DRW50

No I didn't see him. I'm glad he's still getting work. Too bad he wasn't on soaps more, he was such an understated and quietly charismatic, handsome guy. I have an interview with him from 81 or 82 if you want to see it.

BACHELOR of the ISSUE By JODY CHESTER Very handsome Nicholas Walker has captivated women in his role as Trey Clegg on "Capitol." A senator, Trey is caught within his family's wit, social graces and wealth. Under all this he not only has a drive to succeed, but compassion, love and vulnerability. That vulnerability and human passion is derived from Nicholas Walker. Six feet tall, 160 lbs., Nicholas is a man of many dimensions. Humanity is very important to him. He is full of physical drive, and aside from acting, seeks a variety of outlets: tennis, soccer, sailing, horseback riding, mountain climbing. Easily bored, Nicholas explains this as his reason for such a wide variety of activities. For a while, Walker studied ballet, which he feels is the "ultimate beauty." Born in Bogota, Columbia, Nicholas lived in Peru, Florida, and France by the time he was 10. He studied at the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, before returning to New York in 1980. Walker appeared on Broadway in Shaw's "Major Barbara." He was Brad Huntington on "The Doctors," while continuing to perform on off-off Broadway, and having a supporting role in the TV movie "For Ladies Only." Late in 1981, Nicholas was cast in "Capitol." What Nicholas wants in a mate is not simply defined. "I don't look for a girl, I look for a woman. The difference is a woman knows her femininity, and she isn't afraid of it." Walker is intrigued by a curious person, who is not afraid to wonder and ask why. "Vulnerability is the key strength to a woman, if she knows how to handle it." He is turned off by female playing the role of cute, shy, coy little girls. Preferring older women because they have more sense of self, and aren't afraid to love and express sensuality, Nicholas thinks he has the formula for the "ultimate woman." He's had the experience of both European and American relationships. "The European woman knows the art in life. She's content with fine music, wine and conversation. The American woman is enthusiastic, spontaneous, and has an athletic approach to love. Both are divine, but put together is perfection!" Viewing life like mountain climbing, Nicholas is constantly looking for a challenge. "I see that mountain and I want to get on top." What more can one say about the brown-haired, hazel-eyed male wonder?

Also from that issue, Nicholas Walker as bachelor.

12/21/82 SOD. Network Publishing Co Tonja Walker, among others, shares Christmas memories.

9/13/94 K-III Magazine Co behind the scenes at Vanessa's boat problem and meeting Matt.

Speaking of Charles and Angie. From the 9/13/94 SOD. K-III Magazine Co

Thanks. I really thought that was the theme tune. I will always have a soft spot for the way Sharon/Letitia used to dress in the 80s. I know she had to grow up but she was such a great young ingenue.

Thanks. So what did you think of the stuff at the end of the show with Sloane and the prince?

Did you ever get to see Tonja Walker on the show? How was Teri Hatcher? What about Nick Walker? If you want to see it I have one of those "bachelor profiles" on Walker, although there are no beefcake shots...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308069/William-Hagues-advisor-Chris-Myers-quits-hits-malicious-allegations-relationship.html This reminds me of Arizona a few years ago, in a Republican primary for a state house seat, one candidate accused the other of being gay because he and his wife were childless, and the man had to come forward and say that his wife had had cancer and wasn't able to have children. Yet he still lost the primary...

Surprised to see Bombhead -- and I don't think his return was hinted at anywhere was it? Bring back Zara now! I must say that it seems like no time has passed. Bombhead and Lee are the same as ever. It's nice continuity. I'm really going to miss Dave. He's so funny and handsome in a unique way and I love his friendship with Charlotte. It is one of the most realistic male/female friendships I have ever seen on a soap. I will give the show points for not casting a feeble old fossil for some type of "ew" or "ha ha" moment with India/Tex's grandfather. He's actually a very attractive man -- frankly, more attractive than some of the men being passed off as hunks. I hope he stays around, I think he makes India and Tex more interesting. India is coming into her own a bit more. Tex has potential but right now reminds me so much of Louise. I'm glad that they had India learn about what Rhys did to Josh, I was surprised they remembered that. I'm also glad they're continuing to include Myra in storylines and using her for comedy. She seems to be on a lot more lately than I remember her being in the times I watched Lucy Allan's era. Aside from how Veronica is playing Brendan like a fiddle this whole story is dull. So is the stuff with Jacqui/Rhys so far. Not dull so much as rushed.

That's incredible. They're dancing to the Eastenders theme aren't they? And there's Chris right with them. A good reminder of the silliness of soap wars...

