Playing the waiting game

 By Stella Bednarz, Soap Opera Digest, 1988

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So near, yet so far. Imagine the excitement of being cast on a soap opera - just to find yourself standing around while other people become stars. Try being the centre of attention for several years, only to find yourself permanently shifted to the back burner. That's what happens when you're an under-used actor.

Todd McKee, Ted Capwell, Santa Barbara

"Being back burner is worse than not working at all. Sometimes I feel like I'm a highly paid extra. I know story lines go in waves and peaks, but this is too long of a valley. Sometimes, it's maddening and I think, "Gosh darn it"", says Todd McKee. Since Santa Barbara debuted in 1984, his character has been the show's designated nice guy. "Ted can be so boring » Todd admits. "I understand the problem. He's the clean-cut, all-American kid, I'd like to see him get out of that run."

Santa Barbara was Todd's first acting job (he won it while in college), so he had no expectations. Initially, Ted was part of prominent teen story. The end of that plot, coupled with the break-up of Ted and Laken, spelled "back burner" for McKee. "Once Laken left, that's when it really died," he muses. "I had problems with some of the girls they brought on. Getting good chemistry is everything on soap. I finally got a story with Hayley, but they got divorced and she got killed, it was definitely over."

Many, many characters on Santa Barbara have bit the dust since '84. Remember the Lockridge, Andrade and Perkins families ? Gone with the win. Todd admits that being a member of the almighty Capwell clan may have saved his job. "I can't believe I'm still on the show," he marvels. "I was luck that I was cast as a Capwell." He thinks that writer and producer turnovers may have contributed to Ted getting lost in the shuffle, not easy thing to accept. "It's tough to get back on the front burner once you've been established as a backup... Cruz and Eden go through absolutely everything, while characters like mine support them, the whole way through. I've made enough visits to the hospital to visit everyone else."

But now, for the first time since he signed with the show in '84, Todd's contract is up. "I plan to move on unless there are some serious guarantee," he reveals. "It's not the money. I just want to work more. I love the show."

Todd uses his free hours to build financial security, "With the money, I'm making, I've purchased two houses. I sold one for over a half million dollars. I bought it cheap and fixed it up in my spare time. I never would have done that if I weren't working steadily. Also, I've learned to fly and now I'm a pilot. I travel and I've become a big wind surfer and scuba diver."

"I'm not sitting around moping and being sensitive about my situation. I really wouldn't do it differently. I'm so thankful for everything. I've learned a lot and I've grown. If I had a major story line right from college, I might have become spoiled. I like to live my life without regrets."