Soap Opera Weekly
March 20, 2001
Meow, Wow!

Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, One Life to Live) hosted a purrfectly divine party in the penthouse of the Morgan Hotel to introduce her Cat Cosmetics line to the press. A roster of ABC soap beauties, most sporting Cat faces (they're wearing the stuff both on-screen and off), were there to promote the products and to support Catherine, who's beloved and admired in the soap community. "I'm her Mini-Me," said Rebecca Budig (Greenlee, All My Children). "I want to be Catherine." Catherine said Rebecca reminds her of herself when she was that age, though back then Catherine was already a skilled makeup artist. Rebecca says she's still struggling not to look "like a clown" when she has to do the job herself.

"Oh, I wish I could be as beautiful as she is," said Kelly Ripa (Hayley) of her chronically self-deprecating AMC cast mate. Kelly's another exquisite woman who routinely puts herself down. Of a photo of herself and Catherine that ran last year in the Daily News, Kelly claimed: "She"--Catherine--"looked like Miss America, and I looked half-human, half-carp." "Kelly was nobody then," Catherine said, in joking reference to recent "Ripamania" since Kelly became Regis Philbin's talk-show co-host.

Kelly had, in fact, come directly from taping some bits with Regis. I told her how at a party the previous week Laura Wright (Cassie, Guiding Light) had sworn that from the moment it was announced that Kathie Lee Gifford was vacating her post she thought Kelly was the ideal replacement. "She's intelligent and witty and quick. And when I found out she was a candidate," Laura went on, "I was like, 'Get outta town.'"

Laura hadn't yet had a chance to congratulate her one-time best buddy because they hadn't talked in more than a year. "My first year or two on Loving," Laura said, "Kelly and I were inseparable. Our big joke was that we got fat together because we would eat cheeseburgers and waffle fries all the time." I asked her why they drifted apart. "Oh, you know, boyfriends came along, and then work. I mean, if she walked in the door, you'd see us talking like not a minute had passed."

Maybe now that Kelly and hubby Mark Consuelos (Mateo, AMC) have moved back to New York from New Jersey, the two women can renew their friendship. Kamar De Los Reyes (Antonio, OLTL) says the relocation will make it easier for him and his wife, Elaine, to spend time with the couple, whose almost-4-year-old son, Michael, is best friends with Kamar and Elaine's 3 1/2-year-old, Caylen. "They're together right now, as a matter of fact," being baby-sat by Michael's nanny.

Elaine and I moseyed over to the corner where a bartender was mixing martinis in a manner that would thrill James Bond. He gave the ingredients one mild shake before pouring them down an ice luge, where they blended and chilled before sliding into a glass. Jessica Morris (Jen, OLTL) sipped a Cosmo while debating TV brother Jason-Shane Scott (Will) about Snatch, the film they'd just seen together. He liked it, she didn't except for Brad Pitt. No argument from Jason. "I'm secure enough as a guy to say that I love Brad Pitt."

Erin Torpey (Jessica, OLTL) may love David Fumero (Cristian, OLTL), but the silver heart she was wearing around her neck was a Valentine's/birthday gift from OLTL hairstylist Wayne Bilotti. As for what she and David exchanged on that romantic holiday, "We won't go there," she said, giggling and tossing a significant look at Darlene Vogel (Melanie, OLTL), who knew the answer but wasn't saying. It's one of those secrets shared with hair and makeup, where, as Erin said, "You learn all about everything."

Wayne and fellow hairstylist Laurie Filippi are privy to many of those secrets. Here's one they shared about Catherine: While she is getting her hair done, "She works nonstop," said Laurie. "She's on the phone, she's on the computer. Twenty-four hours a day is not enough for her."

"This is a huge undertaking for Catherine, and we're all very proud," Gina Tognoni (Kelly, OLTL) said, adding, "It's amazing makeup." Her favorite item: "The bronzer--it gives you a really healthy glow--and the vanilla cream shadow opens up the eye," Erin and Hillary B. Smith (Nora, OLTL) singled out the brushes, Kelly adores the blush, and everyone loves the pink and gold glosses.

Catherine's husband, Michael E. Knight (Tad, AMC), says he's "surprised but not amazed" at the makeup's debut, "because Catherine's always been able to pull off miracles. She comes to New York and says, 'I want to sing on Broadway,' and two years later she's in Les Miserables. And I'm the one who goes, 'Boy, how did I luck into this?' I'm unbelievably proud." And so supportive that, "as a publicity thing," he might start wearing her foundation himself on the show. Although, "They could slap me with DuPont and I wouldn't know the difference."