Soap Opera Weekly, December 28, 2004
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Nora: “Are you saying you’re seeing someone we’ve both been involved with?”
Lindsay: “We’ve both been attracted to the same man before.”
Nora: “No. You always go in after every man I’ve ever been with. Just to get at me.”
Lindsay: “Looks like it’s working.”
Nora: “Get a life Lindsay.”
By: Denise Balcarcel
December enters, triumphant and proud, as the season transitions from one of giving thanks to one of gift giving. As the holiday pace intensifies, and last minute preparations often dominate, December brings more than celebration and ritual. This month serves as a barometer, measuring time and granting closure to a year of experience and growth. While one year speeds to a close, another waits in the balance, and somewhere in between, we take a moment to share traditions, toast health and exchange gifts. We are reminded how quickly time passes, and each month serves as a benchmark, reinforcing how much difference a year can make. We were uncertain just one year ago if Hillary would continue to grace our screens as Nora, and whether she would fill our days with joy as she had for thirteen years prior. We absorbed every precious moment that Hillary breathed life into Nora’s battle for recovery, as though it would be her last, and remain inspired at how she created another dimension to a character we so intimately know and adore. We listened to the many gifts Hillary has bestowed, as some of you recently shared how she impacted you on both a personal and professional level. I would add that this past year has perhaps been the greatest gift of all, and I am humbled and deeply grateful that Hillary chose to give another year out of her incredibly full life, and that she chose to do so for her fans.
This year provided many “firsts.” It marked Hillary’s first Official Fan Club gathering, where many of us met Hillary – and one another – for the very first time. 2006 brought Hillary back to the canvas, and we breathed a collective sigh of relief as Nora finally awakened and opened her eyes, fire and integrity intact. Existing friendships strengthened and new alliances formed, which paved the way for future projects and collaborations. In the spirit of “firsts” and as the year comes to a close, I wish to briefly recap the CHERI Initiative, because so many of you are directly responsible for the growth and longevity of this effort. The HER (Hillary-Erika-Robin) Initiative emerged in late May, as a direct result of dialogue from Hillary’s fan luncheon, and became the first multi-fan base effort in daytime history that is dedicated to female vets. The concept behind this writing-intensive campaign was to gain more support for Hillary by allying with two other fan bases, and three became one in a unilateral, comprehensive initiative. HER expanded in August to include Catherine Hickland and Ilene Kristen, adding two additional fan bases and subsequently re-launching as CHERI. While the initiative has grown in scope and size, Hillary remains the anchor and lifeblood of this effort. She stands at the center of every strategy that is discussed, and each new endeavor created on behalf of CHERI strives to reflect that. This includes expansion of the campaign to support charitable endeavors that honor and embrace all five women. As of this writing, CHERI has 247 participants from the US and Canada, three co-founders overseeing quality and ensuring continuity, and possesses a growth rate on average of 5 fans per month. Each of these fans continues to write in support of Hillary, as we target the Walt Disney Board of Directors, network executives, OLTL program sponsors and soap media. We have also received generous support for Hillary via the CHERI effort from numerous online forums, including Eye on Soaps, The Llanview Banner, Soapcentral and Soaptown USA, as well as from Soap’s Up, a Canadian radio-based talk show. As we prepare to usher in the New Year, CHERI stands ready to join with other fan initiatives, both old and new, in supporting Hillary in any way possible.
