Do Not Disturb

Maureen Garrett: Do Not Disturb!
Soap Opera Update
By Bill Lieberman
August 25, 1992

As Holly on Guiding Light, Maureen Garrett is at the forefront of a great deal of the action, but in real life, she, not unlike Greta Garbo, just wants to be left alone.

Don't get her wrong! She appreciates the show's acclaim, the clamoring of fans for her autograph—for she knows that without them there would be no Guiding Light or Holly—but as Maureen puts it, she's a "reluctant celebrity."

"It's funny . . . all my roommates—Maeve (Kincaid, Vanessa) and Ellen (Parker, Maureen) and I," Maureen shares, "it is just hard for us. Some people say, 'Oh, you're an actress. That comes with the territory. The fans own a part of you.' And it's like, 'Wait a minute! No, no, no, no. I didn't sign on for that.' I just come here to work and to do my part. I'm a very private person. I'm an actress. I got into this business to act. I don't feel that I owe anyone anything but my work on the screen. I do very little of the publicity and stuff because, I don’t know, it just doesn't hang well on me. It just always feels odd."

"I appreciate the fans, my fans. I think that it's really nice. My God, thank goodness they're watching us. Otherwise we would have not jobs. But I give what I give there on the screen. . . It just embarrasses me. I always try, when people come up, to be gracious and appreciative. But then I start to feel uncomfortable; I don't know what more they want from me. It's strange."

A startling declaration from a woman who, when you meet her in person, seems as bubbly and uninhibited as one can get. Sure, it might have been the circumstances or that fact that I wasn't an ogling fan, but it should be clear to Maureen what people want. She says it herself—fans want to be in the presence of a woman who is not only strong on screen, but has the presence of mind to stand by her convictions and give all of the struggling women in America the opportunity to see that anything is possible with a little hard work.

"I want to share it with all women over 40 who are out there trying to make something happen."

That would have been Maureen Garrett's Emmy acceptance speech had she gotten the opportunity to trek to the podium to pick up the coveted statuette in June. She considered the nomination a great honor, but predicted days before the telecast that co-star Maeve Kincaid would get the nod. But getting back to the strides that women have made in the daytime industry, she's honored to be amongst such a select group.

"A woman's place in daytime is very strong," Maureen believes, "one of the strongest in terms of the industry. Women's roles have certainly evolved. We used to all play housewives and secretaries and nurses, and now we're all professional women. There's nobody that doesn't work. Although in terms of actresses—except for those few mega ones—they are generally paid less than men. That's unfortunate. But as far as respect, I think that it's equal. I think that women are just as able to speak out . . . certainly around here we are."

And around here—meaning the GL set—Maureen has been a part of some of the best storylines an actress could ask for. The rape of Holly by Roger will long be remembered as one of the soap's most enticing, and Holly's relationship with daughter Blake—including the recent revelation that Blake is involved in a torrid affair with the same man that Holly wants . . .Ross—keeps getting better.

When asked about the changes that her character has gone through during the transition of headwriters—from Pam Long (now with Santa Barbara) to the current team—Maureen admits that "the relationship with Blake is much more developed, although it is still kind of one-note. We seem to have much more stuff together. What I really miss is more stuff with Roger, because that was always what I understood was the reason for Holly and Roger coming back on the show: to deal with that relationship. So I'm always looking for more of that. Every time I ask, I hear, 'Oh yes, that’s gold. We're saving that.' So when? When we're grandparents, then we'll finally get down to talking."

Considering the intensity of Holly's storylines, it is sometimes difficult for Maureen to add the humor that she so tries to bring to Holly—"It's sometimes hard, but I try"—but she's fervent in her belief that Guiding Light does a top-notch job when tackling social issues. And after watching the recent primetime GL special, it's even more evident.

"The show really takes the time to handle these storylines. I think that we've dealt with social issues just as well as nighttime has. But we need to confront the AIDS epidemic. Absolutely. Everyone says that. And homosexuality—it's like it never happened in any of these towns. I mean, come on! Soaps still have a long way to go. We shouldn't be afraid of who we might offend—especially since AIDS is so widespread now. It's touching . . . Well I can't imagine who it is not touching. It's the great, great tragedy of our time."

The one fact that I could pull out of Maureen about her private life is her love for gardening and "all kinds of tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, strawberries, sugar snap peas, kale, a whole bed of different lettuces and ruggalah, broccoli, peppers" that she's growing on an acre of land at her Montauk cabin. That makes her happy.

Could she be any happier?

"I always hope to think that the best is yet to come, I must say. I always have that feeling."

Like Mother, Like Daughter . . . sort of!
GL's executive producer Jill Farren Phelps discusses this unique triangle . . .

The important thing to keep in mind in regard to this triangle is that you're not dealing with just any mother/daughter relationship. Blake and Holly have had a combustible connection for as long as anyone can remember. And Jill Farren Phelps is more aware of that these days than anyone else: "Because Blake is Holly's daughter, maybe Holly will get past what's happening between Blake and Ross, but certainly not in the foreseeable future. Holly's reaction is a large part of the next stage of this story," she teases during a brief break in her hectic schedule.

Making her job all the more frantic of late, is keeping the delicate balance that this triangle requires in order to prevent it from slipping into the realm of the unbelievable.

"Blake has been trying to set up Holly discovering her 'affair' with Ross, but has been unable to go through with it," Phelps offers when queried on whether Blake's feelings are still purely motivated by revenge, or whether they have begun to develop into more. "So I think that we are already seeing a shift in Blake's feelings for Ross."

A shift in Ross' feelings has been evident on-air for quite some time, as we have witnessed the usually levelheaded attorney systematically become trapped in the web that Blake has been spinning. But can we expect Ross to do a reversal on his proclamation to Holly that he is not interested in her romantically at this time, thus setting up a deeper entanglement for this threesome to overcome? According to Phelps: "Ross has always cared very much about Holly, but his feelings for Blake are quite passionate at the moment." So it looks as though the real conflict will arise out of Holly's anger at what she will view as Blake's manipulating Ross for purely hateful reasons.

But Phelps is quick to point out another interesting angle to this story, one that could make it truly explosive. "Wait and see what happens when Roger Thorpe finds out that his daughter is sleeping with the enemy!" she warns.

In closing, we were wondering whether the change in the actress playing the role of Blake (Liz Keifer takes over for the departing Sherry Stringfield at the end of August) will have any affect in changing the direction of the character, or how she is represented in the triangle. But Phelps assures us that is not part of the plan. "Not intentionally," she offers. "Blake is a very strong, well-drawn character. Certainly Elizabeth Keifer will bring her own special qualities to the role, but we have no plans to change the story." --DM

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