt away from each other, some when they all went the same way. And it was so fun to watch her find the right, eerie choice and to give Roberto choices in the edit, which is great, which you really look for as a producer. And you could really feel the tutelage of David Lynch coming through in the way that Madchen approached that scene.

But we already wrote all the episodes that will make up the beginning of season five. There’s so much story that has to unfold and so much emotional fallout that comes from the mystery being revealed. And not only the mystery being revealed, but the repercussions of the mystery, which frankly is one of the things that I love so much about the show. Most shows would have the mystery be solved, say in the last, you know, 20 minutes of the season. But Roberto, his instinct is to show the repercussions of the mystery being solved. So, usually the mystery being solved is the penultimate beat of the season and then we see what is the emotional fallout. It’s not just about the mystery, it’s about how the mystery affects the people, the characters, on the show.

That’s true. I’ve been doing a re-watch with my family, season one the penultimate episode was the reveal of Jason’s Blossom’s murder and all that fun stuff. And the next episode was the consequences, which I think was a good choice. I did like that.

TS: I think it’s also the sign of a writer who understands storytelling and understands that it’s not about the twist, it’s about the emotional fallout. And I think if you’re writing: this happened, this happened, this happened, that’s how you end up with a lot of Hollywood garbage, which is just like, “Okay, well that was the twist, but now I never need to watch that again because I’m not emotionally involved.” Whereas if you’re watching a show where it’s not about the twist, it’s about what the twist does to the characters, well now you’re emotionally involved and then it’s about the human experience. And that’s the other thing about the show that I really enjoy is that as over the top, as fun, and as wild as this show can be, at its core, it’s a show about friends. People can identify themselves in certain characters, and can  identify with the emotional resonance of some of these heightened situations. And it’s not much different than people who can identify with what Spiderman is going through, even though they don’t have super powers or what Luke and Leia are going through, even though they don’t live in a galaxy far, far away.

Yes. That’s exactly what makes them timeless and memorable. So, we mentioned that Madchen was the one to direct 4×19. Are there any cast members looking to direct in the upcoming seasons?

TS: You know, I wouldn’t know that, that that’s wholly on Roberto. You know, that’s the discretion of a show runner. In full candor. I would be a little surprised if there was. In a post Covid or in a current Covid world, every minute is going to count when we do start shooting. I will say Madchen is the exception to the rule. We had more days where we were ahead of schedule with Madchen than any other first time director I’ve ever worked with. But my guess is because of how difficult, production is going to be just with new guidelines and regulations and that sort of thing, I would suspect that they’re going to rely on directors who have come in and and know the ropes. But the short answer is I don’t know.

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When Anna Passey joined the cast of Hollyoaks little did she know the wild ride her character would embark on. From gas lighting one of the viewers favorite heroines and stealing her man, to the startling revelation that she had a daughter with her twin brother Dodger, all the way to faking her own death and transforming into one of the most rootable characters on the canvas Sienna has done it all. It is however, Ms. Passey’s remarkable layered performances that have garnered her the respect and admiration of viewers around the world, and keeps us wanting more of this delicious soap Vixen.

We had an amazing time talking to Anna and cannot wait to talk with her again.

Before we jump into all the fun and salacious stories that your Hollyoaks character Sienna has gotten into, let’s first start by talking about you! Prior to joining Hollyoaks what was your exposure to Oaks or rather soaps in general?

We weren’t really a soapie household, the only person in my family that religiously watched one was my grandma Pam and I remember being children and being sent out of the room when it was Coronation Street time, so that was definitely a huge thing but my family sort of didn’t directly watch any. Hollyoaks I think the first time I came into contact with that was when I was at university and I was housed with five girls and every single one of them apart from me watched it and they all took it seriously then. They tried to fill me in, but when I started at Hollyoaks I didn’t really know who anyone was and all my friends were going crazy like oh my gosh Tony and Mercedes and I was like you’re going to have to give me a cheat sheet because I didn’t know who anyone is because I hadn’t really watched it.

So now has your family become Hollyoaks fans?

Yeah so, my dad pretends that he doesn’t watch it and yet every once in a while I’ll be having dinner or something  and he’ll say “oh that Ste” and I’ll be like “wait a minute oh you watch it” and my brother watches it and all my friends that did watch it still massive fans and even more so now that I’m in it of course.

