- Personally Speaking: What is the most uncomfortable costume you've ever had to wear on the show? (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 27, 2005)
- Laugh It Up (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 27, 2005)
- "What do you use the Web for" (Soap Opera Weekly - December 13, 2005)
- "What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?" (Soap Opera Weekly - November 29, 2005)
- Star Talk "If you could trade lives with a cast member for one day, with whom would you choose to switch?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - November 29, 2005)
- An 'ATWT' Soap Star Wedding! (ETonline.com - November 16, 2005)
- What was your most memorable Halloween costume? (Soap Opera Weekly - November 1, 2005)
- Great Shot (Soap Opera Digest - October 25, 2005)
- Star Talk "What prop or set decoration from your soap is most notable?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 18, 2005)
- Personally Speaking: What's your remedy for a bad hair day? (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 18, 2005)
- Up-Close & Personal: Out Going (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 18, 2005)
- Star Talk "Do You Have Any Dating Horror Stories?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 20, 2005)
- Working Mom (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 20, 2005)
- Personally Speaking "What is your favorite item of clothing in your closet?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 6, 2005)
- Star Talk "What, in your opinion, is the worst fashion mistake people can make?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 23, 2005)
- On The Town (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 23, 2005)
- oh, mama! (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 23, 2005)
- Ins & Outs (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 9, 2005)
- Soap Opera Style "Do you wear a bikini or one-piece bathing suit to the beach?"(Soap Opera Weekly - August 2, 2005)
- Roundup "What other role on daytime would you like to play for a day?" (Soap Opera Digest - July 26, 2005)
- CBS Gossip: Flower Power (Soap Opera Digest - July 26, 2005)
- G'Day, Matie! (Soap Opera Weekly - July 26, 2005)
- Mother's Helpers (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 26, 2005)
- Performer Of The Week - Terri Colombino (Soap Opera Digest - July 19, 2005)
- Personally Speaking: "Which non-soap celebrity's style do you most admire?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 12, 2005)
- Soap Opera Style (Soap Opera Weekly - July 5, 2005)
- Very Hot Shots (Soap Opera Digest - July 5, 2005)
- Star Talk "Have you ever had a psychic moment?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - June 28, 2005)
- Emmy Secrets Revealed (CBS Soaps In Depth - June 28, 2005)
- Soap Opera Style - Plump 'Em And Pucker Up (Soap Opera Weekly - June 21, 2005)
- 24: The Emmy Timeline (Soap Opera Weekly - June 14, 2005)
- Soap Style - My Style (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 31, 2005)
- Heavenly Father (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 31, 2005)
- A Whole New World (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 17, 2005)
- Star Talk "What's the weirdest dream you've ever had about your soap or your co-stars?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 17, 2005)
- Totally Terri (SoapCity Online, May 2005)
- On The Dote (Soap Opera Digest - May 10, 2005)
- Baby Love (Soap Opera Digest - May 10, 2005)
- Soap Opera Secrets - Spring 2005
- Soap Opera Style - How do you celebrate spring, wardrobe-wise? (Soap Opera Weekly - April 26, 2005)
- Stop The World .. We Want To Eat Cake (Soap Opera Weekly - April 26, 2005)
- "What's the craziest story idea you've ever heard from a fan?" (SoapCity Online - April, 2005)
- (Almost) 50 and Fabulous (SoapCity Online - April, 2005)
- Terri Needs Your Help! (CBS Soaps In Depth Online)
- A Baby Story (CBS Soaps In Depth Online)
- Up Close & Personal - That's My Girl! (CBS Soaps In Depth - April 5, 2005)
- Strange Love (Soap Opera Digest - March 22, 2005)
- Blonde Ambition (Soap Opera Preview - March 14, 2005)
- Who's Who (Soap Opera Digest - March 8, 2005)
- CBS Gossip - Baby Swap (Soap Opera Digest - February 15, 2005)
- Getting the Girl (CBS Online - February 14, 2005)
- Q & A with Trent Dawson and Terri Colombino (TV Guide Online - February 14, 2005)
- Up Close & Personal - Giving of Yourself (CBS Soaps In Depth - February 8, 2005)
- Hearts and Ruses (TV Guide - January 29, 2005)
- Baby Talk (Soap Opera Weekly - January 25, 2005)
- As The World Turns Katie Frasier (Soap Opera Digest - January 2005 )
Personally Speaking: What is the most uncomfortable costume you've ever had to wear on the show? (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 27, 2005) Terri: "I would have to say during the island stuff when I had to wear that parachute/bikini-type thing. Because I always felt like I was flashing someone at some point. You could never tell if it was really on right. [Laughs.] And it was the most revealing thing I've ever worn, so I had to keep my shape up really well during that."
