In the summer of 1995, I
lost my mother, my greatest and sweetest life friend.
This threw me into a chaotic period of adjustment, both
emotionally and legally. I did several movies of the
week, and some episodic work throughout the following
year to keep myself busy. By the fall of 1996, I was
seriously examining my interest in continuing my career
as an actress. I had no enthusiasm for my work. I wanted
to contribute, I knew that, but it seemed as if all the
life and work that had gone before was somehow
"done", and complete. I was in a limbo of
unknowing of what the new direction for me might be. It
would indeed be "new" as I felt very new
myself. It was as if another "incarnation" was
beginning fresh. I had the memory and awareness of my
experiences, and the lessons learned, but no attachment
to any of it. It was an unusual place, a peaceful place,
and a "holding" place. I knew whatever was
" for" me would reveal itself. I felt patient. Early in November of 1996, my agent called me
and said that Aaron Spelling had personally asked for me
to play a lead role in his first entrance into daytime
drama. It would be called Sunset Beach. I have
to say, I was delighted to be asked for by Aaron.
Obviously he is a tremendously successful producer of the
famous recent series of 90210, Melrose Place,
Seventh Heaven and his "historical
hits" which including Dynasty, Love Boat,
Fantasy Island and Charlie's Angels. We
first met at The Daisy in 1967, a great nightclub on
Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills attended by all the stars.
He'd play pool with Candy by his side and I was a
wide-eyed, very young Peyton Place star with
Ryan by my side. At the time, Aaron was a successful
writer. We have known each other throughout the years as
warm acquaintances.
He is a truly nice man who has raised two wonderful children with his
lovely wife, Candy. Randy Spelling is a special young man. He is funny,
delightful, talented, spiritual, and like his father he is very kind and
good to other people. Tori is a consummate professional, she has the
potential of becoming an even finer actress, she has talent and
discipline. like her younger brother, she is gracious with everyone.
Aaron Spelling has never seemed to lose his sense of wonder. Out of his
childhood love for movies he has created wonderful fantasies to
thoroughly entertain us and take us momentarily away from life's day to
day humdrum. I highly recommend his book Aaron Spelling, A Prime Time
Life. It is inspiring.
From his efforts, and who he is as a person, Aaron has created all he
has today. He deserves it. He has also incorporated into 90210 and Melrose
Place some very pertinent social issues for young people. Seventh Heaven
is a value-oriented family show.
When he asked for me to play Elaine, I took it seriously. However, I
did not want to do daytime. I had my judgments about these shows. They
seemed "unreal" to me. I had never been captured as a loyal daytime
viewer. I had big doubts. To honor Aaron's request, I went in to meet the
producers and the head writer.
They would be starting in two weeks and they still didn't have their
Elaine. Elaine Stevens was originally conceived as an Earth Mother type
like Patricia Neal or Collen Dewhurst. I was not that. I'm a good actress,
but we all carry our own qualities into our roles. However, I am a
nurturing person which did seem to fit the character. The producers felt
strongly that I was right to play her. When they started describing the
character in greater detail, inwardly I felt a tingle of creative juices
stirring. I thought to myself, "Leigh, you are in trouble. You like this
character." I took a day to think about it, and the "tingle" did not go
away. I was excited even in the face of all my considerations. I risked
it, and said Yes! My life now began to have new definition by accepting
this commitment. The producer of Sunset Beach, Gary Tomlin, warned me well
of the demand and the speed of the work. It didn't dissuade me. I saw it
as a challenge. Well, when I began shooting, I realized fully how right he
was.
The first month I was on the show I was quite upset. I thought I was
terrible. I simply was not used to three cameras, almost no rehearsal and
only one, or possibly two, takes. I was a "process" oriented actress who
needed rehearsal and at least some time to prepare. In nighttime
television, you learn to speed up your "process" of preparation and
readiness. In daytime, you work comparatively at the speed of light, often
with 20 to 30 pages of dialogue a day. You might take a week to shoot that
much dialogue in a nighttime series. I was convinced I had seriously
damaged my career. I felt I couldn't be good without my comfort zone of
"more time". Given that I was committed to Sunset Beach , I knew I
had better find a way. I did. I decided to be good in less time, as
quickly as possible. I decided to trust myself. Somewhere in me, after
thirty years of working and wonderful training, was the ability to risk,
and "go for it" with no "safety net" and still arrive at the emotional
moments.
I accepted there would be days when I simply would not meet my
expectations and, so, you go on to the next day's work. You can do that in
daytime. You can always go on to the next day. Just do your best. Sunset
Beach is taught me to let go, to trust, to accept and to go on. These are
the kind of things I like to be learning in any acting assignment.
I have to say my respect for actors on daytime dramas is very high.
They work hard. They deserve the loving and loyal fans they have. They
make their characters very real and accessible. Accessibility is the key
to daytime. The actors/characters are in your home every day with their
daily life challenges. They become familiar friends to the audience.
Sunset Beach was for me a very productive and fulfilling experience.
