IF THAT'S LOVE // Press Archive // Kassie DePaiva

KASSIE ON HER CO-STARS

Kassie on Kristen Alderson (Starr)

"Kristen is an exceptional little girl and an exceptional talent. Our relationship has developed beautifully, and it's very natural because I do love and care for her very much. She jokes that when she comes to my house, I'm so strict -- she has to say 'Excuse me' when she gets up from the table. Well, I treat her like she's my own daughter. [Son] J.Q. absolutely adores her, and [James DePaiva's daughter] Dreama thinks she's terrific, too." (SID 1/20/04)

"You can talk to her like an adult. She's not fragile, though Kristen would probably tell you that I'm like her second mom." (SID 2/24/04)

"Kristen is a very special little actress. I'm like her second mom, though I'm probably more strict than her real mom. We have a great relationship. I respect her as an actress and a young woman. Starr is as devilish as she can be and Kristen is just the opposite." (SoapNet October 2004 Chat Transcript)

"Since she was a little girl, she has developed and evolved into such a fine young woman." (SID 5/22/07)

"I love her, and I think she has just developed into a beautiful young woman. . . . So many people who go through the doors at an early age in entertainment really can be bratty or entitled. She is so not." (Orlando Sentinel 11/10/07)

"I feel like I'm her mom. She has really grown up in front of all of us. She's very special." (SOD 4/15/08)

Kassie on Robin Strasser (Dorian)

"Some of my greatest chemistry on the show is in my scenes with Robin Strasser [Dorian]." (SID 1/26/99)

"I'm excited watching Robin [Strasser, Dorian]. They've taped some Viki and Dorian scenes where you're thinking, 'This is classic One Life to Live.' It's all back, the banter, the fun, the excitement." (SOD 4/22/03)

"Robin Strasser is one of the favorite people in my world." (SID 1/20/04 Online)

(on who her friends on the show are) "There are so many: Dan Gauthier (Kevin), Trevor St. John (Walker), Timothy Stickney (R.J.), Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), Robin Strasser (Dorian) ...the list goes on and on." (SID 1/20/04 Online)

(on which co-stars she admires) "Because I have been here so long, I have friendships with people. I love Robin Strasser (Dorian) and Erika Slezak (Viki) because they are incredible women, have very strong points of view and have made very strong character choices." (SID 10/23/07)

(on what store she can spend hours in) "HomeGoods. It's owned by T.J. Maxx, and it's a home furnishing, dishes, home accessories store that I love. Robin Strasser (Dorian) and I have spent many hours in there together; we are both HomeGoods shoppers!" (SID 6/2/08)

Kassie on Tuc Watkins (David)

"I opened the script and called [husband] Jimmy [DePaiva, ex-Max] over and said, 'Oh my God, look! I get to work with Tuc Watkins (David). I'm so excited!' ... Tuc is so much fun, and we've been good friends for a long time." (SID 4/27/04)

"I hang out with a lot of people from the show. Just this past Sunday night I had Hillary and her husband over for dinner and also Tuc Watkins. They've been to my house in the mountains. I'm very good friends with Renee Goldsberry because she's my dressing room mate. I hang out with anyone who wants to hang out with me." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on whether she and Tuc Watkins [David] ad-lib) "He finds every opportunity he can to say, 'you look horrible.' He adds that to every scene no matter how I look. I adore that man and I just wish I could work with more often." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on who in her cast would make a good James Bond) "I think Tuc [Watkins, ex-David] could pull it off. But he'd be a quirky one." (SID 3/24/08)

Kassie on Hillary B. Smith (Nora)

"I hang out with a lot of people from the show. Just this past Sunday night I had Hillary and her husband over for dinner and also Tuc Watkins. They've been to my house in the mountains." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on who she would like to work with more) "I was very grateful to get the chance to work with Hillary Smith [Nora] in June." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

"I love Hillary! She is one of the brightest people I know and extremely funny. As far as friendship goes, she is loyal and kind and thoughtful. ... Professionally, you can't find a more well-rounded actress. She brings so much to our show and a lot to my life personally." (SOW 2/1/05)