Live episode confirmed. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a270820/coronation-street-confirms-live-episode.html

From the October 27, 81 SOD. Interview with Richard Backus. If you want to see the photos let me know. RICHARD BACKUS PLAYS DAYTIME'S MOST DEVIOUS CHARACTERS By Joanna Coons He has lied, schemed and cajoled his way through countless daytime TV plots. Recall, if you will, the infamous and heartless scoundrel Jason Saxton (For Richer, For Poorer) or the deviously demented Ted Bancroft (Another World), and presently, the whimsically cavalier Barry Ryan (Ryan's Hope). In the flesh, Richard Backus, acutely intelligent, gracious and soft-spoken, is certainly the antithesis of this motley bunch. An engaging conversationalist whose interests range from astronomy to Tosca in Central Park, Richard admits to feeling a certain empathy with his colorful repertoire. "I identify with most of the characters I play on some level or another. I find aspects of my personality in them. So it's just a matter of having to extend or exaggerate a particular aspect. But I don't draw on personal experiences, by and large. I find you can only do that a certain number of times before they begin to be not very evocative. You know," he quips, "you can only cry over your dead dog so many times. I think an actor has to find the emotion or the anguish in the scene itself." A highly versatile actor, Richard has an impressive list of theatre credentials. Born and raised in New Hampshire, he began his acting career in repertory companies. "I started out at Theatre-by-The-Sea in New Hampshire and worked there for a year." Then, in 1969, he came to New York where he performed in off and off-off Broadway productions. But since his involvement with soap opera, his stage appearances have become more and more infrequent. "I just finished doing an off-off Broadway Show called Missing Persons," he says, "and that was the first theatre work I'd done in about a year." In fact, just over a year ago, New York Shakespeare Festival devotees will remember Richard's cleverly understated performance at The Public Theatre in The Sorrows of Stephen, an off-beat romance about the nature of romantic love and real love. "I loved playing William," he admits. However, when Richard first received the script, he thought he was reading for ht title role. "Stephen is the kind of part I've done before - sort of a sensitive young man." But after reading William's part, Richard was thrilled to have the chance to play another type of character. "I finally had the opportunity to do someone who was older and a little square - something I had never done. It was a challenge." An English major at Harvard who once considered entering medical school ("Family pressure," he confessed, as his father as a doctor), Richard found the challenge he needed in acting. "Acting has always been more than just a job to me, it's been a thrill. But of course, after a certain point you stop being overwhelmed just from being on stage and it becomes more of a craft. Mostly though, it's a passion." He is thoughtful for a moment. "No one in his right mind would go into acting unless he had to. And it's just a great, great thrill to be on stage and to have people respond to you. But after awhile, you realize that the thrill begins to lessen and it becomes more important just to do good work and find excitement and challenge in the work itself." As we chat, Richard miraculously and simultaneously (not necessarily in that order) prepares a gourmet feast (see a future food column for his recipe) of poached scallops and braised leeks with butter sauce. Cooking, he admits, has become somewhat of an avocation, introduced to "the art" by an actor friend who studied at Peter Krump's New York Cooking School, Richard decided to take up the apron himself. "My friend would come home and start chopping away and I just got very jealous." When he was living in the suburbs, Richard did woodworking. "When you're an actor, it's very satisfying to have something to do with your hands because the acting profession is so ephemeral - it just vanishes," he observes. This is especially true of stage acting, where once the show closes everyone goes his separate way. Soap opera acting, however, has provided Richard with both the stability and enrichment he craves. "If you want to live and work in New York as an actor, acting in a soap is almost an economic necessity. You can't make a living in the theatre. Maybe there are a few people who can - one or two. In the city, there aren't that many acting opportunities unless you're in musical comedy and even there it's getting harder and harder to work steadily. So," he says, stealing a glance at his recipe, "you either have to do soaps or commercials if you want to stay alive in New York." Happily, steady work on soaps has not impeded Richard's personal growth as an actor in the least. Quite the opposite, in fact. After playing Barry Ryan on the popular Ryan's Hope for two years now, Richard can still get excited about his role. "Working on Ryan's Hope has really been terrific," he comments. "It's awfully well-written. At its best, Ryan's Hope is better than most movies and at it's worst, it's still better than most nighttime TV. So there's an awful lot you can do on the show; an awful lot you can learn as an actor about being honest and trying different things." Although Richard does not feel stagnated in the role of Barry, he admitted an actor could easily get that way if he didn't work in any other medium. "You have to be able to do film work and stage work, you really have to keep alive that way." But of all the characters he's played, Richard has a special affinity for the rakish Barry. "He genuinely needs love," Richard laughs. "He just needs too much of it. Actually, Barry has matured since I started playing him. He was written pretty multi-faceted. There's also a lot about Barry that's fun - particularly his wisecracking. And when he was womanizing and sneaking around, it was really fun to do." A modest man, Richard Backus scoffs at comments that he is too gifted an actor to work in soaps. Having been nominated for a Daytime Emmy, Richard observes that not everyone can do a soap; there is a specific technique involved. "Basically, you have to be able to work fast." This, Richard insists, is the biggest problem a stage actor would have to cope with in the transition to soaps. "Stage actors work slowly, learning lines with the action." Conversely on a soap, an actor must be able to memorize a huge volume of dialogue fast." Not only that but the schedule itself is a rigorous one. Usually, Richard's day at the studio begins at 7:30 and continues until the filming is complete - well into the evening. When an actor is doing one role for an extended length of time, the character tends to linger long after the day's taping ends. But he adds, "The more familiar you are with the role, the easier it is to stop it." Because his life revolves so much around the character he plays, Richard Backus admits that his personal life often suffers. "The schedule is particularly demanding for me because I have my kids coming on weekends, so between them and the soap, I'm kept busy." His children, he says, are the most important thing in his life. His basic complaint is that he's usually so over scheduled he has no time to think about his life. "I like having time to reflect," he admits. And right now, he just doesn't have enough time. What he'd really like to do someday, he says, is to paint. "I have no idea whether I'd be any good but I have this desire to be like Winston Churchill at the end of his life and sit around and paint." A quiet-living man, Richard, when asked if he'd like to play "juicy" love scenes, replied exuberantly, "Sure I would!" He added, "I haven't yet on Ryan's Hope but I did on some of the other soaps." He grins. "Of course, I've done some pretty comic love scenes as Barry Ryan!" It's a bit bizarre to do a love scene on camera," he admitted but observed, "I think everyone fails a little bit in love with the person they're working with." How interesting! And does Richard Backus fall in love so easily? "No," he replies thoughtfully. "But I used to fall in love with my leading ladies." He gives the butter sauce a decisive stir. "But I've given up on that because you can get very involved, especially when you're doing a play, and then when it's over, you find you don't have that much in common with the person. So I've learned to mistrust those feelings." At this point, Richard announces that the luncheon is served and we sit down to a king's elegant repast. As we raise our wine glasses in a toast, I ask Richard if he would like to be reincarnated as anyone particular in the annals of civilization. His eyes sparkle with invention. "If I had my choice, I'd like to be an Indian before the white man arrived...I'd like to be Chief Pontiac!" Somehow I think he and Barry Ryan would get along famously. Richard Backus laughs. Maybe we should introduce them? Ed. note: At this writing, Richard Backus has left the cast of Ryan's Hope. Due to lack of storyline, the character of Barry Ryan has been written out of the show. We are all sorry to learn of the departure of this very gifted actor, but look forward to seeing him on another soap in the near future. Good luck, Richard.

