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An interview with Barbara... on life, acting and her roles as
"Kate" on Pensacola
and "Liz" on One
Life to Live
1. When did you realize you wanted
to be an actor?
I can’t remember ever NOT wanting to be an actress. The family
joke is that when I was very young, I’d always get lost during
family outings, and my parents would find me standing in front
of some strangers, waving at their camera - hoping they would
take my picture. (How embarrassing is THAT?) I still get that
same rush today when I feel a camera on me. I love doing live
theater, too, but I prefer film or television. The intimacy of
having the camera almost caress you in a close-up is amazing!
Acting is my drug. When I’m not working, I still take acting
classes three days per week. I never get tired of it.
2. Before Pensacola, did you have any interest in the Marines?
Honey, I’ve always loved a man in uniform. (Be
still my heart!)
3. What is a typical day like on
the set?
On One
Life to Live, I take the subway to the studio in the
morning for dry rehearsal (to block out the scenes roughly with
the director) then do camera blocking with the crew at 10:00.
We break for lunch after that, then starting at 1:00 pm we start
taping. Depending on when your scenes are shooting, you
visit Hair & Makeup in between. Renate Long does my
makeup and Wayne Bilotti does my hair - they are the best in the
business. One Life to Live is like a well-oiled
machine - they shoot over 130 pages a day! (A normal
film script is only about 110 pages, and can take months.)
Because of that, you have to be letter perfect when you get to
the set - there's no time to allow anyone to be lazy. We
actors get together and work on our scenes all day long so that
by the time we shoot them we have our lines down pat. The
fun spot to congregate is in Hair & Makeup. We all
hang out there, it's the best place to run lines and get gossip,
plus there's always goodies to eat. The cast and crew are like a
big family, and I hate having days off because I miss them.
There is nothing better than doing something you love...and
getting paid for it!
On Pensacola:
It was shot in San Diego (to look like Pensacola, Florida), so I
drove to work. I lived at the beach - everyone should do
that once in their life. In the makeup trailer, we got all
the gossip while country music rocked in the background. (Even
Sandra Hess, "Ice", started to like country music!
Okay, so maybe she was humoring me. lol) We'd
run lines as my fabulous makeup lady, Danielle, did her magic.
Then off to blocking, lighting, rehearsing, lots of
waiting...and finally, shooting. Lots of the extras
were real military men & women, so I always took polaroids
of them and put their photos on the back of the bar - you see
them onscreen if you watch closely. Plus I made sure Kate
kissed almost every guy that came in. (I'm not dumb.)
I loved playing Kate. Hated when the show ended.
4. What’s the best thing about
playing with fighter pilots?
Depends on what we’re playing... (wink)
5. Are you anything like your television characters?
I always use myself in characters I play, especially when I get
to play them over a period of time.
Kate on Pensacola
is definitely the most "me" I’ve ever played.
They gave me a lot of leeway -- I always added improv and
personality bits to my scenes. And from the first meeting
with the writers, they totally nailed me. In fact, it was a bit
disconcerting to read a new script and hear "Kate says what
Barbara would say." Jacqui Zambrano, our Executive
Producer, and the other writers all worked very long hours, and
were available night and day to the entire cast. I spent a
lot of time talking with them, exchanging ideas about Kate and
story lines. That kind of team effort is how we made magic.
I'm still discovering who Liz is on One
Life to Live. She's like me in that
she is a fiercely loving mother, who will protect her babies at
all cost. Being a mother is the most important thing in my
life too. Boy, what a mess she's in right now. She
doesn't want to lose Keri again, so she's trying to do damage
control, hoping Keri won't find out her terrible secret.
To tell or not to tell? She's damned if she does and
damned if she doesn't. So glad that's not my real life!
Can't wait to see what's going to happen on the show, and hope
that Liz and RJ will get to develop more of their relationship.
There's nothing like the passion of your first love! (And
Timothy Stickney is a fabulous actor to work with -- we really
connect in our scenes -- lots of fireworks!)
6. What has been your favorite role?
Playing Marilyn Monroe in
"The Rat Pack" for HBO. She’s always
been my favorite icon, and it was amazing to get to
"be" her for a short time. When my manager
called me to tell me I had gotten the role, I screamed in his
ear, "I get to play Marilyn Monroe?!?" Then when
I hung up the phone, it hit me. "Oh my God. I’m going to
play Marilyn Monroe!" How do you play a legend like
that? I decided to put that aside and to find the person behind
the myth. I hope she’s happy with what I did...
7. Who or what inspires you?
1. My mother (who passed away in 1995) and my father,
who taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to! They
always supported me unconditionally.
2. My daughter, Jessica, who has always kept me grounded
and has shown me what’s really important in life. More than once,
when I’ve been at rock bottom after losing an audition, she
has helped me back up and sent me back out to keep chasing my
dreams. She's going after her own dreams now, which are
very different from mine. I am so proud of her.
3. My acting coach, Milton Katselas.
Without him, my
dreams would have never come true. His book, "Dreams Into
Action - Getting What You Want" is the most inspiring book I’ve ever read.
Go get it. I pull it out a few times a year to get myself
back on track.
4. Oprah, who is using her platform and influence in such
a positive way. I love her Angel Network. We all
need to be angels. We can accomplish so much if we all put
our energies together. I want to make a difference to
someone every day. That's why I started my Dreamers
Network.