You’ve had other acting experiences prior to and since joining Hollyoaks, what would you say is the biggest difference in the way you prepare for your scenes in Hollyoaks as opposed to the way you prepared for your scenes in other projects?

Good question, I think the major difference is the speed at which we work at Hollyoaks. Normally if you’re doing film or something you have a lot of time to plan the kind of arc of what the story will be but whereas with Hollyoaks the stories are on-going so you literally never know what you are going to find in your scripts until you pick them up.  Also, we tend to only really know what we’re shooting for the next few days, normally it’s the night before preparation rather than three weeks in advance. So you have to get very quick at knowing your character very well and knowing your lines really well and preparing that would be the main difference but also I’ve never played a character like Sienna so there’s a lot that goes into the kind of mental state that Sienna’s always in, she’s not really like any other character I’ve experienced so I have to take the time to read my scripts and I kind of note down when I first read them my reactions to them because you don’t get that opportunity again and often it’s being really quiet on set and going through the case history files in my brain and make sure I’m in the right state.

In addition to Hollyoaks you’ve recently been a part of the Netflix original series Free Rein.  For those who might not know about the show can you describe it for us.

It’s a really wholesome family show it’s centered around a riding stable on an island in the UK and the lead actress is American and she’s come over to England with her family and she started season one feeling very misplaced and unhappy that she’s had to move away from her friends because she’s a teenager and change schools and she discovers this riding center and she falls in love with this horse and makes all these lovely friends and it’s this really wholesome family show.

Let’s discuss your role as Felicity, your character is kind of pivotal to the plot for a few characters, and in a few scenes, you made me love and hate her at the same time, what interested you the most about the character?

It was something so different than Sienna so I couldn’t say no to it really. She’s kind of been a woman that all of the kids look up to, and I had someone like that, my babysitter, her daughter who was much older than me was sort of champion show jumper when I was a kid and she would compete and get all these ribbons and I used to look up to her and think oh my gosh she’s the best horse jumper so it was kind of fun to play that character. Felicity is in charge of the board of judges for the under 18 team so she goes around and she reviews one of the characters whose trying to review one of the characters riding school and then she in charge of who is going to be the newest member of the team. When we shot it all of the kids in the show looked up to her because who she is and her riding skills and they want to be like that and I knew someone like that so it was someone I really knew from real life so it was nice to play.

As a fan of the show yourself, was there any characters you wished your character would’ve interacted more with? And would you be open to returning in the future? I mean I saw a bit of a spark between Felicity and Elliot that would always be nice to see explored!

Yeah maybe, I’d love to go back, I don’t know what they’re plans are for another series, but it’s nice to have scenes with him, he’s Mia’s father, brilliant actor, and Mia the girl, is really sweet so it would be nice to be involved in that and it would be nice to have a bit more with the younger kids on the show they’re really funny on the show and I didn’t get to interact with them so it would be nice to do more with them.

Alright now let’s move on to some Hollyoaks talk, what was the casting process for Hollyoaks like?

Funnily enough I’d already been up for another character before I got the part of Sienna, I came up for a really intensive round of casting for a different part of Annalise and she was one of the students a few years previous, and it was a really big deal there were so many people and they put us into groups a few girls and a few guys and we’d run scenes and then we’d get separated and put in different combinations and see who as a group of friends worked with who and it was quite intense then my first round I got on the train to go home and they said we wanted to see you again tomorrow and I got down to the last group of people and in the end they went with a different group of friends and none of the people in my group were chosen and it was really sad and at the time they said don’t worry we loved what you did and we’ll get you something else and as an actor you hear that and you think that’s nice but you never believe in it so when I got the phone call for the Sienna it was me and one other girl and they had a much clearer idea of what they wanted for that and it was a much different experience it was a one read through with Danny Mac and that was that.

Your character, Sienna Blake, has pretty much done it all, from wrecking marriages to kidnapping and being redeemed and transitioning into one of the show’s most profound heroines. What has been your most fulfilling story to play?

