She’s been a sensuous sensation as half of the lesbian love team “Otalia” on Guiding Light—now Crystal Chappell is set to raise a little hetero hell on her next soap gig. The Emmy-winning actress will return to Days of Our Lives October 2 as heartbreak heroine Carly Manning, a character she last played 16 years ago. And that’ll mean trouble for Carly’s former lover Bo (Peter Reckell) and his wife Hope (Kristian Alfonso). Here Chappell spills the beans to TV Guide Magazine on Carly’s latest woes. She also drops some juicy details about Venice, the new lesbian-themed Internet series she’s producing that'll reteam her with Jessica Leccia, the beauty who plays her Springfield sweetheart. Then there’s that last dreadful day on the GL set…

You left Days in 1993. What was it like to step back on the set after all this time?

There were some familiar faces but everything and everyone—most of the cast and crew—seemed largely new to me. Then again, I’ve had too much wine between 1993 and 2009 to remember how things used to be!

Give us the dish on Carly. It’s never good news with that gal.

Well, Carly has committed a murder and she’s on the run. When we first see her, she’s in Europe and trying to make her way back to Salem. Because of what she’s done, there are other people in danger, too, and she needs help from Bo.

Bo is the only guy on the planet who can help her? Something tell me Hope isn’t gonna see it that way.

Bo is the only person Carly can trust—the only man who has ever really been there for her. He’s proven himself in the past. Slowly over time, you’ll see what has happened to Carly during the 16 years away, although isn’t everything comparatively boring after being buried alive? There have been some good years and some not-good years for her, and obviously it’s ended on kind of a sour note.

Where in Europe do we find her?

[stumped for a moment] I believe she’s in Morocco.

Uh, last time I checked, Morocco was in Africa.

Oh. I don’t know then. [Laughs] I’m just making this s--t up!

After roughing it on all those location shoots for GL—and changing your clothes in the back of cars—having a real dressing room at Days will be nice for a change, yeah?

And working toilets! On our final day at GL we had 45 cast and crew people working in a house in Peapack, New Jersey, on a 100-degree day in August with no air conditioning and all the toilets stopped functioning. So my attitude about the show coming to an end—besides a feeling of extreme loss—is enough already. If a show has flushable facilities, I’m your gal! That’s all I need. I’m very easy to please.

So no weepy Hallmark moments on that last day in Springfield?

It was a very hard summer. We were on such a crazy, difficult schedule that we’d literally chase daylight trying to get scenes completed. “Quick! Everybody run over here! Set up the shot! Now run over there!” So I think by the end of it we were all exhausted—physically and emotionally. We were ready to move on, but it was sad. When the stage manager said for the last time, “Guiding Light, that’s a rap,” it really, really hit you. [Gasps] Oh!

What?

Monaco.

Huh?

That’s where Carly is. I just remembered. She’s in Monaco!

Ah, good to know. Now let’s talk Venice! Give us some scoopage! You’ll be shooting on location at Venice Beach, California, yet every soap star you’ve cast so far is on the east coast. How are you going to manage this?

We’re trying to get sponsorship. I’m working with NBC and they’ve been great. But it doesn’t cost much to do this project and all the actors are working for free. We’re getting rooms at the Hyatt for free. People are donating their time. We’re trying to get an airline deal. We’ll be able to shoot the series really fast—God knows I’m used to that! We can probably do the whole thing in two weeks. We start shooting in October and will launch on the web late October or November.

What’s the plot?

It’s a soap opera about family dynamics that centers on a community of people in Venice. Gina [Chappell’s role] is the lead. She’s an out lesbian and an interior designer who specializes in hotels. She’s trying to find her way through life and find love, which isn’t easy because she’s terrible at relationships and has lots of issues. Jordan Clarke [GL’s Billy] plays her father, who is a retired colonel. Danny Cosgrove [GL’s Bill] is her younger brother. The colonel is very disapproving of his children. Then there’s a whole other family with a mother who is into the metaphysical and opens a crystal shop. That’s the role Hillary Smith [One Life to Live’s Nora] is doing.

You’ve already made it known that Venice will kick off with a Chappell-Leccia kiss. That’s all we get?

Jessie is going to play Annie, Gina’s ex. It’s not that they don’t share intimacy but they’re not together anymore and they are very different women.

Hey, we’ll take it! At least it sounds like more girl-on-girl action than we got on GL. Things still looked pretty chaste between Olivia and Natalia when I was on the set for Billy and Vanessa’s wedding [airing the last week of GL]. In fact, there was more steam emanating from the couple sitting behind you at the ceremony—Jeanne Cooper and Christian LeBlanc! Can we safely assume there will be no end-of-series roll in the hay for “Otalia”?

I wish I could say the “Otalia” fans are going to be happy with the way it wraps up. I wish they could get everything they want. It’s been frustrating. [Laughs] It got to the point where I didn’t know what to do anymore to show lust but at the same time not show lust—I did everything except pull Jessie’s hair. It became this running joke between us. [sighs] Oh, I don’t know. I’d like to think the “Otalia” fans will be OK with the way it ends. I know that the plan—the endgame—has always been these two women would be together. If people are satisfied enough with that, then it’ll be a happy ending.

My speculation: she killed Lawrence, and we will see MS through flashbacks

October 2nd! Can't wait!!!!

My speculation: she killed Lawrence, and we will see MS through flashbacks

I think so too. But I hope Lawrence isn't really dead, so MS can return full time in the future.

Maybe Lawrence is really alive and Vivian and Lawrence are making her think she's a murderer, but they're really out to get her for some reason...

October 2nd! Can't wait!!!!

I think so too. But I hope Lawrence isn't really dead, so MS can return full time in the future.

IA I don't want Lawernce to be dead either.Maybe she just thinks that she killed him.Although Alamains never stay dead.There was John,Nikki,Carly,and Vivian have all been pressumed dead.

Maybe Lawrence is really alive and Vivian and Lawrence are making her think she's a murderer, but they're really out to get her for some reason...

I could see that.Lawrence and Carly had a twisted love/hate realtionship.This was the same man that kidnaped her brother and was going to kill everyone in Alamania to get back at her.LOL and does Vivian always hated her so she would be thrilled to torment the girl more.

Can't wait for Crystal to return as Carly and the frontburner storyline for Carly, Bo & Hope. I bet Nicky Alamain will be cast soon. With Carly, Lawrence & Vivian back, we've got to have Carly & Lawrence's son. I wish this will also lead to the return of Billy Warlock as Carly's brother, Frankie.

I can go with Carly thinking she killed Lawrence, but Vivian and Lawrence are setting her up..That would make for a better storyline..

I just can't wait for October 2nd

Looking forward to this! But I'm, sorry, who thinks Morocco is in Europe? That's just...

yeah CC must have been really tired/busy... I'll give her the benefit of the doubt because at least Monaco is in Europe.

I'm surprised she didn't mention Louise at all. Looking forward to seeing what they put these women at doing!

Maybe she thinks she killed Vivian...

Looking forward to this! But I'm, sorry, who thinks Morocco is in Europe? That's just...

lol...well she did say she's making this sh-t up which is what I suspect 75% of the time the writers tend to do

Edited September 1, 200916 yr by Cheap21