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Murder, She Wrote

By Nelson Branco

2008-09-17

When it rains, it pours: On Sept. 26, Eileen Davidson returns to ‘The Young and the Restless’, and on Oct. 7 her new book, ‘Death In Daytime’ hits bookshelves. Plus: Will Victor and Ashley reunite?

TVGuide.ca: Welcome back to Y&R, gorgeous! To say fans and critics are thrilled beyond belief that you have returned to reclaim what is rightfully yours in Genoa City is a gross understatement! It righted a big wrong…

Eileen Davidson: Oh, thank you, Nelson! A few weeks ago, I taped three episodes all in one day opposite Peter Bergman [Jack], Beth Maitland [Traci], and Billy Miller [billy]. It was awesome. We taped 11 scenes in two hours! Coming back was like putting on an old pair of shoes.

TVG: Very high-end shoes! Tell me about your upcoming Paris location shoot. Y&R is really rolling out the welcome mat for you, huh?

ED: We’re only taping two days, but we are doing a lot of press and promotion. It’s going to be intense but I’m happy they asked me to be a part of this shoot.

TVG: Now that you’re back on contract with Y&R, I expect co-head writers Maria Arena Bell and Hogan Sheffer to write the heck out of Ashley Abbott. Why do you think other writing regimes have had difficulty writing for Ash?

ED: It never used to be like that. To be honest, I don’t know. [Conversely], on Days of our Lives, they couldn’t stop writing for me! Actually, when I returned the to Y&R the last time, I had a couple years of story. Kay Alden gave me that fabulous breast cancer storyline, which was awesome. Then there was a changing of the guard. But listen, I take some responsibility because I had a child, and my family became my priority. Not being on the front burner [wasn’t the end of the world] for me at that time. But when my son turned three, I realized, “Oh [crap], no one has been minding Ashley’s store while I was off playing mommy.” When I snapped back into soap mode, it was too late; Ashley was written as a mean bitch and I felt like she got lost in the shuffle. Even her wardrobe began to resemble Cruella De Vil! I was like, “Where did Ashley’s sexy go? Remember when Ashley was fun?” I felt she became shrewish. Thankfully, The Bold and the Beautiful gave back to Ashley while I was over there. Hopefully that will translate onto Y&R. Maria remembers the old days, so…

TVG: Will Ashley be paired romantically with Victor?

ED: Honestly, I don’t know.

TVG: There are so many unresolved issues regarding Victor and Ashley, which is one of the reasons I found it suspect Y&R refused to write for you when former Y&R executive producer and head writer Lynn Marie Latham was helming the soap. Fans are clamoring for a reunion. At the very least, they demand some closure in this epic romance.

ED: That’s so true. I love Eric [braeden, Victor] to death, so there’s no problem on that front. I think if Y&R revisits their love story, it has to be handled carefully. If written well, it could be brilliant — and that’s what I would expect it to be. We’ll see. When Ashley was pregnant with Victor’s baby, their storyline wasn’t handled properly. It was sleazy and weird. At this point in my life, I just want to do the best job I can. I’m not phoning in my performances, thank God. I’m still passionate about my career in soaps and playing Ashley Abbott. This time around, my intention is to inject more fun and sexy into Ashley — but she won’t take any crap from Jack, who desperately needs a foil.

TVG: Since Y&R SORAS’d Noah Newman, will they do the same with Abby? Is Darcy Rose Byrnes returning with you to Y&R?

ED: Honestly, I don’t know that either! But wouldn’t that be weird if Noah’s a teenager and Abby’s still a kid? [Laughs]

TVG: What was unique about Ashley’s Genoa City hiatus was the fact that viewers got to see her life on B&B. And her questionable taste in men, thanks to a brief engagement to Ridge Forrester.

ED: She had another life out there and lived in a beach house. Ashley’s been married a million times, so what’s another broken engagement? [Laughs]

TVG: Y&R is the best soap opera on air right now, so you made the right decision by returning. In the writing department, Maria and Hogan are simply off the hook! And now your former Santa Barbara boss Paul Rauch was just named Y&R’s executive producer.

ED: I know! When Paul and I worked together it was another lifetime ago, and very brief. Santa Barbara was on its last legs. I think the current climate of our business, people are just happy to be working — period. I was telling Peter Bergman the other day, it’s weird to be acting on a soap for so long and still love what you do. We have an amazing and very talented cast. So yes, this is a very exciting time for Y&R. It was rough over there for a couple of years, and now with Maria involved we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

TVG: Did Days of our Lives contact you while you were off of Y&R? They certainly could have used your talent and star power! Or is that Kristen-Susan chapter officially closed for you?