Each of us owns a story of how Hillary has enriched our lives, and our expressions of gratitude have taken on numerous forms. If someone were to estimate the number of cards, packages and flowers she has received over the course of her career, and how many letters were written on her behalf, it would be an impossible task at best. Since the mission behind CHERI is to support each of the five women who are honored in name, and to rally behind them in professional and personal endeavors, it was my personal desire to create a fundraising project that honors Hillary, yet one that is open to both CHERI and non-CHERI participants alike. This affords all of her fans an unusual opportunity to join together on a voluntary basis for a large-scale effort. Some of you may be familiar with the West End Intergenerational Residence (WIR), which is a unique, mixed-age housing facility that provides dignified, affordable housing for young women, children and senior citizens in NYC. WIR offers a myriad of services, including vocational training, employment internships and community-based resources that assist homeless young women in providing quality lives for their families. Further, it provides low income seniors with permanent housing and other vital services, such as medical care, legal counsel and recreational programs. WIR offers optimism and assistance to those who are struggling to build quality lives and who might otherwise be dismissed by the mainstream of society. When I reflect upon Hillary’s kindness, warmth and vivaciousness, I believe these qualities are mirrored by the WIR facility and its mission. Just as Hillary has impacted and touched each of her fans, I believe this is a cause one can touch, embrace and impact. Numerous ABC actors have donated their time to WIR throughout the years, including Hillary and most notably Catherine Hickland, and it is also my sincerest wish that this endeavor embodies the spirit of their extraordinary friendship. I am introducing this fundraising effort as the holiday season is upon us, and will keep the drive open for several months. Please e-mail me if you are interested in obtaining further information about this project.
So as 2006 winds down, and as we pause to share holidays with family and friends, December encourages us to embrace time. We reflect upon the year gone by, contemplate all that transpired, and anxiously approach the New Year. Each year we move forward with the growing realization that time is what we make of it. Looking back seems most worthwhile when it teaches us how to move ahead, when past and future mesh to co-exist and help define the present. The holidays prompt us to acknowledge the passage of time, and as we give and receive, the innate gifts that exist within each of us illuminate and blossom. I am so deeply grateful for the many years that Hillary has shared with us, because each one represents an exquisite gift to be marked, lauded and cherished. One could be moved to create an initiative per day in her honor, because the gifts she has bestowed and the love she has received simply merit doing so. I genuinely believe Hillary has the most loyal, tenacious and spirited fan base in daytime, and we prove ourselves each and every day. Some have been fans for decades, some are newer to the fold, and others still become fans each day. Many possess the power to inspire, but Hillary encourages people to aspire, and that is an entirely different matter altogether. Whether small or large, individual or collective, these aspirations change lives, one day at a time. They are infectious and possess a ripple effect, and distinguish our fan base from all others. While one year ends, another commences, thereby closing one door and opening another. The mere fact that we can move forward in time with Hillary, and pass through that door with her, is unquestionably the most precious gift of all.
When Robert S. Woods and Hillary B. Smith start talking about their perfect couple, what he says and she says is usually the same thing.
As she sits in her dressing room finishing up a quick bite to eat before diving into pages and pages of dialogue for that day's taping, Hillary B. Smith remembers it well. In fact, she can recall as if it were yesterday the moment that she knew that she and Robert S. Woods were clicking. "We had a scene really early on where we were antagonistic toward one another," relates the actress, the twinkle in her eye speaking volumes. "Marty Saybrooke had driven a motorcycle through "The Banner" window, and since Nora was representing her, she and Bo were on opposite sides.
"So, we were at the hospital having this discussion that turned heated," she elaborates. "I was giving him grief, and he was giving me grief. Even after I got into the elevator and the doors closed, he was still yelling at me. And he was doing this thing with his arm, like he was following the elevator down, floor by floor, and he was bending lower and lower as each floor passed.
"Later, I was in his dressing room watching the tape, and I saw him do that. I never knew that he was a comedian because he's so subtle."
But that was it. That was the moment, shortly after Smith had begun airing as attorney Nora Gannon, that she knew that Woods was the co-star for her - and his Bo Buchanan was the man for Nora.
You Can't Hurry Love
It's been six years since the couple went head-to-head at Llanview Hospital. But since their first explosive scene together, the fireworks between them never have fizzled. According to Woods, the secret of Bo and Nora's success always has been their - and their portrayers' - ability to laugh. "We just have fun and enjoy it," he says. "We have this approach where we just 'be.'
"Also, a lot of what makes us work is in the writing," he adds. "It's on the page. For instance, I told them many times throughout the years that I love to dance, and finally they wrote that in."