I think personally the storyline that I did alongside Jamie Lomas who played Warren Fox that I did with the twin babies when she discovered she had cancer and was pregnant and the kind of choice she had to make there. For me it was the most fulfilling. For me It was the first time that I did a storyline that was issue based and it was quite nice as an actor to get your teeth into the research part and be provided with the resources to ask the right kind of questions and I hadn’t done that before and the effect that had and we have received a lot of messages that saying this is something people didn’t think about being diagnosed with cancer while pregnant and a lot of the signs that you wouldn’t know with the cancer get tied into the signs of early pregnancy so it was nice to do something that felt like we were having some kind of impact on raising awareness for something. The story was brilliant and as an actor there were tons of really emotional scenes so that for me was a big achievement of a storyline.

In contrast, Sienna has obviously had some over the top moments from the Twincest revelation to nearly killing some of our favorites, what was one of your favorite OMG moments for Sienna?

Well I think finding out that the twin brother was also the father of the child was kind of Bruncle Dodger – because he was kind of brother uncle- was kind of like the most jaw dropping but I also have a mega soft spot for the revelation that Sienna wasn’t pregnant  I see those memes from time to time as they pop up on social media and I watch that when Nancy punches her and rips the dress off and she’s stood there with that big fake pregnant belly and its ridiculous but I loved it and at the time it was ridiculous and I loved it and people loved it.

I also really love Sienna’s Christmas kind of once yearly meltdown when she throws turkey at people.

What is it about Sienna that you think has allowed her to go on such a fantastic journey from crazy villain to one of the shows leading heroines and aspiring schoolteacher and continue to be someone the viewers want to see?

Honestly I don’t know I get asked this question and I’m so thankful for it but I don’t know there’s some weird magic in there, I don’t know what it is, it shouldn’t be okay, like you say she’s a school teacher now and like she’s kidnapped 18 people and she shouldn’t be allowed to watch them but there’s something in the writing something in the backstory with Patrick and I think there’s something with the audience of soap that people invest in the characters and the longer you stay in one the more you feel that and people get really protective and you see new characters come in and you see them ask what can they do and you really have to give it some time and get to know the character and once they do they go on such a journey with you that they kind of breath with you and I think with Sienna the journey is so crazy that there’s been so many roles she’s been through that the audience feels like they’ve been through all of that with her that they just can’t help but side with her even when she’s so clearly in the wrong.

Sienna is set to have an exciting Summer, as we saw in the Summer Trailer, what can you tease about what’s coming up for her?

So Sienna lost her twins Warren stole them away from her about a year and a half ago and it was so traumatic for her and since then we’ve seen kind of a reboot of Sienna where she’s a teacher and she’s tried to pick what’s left of her life and she’s met lovely handsome Brody whose a really good guy and we see her in a lovely place and in the midst of the Summer craziness she sees the twins and she sees them with her eyes and they’re there and it kind of shocks all of the past back into her and we see old sly Sienna back at her best as she plots to take her children back so  it will be kind of a return for people who have been watching more than this year to the kind of classic Sienna that they know so well and everyone liked that Sienna I think and this time we will have the battle between Old Sienna and new Sienna because  does she want to throw away everything she’s worked for to have her children? Yes, she does. It’s all going to be kid based and the audience is going to be guessing if those children are hers or if she’s lost the plot again.

Do you have any other projects in the works that fans can look forward to?

No so Free Rein just came out and its TBD if there will be another series or special or if Felicity will return so if that happens that would be my next project but otherwise, I’m very heavily invested in the Hollyoaks storyline.

—

Free Reign is streaming now on Netflix

Follow Anna Passey on Twitter and Instagram

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7 pm on E4 in the U.K.. Episodes air on a two-week delay on Hulu in the United States. For more on Hollyoaks, visit their official website.

The post <i>Hollyoaks</i> Star Anna Passey Talks All Things Sienna, Teases Other Projects appeared first on TV Source Magazine. TV Source Magazine - TV News, Spoilers, Recaps, Interviews

In 2006, the soap opera landscape was forever changed as Bryan Kirkwood took the reigns of the Channel 4 teen soap Hollyoaks. He refocused the show and introduced popular families such as the McQueens, ultimately completely transforming the program from a teen serial that occasionally tackled socially relevant storylines, to the critically acclaimed masterpiece whose quality now rivals and often surpasses the mainstays.

Under his leadership Hollyoaks has won plaudits and numerous awards for the issue-based storylines that underpin the narrative in the continuing drama, including domestic abuse, male rape and Motor Neurone Disease.