Laugh It Up (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 27, 2005) With all the angst-ridden drama in Oakdale lately, Terri Colombino (Katie) enjoys taping Maddie's wild fantasy sequences so they can inject a little humor into the show. "It's out only outlet!" she smiles. "I mean, they're cheesy, but you've got to just commit to it and go for it!" Of course, while it's fun to play the over-the-top cartoony scenes, the actress hopes people don't get the wrong idea. "That scene in the bedroom, I was like, 'Let's just be what people think soap opera acting is.' And I'm like, 'I just hope people don't turn on the TV right now and think this is what ATWT is!" In fact, and MTV crew was filming Alexandra Chando (Maddie) that day for a reality series, and Colombino knew they were in trouble. "They were there," she chuckles, "and I'm like, 'Aw man, they're gonna use these scenes and then people are going to think that's how we act!"
"What do you use the Web for" (Soap Opera Weekly - December 13, 2005) Terri Colombino: "Babycenter.com is good when you first get pregnant or want to get pregnant. They send you a weekly e-mail about what is happening that week with your baby's development. And after the baby is born they send monthly e-mails about what to watch out for with your baby, so you know what to expect and know what is normal. Their e-mails have been very helpful with Julia."
"What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?" (Soap Opera Weekly - November 29, 2005) Terri Colombino: "My most favorite is warm pumpkin pie with ice cream, because I never think of having it any other time of the year. I love the smell of it in the house."
Star Talk "If you could trade lives with a cast member for one day, with whom would you choose to switch" (CBS Soaps In Depth - November 29, 2005) Terri Colombino: "Probably Grayson (McCouch, Dusty). I would love to see what his day consists of. Because he, to me, is a very mysterious, interesting character, and I would like to see what's going on in that head."
An 'ATWT' Soap Star Wedding! (ETonline.com - November 16, 2005) "As The World Turns" star TERRI COLOMBINO shares her intimate wedding moments with ET!
"As The World Turns" star TERRI COLOMBINO met her husband ARTIE COLOMBINO at an Emmy party in 1999. It wasn't love at first sight, but Terri says by the second date, she knew he was someone special. They were together six months when he proposed, and 10 months later, they were married.
Terri has a small family, but Artie has a large Italian family, so they had 300 people at their wedding at Grace Church in New York, with the reception at Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn. The bride wore MONIQUE LHUILLIER.
"I wore Monique Lhuillier before she was this famous fashion designer," Terri says. "I got married in 2001. I want to put it in a box and frame it on the wall it is so beautiful. The dress is very simple with a sweetheart neckline. It has a low back, but not too sexy. It's very fitted at the waist and it billows out like whipped cream. I didn't want to look at my picture 20 years from now and think, 'What was I wearing? Look at my hair.'"
Everything went smoothly, except Terri's car was late picking her up, but before the big day, there was a bridesmaids disaster!
"Oh, please don't even talk to me about the bridesmaids dresses," Terri recalls. "I think that is the biggest crock. People have to find a new way to do that. That was one of my biggest disasters. Everything was wrong. The measurements were so out of whack, we got these dresses that were five sizes too big. I think they have a conspiracy with all the seamstresses out there, or they think women are going to lie about their weight. First they came in the wrong color, then the wrong sizes and people had to switch. It was just a big mess."
