News Brief

INTERVIEW: ATWT Emmy nominee Van Hansis
Michael Fairman has a wonderful interview with Van Hansis on his ONSOAP site which includes audio clips. Hansis: "I think it’s difficult if you don’t know why your character is doing what he is doing. Your job as an actor is to figure it out, even if it has to be the natural thing the character would do. On soaps, no character learns from their mistakes. So, you will come across issues that a person did in real life and they do not make those mistakes again. But with soaps, you have to suspend that part of your brain and do what is asked of you."

Emmy excitement is no act for DAYS stars
Thaao Penghlis: "Normally, when you are living in another country, you usually share this kind of news with a phone call to the family. My initial reaction was shock. I have found in life that when you expect something, it doesn't happen."

Rachel Melvin: "What you have to remember is I never won anything in my life. I never got the roles in plays. Not cheerleader. Nothing. She [her mother] told me that all of the people who got the play roles, when they got to Hollywood, they would not be able to handle the rejection as well as I could."

EASTENDERS' McFadden hurt on set
EASTENDERS star Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell in the soap, has had an emergency operation on his hand after falling downstairs on set. Doctors put pins in his bones and gave him 30 stitches after he was taken to hospital near the BBC One show's Hertfordshire studios. The 49-year-old star, who missed two days of filming, has gone back to work with a splint in his arm.

BLOG UPDATE: Sara A. Bibel "(Gay) Pride and Prejudice"
"Luke and Noah’s romance on As The World Turns is one of the hottest stories on soaps right now. Multiple sites post their scenes on-line and analyze their every move. The story has generated mainstream media attention and increased interest in the long-running soap among the sort of hip, young viewers the genre is dying to attract."

PHOTOS: Tom and Margo's 25th Anniversary on ATWT
Tune in on July 2, 2008 to watch Oakdale's longest-married couple toast their quarter decade of togetherness -- and receive a very special gift from mother-in-law Lisa.

FOX 411: Debra Jo Rupp
"For some odd reason, Debra Jo Rupp – she played ditzy Kitty Forman on THAT 70s SHOW for 200 episodes and should be loaded – had an under five walk on, on AS THE WORLD TURNS last week. Maybe she’s a fan, who knows?"

Hometown shout out for ATWT makeup artist Estes
Perry Meridian High School alum Eldo Ray Estes won his fourth daytime Emmy recently for his work as key makeup artist for AS THE WORLD TURNS.

Victoria Rowell: Diva on the scene
On her positive experience with foster care: "I don’t think it was as rare as we are led to believe, there are 100’s of thousands of people who go unheard – 'unsung heroes' while dedicating there lives to someone else’s children."

BLOG UPDATE: Lynn Liccardo "Connecting the Dots - The Emmy Episode"
"If TPTB can produce an Emmy episode with nothing but conversation between characters exploring relationships and revealing history once a year, how about once a month? Or, better yet, try once a week."