After creating memorable roles on Days of Our Lives and One Life to Live, Crystal Chappell created one of the most dynamic soap opera women in daytime history when she joined Guiding Light in 1999. Olivia Spencer has been involved with both a father and a son, twice, as well as with a man and his nephew, all the while being a smart business woman and a vulnerable unique heroine.

Of all her soap roles, Olivia is her favorite. “I loved the experience and character on Days. All my daytime experiences have been very educational and productive, but Olivia is the more challenging and interesting role.”

Olivia’s current story of her heart condition and subsequent heart transplant has kept Olivia on the front burner, and has somewhat changed the character as well. “I feel like Olivia has a new perspective since she has found out she is dying” says Crystal. 

In response to some viewers thinking that maybe Olivia was too obsessed with Gus and not focused enough on her children, and that her priorities became clear too late in her health decline. Crystal says “Olivia is a very stubborn, a very hard person to change. I wasn’t even sure if her perspective would change at first. It sort of happened at the eleventh hour. With Olivia being who she is, it was a realistic approach.”

“I’m glad they took their time on it” says Crystal. I know people have been upset that she wasn’t focused on her children more, but you just don’t get a diagnosis and change your stripes.”

“I respect that Olivia tried to go about her life, and slowly realizing that she won’t be around to see her kids anymore.”

This past year or so has been a roller coaster ride for the character of Olivia. She found out the young girl she put a hit out on was her daughter. “Whenever stories get far out there, I just come up with a reason of why Olivia does what she does. Especially when you are playing a character like Olivia. She is not a real person. If she was real she would be in a hospital somewhere. This isn’t reality, it’s a soap opera!” says Crystal.

“I think the producers and I try to keep some sense of humanity with Olivia” says Crystal. “She does have some redeeming qualities like loving her kids. It’s a stretch, but again it’s a soap opera.  In her world, she loves her kids and she will fight for them.”

Crystal also has a good rapport with the producers and writers. “I don’t ever tell them what to write, but I do feel like I am entitled to an opinion. They have always encouraged me to talk with them” says Crystal.

“What I usually mention to the writers isn’t unreasonable. I’m willing to try anything” laughs Crystal, “I think I have shown them that over the years. I never say I won’t play it or I won’t do it.”

Another controversial story Olivia was involved in this past year was the pursuit of her would-be rapist. In fact, the whole ‘was it rape?’ question itself was put into the story. A huge backlash occurred on message boards across the internet. Viewers were split on whether Jeffrey raped Olivia, or if it was all a young man’s mistake. Crystal did take her concerns with the story to TPTB. “I was getting a lot of emails. I wasn’t clear on the story’s intentions, because you don’t often know what’s coming up. Sometimes I will go and check in to see, especially when a story feels a little sensitive” says Crystal.

“I don’t want it to sound like they aren’t on top of everything, but the bottom line is that they are putting out five shows a week and sometimes the tone of a single script can change the course of a character, and sometimes that’s unintentional. It might have been written as a balanced story, but with the scripts getting passed down the system, cuts are made that maybe mars the original intention” states Crystal. “I have had situations where that was the case when I asked the producers.”

“So I did mention if it was in fact date rape or, if it wasn’t, let’s say that Olivia believes that it was, and that’s the perspective I worked with on this story,” Crystal continued.  “I didn’t want to glorify the situation. I felt a responsibility just to clarify the act. I give everyone the utmost respect for their positions and jobs, because everyone is working so hard. I just said my peace and left it with them.”

Despite all of the build up, the story ended rather abruptly. “I was in contract negotiations and I wasn’t sure if I was going to re-sign with the show” says Crystal. “I also do feel like the producers thought that due to the feedback, they realized it wasn’t something they wanted to do.”

Guiding Light has gone through a huge overhaul this year. A new production model debuted in February with digital cameras being used instead of the usual three camera system. “With the whole show being shot on hand held cameras, it is much more intimate, especially with our crew right in there practically next to you,” says Crystal.

“The process is much a like shooting a film” she said. “We shoot the scenes up to three times, for close-ups and different angles.” And the changes include a lot of location shooting. Guiding Light is using the town of Pepack, NJ as the fictional Springfield USA. “I just game back from Pepack this afternoon” says Crystal. “We are shooting the equivalent of an episode in Pepack every week. We do many exterior scenes and they are edited into the week’s other episodes.”

The sets also got an overhaul. “The sets all function,” says Crystal. “You need a passkey to get into the Beacon hotel rooms, they just don’t open. The water runs in the sinks, there are actual closets in the rooms, some of the sets are even two levels, and they are very realistic. You get the sense that you are eating at a restaurant when you are in the Company set or staying in a hotel when you are in the Beacon sets, because the elevators and doors are real.”

Crystal admits the show is aware of the bugs in the new production model and are working them out. “They have been working on the sound issues as well as the lighting.  It’s a process. The objective is to keep Guiding Light on the air,” she said. “I love the cast and crew so much. I have so much fun with them. I can’t imagine working anywhere else right now.”

Crystal has nothing but raves for the actress who plays Olivia’s arch nemesis, Reva Shayne. “Kim Zimmer is my favorite,” says Crystal. “We have to dry our eyes between takes because we are laughing so hard when we are working together. I admire her so much.”

Crystal also likes working with the actors who play her characters past romantic interests. “I’ve been so lucky,” says Crystal. “Working with the likes of Frank Dicopolous and Justin Deas, it couldn’t get any better. I have such a crush on Justin, he is just so great!”