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Old interview with Alice Haining

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  • Member

This old and rather short interview appeared in the 1/20/00 issue of the defunct Soap News. The interviewer only asks about her time as Angel on ATWT:

Ree Evans recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Alice Haining (ex-Angel Lange, WORLD TURNS 1988 to 1994, ex-Susan Johnson, ONE LIFE 1987, ex-Cecilia Thompson, LOVING 1984 to 1986, ex-Liza Colby, CHILDREN 1984). Here's what's up with Alice.

Evans: The first question I must ask that everyone will be wondering is, what have you been doing since you left ATWT?

Haining: I did a lot of work in the theaters. I did some small plays in New York City and some new plays in regional theaters around the country. I've gone most summers to the Eugene O'Neill theater to work at the National Playwrights Conference where I've worked on new plays by both American and foreign playwrights. Lots of commercial auditions, but none that have made it to televisionโ€ฆ..I haven't had any auditions for Soap Operas.

Evans: I'm often asked (by aspiring actors or die-hard fans, I don't know which!) how to get on ATWT. How did you do it?

Haining: My agent sent me up for an audition and I got the part, which was only supposed to be a recurring role for a short period of time.

Evans: You were fortunate to be on ATWT during Douglas Marland's reign He's become an ATWT legend. Can you share what it was like working with him?

Haining: Angel was only supposed to be a very short term role, but when Douglas saw that I had been cast in the role, he remembered some of my work that he had seen on other soaps. He called me into a meeting with him, and told me that he very much wanted to write an incest story and he thought I had the ability as an actress to do it justice. He didn't want to write it if I had an objection to playing it. We discussed what kind of form this story would take, and we felt very confident that we could work together as a team. So we did it, he wrote the story that he always wanted to write, and I got to have one of the most meaningful experiences in my acting career. He and I both were very disappointed that neither one of us won an Emmy for that work, but we were very proud that ATWT won an Emmy for best Day Time Drama for that year. Douglas died shortly after that and it was wonderful that he got the recognition that he did. He was very, very proud of that storyline.

Evans: Who did you enjoy working with the most on ATWT?

Haining: There were so many wonderful people there, Jim Rebhorn who played my father was a fabulous actor and very gentle and professional to work with under difficult circumstances. Kathleen Widdoes who was my mother-in-law (three times!), is a truly great actress and a dear friend. We had many difficult emotional scenes together, and it was always good working with her.

Evans: Do you keep in contact with Steve Bassett (ex-Seth)? Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show?

Haining: Steve and I have not been in close touch, although whenever we bump into each other, it's always great to see him. He's another one of the fine, dedicated actors I had the privilege to work with there. And as far as other people I'm still in touch with besides Kathleen, Renee Props (ex-Ellie) and I are close friends, and Tamara Tunie (Jessica) and I were at the O'Neill together last summer and were able to hang out together.

Evans: Do you watch ATWT or any other soap operas? Are you aware that, as far as we know, Angel is living in New York and happily married to Seth still?

Haining: No, I don't watch ATWT or any other soaps and the last I heard, Angel and Seth are happily married and live in NY. Too bad, because if there were some problems, maybe we could come back on the show!

Evans: Is it true that you married on the show on the same day as your real wedding anniversary?

Haining: Yes, it's true!

Evans: You're happily married and enjoy gardening. Are you still out there auditioning? It's a really tough business (I hear!).

Haining: No, I'm not auditioning for anything but commercials. I'm just not interested in pursuing acting as a career right now, although occasionally I'll do a project for people I know.

Evans: Are you recognized as Angel still?

Haining: Not very often anymore, but occasionally someone surprises me. And a lot of people just think they went to school with me somewhere!

Evans: ATWT fans really enjoy hearing about what past ATWT actors and actresses are up to. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill us in!

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  • Member

Thanks. I liked Angel a lot, there was something so tragic and ethereal about her that appealed to me when I was young and getting into soaps.

I wonder if Marland remembered her from when he was headwriter at Loving. What was her character like on Loving?

  • Member

I wondered where I knew that name from, the original Liza recast. ^_^

  • Member

I wondered where I knew that name from, the original Liza recast. ^_^

I remember her as Liza on AMC and have watched some of her episodes on youtube, and I thought she was very good. She had chemistry with Jennifer Bassey and Peter Bergman, her two major screen partners during her short stint on the show. I think the problem was that Marcy Walker was just SO popular and identified with the role, that she was nearly impossible to replace at the time. Also, the storyline of her trying to break up Cliff and Nina wasn't popular, made even worse with that dreadful Heather Stamford having just assumed the role of Nina around the same time Alice joined as Liza. Essentially she's a good actress who had the misfortune of trying to replace a very popular actress in a storyline that wasn't working.

  • Member

Oh wow, I didn't know that she had eps on YouTube, I'll have to go check them out. Do you remember how long she was on the show? How would you compare the experience of her as a recast compared to that of Jamie Luner? I know that's a broad question, but just your overall impressions.

  • Member

HamiltonBernique has quite a few 1984 episodes up. Just type in Liza. I think Marcy's last episodes were in May or June 1984.

Here's one which has Marian warning AH's Liza about being involved with a married man.

  • Member

Thanks Carl! I was thinking she looked like a young Gillian Spencer and there popped Daisy in the next scene. Marian's look reminds me so much of various school teachers I encountered growing up.

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