Rediscover Hillary Wilson: Carmen Thomas-Paris

Could it be true? Pine Valley newbie and all around bad-boy Damon Miller (Finn Wittrock) is allegedly the son of Tad Martin's first true love (well kind of, long story), Hillary Wilson.

Pine Valley sweetheart Hillary was played by our good friend and timeless beauty (I mean look at the picture above, she has not aged a day!), Carmen Thomas-Paris, from 1984-1988. With all the rumblings of Tad's past with Hillary we reached out to Thomas-Paris for her opinion on what's going on. Check it out:

“It’s been very exciting to get so many calls and e-mails asking if I am returning to the show! I wish that I knew more about this intriguing prospect and how perfect that the show is now right here in my own back yard!! I have been in touch with some of the actors on the show who were my friends when I was on the show who are all very jazzed at the idea of me returning to the cast to revive my role.

Especially Michael Knight (Tad Martin) who has been wanting this to happen for years.

Since the current producer of the show is not familiar with Hillary, Michael has told me he is pitching me to come back as Hillary and stir up some trouble for Tad!

Also, he and I both feel that Hillary and Tad never got enough of a chance together since most of our time was spent “unrequited” and once we finally got married Michael left the show so this could be our chance to finally have some juicy stuff.

I know from hearing through the grapevine that Lorraine Broderick who is the Headwriter, wants to bring back Hillary but two new Headwriters will take over at the end of the month so who knows what their ideas might be.

Lorraine Broderick is part of the regime, who with Agnes Nixon, created the role of Hillary.

This could be a really great opportunity to get back some previous fans of the shows and merge with the new viewers!

I watched the show last week when I heard all this late breaking news to see what was happening in Pine Valley and it warmed my heart to see some familiar faces which were like family to me!

I was a mere teenager when I showed up in Pine Valley...Julia Barr (Brooke English) was like a real Auntie to me so it would be such an adventure to be back with all these dear people that I love!”

Stick around The Pine Valley Bulletin for the next two weeks of features revolving around Hillary and her one and only portrayer Carmen Thomas-Paris as we Rediscover Hillary Wilson together!

What drove Hillary and Tad apart? Why does Damon remind us of Hillary's last lover and almost husband, Mitch Beck (yes, that's Donna Tyler's little brother)?

We will also have a full feature interview with Carmen Thomas-Paris and update all you fans on what she has been up to, her days at All My Children, and the lessons learned for the southern ingenue as she grew up in the big city. Phoebe Wallingford would be proud!

Do you want Hillary and Carmen Thomas-Paris back in Pine Valley as much as we do? Make your voice heard! Reach out to AMC Producer Julie Carruthers via email: Julie.Carruthers@abc.com

Where Are They Now? Amanda Baker (ex-Babe Carey Chandler; 2007-08, 2009)

If you were watching CBS Primetime tonight, you would spotted Amanda Baker (the lesser known Babe Carey who seems to come back for all the ghostly appearances and flashbacks as if Alexa Havins never existed) on The Rules of Engagement as David Spade's uber-Christian one-night stand.

Where Are They Now? Terri Ivens (2001-06, 2007)

All My Children's answer to Carrie Bradshaw, Terri Ivens (ex-Simone Torres) posted a clip on Youtube of her 5 year-old daughter, Kiana Osgood's, premier stage performance:



It looks like performing runs in the genes. I still remember producers trying to hide Iven's very obvious baby bump while she was pregnant.

Fun fact: In 2004, Ivens came out of maternity leave in Los Angeles early to tape a segment for the show's 35th Anniversary opposite Carol Burnett (ex-Verla Grubbs). The scene was shot on the General Hospital lot.

Where Are They Now: Judith Barcroft (ex-Anne Tyler, 1971-77)

We Love Soaps posted a wonderful interview with All My Children veteran Judith Barcroft (ex- Anne Tyler). The program became a family affair for Barcroft as husband Winser Washam was Agnes Nixon's successor as Headwriter and son Ian Washam was the first Charlie Brent.

Click HERE for this treat for all History fans. I loved the story about how she had to tell Washam to write her out of the show at the dinner table.

Barcroft (l.) with onscreen father and former bus mate, the late Hugh Franklin (ex-Dr. Charles Tyler)

Matt Borlenghi (ex-Brian) Welcomes Twin Boys

Matt Borlenghi (ex-Brian Bodine, above) welcomed twin boys, Dalton Roberto and Pearson Woods, on January 5, 2010... the anniversary of All My Children.

Mother and children are reportedly doing well. Dalton and Pearson join big sister Garland. The now West Coast based Borlenghi will soon be appearing on ABC soap General Hospital.

See below for a picture of the babies at the hospital (you know, the real one):

Photos courtesy of Matt Borlenghi

Where are They Now? William Mooney (ex-Paul Martin; 1972-82, 1984, 1985, 1995)

A year ago, the PVB sat down with William Mooney (ex-Paul Martin) to talk about his role as Legal Eagle Paul Martin and his early career in Broadway. Mooney was famous for being one of the first soap characters to simultaneously portray the same role on two different soaps.

