Saturday, March 28, 2009

FLASHBACK: Rebecca Herbst Enjoys Vixenish Role 1998

Rebecca Herbst enjoys vixenish `GH' role

By Nancy M. Reichardt
United Feature Syndicate
January 4, 1998

NEW YORK -- Watching her deliciously vixenish portrayal of Elizabeth Webber makes it hard to imagine Rebecca Herbst playing a perfect little angel. But, believe it or not, she originally screen-tested for GENERAL HOSPITAL good girl Sarah Webber.

"Casting decided they liked Jennifer Sky for the role of Sarah," says Herbst. "But thank God the show found a spot for me, because I really wanted to do it."

And what a spot it was -- as Sarah's bratty little sister. Herbst had already tackled a similar assignment with her role as Kristen on the sitcom BROTHERLY LOVE for the WB.

"Kristen was a bad girl, too, for the first few episodes," says the actress. "Then, she went through this change and ended up good. Playing naughty was a lot more fun."

Continue reading...


Herbst's career, however, definitely started out on an innocent note. She debuted before the cameras at age 6 in a commercial for Banner toilet tissue. Ads for Kentucky Fried Chicken and Mattel's Barbie followed.

"I loved the Barbie commercials," she says. "Because I got to play with toys and keep them. They always gave you the doll."

By the time Herbst got to high school, she realized that acting was her calling, and she knew which branch of the medium she wanted to delve into.

"Although I took theater class, I never did any school plays. It wasn't my thing," Herbst says. "I feel that theater and television aretwo different worlds. Theater is great. I love to watch it, but I don't feel comfortable on stage. I enjoy this end of the business."

GENERAL HOSPITAL marks the perfect spot for Herbst to spread her acting wings. And she's been enjoying every minute of it. That is, after she got through her first day on the job.

"That was nerve-wracking," she says. "I didn't sleep the night before at all. I had all this anxious, nervous energy going on."

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Herbst to relax. She credits the warm welcome she received from her co-stars.

"Jennifer Sky has been great, so nice. And Jonathan Jackson (Lucky Spencer) and I clicked right off the bat. There are just some people you do that with," Herbst says. "We get along wonderfully and I'mso glad because we work together so much. We do lunch and hang out. And when we talk, we can talk for hours. Our conversation just flows."

Herbst also notes that landing on GENERAL HOSPITAL has made a lot of her friends extremely happy.

"I never heard one person -- not any of my friends -- ever say they watch GENERAL HOSPITAL," says the actress. "Then, I told them I was going to be on the show. Now it's like, `Oh my God! You get to work with this person? You get to work with that person? Tell me what's going to happen next.' It's so funny."

1 comment: