Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 30

by Nelson Branco

inhibitions. Free yourself! That’s what I would tell myself.

  You’ve been married for 15 years which is a lifetime in Hollywood years — and you still look happy and in love. What is your secret?

  I love and adore this man. I respect him. It’s cliché to say but a healthy, successful relationship really is about staying connected and communicating. It’s about making an effort. Listen, we’re busy — working, raising kids, etc. — so there isn’t a lot of time for us to connect. You have to be selfish and run off to a hotel to enjoy some great sex time. And then you’re instantly connected!

  How do you stay in shape? Is it true you don’t drink?

  I have the occasional cocktail but I’m not an addictive person so I don’t do much of anything that’s bad for you. I eat healthy, I work out like a fiend, and I’ve been blessed with really good genes. My dad is 90, my mom is going to be 84 — and my dad looks 80 and my mom looks 64! I’ve got good Portuguese, Italian skin. I’m lucky.

  Sounds like trouble! Do you and Harry still vacation in the summer at your Muskoka, Ontario cottage?

  Yes, of course. Every year. We love it up there!

  How has your style evolved over the years?

  It evolves with me. I had a fashion boutique, Belle Gray, for almost 10 years. I really delved into fashion and saw how everything was made… so I think my style has evolved into this sophisticated, chic, classic, sleek yet comfortable. That’s how I’m evolving into a human being — and my fashion is reflecting that.

  What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about being a parent?

  They are the greatest teachers and greatest gift in my life. I learned to be more in the moment and to listen thanks to them. Kids just want you to listen. I like to hang out with my kids.

  Twitter was all abuzz when you appeared in an adult diaper commercial!

  [Laughs] I got tons of flack for it. Once again, like sex, adult diapers are something people fear. Of course, people are going to make fun of the commercial and bully me about it. I’m not scared of them. I know who I am. The commercial was funny, people! And they paid my charity, Dressed For Success $250,000! Of course, I’m going to put the diapers on! When are you ever going to get an opportunity to make a quarter of a million dollars for your charity in seconds? I really wore those diapers, too, under my designer dress. Listen, I’m not afraid to stand up and say, 56 million Americans suffer from incontinence. You can still have a great life, you can still look hot, and you don’t have to be shameful!

  Do you think your career was reinvented thanks to DANCING WITH THE STARS?

  Absolutely! It totally reinvented me, changed my life, and made me fearless; put me in touch with my sexuality. It was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. I treasure that time in my life.

  You returned to DAYS which is nice because you stopped acting there for a while. Is that a new long-term goal?

  I’ve been away from acting for a while despite the fact that acting is my true love. My instincts said: get back to acting. I put it out into the universe and now I’m acting again. You know when you feel like you’re in the zone? I feel like I’m in the zone now that I’m acting. I feel blessed.

  Why is it so hard for DAYS to write Billie Reed again?

  I know! I still don’t know if it will happen. I had a heyday on that show and sometimes when that happens, you can never get that back. I hope that will happen next time. The head writers were just fired… so I haven’t been working much. They brought in new head writers I have never met before so I’m not sure what’s happening. We have a great producer in Greg Meng — who knows what I have to bring as an actress and as Billie. I’m praying to God that that appears on screen. Because, let’s face it, if not then it’s a waste of my time and theirs.

  I think Billie is so easy to write for! She writes herself!

  Exactly! Hopefully, these head writers will be great but it’s too soon to tell! [Laughs]

  Have you and Joe Mascolo buried the hatchet after you called him DAYS’s worst actor in the media recently? It gave DAYS great PR.

  It was really unfortunate. I don’t do stuff like that but I was on a nighttime talk show with Andy Cohen drinking cocktails and it happened in the moment. I don’t remember how it happened but I did it and I hurt his feelings. I feel really badly about it, to be honest with you. I apologized to him. I really hurt him. It wasn’t a good thing. I’m so sorry it happened. I did my best to apologize. Hopefully, it will get better.

  Did you sign a contract with DAYS? Or are you recurring?

  I have a semi-contract.

  Do you still hang out with your former SOAP TALK co-host Ty Treadway?

  I miss SOAP TALK. I don’t see him as much as I like. We communicate. We send Christmas cards. I’ve been so lucky to work with so many amazing people.

  Would you host the DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS?

  Actually, I pitched myself for it but no one’s bit yet. I called my agent, “Wouldn’t it be great if I hosted the Daytime Emmys?” [Laughs] You never know… either way, I will be at the Emmys so I’ll see you there.

  Keep on reinventing yourself and the Lisa Rinna Empire!

  I’m trying. I like to do a lot of different things. I keep plugging away…

  That’s what he said…!

  NETWORK WARS

  AFFILIATES TURNING ON ABC?

  UNCENSORED called up a couple of ABC affiliates to discuss their increasing disappointment and anger at Disney for cancelling its two soaps, ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE last year. Since then, ONE LIFE’s recast, THE REVOLUTION, has already been cancelled after three months.

  While I can’t go into too many specifics, several ABC affiliates are furious they were forced to air THE REVOLUTION and not ONE LIFE. “ABC acted rashly when they cancelled two soaps while ABC daytime as a whole was in a transition — and we’re paying the price — not the network,” says one insider.

