Post by jag11 on Jun 12, 2007 21:37:15 GMT -5
June 12, 2007 issue CBS Soaps In Depth (62-65)
No longer tied up in KNOTS, Ted Shackelford is having a blast with his Y&R role.
While Ted Shackelford was approached to play Y&R's well-heeled D.A. William Bardwell because of his connection to the show's executive producer/headwriter, Lynn Marie Latham, with whom he worked on the primetime sudser KNOTS LANDING, he did not come to the CBS soap unaware of its rich history.
"Actors say, 'Oh, I don't watch daytime; what the he** is that?' But back in the early '70s, when I was doing dinner theater--there used to be a lot of dinner theater in the southwest so actors out of New York could actually make a good living doing it--you wouldn't get to bed until three or four o'clock in the morning," he recalls. 'You'd be in a three- or four-bedroom apartment which you'd be sharing with the other actors, and you'd get up late in the morning, get your coffee and sit down and watch Y&R. That was when William Grey Espy (ex-Snapper) was on, and David Hasselhoff (ex-Snapper) came after that. I was watching then, so it was early on!
"[Eric] Braeden (Victor) didn't come on until the '80s, but occasionally, I'd turn the TV on and flip through the channels during the day to see what was going on, and I came across this guy," he continues, lowering his voice to mimic Braeden's famous low-timbre drawl, " 'Hello, I'm talking like this...' I'm like, 'What the he** is that? How is he doing that? That's fascinating.' I've only had one scene with Braeden, but I would love to share some kind of storyline with him. To play against him would be really interesting. As an actor, it would be great fun."
Good Will Hunting
Not that he isn't having fun already. Since donning the three-piece suit of Genoa City's top legal eagle more than a year ago, Shackelford's alter ego has been responsible for sending the Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott, to prison, shared some romantic moments with Ashley (who ironically he also had targeted for the big house), was eager to nail Devon or Dru for Carmen's murder, and seems to have become unwittingly embroiled in a love triangle--attracted to Jill and yet targeted for matrimony by the manipulative Gloria.
With all that under Will's Gucci belt, one would think that fans would have more of a take on the D.A. However, he remains a rather elusive character, at first glance seeming to be a straight-arrow widower dedicated to his job rather than the money he inherited from a dearly departed uncle. Is that how Shackelford sees him? "I don't know!" he confesses with a laugh. "I don't know any more about him than you do. In fact, you probably know more about him than I do! His wife died, but for all I know, he could have killed her, and he inherited a billion dollars or whatever it was, but we haven't really played that. But I kind of like that, because you never know where [the character] is going to go."
The Trouble With Women
Shackelford says that he's the kind of actor who doesn't like to project too much onto his alter ego; he prefers sticking to what's been given to him in the script. Having said that, though, he does admit to being a little frustrated with William's rather oblivious attitude when it comes to Gloria, who could give the Canadian Mounties a run for their money in always getting their man.
"He's kind of dumb when it comes to women," the showbiz vet groans. "I'd like to think that he's pretty smart professionally, but I don't think he's won a case yet except for poor John! And with Gloria... Old William is there with both fingers in his dimples, going, 'Oh, dah, oh...' And I have to tell you, without spilling any beans, it gets worse!"
While Shackelford says he wouldn't mind the light bulb turning on over his alter ego's head regarding the vixen's true intentions, he also acknowledges that if William was a bit more savvy, it might write him into a corner. "I don't know where that would take us dramatically," he confesses, adding with a chuckle, "There are certain dramatic things that because of his inattentiveness, shall we say, are allowed to happen."
And at the moment, he's having too much fun to do more than sigh and shake his head at his character's less-than-suspicious nature. "I love Judith [Chapman, who plays Gloria]," he enthuses. "I can't say enough good about Judith. She is a hoot. And there are times when the two of us have a hard time doing the scene, because we're laughing so hard."
When he first joined the show, insiders commented on the former KNOTS star's professionalism and preparedness. Still, Shackelford admits that it took him about a month to really settle down and relax into his new role. "It can be intimidating," the actor shares. "Even though I've been an actor for more than 30 years, this is a very different thing. But once you relax, get the rhythm of it, get the routine and the discipline and everything gets going, there is so much you can do creatively."
