PART I. OVER COCKTAILS

So, how's the weather over there?

It can't seem to decide.  One day it's sunny and the next, it looks like it's going to pour.  
 

What Zodiac sign are you, and, are you very much like it?

I'm Pisces, very much so.  I love the water.


Any recurring dreams you'd care to share?

I occasionally have the "Actor's Nightmare," where I'm on stage and can't remember my lines, or I think I know them, but everyone else is on another script than I am.


Being a Quartermaine has its privileges, namely goofing off before takes. When's the last time you truly laughed so hard you almost peed your pants? Tell the rest of the class.

We laugh all the time.  I'm usually between Stuart, John and Billy, so I kind of feel like I'm in the men's locker room.  I'm just one of the boys to them.   


If you watch reality-TV, what are your favorites and why?

I don't watch much of it.  If I'm going to watch "reality TV," I would rather watch Discovery or A & E.  I like City Confidential, Cold Case Files stuff like that.  That's "reality TV" to me.


Everyone knows you're an Elvis fan. What's the craziest thing you've done in the name of Elvis?

Spilled coffee on him.


And, do you deep down believe he's still alive and eating fried banana and peanut butter sandwiches in a Memphis dive somewhere?

No way!


If acting didn't work out, do you have at least three other career options?

The thought scares me.  I've been very fortunate not to have to worry about it.  I guess it would have to be something with animals or kids.  Teaching kids to ride horses maybe.


For a while there, Monica hardly did anything on-screen. What did you do during your frequent off-time?

Well, besides pouting ... (LOL) ... I travel, ski, ride my horse.  Did I mention pout?   


Describe your ideal soul mate (Elvis doesn't count).

There's no one but Elvis for me.


Ever blank out in the middle of a scene? That's not the worst thing to happen to an actor during a performance, is it?

Of course, it happens to the best of us.  It's certainly not the worse thing, especially if you've ever worked in live TV or on stage.  That's where anything can happen and it usually does!


What'd you do this past Easter?

I went to a horse show with some friends.  We packed a picnic lunch and watched jumping and cross country.


Watch any movies lately, which do you recommend?

I just saw "A Mighty Wind."  I love Christopher Guest.  He's a genius.  My friend Paul Dooley is in it too, which is always a treat to see him.  It's a fun movie.    


Favorites... how about yours? Food, vacation, TV show, book, syndicated columnist, item of clothing, N.Y. City souvenir...?

My favorite vacation was definitely my trip to Africa a couple of years ago.  I went on Safari all over Kenya.  I hope the world settles down and it will be safe to travel again.  I really want to go back.  It truly was a trip of a lifetime!

My favorite food is frozen yogurt!

PART II. THE MAIN COURSE

Inhabiting a soap role for decades as you have, it's inevitable that somewhere along the way, the actress and the character co-habitate. Has this happened with you, or is Monica Quartermaine just a fictional friend, a role you play and then leave behind when you drive home?

Of course over time some of you becomes a part of the character.  It's inevitable.  I'd like to think I'm a little nicer than how they've been writing Monica these last couple of years.  I'm looking forward to what they're writing now, they seem to be letting her soften and relax a little.    


When you first took on this role, it was as a recast, so obviously you had some popular shoes to fill. What challenges, besides dealing with the fallout of TPTB firing your predecessor, did you face in trying to bring life, humanity and interest in this character?

When I started on the show, they had fired the previous actress rather rudely, so I wasn't very popular with the cast or the fans.  It was also during a strike, so there wasn't any wardrobe, hair or make-up department.  I was completely on my own.  Talk about being blind-sided!  I had never watched the show and was told not to.  I was told to make her my own, so with the material I was given script-wise, that's what I did.


Many actors use their personalities and personal experiences to create their characters, at least partly. What's your strategy?

You're only as good as the writing.  You can only do so much with what they give you.  Sometimes it's a challenge to maintain the integrity of the character if the material isn't true to her.  Character history is very important and if the writers do their homework, things work out better for everyone.


What's the hardest part of being a soap actor, having to be a certain character day after day? And, what's the best part?

The hardest part can be the long hours and not knowing when you're going to be out for dinner plans or whatever.  The best is having a job as long as I have in this business!    


I must admit that at times, Monica's behavior is that of a bitch with no reason for being a bitch, like that time she hauled off and slapped Courtney and the incessant cruelty at Skye's expense. But then, many of us fans have forgotten Monica's bitch roots. How do you, as an actress, justify that in the scenes you have to play, even with Monica's history of bitch on wheels?

Again, it's the writing.  I agree.  I've gone up to the writers and said the same thing.  No one should ever try to get in Monica's way when she wants something.  She's very passionate about everything she does.  She can be bitchy, but it should be justified. 