Yeah, there's a lot of "This isn't Jane" or "This is out of character for Jane," but I see it as a part of her downward spiral that was started long ago. She was scary when she wanted the baby. I will never forget the look on her face when she was watching the baby birthing tape. I think people may not want to see Jane written in a bad light. While I can agree that the current tone of the revenge plot might not be the best way to show her pain and I'm hoping they will move on from the money stuff at some point, I think that her lashing out -- which is what she is doing, she is not being written as some kind of Clare Devine or something -- is in character. I will be so glad when Uncle Fester is gone. His endless hovering over Sam is pathetic. I liked all the stuff with Pat, Peggy, and Dot, especially when Pat told Peggy some home truths and Peggy accepted them instead of the whole "get outta my pub" business. Jordan is still not a very good actor but it was nice to see him worried about Denise, and to continue to see how he is affected by what happened with Lucas. As you mentioned the character interaction is great. I really liked the stuff with Carol and Lewis. This isn't a big story or anything but it's a nice diversion and some romance and fun that Carol needed. I loved Bianca's reaction to seeing them come downstairs! And it's nice to see Liam's constant aimlessness finally being addressed. Now just take the damn cap off his head please.

I'd forgotten Kim interacted with the drunk teen counseled by Faith. I did wonder why he just disappeared. They didn't seem to have any idea what to do with Faith. I preferred her in that story and with the cop to the Egyptian story they shoved her in. I don't know if Kelli Maroney has ever said but I assumed she left RH by her own choice. She was in some early 80s movies (Ridgemont High, Night of the Comet). I'm not sure what after that, although she was on OLTL for a few months in 1984 as Tina, until she left, supposedly to get away from Paul Rauch. The show, in those early years, did a great job of showing bonds between parents and children, and a lot of tender scenes. When the writing and the casting were both there, then the character could be just brilliant. Like a lot of the scenes between Maeve and Sarah Felder's Siobhan. There's also something very touching about the idea of Jack continuing to be a part of a family and being loved even after Mary is gone. That is something which a lot of soaps would not do. People eventually move on and you would forget they were ever involved. Probably the only show I've seen in recent years which tends to keep that thread going is Emmerdale.

I agree with you on both, although Kim seemed to be quite popular in her initial run, enough to grace the cover of People anyway (with Andrea Evans and Genie Francis). Jack's a fascinating character. I know he can be loud and annoying and self-righteous, yes, but he has a big heart, and the show doesn't let us forget that, especially in his relationship with Maeve. I'm glad that ABC did not feel the need to put him out to pasture once they started trying to make the show over in the 80s.

That's a great story! Amazing how the soaps were such big news then. Still wonder sometimes why Gail Kobe lost such focus as producer.

Emer Kenny talks about E:20. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s86/eastenders-e20/scoop/a259098/emer-kenny-talks-eastenders-e20.html

Also from this issue, a quick feature on Joel Crothers work on stage.

From the March 16 82 SOD, a party for the show. Network Publishing Co

From the March 30 SOD, an EON party. Network Publishing Co

Thanks! Do you agree with them about how Slesar's work was the best and that Lipton trashed characters? That seems shocking to do that to Ed Nelson's character.

9/25/81 SOD.