Check out what he has to say about those golden years HERE.

There is Something About Mary

Anna Stuart (ex-Mary Smythe) will be featured on Martha Byrne's new web-series Gotham. No news on what role she will be playing.

For more on Gotham, check out their Facebook.

Flashback: Soap Opera Digest 1996

Long before Bailey and Damon came to Pine Valley, there was Kelsey Jefferson (TC Warner) and Bobby Warner (Brian Gaskill), two teenagers who became parents way too young. Just like baby Stuart Colby, Kelsey and Bobby put Sam up for adoption hoping that he would have the life that neither parent could provide (though Bobby had a trust fund and was heir to the Cortlandt Electronics fortune, and Kelsey came from a long line of doctors including her grandfather and father).

The December 6, 2009 issue of Soap Opera Digest had a flashback photo of the "engaged and underage," lovers. Warner took the opportunity to tell the PVB some of her memories from that storyline:

"Little Sammy was two twin girls (Meghan and Alison Tuma), and very happy little girls to say the least! It was very hard to capture a sad moment from the girls faces during the many phases of being passed from the Greys to me, and back to the Greys. Even when Kelsey would be listening to the walk-man and ignoring the child, they still were happy girls!

One time, when they were being passed back and forth at the airport scene when Kelsey finally resided in giving Sammy back to the Greys and Bobby took Sam away - they cried! Each time they were in Brian's arms, they started to get cranky (they were tired that day... normally they were happy in Brian's arms).

If you remember in that scene, I wasn't holding the child. In the script, Kelsey was supposed to be holding the child. The girls cried each time in Brian's arms; we had to do our dialogue between cries.... That was tough! The Directors and Producers used the moment and went with it!

That scene helped win Warner a Soap Opera Digest Award, and garnered Eva LaRue (soon to be Maria Grey again) an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress for arguably the performance of her career so far.

For more on TC Warner and what she is up to now, join her Fan Club.

As for Kelsey, now that Scott Chandler (l. Daniel Cosgrove) is back in the Valley, wouldn't it be fun to see her come back and "claim" her "true love?"

Just saying.

Where Are They Now? Darlena Tejeiro (ex-Anita, 1995-97)

If you were watching this week's episode of CBS' How I Met Your Mother, you spotted Tejeiro as a Lucia the lunch room lady/faux-executive. The Cuban American Actress got to show off her native Spanish skills, something that was surprisingly in short supply during her run at All My Children.

Tejeiro was the only actually Hispanic actress among the Santos sisters. She remembers, "I tried not to make that an issue with anyone. It was kind of hard, but they were all actors. They would make me say a couple of things in Spanish, but not a lot."

Tejeiro's next project is the new JJ Abrams Star Trek feature film due out this summer.

For more on Anita Santos check out her QUICK GUIDE.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

TVGuide Canada's Nelson Branco posted a wishful casting blurb that I think we can all get behind:

Courting the Cortlandts
Like the rest of the country, AMC’s Cortlandts are dealing with financial woes. This week, Pine Valley’s former first family learn they’re completely broke. With Opal receiving increasing screen time, and her son, Petey, stealing the hearts of fans, now would be the perfect time to re-introduce Bobby Warner, played most memorably by the very chill Brian Gaskill (ex-Dylan, GL; ex-Rafe, Port Charles; ex-Oscar, B&B). Since Gaskill is in between gigs, now would be the perfect time to add a thirty-something hunk to the canvas and cement the Cortlandts as renewable resource. It wouldn’t hurt to give Pete a male role model, because as we all know, Adam Chandler isn’t going to win stand-in father of the year anytime soon.

Gaskill had this to say about Branco's Op-Ed:

"Yeah, that was a nice when I saw that [the casting couch]... who knows? I am always open to a return."

Let's hope the writers get a hint and bring more Cortlandts home. Dobermans and all.

Where Are They Now: Richard Shoberg (ex-Tom Cudahy)

Any longtime viewer will recognize Richard Shoberg for his almost thirty year run as Tom Cudahy on All My Children. The Daytime veteran sat down with The Pine Valley Bulletin for an in depth interview about his life outside of the Valley.

Check out his interview HERE.

Looking for Hope in a Past Uncertain

Earlier this year, TC Warner (ex-Kelsey Jefferson) released a novel, Now Silence.

Now Silence is a historical fiction account of life in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during World War II. The plots jumps between scenes in the United States and Nagasaki, Japan, where the second atomic bomb was dropped. Warner illuminates not only the bravery of the American soldiers abroad, but those they left behind.

Warner's story also juxtaposes the atrocities against American POWs in Japan with the Japanese internment camps created by Americans in reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The story came about from Warner's own childhood experiences. She had lived in Japan with her father, before moving to Santa Fe. She quickly recognized how both cities had been affected by the war.

