FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5, 1988

Meet the two Susan Sullivans By MIKE HUGHES Gannett News Service

There are two views of Susan Sullivan One is the woman in total control. In endless Tylenol commercials, she's the ultimate TV spokesperson, crisp and commanding. And the other is the woman whose love has put her out of control. On this week's 'Falcon Crest' — at 10 tonight on CBS — she makes her second try at an ill advised wedding with David Selby.

Those views might seem like opposites, but to Sullivan they fit neatly together. They're part of a life that has gone from childhood chaos to grown-up precision. The cool person you see in those commercials is real, she insists. "That's definitely Susan Sullivan. It's what I'm like, I guess. I've heard it described ais 'vulnerable authority."' And that crispness sprang from long-ago troubles.

"Being a good-Irishman, she recalls, I come from a family of deep drinkers." Her father's drinking turned into alcoholism that shook the family financially and emotionally. 'It affected everything. There is so much chaos; you become so frightened to express yourself." That shaped her passion for acting. "With that chaotic environment, to put on a play was OK. I think it was a way that I got to express myself." And it helped shape her character c

"The decisions you make at' ages 4-5-6-7 affect the rest of your life. I have a need to be very much in control because back then I was the one who had to stay calm. Now I have to have a tight rein on everything." That affects her relationships ("the trust factor is difficult") and her work.

If anything, Sullivan says, she has to work to keep from being too commanding. "I want to see the vulnerable parts, too." And all of that set up the latest "Falcon Crest" twist: 'This is a storyline that I suggested.I think people are interested in this sort of thing — 'women who love too much,' women who think they can change a man." So why not link Sullivan's bright Maggie and Selby!s scheming Richard? Blinded by love, she'll ignore his faults; that's the "denial phase" that alcoholics' families are familiar with. Soon, she'll begin to drink heavily. The last "Falcon Crest" episode should have convinced Maggie that this would be a shaky marriage. The wedding ceremony was nearly completed when Richard paused to read a codicil (an amendment to a will) and walked away.

Sullivan has learned to tolerate such melodramatic quirks. "That I didn't mind-although another codicil would be a little much." And she's enthusiastic about the reports that the CBS soaps will get an overhaul, with smaller casts and storylines that conclude each week. "It ('Falcon Crest') needs to have a new energy. I think the show has gone a little far afield, with white slavery and that sort of thing. Now the characters may be fuller and the scenes may be longer.

Two months later, Susan elaborated on her dad.

TV/Radio & Cable Week , Sunday , August 26 , 1984

Nice-guy role limits Billy Moses By STEVE REICH

CBS's hit soap "Falcon Crest," Billy Moses is a man with a problem . He's shackled with a vanilla pudding image . "People should realize that I just don't feel how I look. There's more to me than the boy-next door," Moses told TV Week in Hollywood. Moses concedes his laid bac k characterization of Cole Gioberti reinforces the impression he' s a dull Mr. Goody-Two -Shoes . "Cole is just a nice a young man , who was brought up well and tries to do the right thing. That' s the scope of this character . Playing a nice guy is restrictive for an actor." Despite several tragedies - a crazy custody situation , a murder rap , the shooting of his father , the kidnap of his son , the suffering of his cancer-patient mother , the machinations of his ruthless cousin , two rocky marriages — Cole somehow manages to maintain his calm and niceness .

Faced with such situations , many young men would be going nuts or seeking psychiatric counsel. Moses doubts if he himself would be able to cope . " I certainly wouldn't handle it as well . But I don't think I'd get into some of those situations. I'm a lot smarter and more aggressive than Cole Gioberti . He' s not the swiftest guy on the block. I wouldn't pick up a murder weapon and look at it like Cole did . All I could say is that I take what they give m e and make the best of it." At the beginning , Moses knew exactly why he was tapped to play Cole . "They wanted a male ingenue . I know I look a certain way . But in the last three years , I've grown emotionally and physically . I've gone from being a boy t o manhood." As Clint Eastwood usually says , " a man gotta know his limitations. " Moses is such a man . "I doubt if any casting directors are going t o call me up to ask m e t o wear an eye patch , walk with a cane or talk with an Irish brogue."

Nevertheless , Moses wants Cole to have a rougher ,harder edge . "If I had my way , Cole would have broken into Falcon Crest to see his son during the period when his ex-wife had custody. " But Moses stresses that "Falcon Crest " Is just fantasy . "The characters drive nice cars , wear expensive clothes and usually don' t work hard at jobs . Whenever Cole has something to do , it usually involves racking wine and that's just a device to interrupt a scene . Let' s face it , it's not reality."

