 |
THE FINAL CURTAIN
For Days fans, saying goodbye to Eileen Davidson (Kristen/Susan/Sister Mary Moira/Thomas)is like coming to the last chapter of a really good book. You savor the final pages, having twinges of separation anxiety and wish that Part 2 would magically appear. However, there is no Part 2 to Davidson's Days story, according to the actress, who taped her final episode at the end of March. Her last show aired in April.
That may be putting it mildly. Since she debuted as Kristen Blake in 1993, Davidson has portrayed three other characters simultaneously - the bumbling but lovable Susan Banks; Susan's Bible-toting twin, Sister Mary Moira; and the sibs' barfly
brother, Thomas - and clocked in more overtime than the Teamsters Union. "Sometimes I feel as though I live on the set, but the experience has been worth it," Davidson says. "The characters have allowed me to push my acting abilities and take my comedic side to a new level."
Funny Girl
Davidson says that playing a goofy character like Susan is second nature to her, having grown up with two brothers and four sisters. "All of the voices and personalities probably came from when I was a kid and fooled around with my family and friends,"
she says. "The only difference is that now I get paid to do it."
Making a living as an actress wasn't Davidson's original plan. She majored in English and intended to become a writer; however, life took a different turn when a photographer persuaded her to become a model. That eventually led to her acting, and in 1982, she won her first daytime role, heiress Ashley Abbot on The Young & The Restless. When she left that show in 1988, she devoted much of her time to social causes such as Para Los
Ninos, an organization that helps inner-city children. Later, she did a turn as another heiress, Kelly
Capwell, on Santa Barbara. Finally, she signed on with Days as Stefano's adopted daughter.
Split Personalities
As Kristen's disposition evolved from virtuous to villainous, signs of Davidson's versatility became apparent to the show's producer, Ken
Corday. "We knew we had a great talent there," he says. "Eileen could play opposite personalities, and we wanted to use as much of that talent as we could."
They did. Davidson took on the role of Susan and turned her into a clumsy, almost
cartoonish, character whose "deer-caught-in-the-headlights" expression and Southern twang are now famous. "They wanted a person who acted and sounded as different from Kristen as possible," Davidson notes. "For the voice, I just went up a couple of octaves and threw in a Southern accent. It was easy."
Positive reaction to Davidson's characters prompted the show to add a third, Sister Mary Moira - a role that Davidson admits is more difficult to maintain. "It's hard to keep Mary Moira from sounding like Susan," she explains. "Every once in a while they'll stop a scene and say, 'You're sounding like Susan', so I have to step back and think Mary Moira. It's a little confusing at times.
The Grand Finale
With a murder mystery underway, the show is building up to what Corday says will be a grand finale for Davidson. "Eileen's exit will be intertwined with many characters," he explains. "Believe me, fans will say, 'Okay, I think I know the answer. No, I don't. Yes, I do'."
Davidson is gearing up for her toughest challenges yet, she relates. "I've been told by Sally Sussman
Morina, the show's headwriter, that before I leave, I'll get to do everything I've ever wanted to do as an actress. From the schedule, I'd have to say that's true."
In spite of her eagerness to end her round-the-clock routine, Davidson is grateful for the chance to portray so many characters and credits Days' producers and writers for their willingness to zig while others
zag. "This show is different," she says. "They take bold chances and are open to new ideas."
Regarding life after Days, the actress hints that she may try her hand in films, but insists that her priorities are rest, relaxation and spending time with her husband, Jon Lindstrom (Port Charles' Kevin). When asked what she thinks will be the lasting impression she;s made on the show and on fans, Davidson can't resist saying Susan's trademark phrase. "Mean, mean, mean," she quips. "I think that's what people will remember most."
A Fond Farewell
Drake Hogestyn (John): "When Eileen plays Susan, it's a wild ride. We laugh so much that sometimes we have to do several takes. Her facial expressions alone would send us into hysterics. When she gets that chin thing going and then looks around the room, believe me, the whole cast and crew starts busting up."
Tanya Boyd (Celeste): "I look at Eileen as an actress, and I must say that her performance is astounding. It's amazing to me that she can go from the femme fatale like Kristen to someone like Susan. These characters are so different and yet it's the
same actress. Susan's gestures, her speech, her mannerisms are so hilarious, so bizarre. And then there's the cool, drop-dead gorgeous Kristen. Now that's talent - to be able to play dual roles like that."
