Soap Opera Digest
February 24, 2004
The Cat's Meow
A Photo History Of Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) And Her (Michael E.) Knight (Tad, ALL MY CHILDREN) In Shining Armor
Coming up on 12 years of marriage, Catherine Hickland and Michael E. Knight are one of soaps’ reigning couples. Here, we relive their love story with some memorable quotes and even more memorable pics of the loveable pair.
1991-92: The duo met in California. Knight was taking a break from AMC, while Hickland had just returned from Rome. He attended a birthday party that she threw for herself in ’91. After, the pair took acting classes together, but didn’t expect to be more than just friends. However, a romance blossomed and they wed on June 27, 1992 in Malibu. “I said, ‘I feel really dumb because I’m really attracted to you,’” Knight shared with Digest. “What are we going to do about it?’” “Deep down, I knew right away Michael was the one,” Hickland said. “I’ve never known anyone like him.”
1993-95: Both actors were back in New York on ABC soaps (he returned to AMC in 1992; she began starring as Tess on LOVING in 1993). They didn’t get sick of each other, though, while working at the same studio. In fact, the close quarters had the opposite effect. “Sometimes we’ll see each other in the hallway and stop,” Hickland revealed. “Sparks will fly and we’ll make out for a moment. People walk by and go, ‘Oh, God!’”
1997-93: Several years into their marriage (and with Hickland on OLTL), the pair was more in love than ever – even though they had some differences in lifestyle. “My husband went home after the [1998] Emmys because he was so exhausted from the experience…I was like, ‘I’ll see you later. I’m going to the parties. I have friends to see and dish to spill,’” Hickland reported. “He said, ‘When do you think you’ll be home?’ I said, ‘Some time before breakfast!’”
“She’s somebody who wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Be thankful for what you’ve got because you’ve got a lot,’” Knight praised of his wife’s zest for life. “She’s somebody who points out the road signs along the way and says, ‘Take note.’ And I do.”
1999-2001: In 1999, Hickland took on the role of beauty guru. That year, her “Product Queen” column began running in Digest; in 2001, she opened her own cosmetics company, Cat Cosmetics (www.catcosmetics.com). Throughout this busy time, she could count on Knight for his support – and sense of humor. “[At the launch party for Cat Cosmetics] she was standing there looking like a million bucks, and I was like, ‘Who is that middle-aged man?’” he joked. “I look at my wife, and I feel like an ABC AFTER-SCHOOL SPECIAL about the ‘special’ boy next door.”
“With Michael…there is complete support on both sides, which is very rare for two performers,” Hickland beamed.
2003: Forget snuggling in the studio hallways – last year, Hickland got to be on-screen with her hubby during OLTL’s Fan Fantasy February episode. “I always thought it would be weird to act with your husband,” she said, “but there he is, standing in front of you, in your scene, and you’re like, ‘Wow, wow – you are really good.’ I thought he was adorable.”
And with more than a decade of marriage behind them, Hickland reflected, “Believe me, there are times when I want to fire him out the window in flames [laughs], but I cannot imagine my life without Michael.”