The Californian , a former star basketball player at USC and international relations major at Wesleyan in Connecticut, feels that the presence of the Gioberti family lifts "Falcon Crest " above the other soaps. "The Giobertis embrace the best values of Earl Hamner' s material - which is the meaning of family . In the other shows, families are either getting divorced o r yelling at each other . Our family members are more tender to one another . There is a basic goodness. "

Moses also thinks that the sexuality on "Falcon Crest " is more subtle than the other shows. Moses refuse s t o talk about the plane crash that climaxed the season . H e was not aboard the ill-fated craft . "All I know is the cast will be smaller when the new season begins . Our cliffhangers don't exactly inspire job security. Another actor estimated that 'Falcon Crest' has a death every fourth episode." Every season has been different for Moses, whose brother Rick is an actor , too . "The first one was devoted to learning . During the second, I was more comfortable . It was the most challenging since I had very intense work with Joanna Cassidy." But last season was something of a disappointment to the young actor . " I didn' t have as much to do because there were more characters. I've had to come t o grips with the fact that it's an ensemble . I try not to be dissatisfied or write off the material . In every script , I look for the possibilities and seek to develop them t o the best of my abilities." Moses , an experience d horseman , dreams of playing a cowpoke in the future . "I'd like to wear a gun , wear a hat , chew tobacco , spit and make bad smells . That' s my boyhood fantasy . Playing a mass murderer or drug dealer would break my Pepsi image , too."

43 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

TV/Radio & Cable Week , Sunday , August 26 , 1984

Nice-guy role limits Billy Moses

To think that less than a decade later, William R Moses would be on Melrose and scaring the crap out of an entire generation.

I watched his arc on Melrose in real time when I was a teen so it was jarring for me to see him on Falcon Crest as the good son. I thought Cole was like a 1980s version of 90210 Brandon.

Edited June 11Jun 11 by kalbir

I was about to bring up his role in Melrose lol. Keith was surely the opposite of nice guy Cole.

dp

Edited June 10Jun 10 by Khan

It's a shame actors like Billy Moses don't see the full value in "goody-two-shoes" characters like Cole Gioberti. True, they're not as flashy as the Angela or Richard Channings. They sometimes have to be saps in order for the stories to work (as Moses himself learned only too well, lol). However, you absolutely need down-to-earth, dependable types like Cole who act as a sort of moral compass, both for the other characters, and for the audience.

Edited June 10Jun 10 by Khan

8 hours ago, Khan said:

I actually sat down last night and watched the entire interview. It was great. I wish they had spent more time talking about her runs on...FC

Earlier in this thread @soapfan770 posted a 1989 Sheri Anderson interview. Link to save digging https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/37232-falcon-crest/page/73/#findComment-2029187

On 6/13/2026 at 10:54 PM, kalbir said:

Earlier in this thread @soapfan770 posted a 1989 Sheri Anderson interview. Link to save digging https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/37232-falcon-crest/page/73/#findComment-2029187

Thanks for resharing that.

@Khan Anderson only lasted the first 13 episodes of Season 9 so like her dismissal of her GL stint I get the feeling she doesn’t have good memories there. I believe one of her last episodes had to be heavily rewritten as David Selby refused to play the Richard scenes as they were originally written.

I don’t know how much influence she actually had at FC; after she left though oddly FC started feeling like FC all over again although I’m aware there was some heavy rewriting involved.

It’s interesting she did mention working with Kristian Alfonso again on FC; the writing for Pilar in Season 9 is so wildly different how Pilar was written in Season 8, @Chris B I’m still surprised that anti-KA/Pilar blogger for years ago didn’t even reference it.

21 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

Thanks for resharing that.

You're welcome.

21 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

David Selby refused to play the Richard scenes as they were originally written.

David Selby was ready to take his talents elsewhere.

I didn't get the impression that he was phoning it in and riding out his contract though.

21 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

I don’t know how much influence she actually had at FC; after she left though oddly FC started feeling like FC all over again although I’m aware there was some heavy rewriting involved.

Sheri Anderson started the dust off of The Sound of Music which lasted the whole season. Did the writers really think that 25 years later (going by real time) nobody would notice?

54 minutes ago, kalbir said:

David Selby was ready to take his talents elsewhere.

I think the dynamics among Lauren, Michael and Richard is one of the VERY few grace notes in an otherwise abominable season. It never takes the sting out of losing Maggie - nothing could, even if Maggie had become so put-upon that she almost depresses you - but you feel like their relationships are/were something the new team should've mined even further.

1 hour ago, Soapsuds said:

56 minutes ago, Khan said:

And if you were to ask me to sum up the Jeff Freilich era of FC in one image, it'd have to be that car plunging into the waters, lol.

Seasons 6 and 7 were a high-octane action packed thrill ride. Season 6 was an improvement over season 5 but it was still tanking and season 7 goes from tanking to off the rails. Funny thing is, SOD gave seasons 6 and 7 best primetime show in the Best of 1987 and 1988 issues.

Edited Sunday at 05:45 AM1 day by kalbir

David Selby interview from January 1990. @Khan @DRW50 @kalbir @slick jones @Chris B @Chris 2 @Soapsuds @te.

