DRW50

Lauren White - "Analysis Made Me Less Fearful" Lauren White is only 23 - hardly more than a "baby" - but she is unexpectedly bright for her years. She is outgoing with others, a positive thinker, and eager to be successful in the extroverted art of acting. But the attractive actress who plays M.J. Match on The Doctors wasn't always this way. Not very long ago she was shy and filled with problems about herself and her relations with others. "When I grew up, in the sixties, it was a very disillusioning time. All my friends talked about Sartre. Despair permeated everyone. There was a general feeling of loss of innocence. In the high school I went to in Great Neck, Long Island - where I grew up - people were tripping on acid and were speed freaks. This disparity of living inside the school, where all this was going on, and outside of school in a family with completely different values was just incredible. There was the whole Viet Nam thing. I protested in marches like everyone else. I felt the same discomfort with living - it's something that a lot of older people just don't understand. When I graduated high school a friend of mine and I took back packs and went to France, England, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Luxemburg. "I had intense emotional problems, just like a lot of the others. I was fearful, shy. I'm sure that's one of the reasons I decided to become an actress - because acting helped me bring me out of myself. The funny thing is that I was afraid of acting too, and I still am! I have a fear of exposing myself. Isn't it funny that one of the things I fear the most is the thing I make a living at?" "My emotional problems went all the way back to childhood, and specifically what caused them I'd rather not say. But obviously they had to do with my family to a certain extent. I was brought up in a sophisticated environment. My mother casts commercials for an advertising agency and my father is a television executive. "I decided, while I was going to New York University, to undergo therapy (some people call it analysis). I underwent it for two and a half years, and it was the single most constructive thing I've ever done for myself in my life. I talked with my therapist about my relationship with my friends, my shyness, my fears - about the behavioral problems which I knew I had. I was really a very different person in those days. Those two and a half years changed me in so many ways. It's helped me be a better actress, for one, because I feel less emotional risk when I'm working on scenes. I feel more fully integrated. I relate to people better. My friendships are healthier and less destructive." Lauren has had tremendous good luck in her career. She was hardly out of N.Y.U. when she was cast as Maria McGhee on How to Survive a Marriage, a number of months before the show was canceled. She and her co-star on Marriage, Armand Assante, were liked so much that they were both asked to join The Doctors. (Armand came on as Mike Powers.) "In my wildest imagination I never thought my first few jobs would be in the soap operas. I always thought I'd break in as a comic or as a singer - where my interests were. Suddenly I became a dramatic actress on television. The world of the soaps is really so fascinating. I knew absolutely nothing about them before I got my job on How to Survive a Marriage. Now I can see how incredibly popular they are. And they represent a different sort of reality. The people I work with, for example, are extremely different in their personas on The Doctors from their real-life personalities." Lauren has made some close friends on The Doctors. Her closest are Anna Stuart, Julia Duffy, Leslie Ray, and Geraldine Court. She sees them all socially, apart from work. Recently she, Geraldine Court and Anna Stuart did two Shakespearean plays on off-Broadway. One of them, a shortened version of As You Like It, was directed by Geraldine, who, according to Lauren, is quite a talented director. Lauren also has good friends from Great Neck and is in constant telephone contact with her parents, who have moved to Los Angeles, where her father is now a vice president in charge of production at Columbia Pictures. Her mother is Italian and her father is Jewish. "Actually, I had a religiously ecumenical upbringing. I wasn't reared in any one faith. I used to go to church with my aunt and temple with my grandmother. There was never any formal religious training." The very mention of marriage makes Lauren say: "But I'm only twenty-three!" She won't consider it for a long time. Right now she dates - but is more interested in developing relationships with people in general. What is her week normally like? She often visits friends' houses in the country on weekends. She's on The Doctors one or two days out of every week, unless her story is heavy - and it usually isn't. She spends a great deal of time taking acting lessons and voice lessons. She will go up for plays. Because of her commitment on The Doctors, she can't leave the city for any length of time. She has an apartment in Greenwich Village. Some viewers who haven't followed The Doctors may not know that Lauren's character is called M.J. Match, instead of Mary Jane Match, because Mary Jane doesn't want to be known as "Miss Match." M.J. is Penny's roommate and general factotum to other characters, like Althea. "I've been sort of a peripheral character since the beginning, although I think I may have a big storyline coming up...Oh, I am definitely the victimized type on the soaps. On How to Survive a Marriage my husband, Johnny McGhee, just suddenly became impotent with me, and his Irish mother was always suspicious. On The Doctors, I am serious about Dino Narizzano, who plays Dr. Kevin McIntyre, but he doesn't care about me - not the way I like Kevin, anyway. Lauren has a great sense of humor on the set. After one scene in which she had to explain to a doctor she came in to check on a patient, without being called for, "because one human being just cares about another...you just care," she said to Norman Hall, the director: "When we tape that you should have a halo around my head and soft organ music as my face fades nobly out." Everyone laughed. Lauren did not study acting at N.Y.U. She studied it at the Herbert Berghof Studios with Uta Hagen and with Steven Strimpell, whose teaching influenced Lauren greatly. "The technique he taught was a very clear, pragmatic, humanistic one. My craft definitely improved after studying with him." Lauren is quite a mature human being for one so young. Undoubtedly, it is her positive attitude, along with her talent, that gained her such success on the soaps so early in her career.

