Dueling Diva
May 4, 2004
Soap Opera Weekly

WEEKLY editor Carolyn Hinsey doesn’t shrink from a challenge, and luckily neither does Catherine Hickland, who plays One Life to Live’s Lindsay, a character embroiled in a steamy love affair with a younger man.

Carolyn: Were you scared when you first heard OLTL was going to pair you with a guy who was, ahem, slightly younger than you?

Catherine: Well, scared is a big word. Freaked out, maybe – there are five presidential terms between us. But scared? Nah…I couldn’t imagine what it was going to be like to kiss a boy that age, I couldn’t imagine how the audience would respond to it. But once I took my personal opinions out of it, I was curious to see what it would be.

Carolyn: What do you think now?

Catherine: It’s really interesting, and I KNOW it’s timely, because I get mail from people who are in such relationships. Not to mention the famous people we read about that seem to be fascinating America. (Paging Demi Moore.) A fringe benefit of being with someone older is that you get less game playing and more experience, which younger guys apparently aren’t accustomed to. To be honest, I don’t really feel the age difference anymore, I just have to get over the overwhelming urge to cut John-Paul’s steak when we’re eating a meal together. What about you? Have you ever been with a younger man?

Carolyn: You’re funny. Yes I have, and you met him.

Catherine: Oh, that’s right! I forgot about him! He WAS a young ‘un!

Carolyn: Yup. Younger guys find older women very refreshing because we don’t dwell on things we can’t control like, “Where is this relationship going?” or, “Who’s going to pay for dinner?” I completely buy Lindsay and Rex, because coming off a wing nut like her daughter Jen, Rex would be attracted to Lindsay’s no-nonsense approach to hanging out and having sex. (She’s kinda pretty, too…) What scenes would you like to play in this relationship that you haven’t been able to yet?

Catherine: You are SO right about why we older girls are appealing. We have already played the games and bought the T-shirts. Plus, women in the past decade have been getting better with age. If you go back and look at old photos, you will definitely say that you’re more of a babe now, and I think most women are! As far as where I’d like to see the story go, I was obsessed with the love story of Burt Reynolds and Dinah Shore when I was a teenager reading movie magazines. They apparently had a S-I-Z-Z-I-L-I-N-G sex life and she controlled the joystick, baby. She didn’t want to marry him because of the 20-years-down-the-road scenario. Twenty-plus years between them, and she had the foresight to see the heartbreak ahead. It went on for years and took my breath away! So, what would I like to play? I’ll take weird love stories for 100, Alex.

Carolyn: Me, too. It would be fun to see Rex and Lindsay fall for each other in spite of themselves, encountering all the pitfalls that would entail. “I can’t wait to have kids,” says Rex. “I’ve got 11 eggs left,” retorts Lindsay. And picture Lindsay going to Dorian for advice on dating younger guys and Dorian getting all mad. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, David and I are the same age,” she would huff. It has all the makings of my favorite kind of soap couple: funny and touching at the same time.

Catherine: I know I’m teetering on the edge of the demo, but I long for the days of simple storytelling – impossible love stories like Al and Marcie on my show. I watch all the soaps and I still believe in the end that is what hooks cross-generational viewers. (I still miss Ryan’s Hope!) I remember when Dawson’s Creek started, no one was allowed to call me from 8:00 to 9:00, I was HOOKED. It was about kids, but it was intelligent, fun, emotional and the characters were full-bodied. Of course, the story that had me riveted was the one where Pacey was having a love affair with his beautiful but much older teacher. They lost me when that was over.

Carolyn: Maybe Rex/Lindsay will be the May/September love story to hook viewers this year.

Catherine: From your lips to God’s ear. And from God’s ear to the writers’ pens! A girl can only hope. Whoops – I mean a woman can only hope.