I realize that is a bold statement to make and an even bolder headline to lead off with but when it’s the most accurate way to describe one of the finest actresses in television today I say go big or go home. But maybe that’s just me.
If you’ve been following the current Guiding Light storyline with Crystal Chappell (Olivia Spencer) and Jessica Leccia (Natalia Rivera) as Otalia, then you are well aware that yesterday’s episode and what transpired. It was the beginning of the heartbreaking admission of love, from Olivia actually TO Natalia; we have all been waiting so patiently for. Natalia and Frank have hastily moved the wedding up because Rafe was released early for good behavior but only for a week before he heads to a halfway house to finish out his time. So Olivia steps in and within a few hours throws together a wedding and begins to move out of the farmhouse (aka the Farmhouse of Love).
It’s not until towards the end of the episode that things begin to really heat up and where my bold yet accurate headline comes into play. We cut to Olivia (Chappell) at the cemetery near the church placing long stem red roses at the base of Gus’s headstone. She’s trying to tell him about how his gift of a heart was actually a gift of life, a family and a great love…Natalia’s love. She blames him for giving her this great love because now she doesn’t know what to do with it. She’s going to stand next to Natalia and watch her marry someone else, losing her forever. Olivia comes to the realization that she has learned to truly love someone unselfishly. While confessing her feelings to Gus, Natalia shows up to make peace with Gus so she can move on and start a new life. She see’s Olivia and after a few minutes of the two of them discussing how it is the right thing to move on and how each of them are about to embark on a new life, Olivia begins to break down. She can no longer contain her overwhelming emotions. Her love for Natalia over comes her and she begins to passionately cry devastating tears. Natalia pushes Olivia to tell her why she is so upset and though Olivia tries desperately to move past her feelings, her raw emotions finally over take her and she screams out in frustration “I’m in love with you!”
It’s only in the last few months that I have made a return to watching Guiding Light after a fifteen year hiatus and this remarkable actress is one of if not the reason why. This scene, this moment, the emotion, the talent is why Crystal Chappell is without a doubt a Goddess! I’ve watched and re-watched this clip so many times I have lost count. This story has been beautifully crafted over the last year and has taken this show and everyone involved with it to new heights. In my humble opinion, Ms. Chappell is at the top of her game. She brings such raw emotion and has the skill to speak volumes without actually saying a word. When an actress is able to convey to an audience a full range of emotions the way that Crystal masterfully brings to a scene with a look or a stare…it’s the sign of a professional, a true talent. So yes, Desti…Crystal Chappell truly IS a Goddess!
If after watching yesterday’s show, which I’ve provided clips of, you don’t feel the same…if you don’t break down and cry – no weep from Olivia’s gut-wrenching torment, then I don’t think you are a real soap fan or a human being for that matter! Seriously, are you made of stone people? She tears the heart right out of your chest and tosses it in a wood chipper and you thank her for it. Trust me, you’ll tune in again today and tomorrow and the day after that only to experience more of the same!
For a full play-by-play of the show, visit the Big Purple Dreams fan forum at 10 am EDT daily. For full episodes and more information about the show visit CBS.com and click on Guiding Light.
Final Grade: A+
I'm not made of stone, you know. Anyway, Crystal Chappell is a goddess and she touches me like no one else in entertainment. Wow, I love her!
Can I just say "I agree to all of the above". Crystal Chappell is the most talented actress that I have ever had the privilege to watch. Every scene is amazing. The fact that she can make you smile, laugh, cry, etc. is a testament to her skills as a goddess.
i could not agree more. i am still shaken to my core by the raw emotion of that scene yesterday. even though i am new to the soap fandom, i know people within the community are fiercely loyal to their favorite actresses and actors. however, i think anyone who is a fan of great acting- the kind that kicks you in the chest and makes you feel things you never thought you could but once you do you don't know how your life was ever whole without it- that kind of acting is what crystal chappell did yesterday. just the most pure, raw emotion i have ever seen in my life. period.
kudos to jill lorie hurst (the co-head writer at guiding light) and ellen wheeler (the EP) for creating this love story, for bringing crystal to it, and for allowing her to touch all of us. damn right crystal chappell is a goddess. and don't let anyone ever tell you different.
Wonderful article! Thanks Tiffany. She really is a Godess!
Goddess INDEED! The last scene in yesterday's episode, just knocked.me.dead. Even 24 hours later, I'm still recovering. I'm not new to soaps or CC (watched her on Days back in the 90s), and I must say, never have I been affected by such a storyline, performance, episode. NEVER. Can we just give her the 2010 Emmy now?
Wow! Your comments are spot on, Tiffany! Those of us who have loved Crystal Chappell for many years, even pre-GL, agree — She is a Goddess!
Kudos have to go out to the whole GL team – writers, production, actors – as they have finally met their stride again of the years when they were at the top of their game. CC has had great story lines in her 10 years at GL, but none have allowed her to show every bit of her talent like this one.
Thanks again for the great article!!!
Agreed!
Yesterday was AMAZING! Greatest hour in television that I've seen in decades, I was enthralled.
Crystal slayed me with her emotions, her scream was felt deep within me. That is some serious acting chops, folks, you don't see that on television anymore.
I am STILL recovering from CC's gut wrenching performance from yesterday. A visceral portrayal of something very true to life for many people, that has elicited a similarly visceral response. Absolutely amazing performance, and one that will be remembered for years to come.
Just hand the woman her Emmy already and let's be done with it.
Oh and CBS…years from now, I want you to remember that THIS is what you gave up. What were you thinking?
Tiffany, Thanks for the article.. I would add words but what more could be said than already has.. A tour de force performance at the crescendo of the best story on TV right now!