Bryan Kirkwood’s signature ability to tackle topical storylines while maintaining a focus on romance and annual stunts have made Hollyoaks a pleasure to watch over the last thirteen years.

The audio interview is available below. 

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7 pm on E4 in the U.K., episodes air on a two-week delay on Hulu in the United States. For more on Hollyoaks, visit their official website.  

Episodes of the TV Source podcast are available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Podbean. Join in on the conversation using #HollyoaksWeek, as well as #TVSPodcast on Twitter, comment below, or email us at podcast[at]tvsourcemagazine.com.

The post Podcast S3 Ep 9: The Interview – <i>Hollyoaks</i> Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood appeared first on TV Source Magazine. TV Source Magazine - TV News, Spoilers, Recaps, Interviews

The character of Sienna Blake has gone through quiet the transition from evil babysitter to school teacher. Passey discussed with us how Sienna’s current job is going. “She loves it! We know she sets out to do well at whatever she puts her mind to, the ex-head girl in her I suppose! She is so focused on it and is doing a great job!”

Looking back on her storylines thus far, Passey was reflective of the opportunities she’d been given and looked forward to the future. When discussing her favorite storylines, she added, “I’ve loved all of them! I’m very lucky to have been involved in so many! The cancer in pregnancy story was a real challenge and I feel we raised some great awareness, so that was very important to me. I’m also excited for my current storyline as it is another big issue-led story that I hope will do some real good. I think it’s such a timely story and Hollyoaks are coming at it with a fresh angle, looking at harassment in the workplace and also within a marriage.”

This week however, things kick it up a notch as the Inspirational Ball takes place, and Sienna is set to take center stage. Discussing her favorite costumes, Passey enjoyed what the boys were rocking.  “Laurie’s brillo pad sideburns amused me greatly, but I was also a huge fan of Kyle’s Bowie outfit.” Meanwhile, discussing how it was to film those scenes “It was very fun to all be in fancy dress! The sticky punch was less fun, but Sienna’s had much worse happen to her, so it’s easy for me to roll with that stuff!”

The inspirational ball (airing the week of March 4th on Hulu) is being held at Hollyoaks High and the village residents all attend dressed up as their respective favorite and most inspirational people throughout history, and our girl Sienna finds herself right in the middle of the action. “Sienna is in charge of giving a speech about the people who inspire her at the Inspiration ball, hosted by Hollyoaks High. it’s a big deal for her to have been trusted with so much of the organising, but she is distracted, as Laurie is there too and he has kissed her previously. She worries about what he will do or say, and then Sinead finds out….” When discussing how Sienna feels towards Sinead, Passey admitted, “I think she feels sorry for her to be married to Laurie, as she knows what he is like. She will definitely try to talk to Sinead about him, as she worries that she is probably dealing with similar behaviour.”

Passey’s character Sienna is currently enthralled in a #MeToo storyline, as her co-teacher Laurie Is manipulating and pushing his boundaries of what is acceptable workplace behavior. “He is undermining her in the workplace to make her doubt her abilities. He wants her to depend on him and is trying to take her confidence and independence from her. He is also making her feel physically intimidated and uncomfortable with unwanted contact and inappropriate comments.” Passey added, “Sienna feels trapped. She doesn’t know what to do now that she has asked him to stop and he hasn’t. She worries about causing a problem at the school and of what people will think of her. She is afraid that no one will believe her.”

Things for Sienna escalated as Laurie forced her into a kiss. “She was shocked and disgusted by it. She is trying so hard to not be intimidated by Laurie, but the kiss was a massive step too far, it made her feel very uncomfortable.” But Sienna is terrified of Brody finding out. “Yes. She knows that she has done nothing wrong, but she also worries about upsetting Brody, especially after everything he has been through. She knows he will be angry.” Speaking of Brody, what does Passey think of the pairing? “They are perfect! I love them together. They have both been through an awful lot and have huge capacities for empathy towards each other. He is patient and sees the good in her, and she thinks the world of him. Brody is much more stable than her previous partners, and also Sienna is probably in the most stable place that we have seen her to date, so it bodes well for this relationship. They are honest with each other and don’t feel the need to hide their pasts.”

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7 pm on E4 in the U.K., episodes air on a two-week delay on Hulu in the United States. For more on Hollyoaks, visit their official website.