That issue also has an interview with Laura White, the first MJ "Match" Carroll. It has several big photos, although I don't have access to a scanner right now. I will try to type up the interview later. Was she fired for Kathy Glass or did she want to leave?

From the 1/77 Daytime TV Stars, their news section: They also have a section with Val Dufour where he talks about how it's a shame that he has to act like he's unresponsive to Morgan in their love scenes, because he's supposed to want to go back to his wife Eunice. He says Morgan's a turn-on, but a good friend, and that's more important.

I liked Lembeck too, although I mostly remember him from One Day at a Time. And a young Ed Begley Jr (did he still have long hair at this time) as the deaf/mute paired with the incomparable Debralee Scott. I sure miss her.

Did anyone think there was a strange kind of quiet sexiness about the cop Mary wanted? I really liked him. Apparently he left the show because they wouldn't increase his salary. Then Norman Lear put him on All That Glitters.

I wish more of it was available. The cast is just about perfect and while they all play a joke they take the joke seriously. There's a real sense of ordinariness which doesn't feel put-on. Mary's muted reactions to what is going on around her. And then for some livelineness, Mary Kay Place as Loretta Haggers, who also has her own kind of fascinating innocence. Some of the show is so ahead of its time, especially the episodes when Mary is taken hostage and the whole thing is treated as a big circus, complete with overly aggressive local reporter. Looking through the Daytime TV Stars I got, from 1/77, they mention this:

Is it true that

Here's a bit from the 1/77 Daytime TV Stars, ell Publishing Co, Inc. in their News section, by Bob LaGuardia.

So was the woman who was friends with Kris and came to visit him the same character who was in the first Hollyoaks Later? I liked that woman and wondered why they didn't bring her in instead of Cheryl. Was it the same actress? I wonder if she's leaving with Malachy or if she's staying around. The breakup with Malachy and Mercedes was well done but I hope this is it. I hope this is almost it for that very untalented woman playing Veronica. Her attempts at "fear" were awful. I was also trying to figure out exactly what Mercedes did to her, as she seemed perfectly fine to me when Cheryl's BORING brother showed up. I finally realized who else he reminds me of - Ciaran from Corrie, who at least has a sense of humor and isn't given any storylines. The stuff with the Costello women was pretty good, even if I still don't buy Heidi as a mother.

The great video quintilogy featuring Annie Lennox as a woman battling MPD. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGkVszmVbtc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t2nzWb9f6M&feature=related

Wow, Marian, Gloria, Timmy...it's what AMC should be.

The funny thing is I like Jackson more and more even though he isn't actually a character and likely has no future on the show, at the same time as I'm not all that interested in Aaron at the moment. It's like Kieron and John Paul on Hollyoaks all over again, presumably minus the horrific murder by a long lost relative.

Picadilly

Ninotchka, one of Garbo's best

I'm really disappointed in the way they have written this storyline so far. Aaron and Jackson show absolutely NO affection towards each other - not physical, not in how they speak to each other or how they look at each other. We know nothing about their relationship. We know nothing about their characters. The most we get is forced banter, or a scene where Aaron acts like a jackass and then Jackson gets over it. There is some speculation that the only point of this storyline is to show that Aaron can't handle a relationship, but it just makes Aaron look childish and pathetic, and repeats the same scenes he has already had a dozen times, and since the show is not actually letting us see ANYTHING of this relationship, why should we care about what happens to it or to the people involved? Even when the relationship ends, why should we care about what happens to Aaron, as the show has made clear that even IF he has another relationship we won't be seeing any of it? There's a lot of speculation that

So a month and a half until the smirking and barking and misery of that hypocritical woman returns. I guess I should enjoy Max while I can... I was surprised at how intense the scenes were between Max and Jack. I can't help thinking that wouldn't have gotten through with Santer. That was some tough stuff, especially when he started poking Jack with the walking stick. They work so well together, they are just riveting, I wish the show had written them this way from the start, had let us see that love between them. Most of the other scenes were fairly dull, although it's about time Shirley falls apart - she has clung to the fringes because of her obsession with Phil and his family but without that what does she have? Hard to care about Ryan and Janine, as their relationship confuses me and I get the feeling the show is only keeping them together until the truth about Stacey is exposed. I do think Neil McDermott is doing a fine job with what is a very erratic role. I mostly liked the sense of community in this episode and in a lot of recent episodes.