8. If you could be any movie star from
the past, who would you be?
I LOVE old movies and movie stars, and have a huge
library of videos so that I can study their performances.
I believe in stealing from the best! I especially love Carol
Lombard, Gloria Graham, Jessica Tandy, Katherine Hepburn,
Lucille Ball, Barbara Stanwick, Vivien Leigh, and of course, my
favorite, Marilyn Monroe. But I don’t think I would want to be
any of them. I like being me too much. I love their
careers, but none of them had a great personal life. If I
had to choose to be any one, I choose Jessica Tandy. She
was a consummate actress through all the phrases of her
lifetime... and yet managed to have a lifelong love affair with
her husband, Hume Cronyn. She really did manage to have it all!
I want that so much...to keep doing what I love to do most
(acting) while growing old with someone I love.
9. What jobs did you have before you
became an actor?
I’ve had such an eclectic history. I hate anything to do with
accounting or details, so my worst job was "export
coordinator" for this international foundry. Piles
and piles of paperwork. I used to go in the ladies room
and cry every day, then come back and do some more. I’ve also
sold commercial real estate, modeled, general contracted two
houses (I love wearing a tool belt!), was a television
reporter/writer, and used to own a production company. I
also used to teach duck calling. I still have my duck call
in my purse to remind me of my roots. I take it out every
now and then and blow it just for shock value. I also
recently blew it on a SoapTalk
episode.
10. What would you be doing if you
weren’t acting?
I'd be writing more. I love to get lost and carried away by a
new idea or scene that just seems to write itself. When it flows
like that, it’s such a rush! I’ve finished one screenplay
"Bet on Love" that’s been optioned. I also want to
write a book that will inspire people to make their dreams come
true. Another thing I absolutely love is web design and
working on my website. (Can you tell?) ;)
11. What has been your greatest
accomplishment?
My daughter, Jessica. I am so blessed to be her Mother.
I even loved being pregnant with her, even though I gained
sixty-five pounds! It was like I had this incredible
secret, this miracle inside of me. It’s just
gotten better and richer over the years as I’ve watched her
grow. She’s the most beautiful,
amazing person I know, and will do great things for this planet.
12. What talent would you most like to
have?
I used to wish I could sing, so I decided to do something about
it and took lessons last year. Now I love doing torch
songs. I took 12 years of organ lessons when I was a
chubby little kid and wish it would have been dance lessons
instead. Would love to be able to really move! (Oh,
well.... next lifetime maybe...) I'm also taking guitar
lessons now - got a brand new Emmy Lou Harris Gibson model L-100
that I named "Louise" after my mother's middle name.
Want to learn to play Bluegrass and maybe write some songs.
I love Country music most of all.
13. What do you do for fun?
Now for fun I am exploring New York City and seeing as much
theater as I can. My little four-pound Yorkie Lucy
and I go for long walks every day I'm not working. She's
become a real City Dog! Also going to acting classes is
one of my favorite things - I do it every chance I get - three
times a week when possible. When I lived in San Francisco
I took up mountain biking. I have a Trek Multi-track
mountain bike. Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge and up
to the top of a mountain to meditate is as good as it gets...not
to mention stopping at Tiburon for a margarita before getting on
the ferry home. Used to do that at least once a week.
My bike's in storage here in New York now....a little scary to
think of riding it in the city with the crazy cab drivers!
14. What is your favorite journey?
My evolution as a human being. Right now, I’m going
through a period of major changes. Including relocating to
New York City for One Life to Live. Change is terrifying
and exhilarating at the same time! But I want to try
everything once. I don't ever want to wonder "what
if?" And at the end of my life, I want to
have more smile lines on my face than anything else. So
far so good. :)
15. What are your trademark words
or phrases?
I am always asking people I meet "What is your dream,
and are you living it? If not, why not!"
I am living my dream, and I want to use whatever
success I have to inspire others to go for it and not settle for
less. Everything and anything is possible! I am
living proof. My motto:
(Borrowed from my acting coach, Milton Katselas) "Put
your dreams into action. Start right now! And don’t give up
five minutes before the miracle."
16. Who is in your CD player now?
Gotta have music everywhere I go! My number one favorite
is country. Favorite group is the Dixie Chicks. But
I mix it up. Love all kinds of music, depending on my
mood.
In my car: I love to drive to country music
(not the old "twangy" country, but today’s new
country). It’s all about passion and emotion. It always makes
me feel intensely. Also the soundtrack to "City of
Angels" and Andrea Bocelli (his voice and soul are
exquisite).
At home: The opera "Lakeme’". The duet is
the most exquisite, sweetest music. Like angels. Close your eyes
and it sears your soul. Also have played the
soundtrack from "Phantom of the Opera" about a
thousand times.
In my dressing room: "Phantom Planet", a hot
new group from Los Angeles that writes their own lyrics and
music. Really fresh new sound. My daughter used to go to
high school with them!
If you have any other questions
for me, post them on my
Message
Boards with "Barbara" in the topic and
I'll answer you.
Thanks!
Love, Barbara
xoxox
 NEW!!
Two more interviews! Click
here for my interview with Lucy at the One
Life to Live Llanview Banner website and click
here for my interview with SoapBoy at SoaptownUSA |
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"To take a life, your life,
and steer it in the direction
you would like, toward the
career you want and the fulfillment of your dreams,
is the journey --
the only real journey."
-- Milton Katselas
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