The post Spotlight: <i>Hollyoaks</i> Star Anna Passey Dishes On The #MeToo Storyline That Has Fans Talking appeared first on TV Source Magazine. TV Source Magazine - TV News, Spoilers, Recaps, Interviews

Social media can be a bit of a minefield for daytime actors. They can often say things that have fans doing double takes. For me, that actor as of late has been Jacob Young. During B&B’s recent wedding of Liam to Hope, Jacob was very vocal about his character’s absence. My initial thought was, “Well that’s odd; he’s seems so busy with other projects. It’s more likely he just could shoot on these days.” Then came the tweets agreeing with fans’ disappointment in the disappearance of Rick and Avants.

It was clear Jacob had a story to tell. So, I reached out to the actor and set up an interview to allow him the chance to do just that.

The last time The Bold and the Beautiful fans saw Rick on-screen was May 29, 2018. What exactly is your current status on B&B? Last we heard, you were recurring, but we still expected to see you more than we have.
Yeah, it’s a little tricky because they felt that the story with Maya and Rick had sort of run its course.  I disagreed with that full heartedly because I knew that there was a lot of different angles we could play and awareness that we could bring to this storyline. I’m going to try and rationalize it for them and then rationalize it for myself. We’ll break this into two pieces. For them, they have so many people that they have under contract and we have about fifteen minutes truly of air time. When they decide to shift gears, they are not really good at telling multiple stories like AMC, OLTL, GH or these one-hour soaps that we know so well. The writing team over there, they’re limited to two or three stories tops as you know and there were a couple of things coming up.

Number one, my contract was coming up. Number two, Karla Mosley was just getting ready to take maternity leave, and she’s basically the anchor with Rick as far as a couple. Honestly, they felt that it was going in a different direction. At the same time, I was having a sigh of relief because I’ve been contemplating, as you were saying as TV Source has had to adjust to the ever-changing climate of daytime, so do the actors. It was becoming that time where, I’m not quite 40 so I’m still young enough to do the things that I want to do, but it’s now or never. So, it was time for me to take this as an opportunity to branch out and do some of the things I wanted to do. We’ve done a lot so far within the last year.

You answered my next question with that answer, as I was going to ask you about B&B’s inability to tell more than one story at a time. I understand that it’s 30 minutes long, but I’ve been watching since the 90s and they’ve been better at telling more one story at the time before.
You know, I think that there’s a couple of the writers on staff now that have Brad Bell’s ear. I think he’s taking a lot less responsibilities as far as day in and day out and I think they are kind of running the ship. In a generation that has lost these shows, as many decades as people have watched The Bold and the Beautiful for, these guys weren’t even in high school when these shows were going, and now they are running these shows now. I think that there’s a real generational gap and the people that are at the helm are not necessarily able to do what they used to do in the early 2000s the 90s and 80s by telling multiple stories. They are doing just enough, if you know what I mean.

Storyline aside, we still expected to see the character of Rick. During Hope and Liam’s wedding, everyone in attendance gave speeches about how to maintain a healthy marriage. We found that odd considering the healthiest and longest marriage on the show is Rick and Maya’s, but they weren’t even there. You tweeted about that. Does that mean you weren’t given a script, because some fans just assumed you weren’t available to shoot?
No, that wasn’t the case at all. I told them. I said, ‘Look, anything that’s important to the show, that means something to you, that you want me there for, I’ll be there. Even while I’m pursuing my other projects.’ They told me that there’d be something in August, which turned out to be the Liam/Hope wedding. But they never contacted me. They never sent me a script. So honestly, I’m not holding my breath that there will be something for Rick for Thanksgiving. I’m truly coming from a real place when I say that. I just don’t know why. I think a lot had to do with budgets and whenever they decide to bring on a new character. God bless him because I love Ingo Rademacher, but bringing him on, basically they needed to free up some financial money, and so I think that was me because I had not had much [of a] storyline. So, they decided they’d use him instead. I think that’s probably the most realistic answer I can give. It just comes down to money.

We’ve heard about budget issues with The Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives as well. We thought maybe that was something that was specific to Sony, but I guess not.
Oh, there’s definitely money in The Bold and the Beautiful, but they’re definitely keeping it real tight because of the other shows that have gone off the air. I’m not really trying to stand up for them in any way because I really have a bad taste in my mouth over the whole thing myself. But he’s such a pivotal character and I thought for something as significant as Hope’s wedding – being her big brother – he’d definitely make an appearance and give his blessing to his sister and that just wasn’t the case.

