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Turtle Run Interview
December 2000
On regaining Nora's memory: "She lost her memory? I don't remember losing
my memory. A fan suggested to me (at Super Soap Weekend), that maybe I haven't
really lost my memory. That this is just a plot! That's what a fan thinks. I
thought well, hummm. I am learning more from this fan. They don't tell us
anything at work. I think it would be great if Nora remembered what Lindsay did.
That would be great. We'll see when that happens. I honestly don't know if it
will ever come out.
On working with Catherine Hickland (Lindsay): "Oh she makes sure you
see Lindsay's vulnerable side. Whiney, whiney, whiney! If what Lindsay did to
Nora ever does come out, I think Nora will kill her. Do you remember what
happened last Thanksgiving? The food fight? This Thanksgiving we have some
fabulous things planned. Nora and Lindsay are becoming the best of friends. We
become such good friends that we are going to throw a Thanksgiving dinner
together. I will leave it at that! I hope they make this a Thanksgiving
tradition. There is no one I like fighting with more than Catherine Hickland. It
is fun. It is always fun to work with someone who owns their character. When you
own your character, you are very clear on who your character is. You have your
own rhythm, energy, agenda. When you own your character and your scene partner
owns theirs, it is so much fun to be in the scene with them. No matter what you
do, they don't come into your energy. When you have two very clear people with
two very clear agendas coming together, you know something is going to happen.
That's what happens when Catherine and I, Lindsay and Nora, get into a room. Two
people with separate agendas, who are both smart. One just happens to use her
brain for evil, not good. It's interesting, it's fun, and I truly enjoy it.
On being a red head: "Off camera, it looks very dark. On camera, it is
still red. Now you will learn my little secret. When I got this job I was no
redhead. It was a mandate from ABC and my boss, Linda Gottleib back then, for
Nora to be a redhead. I said fine. However, red is a very hard color to maintain
if it is not your own. Especially if your hair has a tendency to go more brown
and blondie. My hair has a tendency to go lighter. I would go to the same
ABC-recommended person to have my hair done, and it got redder and redder and
soon I was a carrot top. I said, guys, we gotta stop this! So, I did a reverse
process. Did that for a while, but then I would get blonde. Then, I found
something that worked for me in my personal life. Which was to keep it darker,
and let the lights bring out the red in Nora's hair. I like it much better this
way because I'll touch it up and it gets very dark and then as the sun plays on
it, and I wash it, it gets lighter and blonder, and you will see changes.
Basically, it's the same color I am going to, it is just that red oxidizes. It's
a struggle I've been having for years!!! I can't believe it is just coming out
now!"
On Nora's storyline: "I really like Nora's journey this year. It
started out in the warehouse with Bo. I loved those scenes. I wanted to use
these scenes for the Emmys and I couldn't because it missed the cut-off date by
one day. Those scenes were very interesting. Two people who care about each
other, who have chemistry without trying, who have an understanding and deep,
deep affection for each other, even though things between them didn't work out.
So, if you start with that as the beginning of 'Nora's journey,' then going
through her realization of what Lindsay has done and how Lindsay has destroyed
her life, and then she becomes a vengeful person, even though that was not in
her nature, but she needs to fight for the truth to come out. Then, the train,
when she finally goes to Bo and says I can't move on with my life. I am trying,
but I can't move on with my life. I need you to forgive me for what I did to
you. And he says no. She goes away, and then there is the train wreck. And those
scenes in the train. The set itself was the train that they twisted and wrecked.
It was on angles so that when you walked into it, you wanted to take some
Dramamine. The cameramen working in it were getting sick. They found a little
hole in it for me to crawl in, under the wreckage, so I didn't have to walk
though because it was so disorienting. We were in there for 15 hours. Till 4 in
the morning. Then, I got a nice vacation. Laid in bed for several weeks. Then,
Nora was trying to piece together what was happening to her, and now with the
drug, where she can't even use her mind, which had always been Nora's strongest
point. That was fun to re-explore. It has always been fun to re-invent and
re-explore Nora, and bringing her back who she was originally. Now, with no
memory, what we have is the Nora who first came to Llanview, straight from
Chicago. Who was feisty. A bit itchy. And wanting answers really quick. Bo was
the one who tamed her. That was what you got to see for a bit. Then, Nora
remembers Bo, and you saw the tamed Nora come up. But for still not remembering
Sam, and still not remembering (Lindsay's duplicity) I thank the writers
profusely. The only problem with the coma storyline, was here I was lying in the
bed and I should have been withering away, but since I didn't have to get into
wardrobe, I ate myself silly. When I came back to Llanview, wardrobe handed me
my clothes and I went did you shrink them? I fit into nothing. The white Armani
suit that I wear for "conscience Nora" usually the jacket was buttoned. Not
then. It was open. The other funny thing that happened was during the injection
scenes. Colin, Nora and Lindsay had worked all day, doing the courtroom scenes,
until about midnight. We had three scenes left. The injection scenes. They had
the EEG hooked up, and I just lay in bed. The stage manager came up to me and
said are you okay, do you want anything? I said I was just fine. Next thing I
remember is hearing someone say, for God sakes, the woman is blowing bubbles! I
fell asleep, and had a big spitball coming out of my mouth!"
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