Sunday, January 17, 2010

50 Greatest Soap Actresses: #24 Jess Walton

NAME: Jess Walton
RANK: 24
SOAP ROLES: Jill Abbott, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS (1987-present); Kelly Harper, CAPITOL (1984-1987)

AWARDS:
2000 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
2000 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress
1997 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
1996 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
1996 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress
1994 Soap Opera Digest Award win for Outstanding Lead Actress
1991 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1990 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1989 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Villainess: Daytime
1988 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role: Daytime
1986 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Jonathan Reiner: Two-time Emmy-winner Walton finally hit her stride when the Jill/Kay feud exploded late in the ‘90s. What a talent!

Lynn Liccardo: One of those names I saw and smacked my head, wondering why I hadn’t included her (of course, I have no idea who I would have eliminated to make room). I remember scenes with her and Nicholas Walker on CAPITOL that were absolutely electrifying.

Thom Racina: (wrote for Walton on Y&R) Jeanne Cooper and Jess Walton: What a pair, what a delight together on screen, what riveting work. It was such a joy to be able to write some dialogue for them last year because I was just a big old fan!

COMMENTS FROM CO-STARS/CO-WORKERS/INDUSTRY:
Michael Muhney: (works with Walton on Y&R) Jess Walton is charming and very outgoing. She always has lots of cool stories.

Kin Shriner: (worked with Walton on Y&R) Jess Walton was fun. She was another tough one. She liked to run the lines a lot. She liked to be rehearased, and I was like, "Okay, let's go again."

1 comment:

  1. One of my favorite Jess performances was when her son Phillip died. Sadly that has now been overshadowed by a bad rewrite, but her work still holds up.

    She also never, ever phones in her work, unlike some on that show.

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