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A round-up of answers to the usual questions from one of Guiding Light's
newest cast members.
Mix & Match
My dad's Polish, so I'm half-Polish. My mom is from the West Indies, she's
from an island called St. Kitts. Yvonna is actually a Polish name, spelled
I-W-O-N-A. But, my mom wanted to change it so that people wouldn't call
me "I wanna." She changed the spelling to what people could
recognize here.
Model U.N.
I was born in England, but I was raised in Fresno California. When I was
eighteen, I entered the Seventeen Magazine cover model contest,
and I got one of the 8th National finalist spots. They flew us to New
York, and we met all the top agents. That's how I started with the Whilhemina
Agency. So I ended up moving to New York right after high school, did
modeling for two years, and then I went to school at UC Berkeley for two
years.
East vs. West
After school, I moved back to New York. It was about then that I decided
I wanted to do acting. I was going on some movie auditions through my
commercial agents, and then a casting director noticed me and asked if
I had a legit agency. He sent me to a couple of the legit agents and then
I just grew a real connection to acting. After a couple of years, I moved
to L.A. to try my hand there.
Days of our Lives
I got on Days of our Lives as Wendy for a year, and then I just
stayed out there. Days was one of my first jobs and I was so brand new
and soaps are really good for that, because you never see them again.
They show once and then they disappear, no reruns. It was a good experience
to be on camera every day. And I have to watch myself because that's the
only way I'll learn. I don't necessarily like it - at first. I'm very
critical, so after watching it a while, I can really get to what I need
to learn. At first I'm just: "Oh, God, oh, God, I hate that!"
Then after watching it about four times, I know what I need to do next
time, or what I don't need to do next time.
Home, Sweet Home
I just moved back to New York three months ago because my boyfriend and
I bought a brownstone in Harlem three years ago, right on Striver's Row.
We've been renovating it ever since, and it's done now, so I'm moving
back! Yeah! For some reason, the auditioning process in N.Y. is so much
easier than in L.A. The casting people are so much nicer, and so much
more personal and attentive. For my GL audition, I felt like I did good,
and then I felt like I did even better on the call-back.
Medical Mel
They said that I was doctor in my residency. Feisty, very smart, serious
about the work. I've also lived a sort of sheltered life because of my
parents. Grew up very rich and privileged and I'm ready to break out on
my own.
Family Matters
Shari Headley (Felicia) is amazing. She is so funny she brings everybody's
spirits way up, she's hilarious, her energy is just great. At first I
was like, "She's going to play my mom? She looks like my older sister!"
She doesn't look her age; she looks very, very young. And she isn't old
enough to be my mom, anyway. But, I guess it's a trend, because a couple
of people were like: "Have you seen my mother? She's six years older
than me!" Shari and I had an immediate chemistry. And then, I met
my little brother. I've never had a brother, I have five sisters, four
with my mom and dad, and then we have a little half-sister from Dad. So
it was kind of fun, I immediately felt like I had to watch out for him,
because he was my little brother.
First Day Jitters
The first day on set I was a little nervous, because it's always like
the first day of school every time you go on set for the first time. You
don't know where you're going - I don't know if I'm on the fifth floor
or the sixth floor - so I have to ask. But, everyone was really nice and
really accommodating. I was asked about five times if I'd had a tour,
everyone was willing to give one. My best friend, Sharon Leal (ex-Dahlia;
now on Boston Public), was on the show like five years ago, and
so she gave me some heads-up on what to expect. She's the one who said
that out of all the shows this was the most humble. I think she meant
that the people seem really serious about the acting, they're professional
but, at the same time they're very nice and very down to earth. I feel
lucky to be a part of it.
Rollicking Rick
Michael O'Leary (Rick) is so funny. The minute I got on the set, I realized
he was going to be the practical joker. He asked me, "Do you like
jokes?" And I'm like, "I love them, I love to laugh. But I don't
like to laugh if it's done to me." And he's like, "Okay, I promise
I won't do that." We'll see. I got some tricks up my sleeve if that
happens.
Off-Set Gem
I'm also a jewelry designer. I sell to little shows. I take beads and
wires and I bend them into chains. I like to work in a West Indian mixed
with an Indian type of bead - tropical looking colors. I was working with
silver, now I like the gold better. I love turquoise and garnets, I love
working with precious stones. My dad always gets me amber really cheap
in Poland; every time he goes, he comes back with a bunch of beaded amber.
It's sweet how he always looks out for us.
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