So what exactly is life like away from the bright lights and the
hustle and bustle of the city? “Life is FANTASTIC,” shares an
enthusiastic Elizabeth Hendrickson. And why wouldn’t life be
fantastic for Hendrickson right? She just signed a contract and
is among the cast of daytime’s number one rated drama, The Young
and the Restless.
“Everyone here is so wonderful,” shares
Hendrickson. “On my first day they were nothing but welcoming and
just very, very gracious,” something that was a far cry from what
Hendrickson’s character discovered when she landed in Genoa City.
“She’s a MAJOR bitch,” Hendrickson laughs as we dish about
her character Chloe. “She’s colorful, sassy, edgy, in your face…….she knows
what she wants in life and she is not afraid to pull out all the stops in order
to get it, even if it means ruining someone else’s life and ruffling feathers
along the way.”
And ruffle feathers and ruining lives Chloe has, especially
the lives (and relationship) of Cane and Lily. “I think that Chloe has been
somewhat attracted to Cane from the very minute she laid eyes on him,”
Hendrickson shares. But now that Billy Abbott has made his triumphant
return to Genoa City, could he have a connection to Miss Chloe?
“Hmmmm,” she shares with a laugh. “Viewers will begin to
learn a little bit more about Chloe and her life prior to coming to Genoa City
over the coming months…….you might just be surprised who she has ties to in this
town.”
So does this mean that perhaps Billy Abbott could be the
father of her unborn child, as whispers are hinting? “I honestly do not know
what Bell and Sheffer have in store for me or the character,” she says. “But
just think how interesting the conversation would be around the dinner table at
the Chancellor estate, if Billy was indeed the father of Chloe’s baby and she
passed the child off as Cane’s.”
Babies and their impending arrivals tend to bring couples
closer together, so viewers can only help but wonder if that will indeed happen
with Chloe and Cane? “Who knows what’s in store for these two,” she shares.
Besides with some eligible bachelors running around Genoa
City, any male is fair game. “I’ll take all of them,” laughs Hendrickson when
asked about which m
ale she would like to see Chloe paired with the most.
But one thing is certain, Hendrickson is definitely having
a blast in her new role. “I absolutely LOVE it here,” she shares. “I’m having
a blast exploring all the facets of Chloe’s character, besides being a bitch is
so much fun to play,” she says laughing.
And that is a far cry from the role that daytime fans are
used to seeing her portray. Hendrickson became a household name, when she was
cast in the role of Mary Frances “Frankie” Stone, on the alphabet network’s
All My Children. Even though her character bit the dust, Hendrickson caught
the attention of many long time fans (and network execs) who quickly called and
fought for her triumphant return to the show, this time as Frankie’s twin sister
Mary Margaret “Maggie” Stone.
“All My Children was a FANTASTIC starting point for
me,” she shares. “It allowed me to grow as a performer and learn things about
myself that I otherwise might not have known.”
It also allowed Hendrickson the opportunity to find her BFF
and make a long lasting friendship with former AMC co-star Eden Riegel. “I just talked to Eden the other day, she is doing great and I am so excited
that she is going back to the show,” says Hendrickson.
The announcement of Riegel’s return has opened the flood
gates amongst AMC viewers speculating whether or not Hendrickson’s Maggie might
come back to Pine Valley in an attempt to win back her lady love once again.
“Right now I LOVE living on the West Coast and am having a
blast on The Young and the Restless and with the character of Chloe…..I
would never say never to returning to AMC as I have a lot of great
memories there, but the offer to return would have to be one that I would be
foolish to refuse.”
And what about a storyline? “You know if they offered to
explore Maggie’s back story a little bit and allowed viewers to see what made
her tick and why she acted the way she did…..that would be an interesting facet
to the character.”
“I always wished that they would somehow incorporate
Frankie into Maggie’s life…kinda like her conscience you know…. She could pop up
when Maggie needed her,” she
Like when she needed to get out of the abusive relationship
Maggie shared with Jonathan? “That was such an emotional and draining
storyline to play.” “You don’t know how many women came up to me after I left
the show and thanked me for being their voice and giving them the courage to get
out of their abusive relationships,” she shares.
“Jeff (Branson, ex-Jonathan) and I always left just so
emotionally drained and exhausted after filming our scenes, and Jeff was so
great to work with, always feeling bad when Jonathan screamed at or hit Maggie.”
But this front burner emotionally charged storyline was not
enough to convince Hendrickson to stay on the show. “Eden and I talked about
her desire to leave the show and see what opportunities were available for
her….when she finally decided to leave, I was one of the first that she told
(before the news broke),” shares Hendrickson.
“I did A LOT of thinking on how it would be like when Eden
left and I was still around. What would become of Maggie… I had been on the
backburner for a while and had a suspicion that is where Maggie would go once
Bianca was off the canvas.”
So with that in mind, Hendrickson made the decision to bid
adieu to Pine Valley and her character Maggie flew off to Paris to start a new
life with Bianca and her daughter Miranda.
“I’m glad the show chose to write Bianca and Maggie off
together…..however, I’m disappointed that the fans were not treated to seeing
their relationship play out onscreen though.”
“The BAM fans were so invested in the Bianca and Maggie
pairing and sending things to the network, encouraging them to put the
characters together and explore a relationship.”
However, those BAM fans did get to see Eden and Liz on
screen again though….a computer screen that is. This past spring, Eden and Liz
launched an online mini show
called Imaginary Bitches, which showcases
the lives and loves of female friends living in Los Angeles.
“We’ve been having a blast with this project,” shares
Hendrickson. “Viewers who tune in will also see Connie (Fletcher Stanton,
ex-Erin) from All My Children…it’s like a mini reunion out here.”
It is Imaginary Bitches and the interactions with
the fans that helped Hendrickson make the decision to return to daytime. “Thank
you fans for all your support over the years, you will never know how much I
appreciate it and how much it means.
To take a quote from the legendary Beach Boys “I wish they
all could be California girls”. Well Liz Hendrickson is one of the most
generous, talented and gracious California Girls this writer has come to know. I would like to thank Liz and her manager for taking time out of their schedules
to set up this interview with us.
Photos courtesy of ABC, Willowfriend and JPIStudios
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