Terri and Artie got married on September 7, 2001, just days before the 9/11 tragedy, which even now colors their memories of the big day.
"It is a hard thing because it was such a special beautiful time for us, and then to get slammed with this horror and sadness, I almost forgot about the wedding, which is why it is so special to me to have the pictures and the videos because I see things I don't remember," Terri tells ET. "All our guests were staying at the Wall Street Inn, which was two blocks away [from the World Trade Center]. My parents were leaving that morning from Newark at 8:30 a.m., so when I heard, I lost it because I couldn't get a hold of them for three hours. We were in Italy on our honeymoon."
What was your most memorable Halloween costume? (Soap Opera Weekly - November 1, 2005) Terri Colombino: "When I visited my aunt in Florida when I was 3 or 4, I ran around pretending I was Wonder Woman. So she made me a Wonder Woman costume, and it was perfect. But we lived somewhere cold and my mom made me wear a turtleneck underneath it. I was furious. 'Wonder Woman does not wear turtlenecks!'"
Great Shot (Soap Opera Digest - October 25, 2005) Stars from ATWT, AMC, GL and OLTL converged at Blondies in NYC on September 27 to raise funds for Hurricane Relief "There are some great fans who turn out for these causes. But I could never be a bartender because I just want to drink all the time," grins Terri Colombino, who posed for pics with Mark Collier (Mike). "It's fun - you meet these people, you have a shot with them... Luckily, I was in bed by 10:45 because I had to work the next morning."
Star Talk "What prop or set decoration from your soap is most notable?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 18, 2005) Terri: "That's a great question. If you ever look at Margo's desk, she has this weird clown head thing. If you move its hand, it's supposed to pop a candy into its mouth. But it's really old and really scary. And she loves it. And every time I'm in the police station, I notice it. And the prop guys always put it on her desk, because she just loves it."
Personally Speaking: What's your remedy for a bad hair day? (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 18, 2005) Terri: "One of those messy ponytail bun-things. Just pull it all back and put it in a bun or a ponytail. Slick back the rest."
Up-Close & Personal: Out Going (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 18, 2005) Having a baby certainly has affected her social life, but Terri Colombino (Katie) insists that everything really changed even before Julia's birth when she and husband Arthur moved to New Jersey. "Everything's so easy when you're in New York City," she sighs. "You just hop in a cab, and you're there. You don't have to worry about parking or traffic." Of course, with the new addition to the family, nights out are even harder to come by, whether it's attending a charity event or just having a romantic dinner. "Now it's like, 'Okay, we're going to have to use that as our baby-sitting night for the month,'" Colombino chuckles. "It takes a lot more planning, and although I used to be a good planner, I'm not anymore. So it's not as easy, but it makes it more special, too."
Star Talk "Do You Have Any Dating Horror Stories?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 20, 2005) Terri: "I took a guy to our Winter Ball - which was like a Sadie Hawkins dance, where the girls ask the guys - and I asked this guy from a different school. So I took him to our dance, and then we drove up into the mountains to this overlook make-out kind of place, and we were just sitting there listening to the radio. It drained the battery. No cell phones then, and we had no way of getting in touch with anyone, and it was miles to civilization. I remembered seeing this house, and we had to walk there, and I'm wearing high heels. They ended up being the nicest people, [who] drove us down and jumped the battery for us, so we got home safe. Thank God, because it could've gone a million different other really bad ways!"
Working Mom (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 20, 2005) Although Terri Colombino (Katie) doesn't like leaving her 1-year-old daughter Julia at home, it's even worse when she brings her baby to the studio with her! "That's really hard for me because I'm thinking about her the whole time," she confesses. "And I focus so much on her that I forget what I'm doing! So even if I bring her in, I'll only bring her in on a day when I know I don't have a lot [to do]." So unfortunately, the new mommy hasn't shown off her pride and joy as much as she might have liked. "She's only been in maybe three times in the past year," Colombino smiles. "Because I'm so into her that it's hard for me to focus on my work!"
Caption: Colombino's baby is a big distraction.