ED: [sighs] I think so. No, they didn’t approach me, but I was definitely open to a return! Alas, I wasn’t asked. Everything has its own time.

TVG: Was it exhausting playing a million characters on DAYS? You earned your first Daytime Emmy nomination as outstanding lead actress for your efforts. [Davidson was recognized years again in the lead actress race for Ashley’s breast cancer storyline in 2003].

ED: Oh, yeah! By the time I left, I was exhausted. I was working six days a week by the end of my DAYS run. I felt like I had aged 10 years! Having said that, I loved the storyline. When I suggested I play Kristen’s twin, Susan, [former head writer] James E. Reilly became inspired and went nuts with the whole thing! It was definitely a highlight in my career. But you know I also felt playing multiple roles has a very short shelf life. You can’t keep doing that every day, because it becomes gimmicky very fast. And it was gimmicky for a long time, so I felt it was time to move on. I wouldn’t have any problem revisiting Kristen and Susan for at least a year.

TVG: After your time on DAYS, I noticed you became a lot more confident in your performances — did you recognize that, too?

ED: Wow — I knew you were perceptive, Nelson, but you know what — I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that question before. That’s exactly what happened. After playing all those roles on DAYS, I felt like I could do anything. It was sort of like an emancipation for me professionally. Also, when you’re acting that silly in front of millions of people every day, you’re like, “What the hell — just go for it!”

TVG: Who’s your favourite character so far? Is it Ashley?

ED: Ummm… well, she’s one of them. Ashley put me on the daytime map, so she ranks right up there that’s for sure. Who would have thought at 22 years old I would still be playing this character? The Bells changed my life. And everyone on B&B… wow; what an amazing group of actors.

TVG: Do you hope Y&R explores the fact that Ashley isn’t a real Abbott?

ED: Omigod, I do! It was weird when John died that no one told him. Whatever happened, why couldn’t we have gone there? But you know what? It’s really hard writing a soap opera. I get that now. I hope this new crew explores Ash’s paternity. I can’t believe Jack hasn’t used that information against Ashley again.

TVG: Do you have any prime time and film aspirations? You certainly could do whatever you want out there, I would imagine.

ED: You know what? I’m still happy working in daytime, and I’ve been there and done that. The soap actresses I started my career with, who became big names, are no longer around. And I’m still here, so I finally realized: “Oh, I get it — it’s about longevity, not fame.” To be my age and still be working is amazing. I’m very grateful! God, don’t I sound very positive these days? [Laughs]

TVG: And you’re 49! You look freakin’ amazing. You had your son, Jesse, who is 5, at 44. Has motherhood given you a new energy?

ED: No! It’s exhausting [laughs]! I’m always apologizing to my son, “I’m so sorry, your parents are old! I have to lie down now! Let’s do that… later!” [Laughs]

TVG: Is your husband Vince [Van Patten] happy you’re back on Y&R?

ED: Well, you know, he’s happy if I’m happy. He was actually more resentful about my Y&R firing than I was! I was always telling him to get over it. Even his family was upset!

TVG: We were all upset.

ED: But it happened. Being fired was a first for me; well, except for being canned as a waitress at 22! At the time, I tried to look at the big picture… did you hear what happened the night before I was fired?

TVG: No! Dish…

ED: I told Vinnie, “I need to set new goals because I’ve totally plateaued in my life and I’m stuck.” And the next day, I was canned! Isn’t that weird?

TVG: Well, you have great instincts. I’d want you by my side in a life-and-death situation.

ED: Nothing was said to me, but I sensed it.

TVG: In hindsight, it was a good thing you weren’t there because Y&R tanked immediately.

ED: Reliquaries, right? And they killed off my Jerry Douglas [John]!

TVG: That’s reason enough to kill a head writer with an Emmy! [Laughs] But we’ll get to that later…

ED: But you’re right; during my Y&R hiatus, I refocused my life in so many ways. Along with jumping over to B&B, I started a clothing line, Femmeology, and of course, I wrote a book…

TVG: Speaking of which, on Oct. 7, your first in a series of mystery novels, Death In Daytime arrives in bookstores. Congratulations! How did all of this come about?

ED: My husband is the co-host of the World Poker Tour and Robert J. Randisi, who is a prolific murder-mystery writer, approached him to write a mystery book together. One night, we had Robert over for dinner and after he mentioned he was a big fan of mine, I said we should do a book together set in the soap opera world. We pitched it to Penguin Books and they accepted! Robert and I wrote it together in about five months, even though only my name is on the cover.

