Exclusive: Marcy Walker & A Martinez Reunite to Celebrate ‘Santa Barbara’s’ 40th Anniversary
Over 50 actors, producers, writers, directors, network executives and other personnel from the gone-but-never-forgotten soap opera Santa Barbara gathered at the Colony Theater in Burbank, California, about a week ago to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the NBC daytime serial that premiered on July 30, 1984. The gathering served as a benefit for the Conasauga Shakespeare Coalition, whose artistic director is Lane Davies (Mason Capwell).
As moderator of the event’s Q&A, I was able to catch up with many of the show’s cast on the gala’s pre-show red carpet.
New World Television/courtesy Everett Collection
A Martinez and Marcy Walker played supercouple Cruz Castillo and Eden Capwell and drove much of the romance and drama for years. Alas, neither actor was on the show when it went off the air in early 1993. Walker had left the series in 1991 to headline the CBS drama Palace Guard. Martinez left in 1992 to join the cast of L.A. Law as Daniel Morales.
As other soaps came to a close in the following years, it wasn’t uncommon for actors to revisit shows that helped make them famous. Case in point: Julianne Moore reprised Frannie Hughes on As the World Turns in 2010 to help send the CBS sudser off in style. Would Walker and Martinez have returned to Santa Barbara to help soothe the pain fans were feeling over the show’s cancellation had they been asked?
“Sure,” Martinez responds. “Absolutely,” concurs Walker with a smile.
The actress, who won the 1989 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, says, “[Being on Santa Barbara] was the biggest chapter of joy in my life.”
Credit Mike Pingel
Walker returned to soaps after Santa Barbara’s demise, playing the role of Tangie Hill on Guiding Light before returning to her role as Liza Colby on All My Children. She dropped out of sight after exiting Pine Valley in 2005. “I’m embarrassed at my hiding under a rock as much as I have,” the actress demurs.
She hastens to add that it was the prospect of reuniting with her Santa Barbara pals, Martinez especially, that prompted her to make this rare public appearance. “He’s like somebody who stitches my heart — forever,” Walker emotionally shares. “I wanted to see A.”
Martinez has worked regularly since arguing his last case on L.A. Law. On the soap front, he’s appeared on One Life to Live, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of Our Lives. But it’s clear that the series closest to his heart is Santa Barbara; he won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1990 for playing Cruz.
“I love that the show is so beloved,” he says. “I spend a lot of time watching [old episodes].”
As to why the show was a big hit in foreign markets, especially Russia, Martinez says, “It’s not a mystery. It was real good. We had so many great people.”
>> Click here for more exclusive stories and photos on the reunion<<
CBS /Courtesy Everett Collection
Robert Newman (ex-Kirk Cranston, pictured above) reunited with Walker, who he was paired with on Guiding Light as Josh Lewis. But the two first worked together on Santa Barbara. “We had a minute here where I [as Kirk] was trying to kill him,” Newman recalls. “I was trying to kill Cruz and Eden by throwing them into a shark tank! Both A and I ended up with walking pneumonia after that.”
The production tried to get Newman back on his feet by sending him some chicken soup and a bottle of champagne. He used the metal from the champagne bottle’s cork to propose to his wife, Britt Helfer (ex-Lily, Loving).
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Carrington Garland, daughter of the late Beverly Garland (My Three Sons), was the third actress to play ingenue Kelly Capwell, the role originated by Robin Wright (The Princess Bride; House of Cards). Garland believes she was cast, in part, due to her partial resemblance to Walker.
“I think I did something different [from the other actresses] in the audition,” she recalls. “My favorite storyline was working with [the late] Roscoe Born [who played twins Robert and Quinn].”
The reunion was represented by actors from all eras of the show, including Christina McNown (formerly Christina Brascia), who was paired opposite Eric Close’s Sawyer Walker. “Now, I’m married, have four children, and am a fashion stylist and image consultant,” she says.
New World Television/courtesy Everett Collection
Soap hopper Vincent Irizarry (Dr. Scott Clark, pictured above) reunited with onscreen love interest Jane Rogers (Dr. Heather Donnelly). The actor was all set to take off for Italy for a year after he’d joined the show when Santa Barbara got him to stick around a little longer “They talked me into staying,” he says. “There was a new head writer and a new head of daytime at NBC.”
Miranda Wilson, perhaps best known as Megan Hathaway on Days of Our Lives, played psychic Sandra Mills who attempted to help Cruz find his and Eden’s missing daughter. Recently, the actress has been reviewing scenes from her time on the show. “They remind me of the amazing dialogue and how much I absolutely adored working with A Martinez,” Wilson says.
ReMIND also chatted with Harley Jane Kozak, whose character, Mary Duvall (a former nun), died after being hit by a giant “C” from the Capwell hotel during a windstorm. Kozak says that fans still ask her about this iconic moment today.
“I was talking to Jerry [Dobson, cocreator] and it all sounded so grand in the script,” Kozak says, but points out the actual big letter that struck her was made of mere Styrofoam.
“I shouldn’t be breaking the fourth wall,” the actress says about revealing that the gigantic “C” wasn’t that heavy; however, she chuckles that if it were made of sturdier stuff, “I might not be standing here!”
Remind
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June 2017
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