Personally Speaking "What is your favorite item of clothing in your closet?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 6, 2005) Terri: "Probably the dress that I was wearing the night I met [husband] Artie for sentimental reasons, and also because it's really pretty. It's all my favorite colors, and I just feel like it fits me well, and I just feel good in it. It's kind of like a handkerchief print but more flowery. It's white, green and turquoise. Those are my favorite colors. It has that handkerchief bottom which was totally trendy that year [in 2000]." |
Star Talk "What, in your opinion, is the worst fashion mistake people can make?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 23, 2005) Terri Colombino: "Putting too many trends together, just for the sake of being trendy. If it doesn't feel right on you, who cares if it's trendy?"
On The Town (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 23, 2005) Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT), husband Artie and daughter Julia were proud members of "Team Tyler" for Walk The Walk to benefit the Maria Fereri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, NY. Colombino was thrilled that so many fans supported the cause. "Sometimes people do charity just to say, 'look at me,' but it's even more amazing [when] people do it without getting anything in return."
oh, mama! (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 23, 2005) For Terri Colombino (Katie), motherhood changed everything!
She may have done countless interviews for the press - heck, many of them for this very magazine - but now that she's raising year-old daughter Julia, Terri Colombino (Katie, AS THE WORLD TURNS) is never lacking for a new story to share! "She's walking now!" the new mommy proudly reports. "She still holds on to one hand, but if you try to hold on to both of her hands, she will let go of one. But if you let go of the other one, then she sits right down like, 'No, I'm not gonna do this on my own. I'm only letting you help me a little bit.' Sounds familiar," she adds with a smile. "I think I know where she gets that from!"
PURE LOVE
However, the actress does find herself at a loss when trying to convey how it feels to watch a life she helped create develop before her very eyes. "It's indescribable," she confesses. "You can't even put it into words. I mean, I love her so much." Colombino now is experiencing the mother/daughter bond from an entirely different perspective. "My mom always says, 'Now you know how much I love you,'" she relates. "And it's true. You have no idea how much you can actually love. I guess it's [children's] innocence," she muses. "I mean, they have no fear. They have no meanness to them. They don't know that part of life yet. So I guess that's what you love about them: They are pure love, and they're bringing it back into your life."
NEW DISCOVERIES
Of course, raising a baby is very time-consuming, and balancing motherhood with her full-time job on ATWT can be overwhelming at times. "It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," Colombino admits. "Which is funny, because we actors don't work as much as working moms and dads. Sometimes it's only three days a week. So I think we already have such an advantage. But I still feel like I don't have enough hours in the day to do everything," she adds. "I just feel weird saying it, but it's true. You just don't know where the time goes." And as her baby girl gets older, leaving her behind becomes harder for the working mom. "Because she's becoming more of a person," Colombino explains. "Every day something new happens, and if I miss it, I feel weird. But at the same time, it's fun for me to have that excitement to come home to." Watching Julia discover the world around her creates new experiences for her parents as well. "It's amazing to watch this little human being learning," she gushes. "Now I get why other parents are so proud of these little things, because it's the best feeling and the cutest thing to watch. And you get to discover things all over again, even if it's the most menial things like where your ears are!"
ALL IN THE FAMILY
As for when she and husband Arthur might consider giving Julia a little brother or sister, Colombino remains noncommittal. "We haven't even really talked about it yet," she shares. "With Julia, I just waited until I felt in my heart that having a baby was what I needed in my life. I don't have that feeling right now, so I guess I'm just going to wait until I do instead of trying to plan it out." Still, the actress does eventually want to expand her family. "I'm an only child, and I like it," Colombino reveals, "so I don't feel like I would be depriving her of something if I didn't have another kid. But I love hearing stories about siblings teaching each other and being there for each other, and I did kind of miss out on that, and I've realized how nice it would be." But having fielded conflicting advice from fellow parents about when the best time might be to have another child, Colombino has decided to listen to her heart instead. "There's pros and cons to all of it," she allows. "That's why I'm going to quit asking people their advice and just go with what is right for me."