After watching you on SoapTalk, I know you're aware of the criticisms against Monica when it comes to her favoritism of Jason over A.J., her judgmentalism over Carly, Skye and Courtney, her refusal to see that she often enables the very loved ones she's trying to help, etc. How do you defend these accusations, as someone who knows Monica better than anyone, possibly even better than the writers (this might be redundant considering the previous question)?

I can't really.  Again, it's up to the material I'm given. 


Everybody online has been buzzing about the renewal of the Quartermaines, now that Emily and Tracy (briefly) have returned with storylines. What's going on over there, how's it feel to finally come back to the spotlight where you belong, and what can we do to bribe Jane Elliot to stay?

Thank you for saying that.  I'm really looking forward to having something I can sink my teeth into.  I'm looking forward to going to work these days and it's been awhile since I could honestly say that. 

As for Jane, I'd love to have her back.  I think she would like to also.  I think it's up to TPTB and you guys, the fans. 


Along with that buzz is this feeling that GH is back to its former glory and will really become MUST-SEE TV again like in the 90s, where core families and inter-generational relationships are explored beyond plot points. Can you reassure us of such improvement in the near-future? What's your reaction to these changes for the better?

I'm happy to be working more.  I'm an actor and I love to act.  It's easier when it's good material.  That's what I've been getting lately.  I hope it continues.  Daytime is about relationships and family.  It can be about mystery and intrigue too, but I think it needs diversity.  I think TPTB are looking back at what made GH what it was twenty years ago and finally realizing that.


On the boards, long-time fans blame GH's decline on TPTB revolving everything around Sonny, glorifying the mob, reducing law and order to nothing but a bunch of corrupt Keystone cops, focusing too much on the youth demo, and depicting the female characters as mindless bimbo cheerleaders, sexual objects, walking wombs, crazy damsels in distress, and punching bags. What say you?

Again, it's diversity that's needed.  We have a large cast of various ages.  I think to reach a larger audience, you need to share the airtime with more than just a few characters. 


The NuEmily, Natalia Livingston, is a joy to watch and brings with her a delicate vulnerability all her own. Already, she's making the role hers. Care to comment on the recast, as well as your feelings on the original, Amber Tamblyn, not being able to reprise the role she made popular?

I think Natalia is doing a great job!  She's got some shoes to fill but she's making the character her own and that's great.  I do miss Amber, but I understand her desire to do other things and I wish her only the best. 


GH's 40th anniversary celebrated many poignant moments in the past, including your historical feud with Denise Alexander's Leslie Webber and your inspirational turn as a breast cancer survivor (my mom's one too, one year and three months). I'd almost forgotten how much of a formidable anti-heroine you were, certainly enough to make the likes of Carly and even Helena shake in their shoes. I daresay many of us fans have, because when you do occasionally revert to typical Monica (slapping Courtney), we're shocked. What's next on your wish list in terms of a Monica-centered story?

I don't know exactly.  I'd like to see what they're planning now with Emily and Monica.  I'd love something Emmy-worthy.  It's been awhile.


Speaking of breast cancer, Monica's daughter Emily revealed she is also suffering from the disease. What was your reaction upon first hearing that GH would revisit this story, and can you promise that fans won't be disappointed with a quick-fix (i.e., Jax's miraculous spinal injury recovery)?

I can't promise anything.  I get just as disappointed as the fans when they drop the ball, which they seem to have done a lot with Monica over the years  (i.e the mid-life pregnancy).  That was disappointing.  I hope they'll keep  the ball rolling for a while.


I just read that you're going to be riding your show horse, Andarra, in the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse event, May 3. For fans planning to attend, what can they expect?

It's a huge event with all kinds of Spanish breed horses, as well as a horse show, Spanish dancing and Mexican food.  It's really fun and it's for a great cause.  I hope to see many of you there!


You also host "Brunch with the Quartermaines," an annual August GH Fan Club event. Any special features, special guests, coming up this year?

We are honoring Anna Lee's (Lila) 25th anniversary on GH and her 90th birthday.  It promises to be very special.  We're almost sold out, which is great!  


Besides "Brunch..." you also participate in a few other events for fans, one recently in New York, obviously you enjoy meeting and catching up with your fans. By now you probably know many of them as friends, that's kind of rare in this business, to get that close to a star. Why are you so much more accessible, what are the advantages for you to have these fan events, and what can you say to other actors to encourage them to do the same?

Well, thank you for saying that.  The fans are very important to me and yes, they are more like friends.  The support I receive is so amazing. 

The feedback I receive from my fan mail is very valuable to me and to TPTB.  I can't thank you all enough for hanging in there with me through the ups and downs. I feel taking a little time out to give back is the least I can do.


Any final words to your fans?

I love you guys so much!  You mean the world to me!!!

Be sure to visit Leslie Charleson’s (Monica) official website—and often—for the latest on this fabulous lady’s life. My utmost gratitude for allowing this interview to happen goes to Ms. Charleson’s personal assistant and fan club co-coordinator Krista Dragna and research coordinator Chrissy Holler.