  Moreover, affiliates are not happy ABC is taking back three minutes of advertising time out of five minutes each half hour from the local stations now that GOOD MORNING AMERICA is kicking TODAY’s butt. “GMA does better locally for us than it does nationally, so this is BS,” says one owner.

  However, affiliates are happy ABC is replacing THE REV with a GOOD MORNING AMERICA spinoff because of the upcoming, polarizing political season, especially those markets that are on the fence and in play for votes (ie. more political ads!).

  One downside to airing the spinoff: affiliates without local news capabilities will suffer during GMA: IN THE AFTERNOON because they will have to outsource (ie. pay) for local coverage during that hour.

  Affiliates are also upset about ABC’s decision to slowly kill SOAPnet because affiliates won concessions from ABC to reimburse affiliates for some agreed upon portion of revenue affiliates might lose as a result of ABC soap viewers watching ABC soaps on a cable channel at night. DIS/ABC has cut out that reimbursement out to them already.

  Shocker.

  SOAPILEAKS:

  This Week’s Hottest News, Gossip, and Reviews!

  THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, CBS/CTV — Viva, La Bells! Johnson Comes Out!

  • Blame the first Gay President: Joanna Johnson, 50, came out of the closet as a lesbian in a recent interview with TV GUIDE’s Michael Logan just as her character, Karen, reveals she’s a friend of Melissa Etheridge’s on B&B this week. Here are the excerpts:

  TV Guide Magazine: With this announcement you seem to be the only officially "out" star currently in daytime soaps, even though the shows are loaded with gay actors. What's up with that?

  Joanna Johnson: Daytime is a whole different world than primetime or theater or film. There's a greater intimacy between the viewers and the characters. They think you are your character. And that creates a lot of fear. Fear of rejection. I was so worried I wouldn't be employable as an actress if people knew I was a lesbian. Or that I wouldn't be believable in romance stories. I had to deal with a lot of self-loathing.

  TV Guide Magazine: How are things
going with you and Crystal [Chappell]? 

  Johnson: [Laughs] She's straight and she's more comfortable playing gay than I am! When we first met up at the show we had to shoot some photos — vacation-type snapshots of Karen and Dani to put on the mantel — and I felt kind of nervous and awkward. I think Crystal thought I was a little crazy but when I explained that I hadn't yet come out publicly, she got it and has been very lovely and supportive.

  TV Guide Magazine: How long have you and [L.A. club promoter] Michelle Agnew been a couple?

  Johnson: We've been together nine years and had our wedding in 2008 during the two minutes when same-sex marriage was legal in California. When we realized Prop 8 was going to pass, we thought we should try to get in under the wire and be part of the movement. So we ran down to the Beverly Hills courthouse in our workout clothes to get the license, only to hear it might be really hard to find someone to marry us before the election. There were all these other gay couples there, too, and somebody from the court comes out and says, "We're picking straws if there's anyone who wants to get married right now!" And Michelle and I won!

  Who knew B&B’s premiere and definitive heroine, Caroline Forrester, who the show would be named after in several European countries, would turn out to be gay? Hey, it’s not as rare as you may think in the soap world!

  Regardless, Joanna: brava for finding the courage to come out to the press and public. We’ll love you more for it, Joanna. Hopefully, Johnson’s decision will inspire more daytime actors to claim their sexuality. Finally, what a great way to promote the show’s upcoming – and first – major gay storyline this week. Yep, Brad Bell’s on fire.

  • President Obama, who? Brad Bell continues to be the shit: In one of his most hilarious plot moves, Caroline seriously begins to think Rick is a cross-dresser, thanks to Amber! Jacob Young tells DIGEST that when Brad Bell mentioned the story to Young, he thought his boss was joking. After learning Bell was serious, Young asked: “Are you turning my character gay?” Yeah, like that’s going to happen on this show, Jacob (despite the introduction of lesbians this week). Young made me chuckle when he told Bell he didn’t care what he wrote for Rick as long as he got some fun writing and was working. That’s my boy. Love me some Jacob Young, who has evolved into such a fine man and actor (he was kind of a mess before; but who hasn’t been)?

  • In case you didn’t read this, below is a story the Associated Press wrote about B&B’s most recent sojourn to Italy:

  With sunglasses and spike heels, makeup artists and wardrobe experts, the American soap opera THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL has landed in Italy.

  The cast and production team are in Puglia — the heel of Italy’s famous boot — for a week of filming in hopes of boosting their show at home and nurturing their Italian fans.

  B&B is seen by 35 million people in over 100 countries, according to its press office, and Italy is its No. 1 market worldwide. Known here simply as BEAUTIFUL, the show has four million viewers in Italy compared to 3.6 million in the United States.

  The program’s male lead, Ronn Moss who plays Ridge, is also widely recognized from Italy’s version of DANCING WITH THE STARS.

  According to Brad Bell, the show’s executive producer, the fictional reason why the soap finds itself in Italy is because Ridge’s wife Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) was looking for a place her daughter Hope (Kim Matula) could escape to because she was being hounded by the press in Beverly Hills.

  The real reason for the trip is the fans.

  "Italy has been good to us, we want to give exposure to Italy and do