One of my favorite interviews during the Day of Days fan event at the CityWalk Universal Hollywood this past weekend had to be with two of daytime’s veterans, Louise Sorel and Peggy McCay. Their characters could not be more different. Peggy plays Caroline Brady, matriarch to the Brady family; she runs the pub where you can always get a piece of advice and a comforting ear with a smile and a cup of coffee. As for Louise, well, I have two words for you…Vivan Alamain. Those two words would send chills down the spine of anyone in Salem. She’s fierce, bold and down right crazy. Vivan is the type of woman who makes things happen and takes whatever she wants no matter the cost and we love her for it!
Having a chance to sit and chat with these two lovely ladies was an absolute treat. The only thing missing was more time! Don’t forget that by commenting on any of my Days of our Lives interviews will automatically enter you to win either the Brady’s Pub apron or the Kurth & Taylor (Wally Kurth’s band) autographed CD.
EM: You get the call to bring Vivian back. What was that like? Were you interested right away or skeptical?
Louise Sorel: Oh it was so annoying! I was in my New York apartment reading a book having a perfectly nice afternoon and this voice calls me and I said “Hello?” and it’s “Hi Louise, it’s Gary Tomlin!” whom I really have never spoken to on a phone. We just have Wheaten Terriers separately that’s the only reason I know him. I know he writes and he’s directed and I thought “OH MY GOD!” I couldn’t believe he was calling and I knew why even before he said anything. It totally threw me. It really threw me because I had settled into New York City and I was surprised because I was surprised when I left. So I was equally surprised when he called me and said, “We’re going to bring Vivian back what do you think?” and I said, “Well great. Is that me that’s coming back or just Vivian?” No I’m kidding. That’s how it happened. I was very surprised.
EM: How has been stepping back into that character?
LS: I was a little nervous at first because it’s been a long time and I felt pressure, pressured myself. It’s hard coming back to something after ten years but it’s feeling more comfortable. I’m getting meaner as the days go on! [we all laugh]
EM: You’re re-teaming with Crystal Chappell, which is fantastic.
LS: Yes!
EM: It’s wonderful re-teaming your two characters but you know we miss Ivan.
LS: We had a funny kind of connection. He annoyed me so much that it worked on screen and…[laughter and knowing looks] it just worked for whatever reason.
EM: Peggy, what has it been like for you playing the same character for so long?
Peggy McCay: It’s a strange thing. I came I think in 1986. There was a producer who had seen my work on another show and brought me in. I was at Marlena and Roman’s wedding, I had nothing to say, no contract, and I thanked him and I said, “I can’t do this. I’ve done this. I need a contract and to be paid…well.” So time went by and they had three Caroline Brady’s and they called me again. Then I came on the show. There were great scenes then, which we knew. We didn’t know that I had a son. There were marvelous dramatic scenes. And then it just…stopped, which happens on these shows. I served coffee for a long time [we all laugh]. I had great scenes with the passing of my husband and it was written beautifully I must say the writers did wonderful scenes so I was very happy with that.
EM: With the state of soaps today, what do you make of it? What do you think of the situation?
PM: They’re expensive. The costumes, the actors, the writers, it’s an hour long!
LS: They’ve found out that these reality shows are so easy to do. They’re cheap (referring to the cost of the show) and they save themselves a lot of money. All My Children…ABC is selling those buildings. They are actually selling those buildings where those shows were sitting, making a fortune and all of those people are out of work. So they’re dragging the show out here to try to keep it alive but it’s the expense of these shows.
PM: Everyone has to work at top speed and technique because doing nighttime television, an hour, you get seven to eight days. We have 80 pages a day, the hair, the costumes, the actors, the writers, the directors; everybody’s working full out to finish in the day. It’s really amazing to think about doing 80 pages a day.
EM: Have you noticed a change in the industry in the last decade?
LS: They’re going to the internet! They’re making movies on the internet now. They’re doing things in not record time. The big blockbusters are not working, one or two work but the rest are going to die. The theater world is dying. Two Neil Simon plays closed simultaneously with good reviews. It’s the money, it’s the economy…it’s very bad.
Interview by Tiffany N. D’Emidio
Twitter: TiffanyDEmidio
I love to see Days of our Lives still using the history of their show. So many other shows have forgotten the history and are just using the young actors that have no connection to the past. Family connections is what draws me to a soap and it is so great to see Days continuing to use all the generations of a family. Thank you Days!