Caption: "Sometimes I just want to kiss her and hug her so tight because I love her so much!" Colombino enthuses.
Ins & Outs (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 9, 2005) OUT: Hunt Block's final scenes as ATWT's oh-so-nasty Craig haven't even aired yet, but there's already one cast member who is lobbying for his return!
When the news came down that Block would be leaving ATWT, no one was more surprised than on-screen sister Terri Colombino (Katie). "I was like, 'No, that must be a rumor,' " she recalls, still upset. Unfortunately, it was true, and the actress will have to deal with a Hunt-sized hole in the cast once Block tapes his final episode. "I miss my bro," Colombino sighs. "I was watching us on camera recently, and we really do look like brother and sister. Everybody loves Hunt," she continues. "There's not one person who can say they didn't love having him around. He was just one of the most interesting people that I've ever met. There should be more people like that in the world because he gets you thinking." Still, Colombino admits that the way Craig's exit is being scripted does leave open the possibility for Block to eventually reprise the role. "That's what I'm hoping!" she admits.
Soap Opera Style "Do you wear a bikini or one-piece bathing suit to the beach?"(Soap Opera Weekly - August 2, 2005) Terri Colombino: "Bikini all the way. Halters work best on me because I don't have the most ample chest. I like them with a little padding to help out in that department. I usually wear string bikini bottoms. No Brazilian here."
Roundup "What other role on daytime would you like to play for a day?" (Soap Opera Digest - July 26, 2005) Terri Colombino: "Phyllis on Y&R. Not that I think I could do what Michelle Stafford does, but I think she's a great character. Phyllis is just really ballsy and true to herself, yet is still very likable. She lets herself be vulnerable, but she's really a strong woman. She's been amazing."
CBS Gossip: Flower Power (Soap Opera Digest - July 26, 2005) Katie's back with Mike, which means plenty of steamy sex scenes. Though Terri Colombino isn't pregnant like she was the last time around, things can still get awkward. "We don't see what the camera sees, so sometimes the director will have us come up into the shot in a certain way, but to us, it's like, 'What would we have been doing to get into this position?' " she laughs. "Sometimes for those kind of scenes they'll turn off the monitors throughout the studio, but I found out that they didn't on this day, so the whole studio saw my pasties. They're little flowers. It's kind of embarrassing, but you get used to being half-naked in front of people!"
G'Day, Matie! (Soap Opera Weekly - July 26, 2005) Terri Colombino and Mark Collier, who play recently reconciled Katie and Mike (a.k.a. Matie) on As The World Turns, cordially invite you to enjoy a sushi lunch with them in the ATWT hair and makeup room. We will be dishing positions, pasties, porn, playgrounds, pregnancy - and, sorry, puking.
Soap Opera Weekly: How are you approaching your scene today?
Terri Colombino: We just hit it.
Mark Collier: Did you just say "hit it" (laughs)? At first it was a little difficult, but we've done so many that you get to the point where you don't care anymore. One time her breasts fell out and she was like, "I don't even care."
Colombino: I really don't. If it comes across that you are apprehensive, [viewers] can tell. Sometimes they'll tell us to do something because of where the cameras are, and we're like, "What position would we be doing if we were in this position?"
Collier: Imagine you are having sex and someone is choreographing every move you make. I've got to cover her breasts with my forearm and roll her over, yet make it look natural.
Colombino: I don't think you ever become a pro at it, but it gets easier.
Collier: We're getting paid to have sex, Terri.
Colombino: That is true. But you always get paid to have sex. You started in porn (laughs).
Collier: Well, everyone has their beginnings (laughs).
Weekly: What's the best part about working together?
Collier: We laugh a lot and have a good time.
Colombino: We're on the same page about wanting the same things out of a scenes. We goof off, but when we need something to happen, we're there for each other.
Weekly: How have things changed over the years?
Colombino: Even though we had seen each other at the studio, we didn't know each other when we started working together, so that is always kind of awkward. It's become second nature now.
Collier: There is a level of comfort. You know what to expect, except for yesterday.