"We've gotten to work a little bit together lately, which is great. It's very funny because Hillary and I have a great rapport when we are in the public eye, like at Super Soap Weekend. We do this banter back and forth, which is funny. I think our president of Daytime (Brian Frons) saw this and thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice if we had that rapport on the show?' And I'm thinking, well, that sounds all nice and dandy, but Nora and Blair don't like each other. Nora's extremely witty, Blair's just bitchy. It's not the same." (SOW 2/1/05)

(on which co-star would be good on The Apprentice) "Hillary B. Smith (Nora), because she's smart and she would probably run the world if she could." (SID 4/25/06)

(on her most memorable trip with a co-star) "I would definitely say going to Bermuda with Hillary (Smith, Nora). She invited me to her 20th wedding anniversary. Jimmy (DePaiva, ex-Max) and I had a fantastic time. I can't wait till their 30th!" (SOW 11/7/06)

(naming what she thinks brings Hillary B. Smith great joy in life) "Okay, not in this order, but these are five things: a good paddle tennis match, great friends and great laughter, seeing her children laugh and smile, having her husband giving her a deep kiss, and dancing." (SOD 10/14/08)

Kassie on Erika Slezak (Viki)

(on her 2005 Emmy nomination) "I'm giving Erika the credit [for my nod], because the scene I submitted was with her." (SID 3/29/05)

(on her 2005 Emmy reel) "I have a hard time watching myself without really questioning my choice of career, but I worked with some great actors who brought out the best in me. My submission was with Erika Slezak [Viki], so enough said." (SOD 5/24/05)

"I always watched One Life to Live growing up and I always thought it was one of the strongest casts. So, when I got the show -- I had three episodes to do on my first day with Roy [Thinnes, ex-Sloan] and Erika -- I was so nervous because I was working with Erika, one of my heroes. She is a phenomenon in so many ways. I appreciate everything she brings to the show. I actually steal all of her good stuff -- and it still doesn't get me any Emmy nods [laughs]." (SOD 5/2/06)

(on which co-stars she admires) "Because I have been here so long, I have friendships with people. I love Robin Strasser (Dorian) and Erika Slezak (Viki) because they are incredible women, have very strong points of view and have made very strong character choices." (SID 10/23/07)

Kassie on Michael Easton (John)

"When I saw we had all those scenes together, I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, how great.' He's such a popular character and Blair's a popular character, so I can't believe they haven't crossed paths. My e-mails are saying, 'She brings out a different side of John,' 'She makes him animated.' It's interesting. I'm glad I got the opportunity to work with him." (SOW 8/22/06)

"He is quite funny. He plays the dark, brooding John McBain, but he is certainly not that character. He is an extremely intelligent actor, and, also a great writer and extremely creative artist, and he has some levity to him." (SOD 9/12/06)

(on the reaction she and Michael Easton [John] had to learning that John and Blair sleep together) "We were both a little like, 'Oh, they sleep together? Is this the same old thing where Blair puts on the red dress, blah blah blah?' But it's not." (SOD 8/5/08)

(on John and Blair) "Whether this is a short-term event, I don't know. Fans will dictate that, writing will dictate it. But Michael and I just want it to be good and we want it to be sexy." (SOD 8/5/08)

(on a John and Blair love scene) "I was supposed to stumble and fall onto him, so I closed my eyes as I would have naturally and I hit him right in the nose with my head! I heard a 'Crack!' and he was like, 'I'm okay.' And then, the blood started to trickle out. ... We're both very self-deprecating and he's going, 'Oh, no no. Kassie, there's only room for one self-deprecating actor in this room and I'll fight you on it.' But you know, he's the bee's knees, the one who makes the One Life to Live world go around as far as these women my age are concerned, so I said, 'They don't care about me! They don't even want me to be in the picture. They want him!'" (SOD 8/26/08)

(on the scenes in which John chooses Blair over Marty) "Micheal Easton (John) did a beautiful job with the speech. After the take I went, 'Oh my God, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to Blair in the 15 years I've been on the show! Nobody's ever nice to Blair!'" (SOW 12/16/08)

(addressing rumors that she requested a John/Blair pairing) "I did not go up and ask to work with Michael Easton. I did not go up to and say, 'You've got to write John and Blair.' I just kinda giggled and said, 'Oh, wow. This is fun. This would be interesting,' because I enjoy working with Michael, and you can see it was a natural progression." (SOD 12/30/08)