Amazing article Tiffany! And every word of it is completely true. Crystal Chappell is just beyond definition at this point. I'm still reeling from yesterday's scenes! To say she completely and utterly blew me away is an understatement. In short, one big DITTO to this entire article!
Thanks for publishing this wonderful piece!
Crystal Chappell has the incredible gift to make us feel what she is portraying! She has always been an incredible actress, but she is giving the performance of a lifetime this week! I see an Emmy in her immediate future! Go Crystal! Go Otalia! Go Guiding Light! My thanks to the writers.
Tiffany, you took the words right out of my mouth! Crystal is amazing! The more I watch her, the more I'm in awe of her talents. She is killing me and I'm loving it!
Thanks for writing!
What a beautiful article, Tiffany. Crystal Chappell is a Goddess. The more I watch her, the more I admire her. We are lucky to have Crystal and Jessica in the Otalia storyline.
Crystal is pure Goddess. she makes me feel all the emotions her character is feeling. is pure talent , pure emmy (more?) stuff
That final scene still makes me feel the pain, even after umpteenth rewatch. CC can really bring out the emotions, like few others can. I agree, she is a Goddess.
I didn't cry but I was deeply affected by Crystal Chappell's performance yesterday. I think I disassociated from my body several times during her overwhelmingly painful performances. She dominated every scene from the beginning of the episode to the end. The physical touches she puts into her performances show the breadth of her talent.
What a fantastic review of the episode! And yeah, I think this episode pretty much cemented why Crystal Chappell is to so many (myself included) a true goddess of daytime. She can bring the funny, she can make you cry when you think you're too tough for it and she can bring you to your knees and tear your heart out like in that those scenes above. Just when I think that this show and this storyline couldn't get any better, it does. I bow not only to Crystal Chappell but to the writers on this show who keep coming up with the most amazing lines. "I have finally learned how to put someone first and I learned that with her. So you see, Gus, I am trying to believe in something bigger … and a love that would have me walk away from the one person that I would give anything to keep." That killed me. Killed me dead. The writers of this show are amazing!
Thank you for the article. I really must agree that Crystal Chappell is a goddess. She is one of the best actresses in daytime.
Thanks for this article. Otalia needs all the exposure it can get.
Crystall Chappell is a Goddess… a-freaking-men!!!
What a wonderful article. Crystal Chappell truly is one of the finest actresses on TV today. And the Otalia storyline is one of the most beautiful and honest.
is natalia preganent in real life
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oh, sorry, I just got done watching today's episode and I haven't quite recovered yet… To be physically drained from a television show is a testament to the brilliance of the writers of Guiding Light, especially Jill Lorie Hurst, and to the two special women who have brought Olivia and Natalia to life, Crystal and Jessica! Watching today it felt like I was there in person, as a guest at the wedding, waiting and wondering what was going on! And there are no words to describe the scenes in the cemetery, other than I hurt so bad for both of them. Fabulous acting by both the ladies and its breaking my heart!
Hell yeah she is! And she is bringing out the best in Jessica Leccia, too. together they have both become better actors. This storyline moves me like nothing on television ever has before.
Crystal the reason why I started watching GL a few years ago. She always been good, but she really been shining in this storyline. She's got it all, can make you laugh and cry. About time she is getting the recognizition she so deserves.
Crystal has been tearing my heart out for weeks now – I cannot stand to see the pain in her eyes. In Crystal's case, her eyes are truly the window to Olivia's soul. This woman has taken up a notch every performance and just when you think she's hit the peak, she sends it up another notch! Today's episode left me sitting here totally speechless and that is due to Crystal Chappell – EMMY HERE SHE COMES….
I'd read the spoilers so I knew what was coming and still I found myself completely caught off guard and coming out of my seat when Olivia finally blurted it out. I was totally immersed in the moment and carried along by the wave of emotion. The quality of the writing is remarkable and to have an actress of this caliber to convey the story is something doesn't come along very often. I just started watching this show a couple of months ago, but I'm so glad I found it in time to see this! Thank you Guiding Light! Thank you Crystal Chappell! And CBS…it's your loss and some other network's gain because I have high hopes that P&G will find a new home for this wonderful show!
Thank you for this wonderful article. I agree, Crystal is a goddess! I know of no other actress who compares to her. It is a rarity that an actress/actor can move me to tears. The amount of emotion that she evokes is incredible. I am still raw from her moving performance this week, I've been crying right along with her. The Otalia story is what originally pulled me into GL but Crystal is what made me stay and give up another program. She even nails comedy, her timing is brilliant! Trust me when I say you haven't lived until you've been Chappelled. Thank you again for the article!
Goddess she is. Never before have I been as affected by somehting
on the screen as I have been by Crystal's performance in the last
two days. Not that she is not always stunning, but she has raised
the bar again. Whether it is comedy or knee deep angst this actress
delivers day after day. She has deserved more than the one emmy she
has, but her name should already be engraved on one for this
performance. Thanks to the writers, the producers and Jessica
Leccia for bringing it all together in such an amazing way, but this
is definitley Crystal Chappelle's role and her time.
Keep the light shining!
I loved Crystal when she was on Days! I was so amazed by her talent, her beauty and the way she could just leave me breathless. If you have never watched the scene where Carly tells Isabella she has cancer- well lets just say that over a decade later- it still brings me to my knees. The last few days on GL and the power of Crystal's performance once again has me hooked on this amazing woman! I have watched Olivia's confession over and over and it kills me to the core every time! You are right- Crystal is a Goddess! and I bow to worship!
CC is just perfection. I have never cried so much over a declaration of love on tv. This is hands down the most perfectly nuanced and paced story on television ever. I mean ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Both Crystal and Jessica have done an amazing job with this story line and their chemistry/connection cannot be denied. Crystal is superb in the execution of her craft and I've been pulled back into the world of soaps thanks to her.