TVG: Did you write it when you were simmering on the back burner on The Bold and the Beautiful?

ED: Parts of it, yeah.

TVG: Novels set in the soap world written by daytime stars are all the rage these days. Victoria Rowell [ex-Dru] is also penning a novel, Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva.

ED: Oh, is she? Is it a tell-all?

TVG: It’s a fictional book, I believe. There’s also a lot of behind-the-scenes TV shows being pitched about soaps, too! Ironically as the industry is dying, there’s a hunger in all mediums to explore why.

ED: Wow — I wasn’t aware of all that!

TVG: Your book could easily be pitched as a TV series or Movie of the Week!

ED: Definitely!

TVG: Is writing new to you?

ED: Actually, writing was my first love when I was 19. I used to love creative writing in school and I was good at it. It’s cool because now I’m being paid to learn how to write in this mystery style, structure and form.

TVG: Is the book completely fictional?

ED: Oh, yeah! I don’t know any head writer who was murdered with an Emmy Award!

TVG: Hey, don’t give people any ideas! [Laughs] When I started reading the book, the head writer sounded a lot LML, so I got all excited. Were your co-workers nervous you would spill any secrets in the novel?

ED: No, because I kept it quiet. And I don’t have any evil intentions by writing this series. So far, my experience in the medium has been nothing but positive. There are certain aspects of the soap world I’ve become immune to because I’ve been in the business for so long. Writing the book made me look back into the past, which did prompt me to scream: “That was so freakin’ insane!” Some storylines are roughly based from things that happened in my own life. The whole head-writing thing, I admit, the timing was interesting but very coincidental. I certainly didn’t have the type of relationship with Lynn Marie Latham that Alexis Peterson, [Death in Daytime’s heroine] had with Marcy Blanchard [the soap within my book, The Yearning Tide’s new head writer]. We didn’t fight over any man!

TVG: And your next book is called Dial Emmy For Murder. I can’t wait.

ED: It’s juicy!

TVG: And let’s hope Ashley’s return is, too! Oh, and that you won’t have to resort to murder to receive that long overdue Emmy of yours.

She is just gorge. And 49? Wow. Does not look it.

TVG: Did Days of our Lives contact you while you were off of Y&R? They certainly could have used your talent and star power! Or is that Kristen-Susan chapter officially closed for you?

ED: [sighs] I think so. No, they didn’t approach me, but I was definitely open to a return! Alas, I wasn’t asked. Everything has its own time.

I can't believe DAYS didn't go after her! Ugh. I miss Kristen.

ED: Oh, yeah! By the time I left, I was exhausted. I was working six days a week by the end of my DAYS run. I felt like I had aged 10 years! Having said that, I loved the storyline. When I suggested I play Kristen’s twin, Susan, [former head writer] James E. Reilly became inspired and went nuts with the whole thing! It was definitely a highlight in my career.

Woah, I had no idea Eileen suggested she play Susan! So how was Susan going to work without Eileen in the role? Interesting. When JER gets inspired and goes nuts, he rocks.

Eileen Davidson: Oh, thank you, Nelson! A few weeks ago, I taped three episodes all in one day opposite Peter Bergman [Jack], Beth Maitland [Traci], and Billy Miller [billy]. It was awesome. We taped 11 scenes in two hours! Coming back was like putting on an old pair of shoes.

Yes! The Abbott family.

wow thats a slap in the face to all days of our lives Kristen fans...and one of the stupidest things that ever happend...lets not bring back star power lets bring in 10 new teenagers and college kids..

A class act.

they would have ruined Krsietn, IMHO, so img lad she didnt get asked back.

I love this woman. Cant wait to see her back on Y&R and buy her book.

What I don't understand is why the show is going all the way over to Paris to shoot for only two days. Why are they shooting for such a small amount of time but spending so much of their time doing talk shows and other interviews?

This sounds like a glorified junket for France.

What I don't understand is why the show is going all the way over to Paris to shoot for only two days. Why are they shooting for such a small amount of time but spending so much of their time doing talk shows and other interviews?

This sounds like a glorified junket for France.

honestly, they were prob going to France for a junket. And decided to shoot there as well.

Or perhaps in the scripts only two days was needed. Just because they shoot for two days doesnt mean it will only be in two episodes. You have to realize only those four will need scenes taped and they can tape a week or so worth of scenes in 2 days withouth having everyone else to deal with.