Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Otalia: The Advocate Interview


Michael Fairman has a wonderful new interview at advocate.com today with Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia (GUIDING LIGHT's Olivia and Natalia).

Have there been challenges, as an actress, as opposed to when you are in a heterosexual relationship story line?
Crystal: No. I have approached this as a basic simple love story. I think it’s really non-gender-specific in my world as an actress. My character has found she’s falling for another woman. It’s still what I have always done in terms of my work and the approach to it. I did feel, however, that we needed to take it slowly and not sensationalize it. If you think about how long we have taken to get to this point; it was intended to create a long-term bond between these two characters. We take baby steps at times to create a love story that the audience can invest in.
Jessica: It may have been a bit easier because we did not play that we were in love. Maybe it seemed a bit banal, but we were literally folding laundry in one scene and moments came out of that. Our relationship developed slowly and it was sometimes ugly and sometimes pretty and normal ... which is what friendships are.

The article also includes several spoilers that you won't want to miss if you're can't wait to find out what happens next.

Word is spreading fast about this couple and the fanbase is growing daily. It's easy to tear down our soaps when they get things wrong, but I hope fans of all soaps will take notice and applaud this soap who has gotten a story exactly right.

17 comments:

  1. Great interview! You can tell these two are 100% behind the story and I bet they have a blast together! Go Otalia!!

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  2. That is the great thing about Guiding Light; they are getting it right. Although it is a soap and therefore has it's angst and drama, it is doing a wonderful, simmering romance. It's awesome to see LGBT and mainstream media take notice of this force, Otalia. Who would have known just last year that this love story would be changing the hearts and minds of people one pile of laundry at a time? Kudos to We Love Soaps and other media that are rightfully promoting this! And, thanks to Crystal, Jessica, and all others involved keeping us gladly glued to our televisions!

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  3. you really are the bomb roger! thanks for continuing to cover the otalia storyline in all it's glory.

    the timing of this article couldn't have been better. i didn't think i would get through the day today after the PoD (proposal of denial) ended today's episode. thankfully, crystal and jessica assuaged my fears and i feel anchored once again.

    so excited to see how this story is going to progress. it truly is about the journey at this point. we all know the ultimate destination is otalia. and that makes the angst that is to come all the sweeter.

    keep the otalia coverage coming!

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  4. This is a wonderful interview! I really enjoyed reading Jessica Leccia and Crystal Chappell's responses. You can feel their enthusiasm. It’s pure bliss! Thanks for providing this link and continuing to cover Otalia.

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  5. Thanks so much for covering this! Guiding Light is getting this right for sure. The story is so good it hurts! This is the most excited I've ever been about a coupling!

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  6. What a fantastic interview!

    thanks again for covering them and giving people a chance to know what's happening on GL.

    I agree that we have to praise soaps when they get it right. And with Otalia, Guiding Light has gotten it very, very right.

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  7. Holy rock salt, those two are virtually incapable of giving a sucky interview. They're delivering once more.

    Thanks for keeping up the coverage, We Love Soaps!

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  8. Wonderful to be getting the inside scoop just when we need it. And it spreads the word on this great storyline. They are doing great and compelling work over there and they deserve recognition for it!

    Thanks for the coverage - please do more!

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  9. Love this interview with all my fangrrl heart. Thank you for letting peeps know about it. The Otaliaverse is only going to grow from here.

    I swear its like the PTB at Guiding Light read every online conversation ever had about queer representation on television and how horrible it has been executed. Then they just said, "why not do it right?"

    I bow to GL and of course CC and JL. You have more love coming your way than you will know what to do with.

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  10. What a great interview! I'm totally shocked at how open they are about the upcoming story and how it will play out. I also want to give props to GL and CBS for telling this story the way it needed to be told. Bravo!

    Keep it coming!

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  11. I don't understand what would make Frank possibly think he should marry Natalia, or that she would even want to.

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  12. Thanks Roger and "We Love Soaps" for keeping the light shining on such a great story! GL has shown that the great storytelling of old really does work! It helps to have two incredible actresses telling the story. Thanks to Crystal and Jessica for showing what a real love story is!

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  13. I'm really glad that GL is getting all of this press for this wonderful storyline because they deserve it. I haven't been captivated by a soap s/l like this in years!

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  14. Thanks for the coverage!! If there's any story worth promoting out there, it's this one.

    This interview was incredible, and CC & JL were as pleasantly candid as always...actually more so, which helped my jaded heart. This story is making me so excited for them (getting to play such an interesting, meaty storyline) and excited for us (getting to watch a story that is so good and being told so, so right.) It amazes me everyday how right this really is.

    In a time when most soap news is so bleak and depressing, Otalia is...hah...a "Guiding Light.":) I hope other soaps will take note. And, I hope more soap fans...and/or fans of good storytelling...will catch the Otalia bug and join us all here on this wonderful ride.

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  15. I could not agree more, Roger.

    Frank seems so terribly out of touch. How can he go from knowing she needs time and space to, "be my wife"?!?!?

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  16. Thanks for all the great coverage you're giving to this storyline, Roger. What this venerable old show is managing to create here is really something, isn't it?

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  17. Such great, great writing in this story line. I am so pleased with it, and I really have to thank Guiding Light for committing to telling it.

    Thanks for giving Otalia the press they deserve!

    Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia have been so good lately, it's heart-wrenching. I've missing feeling so emotionally invested in a soap.

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