Kassie on Dan Gauthier (ex-Kevin)

"Dan Gauthier is one of the funniest, talented and craziest people who has ever hit One Life to Live. I love 'em to death!" (SOD 1/31/06)

"So very rarely a recast really works, and OLTL was so lucky to have found Dan. I find it hard to believe that these focus groups don't like the character of Kevin. He is dysfunctional, self-destructive, powerful and strong. Dan was able to pull that off beautifully. I'm so saddened by this, and the canvas of OLTL has just lost a huge splash of color." (SID 9/26/06)

Kassie on David Fumero (Cristian)

"David Fumero [Cristian] is one of the loveliest people we have on the show, kind, thoughtful and not bad to look at." (SOD 12/5/06)

"I adore him. In the past year, he's done some of the best work I've ever seen him do. And he's an actor who doesn't really have an agenda when he walks in the door other than to do his work." (SID 8/14/07)

Kassie on Catherine Hickland (Lindsay)

"Catherine Hickland (Lindsay) is one of the most trustworthy people I know." (SID 7/8/03)

"Catherine Hickland is an incredible woman, a delightful actress, and a very spirited individual." (SID 1/20/04 Online)

(on who in the cast is most likely to adopt a stray dog) "Catherine Hickland (Lindsay) because she's an animal lover." (SID 2/28/06)

Kassie on John-Paul Lavoisier (Rex)

(on who is the biggest movie buff on-set) "J.P. [John-Paul Lavoisier, Rex] knows all these movies! I would say Jimmy [DePaiva, ex-Max] or him. Jimmy owns a lot of DVDs and he knows a lot of movies, and this other boy, for being a young guy, knows a lot." (SOD 1/21/03)

(on who she would like to work with more) "I haven't really worked with sexy Rexy [played by John-Paul Lavoisier], which I'd like to." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on which co-star could get out of a speeding ticket) "Probably JP [John-Paul Lavoisier], because he's a fast talker." (SID 9/11/07)

Kassie on Renee Elise Goldsberry (ex-Evangeline)

"I'm very good friends with Renee Goldsberry because she's my dressing room mate. I hang out with anyone who wants to hang out with me." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on what it's like to watch her leading man move onto another story) "As an actress watching the monitor, I see 'my Trevor [St. John], my Todd' hugging on my good friend Renee Goldsberry, who plays Evangeline. It's very funny and strange how you have tinges of jealousy.... But I think that only plays into the fun and the drama. I use all of that when it comes time to play scenes with either of them." (SOD 2/20/07)

(on what it's like to work with Renee during a Blair/Todd/Evangeline triangle) "I wouldn't say it's a competition. We joke around, but we just want to do good work and stay true to our characters. If it's not true for Todd and Evangeline to get together, we want to see what we can redo and reconstruct to make it a viable shift in the story." (SOD 2/20/07)

(describing one of her dresses) "This is Dolce & Gabbana; I love it. My (former dressing) roommate Renee Goldsberry (ex-Evangeline) has borrowed this dress, so you might see her in it, too. She looks better in it." (SOW 8/7/07)

"I miss her very much, and I think there's a big void on the show. Not only is she an incredibly talented, beautiful woman, she's by buddy, and I kind of feel lonely without her." (SID 8/14/07)

Kassie on Others

"I love Robin Christopher (Skye). We've had some good, physical catfights." (SID 4/4/00)

(on which star is most likely to make her laugh) "Michael Storm [Larry]. When you're working with him, the tears come down because you laugh so hard. He makes me laugh so hard -- just looking at him makes me laugh. He's the funniest guy in the world, and he plays such a strait-laced doctor. If you only knew." (SOD 10/2/01)

(on finding out that Blair and newcomer Chad had a kissing scene) "It caught me completely off guard as an actress. I said, 'Hello, Teddy [Sears, Chad], I'm Kassie, and I'm going to be kissing you, REALLY kissing you.' Teddy was nervous, bless his heart, and then I felt really old, saying, 'Oh, I'll help you through this!' But he was fine. He's just a doll and really works hard." (SID 10/1/02)

"Laura [Koffman, Cassie] came back for a few days, and that was wonderful. Now, if they could only find a way to bring back Kelly, that'd be perfect. Talk about classic Cramers!" (SOD 4/22/03)