"I actually didn't expect to have this much fun," he adds, "but I'm having a ball."
Will Power
by Julie McElwain
No longer tied up in KNOTS, Ted Shackelford is having a blast with his Y&R role.
While Ted Shackelford was approached to play Y&R's well-heeled D.A. William Bardwell because of his connection to the show's executive producer/headwriter, Lynn Marie Latham, with whom he worked on the primetime sudser KNOTS LANDING, he did not come to the CBS soap unaware of its rich history.
"Actors say, 'Oh, I don't watch daytime; what the he** is that?' But back in the early '70s, when I was doing dinner theater--there used to be a lot of dinner theater in the southwest so actors out of New York could actually make a good living doing it--you wouldn't get to bed until three or four o'clock in the morning," he recalls. 'You'd be in a three- or four-bedroom apartment which you'd be sharing with the other actors, and you'd get up late in the morning, get your coffee and sit down and watch Y&R. That was when William Grey Espy (ex-Snapper) was on, and David Hasselhoff (ex-Snapper) came after that. I was watching then, so it was early on!
"[Eric] Braeden (Victor) didn't come on until the '80s, but occasionally, I'd turn the TV on and flip through the channels during the day to see what was going on, and I came across this guy," he continues, lowering his voice to mimic Braeden's famous low-timbre drawl, " 'Hello, I'm talking like this...' I'm like, 'What the he** is that? How is he doing that? That's fascinating.' I've only had one scene with Braeden, but I would love to share some kind of storyline with him. To play against him would be really interesting. As an actor, it would be great fun."
Good Will Hunting
Not that he isn't having fun already. Since donning the three-piece suit of Genoa City's top legal eagle more than a year ago, Shackelford's alter ego has been responsible for sending the Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott, to prison, shared some romantic moments with Ashley (who ironically he also had targeted for the big house), was eager to nail Devon or Dru for Carmen's murder, and seems to have become unwittingly embroiled in a love triangle--attracted to Jill and yet targeted for matrimony by the manipulative Gloria.
With all that under Will's Gucci belt, one would think that fans would have more of a take on the D.A. However, he remains a rather elusive character, at first glance seeming to be a straight-arrow widower dedicated to his job rather than the money he inherited from a dearly departed uncle. Is that how Shackelford sees him? "I don't know!" he confesses with a laugh. "I don't know any more about him than you do. In fact, you probably know more about him than I do! His wife died, but for all I know, he could have killed her, and he inherited a billion dollars or whatever it was, but we haven't really played that. But I kind of like that, because you never know where [the character] is going to go."
The Trouble With Women
Shackelford says that he's the kind of actor who doesn't like to project too much onto his alter ego; he prefers sticking to what's been given to him in the script. Having said that, though, he does admit to being a little frustrated with William's rather oblivious attitude when it comes to Gloria, who could give the Canadian Mounties a run for their money in always getting their man.
"He's kind of dumb when it comes to women," the showbiz vet groans. "I'd like to think that he's pretty smart professionally, but I don't think he's won a case yet except for poor John! And with Gloria... Old William is there with both fingers in his dimples, going, 'Oh, dah, oh...' And I have to tell you, without spilling any beans, it gets worse!"
While Shackelford says he wouldn't mind the light bulb turning on over his alter ego's head regarding the vixen's true intentions, he also acknowledges that if William was a bit more savvy, it might write him into a corner. "I don't know where that would take us dramatically," he confesses, adding with a chuckle, "There are certain dramatic things that because of his inattentiveness, shall we say, are allowed to happen."
And at the moment, he's having too much fun to do more than sigh and shake his head at his character's less-than-suspicious nature. "I love Judith [Chapman, who plays Gloria]," he enthuses. "I can't say enough good about Judith. She is a hoot. And there are times when the two of us have a hard time doing the scene, because we're laughing so hard."
When he first joined the show, insiders commented on the former KNOTS star's professionalism and preparedness. Still, Shackelford admits that it took him about a month to really settle down and relax into his new role. "It can be intimidating," the actor shares. "Even though I've been an actor for more than 30 years, this is a very different thing. But once you relax, get the rhythm of it, get the routine and the discipline and everything gets going, there is so much you can do creatively."
"I actually didn't expect to have this much fun," he adds, "but I'm having a ball."