++ BEST VIEWED WITH AOL 9.1 MAXIMIZED ++
It also affords long time viewers and new ones an opportunity to see one of daytime’s greatest actresses, Hillary B. Smith, as she takes front and center stage as a guilt-ridden mother dealing with her son Matthew’s paralysis, and seeking justice for those who caused it...which means her friend Marty’s son, Cole!
Many fans of the show are hoping the
writers and producers may use this storyline as a vehicle for Nora and Bo
to finally get back together. But will that happen? I chatted with Hillary
about her current storyline, the upcoming return of Nathan Purdee as Hank
Gannon, the
re-cast of her on-screen daughter Rachel,
and Nora losing every trial involving
Todd Manning!
MICHAEL: Then she finds out the tragic news of Matthew’s condition.
HILLARY:
Yes. Then she finds out he is paralyzed and it
enrages her and intensifies her feeling of guilt, because she was not
there for him. Every mother wants to protect her child; even if it isn’t
something she had no control over. You
feel guilty. You feel guilty when something goes wrong with your child
and you could not have prevented it, even when you have a hand in it.
The guilt is overwhelming, and it eats at her, and eats at her until she
finally explodes and arrests Cole.
MICHAEL: Nora is all about law and order and justice, so naturally she is going to go for the jugular in this case against Cole.
HILLARY: She is all about law and order and justice, and what is right, and making sure he does not do it again, and she is enraged. She is going to throw the book at him and nail him to the wall. But at the same time, she has these scenes with Marty when she goes to arrest him and Marty says, “Well, he is not here,” and Nora says, “You’re hiding him!” Finally, it kind of comes out in these scenes with Marty, where she says, “You know, none of this would have happened if you would have just stayed dead.” And, that’s a moment where even Nora goes, “Are you hearing yourself and what you are saying?” She finally breaks down and has this complete meltdown and she says, “I am sorry. I did not mean that.” That is when she is realizing she feels guilty and responsible that she did not notice Cole was on drugs. But she has to arrest him.
MICHAEL: Does Bo feel guilt, as well? Perhaps, for letting Matthew go to the dance even though he was grounded? It was so awful seeing the kids set Matthew up at the dance, too!
HILLARY: When you have parents that are divorced, and something tragic happens to your child, the first thing you do is look at each other and go, “Ok, I heard that. Did you hear that?” And the next thing is you absorb it the way you absorb it, and you go through your own personal process. Then you come together as a process and you function as a team. I think Nora and Bo are still trying figure that dance out. For Bo’s part, letting him go to the dance does not have anything to do with drugs or knowing someone is on drugs.
MICHAEL: Eddie Alderson (Matthew) has been so great; do we need “hankies” for upcoming episodes? The last couple of days on the air shows, I have been so upset watching it. It’s heavy material and very sad!
HILLARY: I think there are no heroes and many victims. Not only does Eddie do beautiful work, but also Brandon Buddy (Cole) is spectacular because of his guilt. This was just tragedy for everyone, and Matthew is paralyzed from the legs down, and is a paraplegic.
MICHAEL: Have the actors or the show’s producers guided Eddie into how to portray this type of story, when you have no use of your legs?
HILLARY: Everyone has given Eddie exercises and hints telling him, “Eddie, You don’t know how much you use your legs and your feet, and nobody understands how much you use them, until you can’t. So here is what I want you to do. Sit in a bathtub and hold yourself by your arms and you will get the feeling of weightlessness in a pool. Also, make a decision as to where your paralysis comes from and really try to do things by isolating those muscles.” Eddie is an athlete, so he knows how to use his muscles and I have to say he is doing a great job!
MICHAEL: Who do you think Nora loves? Clint? Or, do you think there is still any chance for her and Bo?
HILLARY: This is going to be very interesting, because when you are pulled into a tragedy like this, it pulls you in different directions and aligns you with the strangest bedfellows, as they may say. I think she loves Clint. I think she has had awakenings that the man she fell in love with is not there now, so she has had to say, “Wait a minute.” But, he is still good and kind to her and her son, and I think she loves him.
MICHAEL: But, one would hope Nora and Bo would be drawn together because of the tragic circumstances surrounding their son.