One of our favorite storylines on any soap in the last 5 years was Maya being revealed as transgender, her love story with Rick, them getting married and their journey to have a baby. How did you receive this storyline when you were first made aware of it?

Photo Credit: © sean smith/jpistudios.com
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First of all, thank you for saying that. It was groundbreaking. As far as I’ve known, in the 21 years in daytime television that I’ve done, every storyline has been played out for the most part and played a hundred times. This was groundbreaking – it was the first of its kind and I was thrilled just as the audience was.

It was funny because they were keeping it from me. Karla Mosley knew. They had a talk with her in private, because they needed to keep this story top secret and not even tell me. It was funny, not in any kind of weird way, but because I was kind of hinting at Karla in the makeup chair. I was like, ‘Come on, you can tell me. There isn’t a storyline I haven’t heard of.’ She was like, ‘You haven’t heard of this one!’ I said, ‘What are they going to reveal that you’re a man?’

She looked at me and she got flushed and she didn’t say anything and that was all the answer that I needed because I guessed it. The irony. But, my concern going into it was with the writing team that we had. How we were going to execute it and ensure that we were educating at the same time. So, we made sure that we had an understanding of the LGBTQ community – what words do you say and what words do you not say, and connotations to the transgender community and to make sure that everything was PC. At the same time, the storyline started really impacting people’s lives on a real level and I thought that was really cool when the different tweets and different letters came in that we were making an impact.

The show received a ton of praise for daring to go there with the storyline – it garnered awards as well as spiked ratings. We thought this would be a storyline that would have impact for years to come. But it’s pretty much vanished, something you’ve been pretty vocal about on Twitter. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to expand on your feelings about that. You expressed that the writers said this wasn’t a storyline they thought could continue and I don’t understand that. Personally, I don’t want to see Liam get married every six months. I’d rather see this.
Well, the shine kind of wears off after you’ve been married or attempted marriage for the 12th time. Essentially, it’s like the boy who cried wolf. (laughs) I even told Scott [Clifton, Liam], why would Liam allow his father or any family member to sway his view? If you’re a grown man, you’re going to do your own thing no matter what anyone says so you should really fight for that because you’re starting to look flimsy on the show by going back and forth and back and forth all the time. I know they’ve done that with Brooke and such in the past but that’s what their trying to emulate. I’m sorry, I’m going on a tangent. What was the beginning of that question?

I was just wanting an understanding of why the writers would see a story like Rick and Maya’s and assume it had a shelf life. Because it doesn’t in my eyes.

Photo Credit: © Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

First of all, the writers said, ‘It’s run its course and we don’t really know where to go with the story.’ I even wrote a story for Brad that would work. He said it would never work, and then used it for the new cast members that just came on – the younger cast. So, he took my storyline that I wrote for them. I guess he liked it that much. Again, the writers say one thing, but I say financial. Because they didn’t want to pay two guys the salary rate that I was paid at. So, Ingo got to come in and do his thing, so I guess as time will tell. I’m not in any way looking to go that direction anyway. Like I said, if they really do need me for a few episodes here and there, I’m all there. But I’m not interested in going under a contractual situation again.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched a full week in B&B in quite some time because it’s so redundant. So I’m not entirely sure what storyline your referencing. Do you mind explaining that? Was it the one with Thorne?
Yeah, and the interns and all that. I had basically written that, but it was Rick being involved. They’ve augmented it a bit. It’s not exactly the same, but that storyline was meant to involve my character. I wrote a whole synopsis on it, he asked me to. And he really liked it but said CBS was going to give us hell if we tell this story. And he goes, ‘But I wish sometimes I was my father and could say to hell with them and do it anyway.’ So, I said, ‘Then let’s do it. Let’s do it anyway.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, let me think on it.’ And it just never came about for me. Which is great because it’s allowed me to shoot three films since I’ve been off the show, two of which will be on the Lifetime Network in early 2019. The third will be going into independent festivals, and the last I heard the guy who scored Iron Man 2 is going to be scoring it. It’s supposed to be a really cool edgy film with Ricky Garcia from the Disney Channel. It’s just a really great cast. It’s an interesting film. It’s like Training Day meets The Crow. Really Dark.

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