I think they said she stole Carl, although I wonder if he was ever theirs to steal, as the mother seems a bit crazy (she's sending me a 40th birthday card out of spite!). I also hope they don't kill Malachy. I'd rather he just leave town. The writing for Mercedes is unpleasant but Jennifer Metcalfe isn't helping -- I kind of wonder if she's just sick of the role. Rhys has never been a sci fi fan so I don't know why they are saying he is now.

I know that the show isn't exactly at a high point now and they also may not have as many actors to cast from but I continue to be confused about some of their casting decisions. - I keep hearing how "hot" Bart is, so I guess he's popular with some, but I can't get past how much bigger his head is than the rest of his body or that he looks like a Thunderbird, and worst of all, that LIFELESS voice. Every word he says just flatlines. - And again with Mitzeee's mother, scenes which were interesting and should have been a real insight into Mitzeee's character, yet her mother had that same dead voice. Is Sasha Valentine casting the show now? - While it's nice that this Veronica woman had a more lively voice, that doesn't do a lot to make up for her terrible acting. She was able to do the Patsy Kensit smug routine, but any attempts at anything else were, if those scenes with Malachy at the end of the episode were any indication, a misfire. All the scenes with the McQueens drunk at the pub, while their house and Evissa were being looted, should have been funny, or exciting, but instead they were strangely lifeless, and somewhat unpleasant. Apparently the only comic relief the show has at the moment is the repulsive Duncan, and then poor Dom running around like Barney Fife. The only story which is interesting me is Jasmine's story, perhaps because her very, very low-energy vibe is a good fit for the show at the moment.

It's nice to see Andrew, Trey, and Ross back in the AMC fold, they could be great characters.

Myra McQueen - Hollyoaks

Here is Schmering's full cast list. Rev. Richard Dennis - William Smith 1954, Blair Davies 1954-1962 Emily Potter - Mona Bruns 1954-62 Althea Dennis - Brooke Byron 1954-1955, Jayne Heller 1956, Maggie O'Neill 1960, Anne Meacham 1960-61 Grayling Dennis - Hal Holbrook 1954-59, James Noble 1959-60, Forrest Compton 1961-62 Patsy Dennis Hamilton - Lois Nettleton 1954-57, June Dayton 1961-62 Dr. Randy Hamilton - Larry Ward 1954-57 Babby Dennis - Mary Lynn Beller 1954-59, Nancy Malone 1959-60 Sandra Talbot Dennis Diana Gentner 1956, Gloria Hoye 1957-59, Mary K. Wells 1960-61, Nancy Rennick 1961-62 Peter Nino - Joe Sirola 1959-60 Walter Dennis - Paul Langton 1962 Ellen Dennis - Patty Duke 1958-59, Lanna Saunders 1960 Rev. Max Canfield - Herb Nelson 1956-58 Lydia Canfield - Murial Williams 1956-58 Lenore Bradley - Lori March 1956-58 Adolph McClure - Frank Thomas 1960 Donald Harrick - Walter Brooke 1956-58 Steven Markley - Peter Donat 1958 Tom Bradley - Robert Webber 1958 Diane Clark - Lin Pierson 1959 Eliot Clark - Lawrence Weber 1959, Ernest Graves 1960 Bud Clark - Charles Taylor 1959 Lois Williams, R.N. - Marian Winters, 1960 Dr. Charles Fuller - Dean Harens 1961-62 Chris Hamilton - Mike Barton 1961-62 Toby Ballard - Don Penny 1962 Mort Barrows - Benny Rubin 1962 Judith Potter - Bennye Gatteys 1962 With: Jack Lemmon, William Windom, Santos Ortega, and Judy Lewis

Schmering claims that she first appeared in 1956. I'm not sure how accurate that is though, I know some have said his book was full of errors.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/news/a259212/cast-offs-star-mitchell-joins-oaks.html