As @kalbir noted Selby was already thinking of leaving the show:

"Falcon Crest's Mr. Mean Looks for New Adventures”

Jamie Portman January 4, 1990 The Toronto Star
STUDIO CITY, Calif. - It's been a typical morning's shooting at CBS Soundstage Ten, home of the long-running Falcon Crest TV series.

David Selby is winding up a crucial scene for an episode that will give a further slant on the character he has played for eight seasons - that of the brash, arrogant and opportunistic millionaire, Richard Channing.
But these days, Selby is also conscious of winding up a major chapter in his career. He's preparing to exit the show, which will probably mean an end to the character of Channing
The scene completed. Selby's tall figure moves along a dusty corridor to the set housing the opulent sitting room of Falcon Crest matriarch Angela Channing. He stands, hands in pockets, nostalgically surveying a plush exterior which in the course of nearly a decade has become as familiar to him as his own home.

"It's right to be leaving," he says in a gentle voice, markedly different from the rasping cadences of his on-screen character. "I've got to move on,"
An ongoging role in a series like Falcon Crest (which airs in Toronto on Channels 11 and 4 on Fridays at 10 p.m.) can become dangerously comfortable for an actor, he admits. It may provide security, but it can also leave him in a creative rut.
"I wrap up here around Feb. 15 and then I'll see what new adventures lie my way. I'm not worried. I have a good agent.

But what will be the fate of Richard Channing? ".

Good question," says Selby. "I don't know what's going to lie ahead for him - whether they're going to write him out of the show or what Personally I'd like to see Channing go out with a sense of style, but you never know."

It’s a character he has enjoyed playing, and it's one that has sparked a continuing stream of fan mail. Selby, a veteran stage actor, says Shakespeare had it right when he wrote Richard III: audiences love ruthless and unprincipled characters.

But Selby thinks Channing has improved since the days when his megalomaniac plans to build a race track in Tuscany Valley threatened the entire area's wine "Oh sure, I think Richard Channing has become much nicer than he used to be. He's trying to get to the place where we all are in terms of finding some sort of peace within his own life. "

Still, he's not that much softer, not when it comes to hard business deals. He's still out there determined to play the game like Ted Turner or Rupert Murdoch. "

For me, he’s been one of the more interesting characters I’ve played. There's a dimension to him. Far better to do a character like this than to have one of those 'white hat' roles where I catch the crook every week.'*

Nevertheless, Selby finds the longevity of the Falcon Crest series something of a miracle.

"It's survived three programming chiefs, endless numbers of producers and writers, each of whom comes in with their own slant on how the show should go. We've had writers' strikes and other upheavals in the industry, and the climate in which the show operates is very different from when It began in 1981. Viewers don't have the same identification with the three networks that was once the case. Now they have cable and the temptation of the video shop.

Why has Falcon Crest survived? Perhaps all this turmoil over the years is the reason. Maybe all these changes at the front office and within the hierarchy have brought in new ideas or kept it interesting or simply given us a kind of spontaneity each year."

Long before he moved into movies and TV, Selby was a respected Broadway actor, co-starring with the likes of Geraldine Page, Joanne Woodward and Sandy Dennis in such shows as The Heiress Sticks And Stones and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

But despite a major feature-film debut opposite Barbra Streisand in Up The Sandbox and roles in several other movies including Rich And Famous and Super Cops, Selby found he preferred television. 'To be frank, I wasn't getting the film roles I wanted to play. "I need a change, but I don't regret any of Falcon Crest.''

Black magic
He says the ruthless, hard-driving Richard Channing seems positively saintly compared to that of Michael Tyrone, a character he played for three seasons in an early series, Flamingo Road.

Tyrone was a power-hungry tycoon, determined to avenge the execution years before of his father for a murder he hadn't committed. Tyrone even resorted to black magic and the murder of his sister to achieve his ends.
"Michael had very few redeeming qualities," laughs Selby. "But the audience hung in there."
Selby also has a fondness for the old spooky soap opera, Dark Shadows, in which he was a series regular more than 20 years ago

"I still get fan mail from that show," he marvels. "There's hardly a week goes by that somebody I meet doesn't bring it up. I figure that years from now when I'll be hobbling about with a cane, people will still be saying they remember me from that series!"

3 seasons on Flamingo Road?? Somebody got there wires crossed. Selby was one of those actors that managed to make a villainous character have depth. He was always interesting to watch as Richard no matter what the story.

@soapfan770 Thank you for sharing that interview. It was a good read.

10 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

3 seasons on Flamingo Road?? Somebody got there wires crossed.

Not good fact checking.

10 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Selby was one of those actors that managed to make a villainous character have depth. He was always interesting to watch as Richard no matter what the story.

I would go as far as to say David Selby was the best actor on Falcon Crest not named Jane Wyman.

Edited Sunday at 11:18 PM1 day by kalbir