The Romeos, heroes and heartthrobs of Santa Barbara !
By Rosemary Rossi, Soap Opera Update, 1989	Home   Cette page en Français

Meet some of the most exciting men of Santa Barbara, the Emmy Award-winning soap with a penchant for humor end a passion for romance. Soap Opera Update has gathered the actors who portray C.C. and Mason Capwell, Cruz and Ric Castillo, Mack Blake and Ethan Asher, and their views on the show and especially the loves of their lives, the women of Santa Barbara, will fascinate you !

Ethical Ethan, the gorgeous Leigh McCloskey

"Most of the time the fans would write that they were glad that they figured out a way that I could stay on the show. I found that even when I was playing Zack, I would get these split personality letters that would say charmingly : "I hate you for what you're doing to women, I hope you suffer    and burn in hell." Then they would say : "I think you're really a wonderful actor and I hope they keep you on the show." There are certain things I had to keep out of the performance initially. Like I was pretty much a neo-Nazi when I came back. I was very tough and a little to the right of, probably, Genghis Khan when I came back as for as the humanistic side. But I think as we continue to develop Ethan, he is becoming more of a real person."

On working with Robin Mattson and Christopher Norris
"I find working with both Christopher and Robin very rewarding and I find them both very professional. It's marvellous to see Christopher playing such a wicked woman because she is such the opposite in real life. She's delightful. Who's interesting with Robin, who is also a very fine actress, is that she has a very different energy than Christopher. So working between them both is challenging. They pull different sides out of Ethan."

The dynamic C.C. Capwell, handsome Jed Allan

On the women of Santa Barbara
"We have a wide array of personalities. We don't have just beautiful faces. They are wonderful actresses. They all have totally different personalities that makes for great conflict and rapport at the same time. It makes for an interesting show."

On the love/hate relationship between C.C. and Sophia
"It was a pretty positive thing from the start. It was set up very strongly. It is all what you are fed to a large degree. If the actors are still working towards that end, they are connecting somehow on the set."

On C.C.'s lessons in life
"If he learns too much, he can become very boring. The problem is, if he learns too much it's not qualifying his character. What makes him interesting is that you don't know what the hell is going to happen. If you could figure him out, he'd be dull."

On what he likes about C.C.
"It's amazing what happens after a while. When I first started doing C.C., I thought he would be so far removed from the character I played on Days of our Lives, Don Craig. Well he's not so far removed. Everything comes together. You do something long enough, you find more pieces of yourself in your character than you ever realize. You give basically, what you are."

On landing the role of C.C.
"I tried to get this part before they even went on the air. They said I was too young. They couldn't get me off Days of our Lives, even though Days of our Lives wasn't using me very well. Santa Barbara had to wait a year and a half to get me over here."

Compelling Cruz, the wonderful A Martinez

If Cruz could do anything in the world for Eden
"It would be to go to Kawai, to the northwest part of the island where the road ends. We'd walk down the coast and hike along that trail that runs along the cliffs. We would have just enough shelter that would fit on my back. Then go down the beach about 15 miles south. It's the beach that you can't get to unless you make that hike, which is very arduous and few people attempt it. Then we'd stay there and sleep during the day in the shade and stay up all night under the stars and swim in the ocean. That would be my fantasy and the most wonderful thing one could do with their mate."

Ever attempted with his wife Leslie
"We haven't done anything like that lately, but then again, we haven't had a whole lot of time to ourselves. We're very much into being there for our children. We had a lot of time as a couple before the children came, and I know, God willing, we'll have a lot of years afterwards. Which is not to say we're not having fun, because we are. We really love passing time as a foursome. I think it will change again. Right now I think they are so young they need the attention almost all of the time. And we really, to whatever degree we can, like to make that attention our concern."

Devilish Mason, the talented Terry Lester

On what is the silliest thing you've had to do as Mason
"In order to woo Julia back after throwinq her out of the house, Mason sent her a wheelbarrow full of roses. He had been making video tapes with a video camera he had in his room which he then played on a VCR that he had hooked up to the antenna of her house, so no matter which channel  she turned to, she saw "Mason Loves Julia". Meanwhile, he is outside in this rainstorm with an umbrella singing Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head and reciting Shakespeare, and all the while maintaining a distance of 15 feet from the property line because of the restraining order she's had against him."

On why isn't Mason faithful to Julia
"He is morally a very weak character. He's not internalised the moral standards that everybody else lives by. After he kidnapped her, there was a touching scene where Mason said : "I'm not a moral man, but I love you and you are the closest thing to a conscience that I've ever had. If you could love me then, I know I could deserve to be loved." That is pretty much his position."

The volatile Ric Castillo, sexy Peter Love

On what makes Ric and Kelly spark
"I think we are talking personally, not character-wise. When Carrington Garland (Kelly) and I met, we had a wonderful week in Paris. And we just had the right chemistry. We've become great friends. But there is such a sexual tension going on there all the time that is read on camera."

On Ric and Kelly's future together
"I would just like to save the day. There are so many different kinds of situations we could be put into, whether it be a deserted island, or kidnapping, just some action stuff. I'd like to be caught in similar situations where she sees the good side of me but others still see the bad."

Mischievous Mack, the devastating Steve Bond

On how his character is perceived
"The way they see Mack is Mr. Nice Guy. I don't think that is the way he comes across and that is totally because of the way I choose to play him. I think it has to do with the way you are, the way you come off as a person. No one has ever accused me of being Mr. Nice Guy all the time. I think it is interesting dealing with characters that are colorful. I find them more exciting."

On the women in Mack's life, Gina and Phyllis
"He sees Gina as his sister who has always gotten herself in trouble. She always speaks before she thinks. She always does things impulsively. Her needs and desires come before the world. He sees his mother as someone who is totally individualistic and someone to be very wary of and watch. But he looks at them, accepts them and deals with them on a case-to-case basis. He accepts who they are, but he still corrects them with his own sense of right and wrong."