"I adored Robin [Christopher, Skye], and we had such ridiculous scenarios when both characters were fighting over Max. In real life, we’re both prudes, so when we had to wear lingerie and do all this overt sexual stuff, it was hilarious. ... She’s an incredible actress and a dear, dear woman." (SID 1/20/04 Online)

(on who her friends on the show are) "There are so many: Dan Gauthier (Kevin), Trevor St. John (Walker), Timothy Stickney (R.J.), Catherine Hickland (Lindsay), Robin Strasser (Dorian) ...the list goes on and on." (SID 1/20/04 Online)

"I love Pamela Peyton Wright (Addie). She is phenomenal! What a delight and pleasure it is to work with her. I love Blair and Addie scenes and I wish there was one in every episode." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on who she would like to work with more) "I've got some scenes coming up with Riley [played by Jay Wilkinson] that I really enjoyed." (SoapNet Chat 10/28/04)

(on Tari Signor [Margaret]) "She is pregnant right now, for real. So she's got to be exhausted. It's hard to play that emotional stuff day in and day out and still try to make a baby inside. I did it. It's hard. It's physically and emotionally draining. You just don't have all your wits about you. You need all of your stuff to get through those types of scenes, and she's just doing a wonderful job. She's a delight to work with." (SOD 2/8/05)

(on the character of Spencer) "Oh, it's just a great role. Paul Satterfield is doing a great job. He's got to be charming and smarmy at the same time." (SOD.com Jan 2006)

"Heather [Tom, Kelly] is my hero. I think she is a fabulous actress. She is bright, beautiful and has the world by the tail." (SOD 1/17/06)

(on the newest Jack recast) "He's a darling little boy named Thomas Christian Justusson. He's really a beautiful child." (SID 12/19/06)

(on the inspiration for her newest album) "Believe it or not, listening to Phil Carey's song on Many Voices, 'Cowboy In The Continental Suit,' did. I called up David Nichtern, who produced it, and said, 'Let's do bluegrass!'" (SID 1/16/07)

(on whether or not it's awkward to do love scenes with David Fumero [Cristian] while his fiancee, Melissa Gallo [Adriana] is on set) "Well, I'm always sensitive to that because of my years of working with [husband] Jimmy [DePaiva, ex-Max] on the show. I think you have to be. Melissa has no problems and should have nothing to worry about in that department because I do not want her man, but it's hard to sit and watch someone you love be affectionate with another person in a way that he would normally be affectionate with you. And even though we know we are getting paid to do it, and it's a job or whatever, it still is uncomfortable -- for me, anyway." (SID 9/11/07)

(about Brandon Buddy [Cole]) "He's young and he is of age, so I'm not stepping out of line, but he's a cutie-patootie and he's really really sweet and levelheaded." (SOD 2/5/08)

"Blair has always played second fiddle to Marty. It gives me wonderful tools to play with Susan Haskell (Marty)." (SOW 8/5/08)

(on the scenes in which Dr. Joplin explains to Starr why Starr's baby died) "Maureen (Mueller), who plays Dr. Joplin, gave a beautiful performance." (SOW 12/9/08)

(on the returns of Florencia Lozano [Tea] and Susan Haskell [Marty]) "I'm so thrilled Florencia's back. I have women of my age range that I can go nose to nose with. And I haven't had that in so long. Nobody hates Tea more than Blair, and nobody's hated Marty more than Blair, but now it's just good. They're strong, powerful actresses who are just great. They're splashing color all over the canvas of One Life." (SOW 12/16/08)

"I just want to give a shout-out to both Susan Haskell and Florencia Lozano. Marty and Tea have been great rivals for Blair and I couldn't ask for two more gifted, talented, wonderful women to work with." (SOD 12/30/08)

(on performing "Divas of Daytime" with Kathy Brier [Marcie] and Bobbie Eakes [AMC's Krystal]) "Listen, I'm the fun quotient of the bunch. Both Kathy and Bobbie are just powerhouses and I feel like I'm just tagging along for fun!" (SOD 12/30/08)

(on which performance on OLTL was standout in 2008) "Bree Williamson [Jessica/Tess/Bess] did a beautiful job with Nash's death." (SID.com December 2008)