Ironically, it's not sunny at all during my chat with Kirsten Storms. "It's raining like crazy here!" she says, as we settle in to talk. So relax and enjoy this one on one chat with a beloved daytime sweetheart.

For five years, Kirsten portrayed Belle Black on NBC's Days of Our Lives, but when the lure of primetime came calling, Storms exited her popular role for the now-cancelled CBS drama, "Clubhouse." Still undaunted, she answered when General Hospital knocked and she is downright thrilled about it. Her first day on the set in Port Charles was both a mix of awe and excitement. "It was so exciting!" she gushes, " I was a little nervous just because of going into a show that I watched and knew. My heart was racing the whole time!" While familiar with the her new cast mates onscreen, the only Port Charles resident she actually knew before arriving was Greg Vaughan (Lucky). Still, everyone was quick to welcome her with open arms. "Everybody was so incredibly nice," Storms tells me, "Lindze Letherman (Georgie) was actually the first person I met and she was at my door, knocking on it. It was so cute! It was cool, I had so much fun."

At the time of this interview, Storms (who debuted as Maxie this week) had only been on the General Hospital set about two weeks. Did she know anything about the role she would be playing? "I met with the writers about a week before (taping), to talk about her history and her past and everything she went through. I knew where the role had been over the last couple of years only because I had watched the show; so that much I understood." One aspect of Maxie that Storms was not aware of was Maxie's heart transplant, one of the show most groundbreaking storylines, and one that will soon be revisited. "As far as the whole heart transplant storyline and everything like that, they (the writers) had to fill me in on that," Storms shares.

Storms is certainly looking forward to her future at her new show, but one can't help but wonder if she misses her former Days of Our Lives alter-ego. "It's weird because the show is so different now," she admits, "Not just the storylines but the characters had changed. So it's weird because I'm an actress; I always want to play someone different and do something different. But I'm really excited to come and do the same thing with Maxie that I did with Belle, like make it into a whole different character or something that I can build around my own, but still having the history of what was written for that character."

The Orlando, Florida native still manages to maintain close ties with her former Days of Our Lives co-stars, in particular, Heather Lindell (Jan). "I just came from her house," Storms says, "I hang out with her like every other day." Mention of Lindell prompts me to bring up the fact that Lindell's character was comatose and the jokes start flying from there. How does Lindell, or any actor for that matter, play unconscious without bursting into fits of laughter? "I would rather be acting and have dialogue that lying there and pretending to be asleep," Storms starts to say, then laughs, "How do you just close your eyes and lie down on a comfy bed in a nightgown and just not actually pass out?!" The answers to those burning questions may never be discovered but of Lindell, Storms declares, "I think she is awesome!" Other Salem residents that remain on speed dial include neighbor Farah Fath (Mimi) and Storms adds, "I guess you could say I still keep in touch with most of the young people. I talk to them all the time."

Outside of daytime however, the actress, who began her career with the "Xenon" film series for Disney, admits to playing favorites somewhat when it comes to a particular role or genre. How do soaps, film and primetime differ? "Each kind of show is so different to film and be a part of," she says, matter-of-factly, "I didn't realize how much I missed being on a soap opera until towards the end of "Clubhouse" filming because it's such a family. All shows are family environments but it's the hours and how often you get to see everybody. On a soap opera, it's so much more of an ideal setting. You have to work harder because you have way more material and sometimes the hours are longer. But for right now, I'm really enjoying myself."

Storms past association with Disney (she recently completed a "Kim Possible" animated project for the network) and her sweeter-than-sugar image as Belle have not stopped her from tackling the really juicy parts. The versatile performer made a splash on an episode of "CSI: Miami," playing, of all things, a cop killer. Storms relished the opportunity to take a detour from any previous characters she had played. "My boyfriend and I watch all the "CSI" shows so I was really excited. Then he was like, 'Wait Kirsten. This girl's a cop killer.' I was like, I have to do it!" Her shocking turn as a teenage murderer on the crime drama drew raves from both fans and detractors. "It's so different," she admits, "It's not the good girl or the bad teenager. This was an evil killer and I just wanted to play someone like that."

For someone who was so set on taking the "CSI" role, Storms prefers performing whatever role comes her way, and leaves the actors' "wish list" roles to others. "I am always just so excited for the ones that I have gotten," she says, "I'm not one of the actors who sits and thinks about parts that I wish I had done." Not even one? "There's not a specific show that I would've liked to have been a part of, "she admits, "except General Hospital!"

How does the actress relax after a long day in front of the cameras? "I'm such a homebody," she laughs, "I'm really into decorating." As for the charity work that nearly every daytime performer seems to embrace, Storms admits that animals hold a special place in her heart. "I used to work with an animal rescue group that takes dogs from shelters and adopts them out into house," she shares, " I'd really like to get back into that." The possibility of falling in love with a furry face could be a factor and Storms confesses, "I have a feeling that it would be more like me just bringing them (the dogs) back to my house!" She also recently celebrated her twenty-first birthday by hitting Las Vegas with "a ton of my friends. We hung out and went out to clubs; we gambled a little bit. We would hang out by the pool during the day and go shopping. It was cool."

For now, Storms is enjoying her new home at General Hospital and she is enthusiastic about working with her on-screen family. "I've had a lot of scenes with them, which is cool," she says of John J. York (Mac) and soon-to-be-departing Kristina Wagner (Felicia), "I know most of my storyline is going to deal with a lot of family stuff before they throw me into a romantic relationship." To her fans, Storms says she hopes they will tune in, adding, "I just hope everyone watches and they like my portrayal of Maxie."

Soaptown USA would like to thank Kirsten Storms for taking the time out of her very busy schedule to talk with us.

Photos courtesy of:

Click on the above banner

A complete Kirsten Storms fan site and one that she wholeheartedly supports. Visit the forums to read occasional messages from Kirsten.