HILLARY: I think this whole situation, with Matthew and bringing Nora and Bo back together in this realm where nobody will understand what they go through except each other, will be very interesting to see what happens. It could make them fight, because when Nora and Bo thought Matthew was doing drugs, it put them at odds. Nora had dabbled and Bo hadn’t. It just pointed out the things they didn’t know about each other and set them at odds. So, when you get down to the basics, when something you love is going to be taken away you go primal. You don’t think in the terms of you did this, and you did that. And, I think whatever hurt came between Bo and Nora gets shelved. It just comes down to Matthew needs them and they need each other.
MICHAEL: Fans of Bo and Nora have been rooting for a long time to get them back together. I know I have!
HILLARY: If there ever was a chance for them to get back together, I think this scenario would be the ideal way to do it. They are both so preoccupied with the hurt of what’s going on with their child that they can’t hang onto the pain they caused each other. So, if there was ever going to be a door open to that relationship, now would be interesting and now would be the time they would be most open to it.
MICHAEL: Now I know Nathan Purdue (Hank) is coming back and a new recast for Nora’s daughter, Rachel!
HILLARY: Yes, Daphne Duplaix. I screen-tested with her.
MICHAEL: And what did you think?
HILLARY: All the actresses were beautiful, and they were all talented. I had a ‘sneaker’ for her and she was just right. She had Ellen Bethea’s (Ex-Rachel) earthiness, which is a very beautiful quality and a hard one to come by.
MICHAEL: I loved Ellen!
HILLARY: Well, Ellen Bethea was my Rachel, and Ellen had a very centered and grounded quality and a presence about her. Then I find out Daphne has three kids and “duh”, that’s why! So, now I understand why she’s got those qualities. She’s there and present, and there it is. I have to say, I have worked with her a couple of times and I have to say, “Wow. She is a pro!”
MICHAEL: Will you have story with Nathan?
HILLARY: Nathan is Nora’s guy, and he is one of all the ex-husbands she stays in touch with. I am sure she scratched her head and said, “And Why?”
MICHAEL: Remember, she’s Nora Hanen Gannon Buchanan Hanen… and wasn’t there a Colson thrown in there at one point? (He laughs)
HILLARY: And who knows? Maybe we can add another Gannon or Buchanan to it!
MICHAEL: Is Hank coming back for Matthew?
HILLARY: He comes back to help out, but he is a professor at Georgetown now. He is a very smart man!
MICHAEL: Now, let’s talk about all the court stuff against Todd! Nora can never win a case involving Todd!
HILLARY: No, not ever. I love the writers; they gave me a nod in the script: “It doesn’t matter how or what evidence I have. He still walks away.” That was my favorite line. At least I got him to confess, which is one of the most important things.
MICHAEL: How is doing the courtroom material after all these years and the legalese that comes with it?
HILLARY: It’s not as much fun as being a defensive attorney because she is now the DA. When you are the prosecutor there is a modicum of just presenting the facts, and not to elaborate or embellish. I learned this in my little research, district attorneys are very dry because they don’t want to seem that they have to embellish facts. So they are usually just presenting the facts, and the colder and more straight-forward they are, the more powerful it tends to be. Defense Attorneys can be flamboyant: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit, “and all that type of stuff.
MICHAEL: How about the dynamics between you and Trevor St. John (Todd)?
HILLARY: I enjoy working with Trevor. He can be unpredictable. But my work with Trevor… he makes me think and he makes me work at it. He makes me step back and watch a scene from different directions and then come back to it, and we had these in his jail cell. I basically try to get him to plead guilty for Marty’s sake. Trevor got me thinking about it in an exciting way, and he made it a much more exciting thing to play.
MICHAEL: Do you miss Catherine Hickland (Lindsay)?
HILLARY: Oh, I miss my “puss, puss”…yes.
MICHAEL: I have to say I miss some of the Lindsay/Nora scenes, such as fighting in a trash compactor!
HILLARY: Not having her there has been sad for me personally, and I know it’s a loss for the show, for sure. I am just hoping at some point, it’s allowing for a good set-up for her to come back and it will be more powerful.
MICHAEL: How hilarious were the recent episodes where you and all the Buchanan’s got rip-roaring drunk when you realized David Vickers knew that he was a Buchanan, and was going to kick you out of your house that Asa left you?
HILLARY: I loved the whole Buchanan scenes with David realizing he is a Buchanan. It was a blast! The funniest was this: “Alright now, who’s DNA and we believe in this guy, because?” Man, he is a bad DNA analyst, but it was Ron Carlivati’s (head writer, “OLTL”) nod to the 1968 storyline by having Rex put in there. Did you catch that?
MICHAEL: Yes, I did.