Colombino: (mock shock) He whispered something racy in my ear during a scene. You wouldn't have been able to do that when we first started working together! You wouldn't know how I would react.
Collier: I wouldn't want to offend.
Colombino: You know that I don't take it personally and you did it to get a rise out of me as the character. It did.
Weekly: Mark, what was it like showing your butt in the shower scenes with Terri last year?
Collier: I wasn't that uncomfortable.
Colombino: There were more women on the set that day!
Collier: As soon as Terri got in the shower, she looked down and said, "Okay, let's do this." (Editor's note: Collier was wearing a cover-up)
Colombino: I was trying so hard not to look, but you can't help it!
Collier: You can't not look, I don't care what you say. I stare at Terri when she has pasties on. How are you supposed to ignore pasties over nipples?
Weekly: And Terri was pregnant at the time.
Collier: You were not feeling good that day.
Weekly: What was working with Terri like when she was pregnant?
Collier: I felt bad for her. I had never been around anyone who was pregnant before. There were mornings she was nauseous and she had me on top of her in a scene. I'm like, "This has to suck for her." I was trying to get it out of my head that she probably just puked 20 minutes ago.
Colombino: If I did, I definitely brushed my teeth.
Collier: I appreciate that.
Weekly: How would you describe your co-star?
Colombino: Genuine. He is who he is and you don't have to guess with him. He's good to everybody.
Collier: (after a long silence) I'm having a tough time picking the word. It's like when you are a kid and you go to the playground and there is always this other kid there that you can't wait to see and you always have a good time with them.
Colombino: (wiping tears from her eyes) That is so sweet.
Weekly: Do you socialize outside of work?
Collier: Not much. I'm a loner and she has a kid (laughs).
Weekly: Do you babysit Julia (Colombino's 1-year-old daughter)?
Collier: No, but I would. I'm coming to her birthday party and I fed her the other day. It went pretty well. She just stared at me.
Colombino: She said, "Who is this?" "This is Mommy's pretend boyfriend." Mark is going to be a good dad.
Weekly: What do you think of the Henry/Katie/Mike/Jennifer quadrangle?
Colombino: It divided people. Jen and Mike have a lot of fans; Henry and Katie have a lot of fans, too. The Menn fans are usually Kenry fans; they'll band together because they don't want Matie. It's funny, it gets people watching and interested.
Collier: It brought in a whole new element. It was great for Trent (Dawson, Henry), because they took Henry in a different direction as opposed to just being comic relief.
Weekly: Were you apprehensive bringing Katie's best pal into the mix?
Colombino: The fans love Henry, so they are hating me right now - and will even more. There's been a backlash. A lot of people aren't very happy with Katie right now. Although she was honest with him from the beginning, she did fool herself into believing, "This is cool, I can do this. He loves me a lot. He's great, we have fun together. Mike is obviously in love with someone else, so I can do it, too."
Weekly: Can Katie and Henry be friends?
Colombino: I don't know. When they said their goodbyes he was like, "I can't go backward." I think eventually they can, but it's going to be hard for him. Because what is she going to be doing? Hanging out with Mike. He's going to be the third wheel.
Weekly: It's refreshing that Katie and Jennifer don't hate each other, and that Mike and Henry are friends.
Colombino: It's not that formulaic: This girl is the bitch, you want these two together, you don't want him with her. Everybody is 25, 25, 25, 25 because some people want Mike and Henry together!
Collier: That's our prison fan base.
Colombino: They're called Hike. I love how they [combine couples' names] in real life now with TomKat, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Soap fans made that up!
Weekly: Where does Matie go now?
Colombino: It's kind of embarrassing. They spent all this time saying they didn't want to be together when they really did. They were trying to talk themselves out of it, trying to marry themselves out of it (laughs). They can't flaunt it in front of people.
Collier: It feels so right to be together, but there's Jen and the baby situation and they don't want to hurt Henry.
Colombino: It would be weird if someone came between them again. They've been through that twice.
Weekly: What do Mike and Katie bring out in each other?
Collier: Playfulness.
