AMC: SOD Online Interview with Alicia Minshew

[dragonflies]

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/features/am.../doubletrouble/

Double Trouble

With both of her babies' lives in jeopardy, Alicia Minshew's Kendall has never been in such dire straits. The actress gave Digest the inside scoop on her character's crisis.

Soap Opera Digest: That was quite a moment when Kendall realized that not only was her unborn child in jeopardy, but Spike, as well.

Alicia Minshew: Right? It was a very hard day for me, one of the hardest days I’ve ever had.

Digest: But once he’s brought safely into the world, the baby gets a name ... which is?

Minshew: Zach comes up with the name; he has a lot of alone time with Ian and gets to know him and comes up with the name. And when Kendall goes into visit him, he tells her what he’s come up with: Ian, which was Thorsten's [Kaye, Zach] name on PORT CHARLES! It’s a good name, though. It means "God be blessed" in Irish, which is quite nice. He decides that he doesn’t want the baby to be named after any other family member and to have a whole fresh start.

Digest: Spike, of course, was being driven by Greenlee — kidnapping him, Kendall has reason to believe — at the time of the car accident that left him fighting for his life. How does this all affect the détente between Kendall and Greenlee?

Minshew: I have a bunch of scenes with Ryan where she’s saying, "I loved her so much. How could this woman be the same woman who tried to steal my baby?" She’s heartbroken because she loved Greenlee very much and as of right now, she has no love for her anymore. It’s just all hate right now.

Digest: But Spike does survive his surgery.

Minshew: Yes, so everyone is rejoicing that the babies are going to be okay: Annie, Ryan, Zach and Kendall are hugging and they’re so relieved ... but it's only for a brief moment before, you know, the next crisis hits and they find out that there’s something wrong with Ian's heart.

Digest:In reading the storyline breakdowns I have, I’ve noticed that Erica is really a big presence throughout this story, and I’m glad to see that they're playing the Kendall/Erica relationship here.

Minshew: So am I. I have had some scenes with Susan[Lucci, Erica] that ... in a really weird way, they remind me of scenes that I’ve had with Eden [Riegel, ex-Bianca], when her character was in the hospital and Kendall had to calm her down about Miranda. There’s a scene where Susan actually climbs in bed with me and holds me, and we don’t usually see Erica do stuff like that. It’s awesome when she does stuff like that!

Digest: Oh, please. I am such a sucker for that.

Minshew: Let me tell you, I get chills even just thinking about it! There are times like right after the baby's birth where she takes the cap off Kendall’s head and she rests her hand on her head and the tears are just pouring and she wipes them away ... She kisses her a million times ... And when Kendall has a moment where she totally breaks down, her mom gets in bed with her and holds her ... I mean, as little as Susan is, she just held me and I wept in her arms. I could not have looked worse and she could not have looked more beautiful! But there is something to be said for that because it was truly like a mother and her baby at that moment. She says, "You’re worried about your babies and I’m worried about mine."

Digest: Josh, it seems, is there for Kendall throughout this ordeal, as well.

Minshew: Yes, Josh really steps up. Kendall tells him, "I’m not going to be seeing Greenlee anymore." And Josh says, "She hurt you, and I never thought I’d be saying this, but you Kane girls mean the world to me. I have finally gotten to be a part of this family." It’s really sweet. Then Kendall takes him and introduces him to baby Ian and there are just some really sweet moments — like Kendall telling him that she loves him for the first time! He’s standing over her baby and saying how he’s going to do everything he can for the baby, and Kendall hugs him and whispers in his ear that she loves him. It’s all the stuff I went through with Bianca! I told her I loved her for the first time in her ear, you know? They’re doing the family stuff really nicely. Especially with Bianca not around, Kendall needs her sibling, needs his support. And I love Colin [Egglesfield, Josh]. God, do I love that boy. I love working with him and he’s just the kindest person. Aside from Cameron Mathison [Ryan], he’s the kindest person to work with, and it shows in his work.

Digest: In addition to bonding with her relatives, it seems that Kendall and Zach’s relationship is just strengthened all the more over everything that’s happened.

Minshew: Oh, yes, that’s very clear. I’m sure they’re doing it so that [viewers] will get a little concerned, but then they’ll see that each character steps up. Zach steps up; he loves Spike so much, as if he’s his own child, so of course, he does everything he can to make sure that Spike is okay. And he and Kendall just really pull together. Their bond is just taken to a whole new level. Zach and Kendall’s bond is way stronger than it was last year at this time — and last year, it was pretty damn strong! So the fans don’t need to worry. It’s a solid, solid family, which I’m so glad about because I was worried that they would try to break them up. People go through traumas together and fight, but they make it through it and become even closer, and that’s what’s been going on here.

[Ryan]

I love Lish.............

[dragonflies]

So do I

[Laurie]

Lish rocks.

Love the name Ian!

[Raven04]

I so glad the zendall makes it through. alot of the times writers think something very tragic that happens to strong couples is a way to break them up.

[NYC123]

I love this women!

[psychofan]

LMAO at B&E naming the Zendall child Ian. I like that, though.