HILLARY: It was his little nod to Rex, as Bo, from the ‘Time travel’ piece.
MICHAEL: You won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1994 for the amazing courtrooms scenes at Marty’s Rape Trial. As you look back, what moments or storyline are you most proud of?
HILLARY: There are a couple of things, like the rape trial and we did that for six weeks and it was hard work. There were many nights I would stay in a hotel, near the studio rather than go home and take care of my little kids, and then have to be back at work in the morning. That was tough. It was a lot of work, and I was very pleased at how it came out. I loved the blind story, and believe it or not, I did not enjoy the coma, but I did enjoy the paralysis and the stroke. I tend to be a very technical actress, so to have my mind have to deal with technical aspects, really makes me happy. I liked playing the paralysis and the aftermath of it. But I did not get a chance to do it much.
MICHAEL: What can we say for One Life to Live fans to watch for in March with Nora?
HILLARY: I think I would have to say watching a mother trying to be there for her son, and do her job, and face the realities and that juggling. That is what I am playing. This is a woman who the odds have turned against right now and she is trying to keep a modicum of normalcy in her life, for her son sake. She wants to make sure she is doing her job and doing it well, and catching herself when she finds herself getting emotionally involved and not being a proper DA. I think the uncovering of Matthew’s condition and how it happened, and then the aftermath of that is a great journey for me, but others have a journey. Marty has a journey. The kids have a journey. It’s a terrific story!
MICHAEL: Finally, how is working with Susan Haskell (Marty) again after so many years?
HILLARY: It’s like getting back in your comfortable shoes. It’s like, “Oh, yes.”
Upstairs, Downstairs: One Life to Live’s Hillary B. Smith (Nora) had to
laugh when the Buchanans were kicked out of the mansion by Dorian and
David, and no one knew whether that affected Bo. “We were never sure
where Bo was living, and then suddenly, he’s carrying suitcases down the
stairs. I was like, ‘Where did he come from? Does he live here?’”
recalls Smith. “I guess he was just helping them move, but [in the
scene] we all kind of looked at him like, ‘Hey, have you been living
here all this time?’” Nevertheless, Smith enjoyed playing out Dorian’s
latest triumph over the Buchanans. “For me, it’s fun. Soap operas should
be entertainment and this aspect of the storyline, yes, it has its
serious side, but I think in the realm of everything else that’s going
on on the show, this is the light side.”
-Soap Opera Digest,
March 17, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ 'RED' SAYS ~
Marty: I know
this is...this is...
Nora: This is what? What is it? What is it, Marty? My son is paralyzed
because your son got behind the wheel of a car so high he had to have
his stomach pumped or else he would have overdosed.
Marty: I know, I'm not saying Cole isn't responsible...
Nora: Paralyzed. Paralyzed. He can't run. There's no soccer. There's no
chasing girls. There's not even any walking, Marty. We don't know if
he's going to be able to control his bladder. And if he can, we don't
know how to get him to the bathroom.
Marty: I know, I know...
Nora: No! You don't know. You know nothing, because we don't know
anything. We don't know what this is, we don't even know where it's
going. Every minute I think of something else. Oh, look! There's the
mailman. Oh, god, Matthew will never be able to run to the end of the
driveway to get the mail. I'm walking upstairs and I think, my god, this
house has so many stairs, how am I going to get him up to his room? And
I know he can't drive yet, but of course, I'm thinking alright, well we
can trick out the car with those hand pedal things. Gee, that's a really
sexy look for a teenager. Ya know? Here comes Matthew, the cripple. Oh,
I know, I know...that's not politically correct. He is "disabled." I
know, I read all the pamphlets. Believe me, when I tell you that those
people are my heroes. They really are. But I never thought my son would
be one of them.
Marty: I'm so sorry.
Nora: Save it. You couldn't care about Matthew. You couldn't care about
your own son. That's why this happened. Because you're such a selfish,
self-centered monster of a mother.
All I can say is this. If Hillary doesn’t receive an Emmy nomination next year for the stunning body of work she’s now compiling, there is simply no justice in this world. I was utterly blown away by her performances as the fallout from Cole’s drug abuse unfolded and Matthew’s subsequent paralysis ensued. Every single member of OLTL’s cast who was involved in this storyline stepped up to the plate and delivered in a huge way – Eddie and Kristen Alderson, Brandon Buddy, Susan Haskell, Jason Tam, Brittany Underwood, Bob Woods – but it was Hillary who owned those moments and kept fans riveted to the edge of their seats. She even managed to silence the Todd-worshipping, Nora hating contingent for a day…and it goes without saying that this is no small feat. Even they could not dispute the intense emotion and every perfectly timed nuance that Hillary infused into Nora as she was grappling with the devastation, rage and fear that overtook her as she struggled to make sense of what transpired.