Warner is also working on a film adaptation of her book, to be shot on location in Santa Fe, where she still resides. While not working behind the camera, she is completing her MBA.

To purchase Warner's novel, check out Amazon.com.

Genzel Takes on the White House in WATCHMEN

Vancouver native Carrie Genzel (ex-Skye Chandler) stars as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the highly anticipated movie Watchmen. This is not the first time the similarities between Genzel and Kennedy have been noticed. Photographer Robert Milazzo did a recreation of Ron Galella's famous "Windblown Jackie" shot with Genzel as the model in 1997.

The movie takes place in the 1960's when the USSR and the USA were caught in the cold war. A series of strange happenings eventually ends the conflict, but at what cost?

Fans can also spot Genzel in an upcoming episode of Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place. Genzel has two movies coming out as well: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus with Colin Ferrell and Jennifer's Body with Megan Fox.

Genzel on the set of Watchmen.

Brainard Reflects on Life on the Coast

AMC's original adult Joey Martin, Michael Brainard, will be a guest on Brandon Buzz Radio this Monday, February 9th, 2009 at 8pm PST. He will reflecting on his time as Santa Barbara's Ted Capwell.

The last time the PVB caught up with Brainard, he was still acting and working as a woodworker in Los Angeles, CA. You can read our in depth interview with Brainard HERE.

Where Are They Now?

A cast member seen here in the 1982 cast photo sat down with the Pine Valley Bulletin for an in depth interview about life in the Valley.

To see who's talking, check out the interview HERE.

Sometimes, Life's a Beach

If you are spending time this President's Day Weekend in Santa Monica, California, you may see a familiar face on the beach instructing kids on how to have a sound body, mind and soul. Former All My Children star Carmen Thomas-Paris (ex-Hillary Wilson) has found her calling as founder and instructor of Venice del Play, a weekend camp introducing children to yoga and life on the beach.

Paris has been running the camp since the summer of 2006. "I did not want to have a job where I have to pay someone else to raise my kids," Paris said. The camp schedule allows Paris to bring her children, Sabine and Georges, to work with her when they are on holiday from school.

All My Children is never too far from Paris' thoughts. "Once in a while, I become very nostalgic. It is funny how that all works. I had not thought about the show in so long when I watched (the other) day," Paris said.

For information on Venice del Play and how your child can be part of their President's Day session, check out Paris' website.

For more on what Paris has been up to since leaving All My Children in 1988, stay tuned to the Pine Valley Bulletin for an in depth interview.

Paris at one of her summer sessions.

Shoberg seeks the truth in "Perfect Crime"

Richard Shoberg will forever be recognized by All My Children fans for playing the role of resident hero Tom Cudahy, where he last appeared onscreen in 2005. Shoberg has a new stomping ground and new victims to save as Detective Ascher, the lead in Warren Manzi's Perfect Crime.

Perfect Crime is the longest running dramatic play in New York City, with over 8,898 performances. The show still features original cast member Catherine Russell as psychologist turned murderer Margaret Thorne Brent. The show plays at Snapple Theatre Center off Broadway in New York City, New York.

On how Shoberg landed his new role, he said, "I was trying to find something in New York or California. I had done regional theater and would like to do it again. At this juncture of my life, I wanted to limit the amount of time I am out." He has been with the show for almost two years now.

Shoberg describes his new character as a, "Small town detective that comes into a situation where he is to investigate something that doesn't seem to be real." Shoberg said, "As he gets deeper into it, he sees little clues and sees that things are not as they seem."

Shoberg is not the first All My Children alumi to star on the show. He was actually the understudy when Michael Minor (ex-Brandon Kingsley) played the role of Detective Ascher. "Minor and I also worked together on The Edge of Night on CBS," Shoberg said. "I did the understudy for six months, doing all three male parts from time to time."

The theater was what originally sparked Shoberg's desire to become an actor. Shoberg saw his first Arthur Miller play in college. He decided then to become a theater major. Then, Shoberg landed a spot in the prestigious fine arts program at the Great Lake Colleges that brought aspiring artists to New York City to work in apprenticeships within the entertainment industry. Shoberg worked at the Actor's Studio under Lee Strasberg.

"After that, I never left," Shoberg said.

While not on stage, Shoberg can sometimes be spotted at his wife's Thai restaurant in New City, New York called Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant. "I am not there as much as I used to be," Shoberg said. "I have helped out hosting, bartending, whenever I can."

For more information on Perfect Crime and how you can buy tickets, visit their website.

Also, stay tuned for an exclusive interview with the AMC Alumna only here at The Pine Valley Bulletin!

Where Are They Now? Michael Brainard (1988-91, 1994, 1995)

Dr. Jake Martin's past marriage to Emily Ann Sago has come into play in recent storylines. Michael Brainard (ex-Joey) remembers that time on the show fondly:

"It was her [Liz Vassey's] choice to play it crazy. I tried to play that stuff straight up.”

To learn more about Brainard's time as the first adult Joey Martin, and what he is up to today, check out his interview HERE.