Adam Caine (Edmund): "Eileen's fantastic. We're having so much fun with the love scenes between my character and Susan. I've literally had to bite my lip to keep from laughing."
Joseph Mascolo (Stefano): "Working with Eileen has been a wonderful experience for me, and I'm sure for everyone here. I play opposite her in many scenes and am always impressed at how well she developed her characters. When she plays Susan...well,
you can imagine how hard it is to keep from laughing."
Jaime Lyn Bauer (Laura): "When you're working on a soap, there are so many scenes to do that you just have to be careful about not clowning around too much or you'll be there all night. It's considered polite to keep it quick so that everyone can go home on time. With Eileen, we have every reason to laugh when she's playing Susan, and it's not considered rude. It's an acceptable form of cutting up."
 |
Her Better Half
Behind every great man, the old adage goes, there is a great woman. So, what does it say about Port Charles' Jon Lindstrom (Kevin) that behind him is Eileen Davidson, the woman who plays have the female population of Salem?! Here, the actor speaks
frankly about living with and loving one of daytime's most multi-talented performers.
Soaps In Depth: Which of Eileen's characters is most like her?
Jon Lindstrom: Susan. Only because Susan has such a great heart. They share the same heart and charity of soul.
In Depth: Does Eileen ever take the work, or any of the characters, home with her?
Lindstrom: No. And we never have to ask each other what we did at work, because we've read each other's lines the night before - we practice together.
In Depth: Are you looking forward to spending more time with your wife once she leaves Days?
Lindstrom: I'm looking forward to that time because I work a lot less hours than she does by virtue of my being on a half-hour show. So I look forward to her doing those traditional wifey things. [He laughs]. She's a great cook. When she has free time, she becomes a monster in the kitchen. You just keep your arms and legs out of there until she's done. Then it's a feast for all.
In Depth: As a fellow actor, do you have any advice for Eileen as she embarks on a new path in her career?
Lindstrom: No, we've both been through it all. The only thing you can try to remember is to stay calm - everything will be all right. She's a hot property right now, and she'll probably just jump right into another gig. Eileen is a character actress trapped in the body of an ingenue who has just been dying to get out. She knows what to do with it.
In Depth: Do you have any travel plans for when things settle down?
Lindstrom: It's hard for us to coordinate time off, but we talk about going to Australia. We'd both like to go to Africa to see the gorillas before they're gone. I'm partial to the Far East, so we'll work our way around there.
In Depth: Has anything changed since you've been married?
Lindstrom: Things just feel better. It feels simpler. It was the next logical step and it's a lot of fun!
Davidson Devotes Time To Charity
Eileen Davidson has found a unique way to celebrate her birthday - by throwing a party not for herself, but for the kids of Para Los Ninos (which translates to "for the children"). The actress has been a devoted volunteer to the L.A.-based nonprofit
family support center for more than a decade. According to vice-president Jorge
Armendariz, her birthday parties are simply the icing on the cake. "When Eileen first walked through our doors, it didn't take long to realize that she was a true human being," says
Armendariz. "She wants to give something back to the community. She doesn't care if she's cleaning tables, serving the children breakfast, or helping them go to the bathroom." Through the years, Davidson has opened her home to the children
for barbecues, has taken large groups and their chaperones on all-expense paid trips to Disneyland ("including souvenirs for the kids," Armendariz adds), sponsored field trips to the beach and mountains, and organized fundraisers. "We know that Eileen is a big star on Days of Our Lives, but to us, she's just a good friend."
FYI...FYI...FYI
Hobbies: Surfing, skiing,
Rollerblading, and playing the piano
What kind of ending would you write for Kristen? "All the time in the world wouldn't be enough to redeem Kristen's evil deeds. She should get what's coming to her."
Susan? "Ride off into the sunset with Edmund."
Sister Mary Moira? "Go back to the convent and pray."
Thomas? "He'd be back at the bar drinking."
The Evil Within
If one were to ask Kristen Blake to list the seven deadly sins, she might ask, "Now do you want them alphabetically or in the order in which I committed them?" The onetime do-gooder may not be a DiMera by blood, but her actions certainly have proven
that when it comes to obsession, manipulation and all things evil, this apple didn't fall far from the tree!