The OLTL canvas remains an unusually dark and disturbing place. In fact, viewers have very little to inspire them as they tune in for what once was a pleasant escape from the madness and redundancy of their daily grind. I spoke at great length last month about the lack of balance on the canvas, which has been an immense problem for not only OLTL but for all of ABC Daytime for numerous years. Unfortunately, I don’t see this pattern shifting anytime soon. Perhaps the greatest problem with OLTL isn’t the storylines themselves which are problematic, but that every storyline is converging at the same time. In any case, this translates into one dark and depressing moment after another hitting viewers full throttle. Please don’t misunderstand – I do not wish to be inundated by the campy silliness of Mendorra or comparable nonsense from a storyline perspective. My biggest issue is that most viewers crave a balance, and while conflict drives story, there must be harmony and viewer payoff…and sadly, that is what OLTL is completely devoid of at present.
However, I must give Carlivati props for the following. He has successfully created a powerful parallel with the storylines involving Nora/Matt/Bo, Marty/Cole, and Rex/Shane/ Gigi. While there are many layers to each of these storylines and a slew of extraneous characters involved, if you strip all of that away…what it boils down to is the complex relationships between mothers, fathers and their sons. Life for Nora and Bo is no longer about unresolved history between them or legal cases they may split hairs on; Marty has suddenly been smacked down to reality and is now forced to accept responsibility for herself and her son; and Rex and Gigi were dealt a dose of reality that required they shelve their immaturity, grow up, and put on a brave, united face for their son. I must confess that while I’ve been fast-forwarding through much of the Shane story (and most everything else for that matter), what has proven equally powerful have been the interactions between Rex and Bo and the parallels they share within such tragic circumstances.
Bob Woods and John-Paul Lavoisier are perhaps one of the show’s best onscreen “couples,” and while I use the term in jest, the father/son chemistry they share is heartwarming and incredibly special. We’ve witnessed Rex and Bo share so many experiences and Bo has stepped in to serve as a surrogate father for Rex on numerous occasions. Their relationship has also granted Bo an opportunity to work through some of his unresolved emotion in regards to Drew’s death, so the Bo/Rex scenes have consistently remained one of the show’s bright spots, despite dismal or substandard storytelling. Perhaps that bond is what has made their recent interactions so powerful, because not only is their father/son bond thrust to the forefront at present, but they are both struggling to come to grips with their roles as fathers in their own right and accept what has transpired with their respective sons. We witnessed this same powerful parallel emerge with Nora and Marty, both in terms of their friendship and what they are now struggling with from a maternal perspective.
It has been pure joy to watch Hillary and Susan Haskell interact since Marty first reappeared on the canvas, because of the history their characters share and how they are both connected through Todd and Cole. I must confess that I grew weary of watching Marty regress to her hard-partying, destructive former self…and so while I could do without the heavy drama of the Cole storyline, I’m hopeful that when the dust settles, Marty’s character will finally move forward in time. I can recall very few moments on OLTL that were as intense as the scenes between Hillary and Susan Haskell in recent months, first when Marty was discovered after being held captive by Todd, and more recently when both women squared off in support of their sons. Viewers could have sliced through the tension with a knife when Nora burst into Cole’s hospital room, first confronting him and later sparring with Marty while the gamut of emotions ran through her.
The scenes between Hillary and Brandon Buddy were equally as stellar as anything else which aired, and what ups the ante with their characters is the complex relationship that Nora and Cole share. Not only is Cole the son of her best friend and for all intents and purposes a brother to Matthew…but Nora took responsibility for Cole (legally and figuratively) at a time when his world was ripped apart and turned upside down. As furious as she was at Cole for his behavior and the destruction he caused, it was painfully evident that Nora was also devastated when she realized that Cole had spiraled downward emotionally. It was clear that she was torn between her rage at Cole for what transpired with Matthew, and the maternal affection she bears for Cole, and the only thing that was missing from this scenario were well-timed flashbacks to Rachel’s drug abusing days. In any case, viewers witnessed Nora struggle with a deep sense of guilt and responsibility over failing to recognize what had happened with Cole, which later encouraged her to consider Matthew’s heartfelt plea and offer Cole a deal in court.