And - surprise - it worked. Smith has her own take on what makes Bo and Nora such a popular pair. "It starts off camera," she suggests. "Chemistry, to me, is availability, trust, and respect. And you can't respect somebody right off the bat; respect is earned." Once that's taken care of, she notes, "You can look at someone, deep into their eyes, and know that they are going to look back at you, deep into your eyes. That's where the enjoyment comes in, and you also know that when you walk off-camera, your marriage isn't in jeopardy. No one's gotten crossed signals."
Plus, Bo and Nora's coupling didn't happen overnight. "The relationship wasn't rushed," points out Smith. "It was a courship. The fans were there from the beginning, and it was played out just like two real people in real life.
"You saw them go through hell and back," she continues, "so by the time they got married, you were invested. And the audience is very happy that they are married.
"Maybe Bo and Nora have got a couple of little chins and too much around the middle, but they just adore each other."
The Changing Of The Guard
That's not to say that there hasn't been trouble - behind the scenes, even. This past year, Woods was not a happy camper. In fact, so displeased was he with the quality of life in Llanview that when his contract came up for renewal in the fall, he waited until the 11th hour to re-sign - and even then, only did so with the urging of his friend, then -Executive Producer Maxine Levinson. But, he admits, "I had never re-signed a contract and been depressed that I was signing again."
Little did Woods suspect, change was right around the corner. The ink on his contract scarcely had dried when Jill Farren Phelps was tapped to take over as Executive Producer. Woods was worried; Levinson was his friend. "But I talked to the people, and every actor who had worked with Jill couldn't say enough good things about her," he says. "Linda Dano was one, and A. Martinez even included the name Farren in the name of his own child. That says something about her right there."
And ultimately, the proof of Phelps' talent is in the pudding - and, more to the point, on the show. Both Woods and Smith are happy with the current storyline that finds Bo and Nora coming apart, with him suspected of murder, and her suspecting him even more. "This could well be the best thing I've ever had to dive into," suggests Woods. "It kind of pulls everything together. All the Buchanans, too... Clint, Asa, Viki."
Smith concurs. "It's been laid out really well," she says. "There are some irrefutable clues. He's got a lot of explaining to do, and he's got to lead Nora in a big leap of faith to come back to him completely."
The plot means even more to Woods than just a series of juicy scripts to study. "I have a lot to be thankful for," he acknowledges. "Being here for as long as I have, I could easily be an ornament you see hanging around in the background. Well, now I get a chance to stand a little closer to the camera, and I'm really grateful for it."
Smith isn't just pleased with the story; she's impressed by her leading man, too. "The stuff with Georgie in the lodge and in the car... it's watching this man who has always been in control of situations still trying to control a situation that is completely beyond rational control," credits Smith. "That's what makes Harrison Ford the big star that he is. And that's what Woods is doing."
No Laughing Matter
After nearly 35 years in daytime, Woods and Smith have a unique perspective on the industry, its idiosyncrasies and its potential. For instance, in few other media would she be afforded the degree of creative control that she enjoys on OLTL. "It's why I stay in this medium," says the actress, who once moonlighted as Gene Wilder's wife on the sitcom "Something Wilder." "I would have been long gone. I would have been in primetime.
"But in this medium," she notes, "you can make suggestions. No one is going to catch everything in a script, and only you can be your own editor."
In fact, Smith and Woods take advantage of the opportunity to inject their own senses of humor into their characters. "Sometimes they write stuff, but a lot of times, it's better if they don't try to be funny and just let it come naturally out of us," she reveals. "It's better than trying to put over someone else's joke. So, as far as comedy goes, as long as we get the script far enough in advance, our input is very important."
Woods just is happy to be invited to make a contribution... to be involved in a hot storyline rather than warming the bench. "I was like, 'can't we have a story?' " he remembers. "And Pam Long, [OLTL's new head writer] and Jill Farren Phelps had it. I could never have come up with this. If you had asked me where I wanted things to go, this is it."
-SID, 8/20/02