In The Beginning 1993: When Kristen was mugged, she fell for her rescuer, John Black. Unfortunately, she was harboring the secret that her adoptive father was Stefano
DiMera, John's life-long enemy. Things got even worse on the day of her wedding to her
adoptive brother, Tony. She left her groom standing at the altar to help her true love search for Marlena's kidnapped newborn, Belle.
Before The Fall 1994: When Stefano fled from prosecution for the murder of Curtis Reed, John took the rap for Stefano's death - prompting Kristen to wed Tony. Upon learning that Stefano had faked his death - and that Tony had known - Kristen fell into an
affair with John. But when she found out that John once was a priest, her strong religious convictions forced her to end their adulterous relationship.
Forbidden Love 1995: After confessing her betrayal to Tony, Kristen and her spouse renewed their wedding vows. By this time, John had returned to the priesthood. After he exorcised a demon from Marlena's soul, he left the calling in hopes of renewing his
romance with Kristen.
A Turn For The Worse 1996: Once Tony learned he was dying and realized that Kristen loved John, he killed himself and framed John for the crime. While on Death Row, John wrote a letter in which he professed his devotion to....Marlena! After
intercepting the note, Kristen hurried to bear the eventually-cleared John a child. Before Marlena could confess her love to John, Kristen announced that she was pregnant. Although she miscarried, a new plot soon took shape.
Nuts To You 1997: Kristen let Stefano hook her up with Susan, a pregnant Elvis fan who was able to pass as Kristen. After Laura Horton saw Kristen fixing her pregnancy pad, Kristen arranged for Stefano to erase portions of the shrink's memory. Later, when
Susan went into labor, John rushed to be by "Kristen's" side. The two were married as the real Kristen watched in horror. When Susan became attached to both the baby and John, she locked her look-alike in a secret room - along with Marlena! The jig was up
when "Kristen" convinced John to renew their vows in an Elvis-themed ceremony. There, Laura decked "Kristen", sending her false teeth flying. After Kristen's schemes finally were revealed, John returned Baby Elvis to Susan and broke off his relationship with Kristen. The vixen pulled a gun on Marlena, but found herself unable to pull the trigger. That didn't keep her, though, from stopping Marlena and John's wedding by wheeling in the bride's supposedly dead husband, Roman! Afterwards, Kristen took great pains to keep the dying Roman from discovering Marlena's love for John, so that she could force John to pretend to be her amour. Noting John's paternal feelings for Elvis, Kristen later tried to get Susan to sign over custody while in a drugged state.
Here's Looking At You
They said that no one is an island, and that's especially true of Eileen Davidson's repertoire of Days characters. It took a veritable army of backstage talent to turn the striking actress into the equally striking Kristen as well as the, uh, distinct-looking Banks family.
Make-Up Artist Joleen Rizzo
Soaps In Depth: What look did you go for with Kristen?
Rizzo: Obviously, we're not going for a pure and natural look; we wanted a dark and smoky appearance and added dark shades of eye shadow and liner. And Eileen has great lips so whatever shade we applied worked.
In Depth: And Susan?
Rizzo: Everything with Susan was a glamour "don't". We took off all of Kristen's make-up and put on a light-colored base. From there, we added prop teeth, glasses and brown contacts because Eileen's eyes are naturally blue.
In Depth: What about Sister Mary Moira?
Rizzo: Mary was easy. We used the same exact make-up for Susan, but put different eyeglasses on and a nun outfit.
Costume Designer Richard Bloore
In Depth: What kind of look did you go for with Kristen?
Bloore: Kristen is, of course, the femme fatale, so we went for the glamorous outfits, a lot of leathers and bold colors and patterns.
In Depth: And Susan?
Bloore: Susan doesn't have any fashion sense, so we just threw together outfits that shouldn't go together but on Susan they did.
In Depth: Sister Mary Moira?
Bloore: Eileen had a lot of input on her. She comes from a Catholic background and wanted the strict, old-fashioned nun with a ruler. We had a lot of nun outfits left over from Santa Barbara so it was no problem.
In Depth: Did the male character, Thomas, create different challenges?
Bloore: Eileen is a very feminine woman, so we had to add some padding to hide her curves.
Info Courtesy of Soap Opera Digest