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She's acted with Glenn Close, Natalie Portman and Kim Basinger. Now,
Sophie Hayden has come to Guiding Light in the role of Gus's long-lost
mother. Is she on the up and up, or is there more to this ex-nanny/nun
than meets the eye? SoapCity gives you the exclusive scoop!
SoapCityAlina: Your background is primarily in the theater. Twenty
years, ago, you were in the Broadway hit, Barnum. What was it like
to be part of such a phenomenon?
Sophie Hayden: Barnum was really neat. I was in the original
cast. Like anything, that's really early in your life, a first experience,
the memories are more crystal clear in your head because there were so
many new feelings. It was amazing to be a part of that show. I got married
that year and it was weird to have my wedding in the paper, because the
show was such a huge hit. Glenn Close was there and she was not a star
yet. We watched her go right into The World According to Garp.
It was interesting to know someone on one level and then see them become
so famous. Terrence Mann (Newman; ATWT) was in the show. Terry taught me how to juggle, how
to pass clubs. I had been a World Champion Baton Twirler, so I twirled
in that show.
SCA: And now, you're having another first experience. GL is your first
soap and you were thrust into a hot story right on your first day. What
was that like?
SH: If I had known that I would have no make-up on and be in a nun's
habit and have to memorize all those lines on my first day on a soap ever,
I might have reconsidered! It all happened so fast! The casting person
said to my agent, "We're looking for a good, solid actress who can
play Italian." Even though I'm not Italian, I did the movie, I
Dreamed of Africa with Kim Basinger and I was her Italian friend.
So, I went in and talked to the casting director. They probably wanted
someone pretty nurturing. I think "mother" was a big part of
it. I was Natalie Portman's mom in The Diary of Anne Frank on Broadway
(ed. note: Which also starred Rachel Miner [ex-Michelle]). And I played
another mother at Second Stage over the summer, and I played the mother
of Emily in Our Town. I'm pretty good with my own kid, too. But
it's just weird making the change from theater to daytime. I really didn't
know what I was in for. The casting person kept trying to prepare me,
but I wasn't prepared for all these pages of dialogue. Particularly since
they were introducing a new character, (which meant) I had to talk about
myself. Like those scenes on the park bench where I'm telling Gus everything.
It's just fascinating to me how they write it. You have to say the same
things over and over again. I assume it's for people picking up on the
show if they've missed a few episodes. So, I'm asking everyone, "Why
am I saying this again?" And the other actors are looking at me,
going, "Oh, you'll say it two weeks from now, too!"
SCA: How have you managed memorizing a script a day?
SH: I think finding the lines in the other person's eyes helps. And
trying to memorize days in advance so that it's so automatic in your mouth
that any kind of distraction will keep you on those lines. I get the script
four/five days in advance and I'll spend time with it one day and put
it aside. And then the next day I'll give my child a bath and say it,
and then I'll watch dishes while I'm doing it, so that it's in my body.
But, no matter how much I memorize the lines, when we're finally getting
up to do dress rehearsal, they fly out of my head. It's really scary to
put the script down when they say, "We're going to tape." In
the morning, everyone is drinking their coffee and walking through it.
Then we go to the set and still people are walking through it, because
they're trying to figure out where they're standing and where they're
going. And then you hear, "Camera One, Camera Two, go!"
SCA: Lucia is still a bit of cipher at this point. Can you give us
a little hint about her real agenda? What's coming up for her?
SH: I'm having all these near misses with Alan. I shake his hand twice
and he says, "I recognize you." And I say, "Yes, I used
to work at the country club." And then I avoid him. Everyone keeps
saying Alan Spaulding is a horrific man who destroys people's lives. But
the thing is, the actor who plays Alan Spaulding (Ron Raines) is such
a sweet man! So, I don't know what's coming up for us next!
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