Colombino: She needs grounding and he needs lightening up. They meet in the middle. That - and sex!
Mother's Helpers (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 26, 2005) As a first-time mom, Terri Colombino (Katie) has been overwhelmed with advice from seasoned parents to help her deal with year-old daughter Julia, but she takes it all in stride. "You have to listen to everybody's advice and then take what works for you," she explains, even when different friends offer very different solutions. "But I think that really helps you get to know your own child and your own parenting skills," she says, "when you really pay attention to your child and see what works and what doesn't. Because kids are all different. It's just learning to have the confidence in making your own decisions." Colombino then laughs and adds, "But any advice is always welcomed! Because some things I don't know about. You can't read all the books - although I try!"
Caption: "Everybody gives you advice," Colombino observes.
Performer Of The Week - Terri Colombino (Soap Opera Digest - July 19, 2005) It wasn't exactly Katie's week. At the depth of her misery, she found herself mired in a mess that, for once, wasn't even all about her, and yet she was still being blamed for everything that went wrong. It was the kind of situation for which the supremely self-centered Katie is especially ill-suited, and Terri Colombino's layers of subtlety perfectly articulates. It's hard to say what motivated Katie to try to negotiate a peace in Jennifer and Mike's battle with Craig. An honest desire to help? An inability to say no to her ex-lover? Guilt over having started the whole thing in the first place? An innate need to meddle? A desperate grasp at attention? Instead of narrowing in on one, Colombino chose all at once, letting Katie's jumble of thoughts blur with unrequited love, indignant rage and abject loneliness as Mike pressed for favor after favor for his wife - a word that stung Katie every time - until she was confessing her love for him one second and telling him to go to hell the next. But that's Katie - blurting out disjointed feelings without a second thought, swearing the truth while lying to herself. Colombino has a knack for making it look like the words just come into her head, crackling her voice with tears or startling her with their volume as they tumble out of her mouth. Mike was subconsciously using her feelings for him against her; she knew it and couldn't bring herself to care, because at least someone needed her for something. "You really don't want to leave me with a shred of dignity, do you?" she responded, already melting when he dared asked her to disavow her brother, reassure Jennifer and step aside (the hardest of all) so that all she had left was plenty of time to quietly feel sorry for herself. Ironically, that's how Katie finally managed to inadvertently do what all of her scheming couldn't - get Mike to notice her again. Colombino had our attention all along.
Personally Speaking: "Which non-soap celebrity's style do you most admire?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 12, 2005) Terri Colombino: "I love Nicole Kidman's style. She's always extremely well put together and picks the most beautiful dresses. She always does different things with her hair and makeup, and you can always tell a lot of thought goes into it. It's like an art to her. And I appreciate that."
Soap Opera Style (Soap Opera Weekly - July 5, 2005) Styling Secrets Revealed - Terri Colombino: "I use DuWop. It's body makeup and gives you a sheeny tan." Revolution tinted body lotion with shimmer, $17, sephora.com.
Very Hot Shots (Soap Opera Digest - July 5, 2005) Mark Collier (Mike): "Terri is a very beautiful person and recently, I've discovered a new side of her that's quite mischievous and slightly violent [laughs]. Now that is ridiculously sexy!"
Star Talk "Have you ever had a psychic moment?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - June 28, 2005) Terri Colombino: "I just did, because I knew you were going to ask me that question [laughs]! Well, my mom and I have a really cool connection. We will always call each other at the same exact time. There are times when the phone rang when I was dialing her, and vice versa. Or we'll talk about similar things that we were thinking about at the same time. I consider that a kind of psychic link."
Emmy Secrets Revealed (CBS Soaps In Depth - June 28, 2005)
Emmy Gossip... Kim Zimmer (Reva, GL) caught up with ATWT's Terri Colombino (Katie) at the after-party to compliment her on her dress, remarking that she looked like Grace Kelley. Colombino replied, "That's just what I was going for!"
Best Dressed... Terri Colombino in Reem Acra: "It's very '50s. It's like a little bodice, and it's very Sarah Jessica Parker-looking."