So despite the pervasive darkness in Llanview, I have enjoyed watching the family dynamic between characters and subsequent relationship entanglements. One issue I have with the Matt storyline is that while Eddie Alderson is doing a phenomenal job, I’d much rather see Matt involved in age-appropriate storylines that showcase his character as a high school student. I also think that Matt’s response to what has transpired is a bit too calm and accepting, and while he has always been an “old soul” with great wisdom from the time viewers have known him, I can’t imagine any teenager (yet alone any adult) responding as he has…especially when he was talking to Bo about not wanting to become a burden to his parents, etc. That was just silly. Yet if this storyline is fleshed out properly and can inspire viewers and significantly impact the canvas of characters for the long-term, then I’m all for it.
If not, it’s all a bit too morose for my taste and I fear it may emerge as a waste of time in the eyes of most viewers. In the meanwhile, I am enjoying what tragedy has done for Bo and Nora’s relationship. Not only is it refreshing to see them shelve the past and interact as parents, but recent events have showcased the palpable onscreen chemistry between Hillary and Bob Woods, which hasn’t faded despite time and circumstance. This just reinforces how sometimes, you simply can’t beat history when it comes to onscreen pairings, and Bo/Nora and Clint/Viki have shared so much that despite what may or may not transpire for them on a personal level romantically, they will always remain connected because of that history and their children. So to watch this history utilized and tapped into via the Matt storyline is very refreshing.
Carlivati made another good move by connecting Destiny’s character to Shaun, and this pleases me immensely because though I can’t for the life of me figure out what happened to Matt and Starr’s friendship, I do enjoy the banter between Destiny and Matt and the friendship which is evolving between them interests me. I happen to think that Shenell Edmonds (Destiny) is a talented young actress, and she was able to hold her own in recent scenes with Hillary…which is certainly no easy task! I also believe that Sean Ringgold (Shaun) is greatly underrated and so connecting these two characters was a very smart move. Thus far, Carlivati has redeemed himself a bit and is working some elements that despite all the darkness, possess integrity and reflect solid writing. Add this to the impending returns of Rachel, Hank and RJ…and this once fractured family (Bo/Nora/Matt) may indeed receive some much needed and long overdue healing. In any case, the possibilities are many…and what viewers have to hope for is that Carlivati delivers in his payoff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hillary B. Smith
Destination: Italy, 2007 (Venice, Florence,
Rome, Pompeii)
How to Book: “I did the whole trip on the Internet, including
plane tickets, train tickets, tickets for museums, the Vatican
tour…It all worked out beautifully. There’s a wonderful Web
site called InItaly.com and that will link you up to whatever
you need.”
How to Get Around: “We did train everywhere. I was told to do first class and have lunch on the train because it’s really beautiful and it’s a great way to see the country.”
Where to Stay: “Palazzo dal Borgo Hotel Aprile [in Florence]. Very reasonable price, right on the Via della Scala. It was a wonderful little hotel, and the front desk would recommend [restaurants] and you’d call and make the reservations and you’d go there and they’d go ‘Oh, yes! The Hotel Aprile, come in, come in!’”
Where to Eat: “The food in Florence was spectacular. There’s one that’s really wonderful – Trattoria Trebbione. Fabulous.”
Memorable Moment: “When you turn the corner [at the Academia in Florence] and you see [Michelangelo’s] David there under that dome with that pale, blue background, tears came to my eyes. It was magnificent.”
Don’t Miss: “You must go look through the keyhole at the Knights of Malta [in Rome]. I’m not going to tell you what you see – it is spectacular.”
Take Your Breath Away: “Pompeii was spectacular because you think why would you build a town on the foot of a volcano and then you get there and you go, ‘I get it’…The other moment that really took my breath away was the first time I stepped into the basilica of St. Peter’s. I had no idea of the enormity.”
Off the Beaten Path: “We went to the crypt of the Capuchin monks [in Rome]. It was creepy…You see these rosettes and you realize they’re all made of vertebrae, and they’re surrounded by ribs and there’s the wall of skulls and it’s, ‘Oh…my…God.’”
What made this your best
vacation ever? It was probably the last vacation I’ll go on
with my kids [Courtney and Phips] because they’re 21 and 19,
they’re getting ready to go off into their own lives, so it
was a great vacation. It was also a big birthday for me – I
was 50 – and my mother-in-law was 75. She joined us in Rome
and walked the ruins of Pompeii with us.”