Emmy Gift Bag... The stars loaded up with presents backstage at the Daytime Emmy Awards: A frequent Ziamond.com shopper, Terri Colombino couldn't wait to get to the company's booth to pick up her 2.5 karat cushion-cut earrings.
Soap Opera Style - Plump 'Em And Pucker Up (Soap Opera Weekly - June 21, 2005)
CITY Lips was a big hit at the Daytime Emmy gift lounge, where stars picked up free goodies. A topical collagen stimulant, CITY Lips can add fullness to your lips without an injection. Raved Days' Kristian Alfonso (Hope), "I have CITY Lips and I love it!" Said Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT), "My sister-in-law has this, she has beautiful lips. I have been meaning to get this for a while. I am so excited." Rebecca Budig (Greenlee, AMC) confided, "I got some CITY Lips today. I put it on and I can feel it tingling right now." Quipped B&B's Hunter Tylo (Taylor), "I can't wait to try this. Now my lips will take up the whole screen!"
24: The Emmy Timeline (Soap Opera Weekly - June 14, 2005)
9:50: Jennifer Landon (Gwen, ATWT) rushes out to buy an Emmy outfit.
1:00: Trent Dawson (Henry, ATWT) gets a massage. "It was a new girl and I said 'Don't worry, I can take it.' She almost killed me."
2:00: Jesse Soffer (Will) gets up and goes over to Mark Collier's (Mike) place. They make fun of Jennifer Ferrin's (Jennifer) wedding speech during ATWT's air show.
11:29: ATWT's Maura West (Carly), Michael Park (Jack) and their friends and family are torn between taking the CBS bus and walking. They finally decide to hoof it.
11:55: Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT) notes there was a lot of plastic surgery and new boobs onstage.
Soap Style - My Style (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 31, 2005) The ATWT star shares her fashionable dos and don'ts
Have you ever wondered how a soap star decides what to wear for a formal soiree or to an afternoon lunch with friends? Well, wonder no more! CBS Soaps In Depth poses exactly that question to one of daytime's best-dressed women, AS THE WORLD TURNS' Terri Colombino (Katie). "It's nice that we get to borrow things," laughs the actress, mother to 10-month-old Julia. "Even though I have more money now than I used to, I can't justify buying clothing that costs too much. I've learned to shop better, too. I used to just buy a pair of pants because I liked them, or a top that I liked and then never had anything to go with it." Even when she was pregnant, Colombino found shopping fun. "A Pea In The Pod has the most beautiful things," she raves of the upscale maternity boutique. "And of course, when you're pregnant, you want to pay attention to what you're wearing even more. So I did have fun dressing the belly!"
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← "I wore this to the fan luncheon last year. I wasn't quite as far along as at the Emmys. I got this whole outfit from a maternity store called Naissance On Melrose. I ordered it online because the store's in L.A. They have such cute things that don't look like you're pregnant that really show off your body without being too revealing... that you're pregnant. Because that's kind of gross!" |  |
← "This is what I wore to the Emmys because I felt it was more dressy. I had the shoes to match, with little flowers on them, so I had fun with that. It was two months before I gave birth. I walked out of the house with these long blonde extensions and this pink dress and I looked like a knocked-up Barbie!" |
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← "This was at St. Jude's, my first event post-baby. And this is my favorite dress. It's by Mandalay. I wasn't quite down to my pre-pregnancy weight so I wasn't feeling as good as normal. But I do look pretty good for just having a baby three months earlier. And it's a beautiful dress, so I felt good in it." |  |
← "I wore this dress to the technical Emmys last year when I was pregnant. I had two dresses from A Pea In The Pod for the Emmys, and I was trying to decide which to wear to which one. I thought this was a little more casual and funky and fun. I loved it." |
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← "Oh, this was my first Emmys [in 1999] , where I had no idea what the dress [code] was going to be. I got this from our wardrobe department. With the long braid extension, I look very young here. But, I was. And it's not too bad for the first time at the Emmys." |  |
← "I wore this purple spaghetti-strap top and brown pants with a necklace to this pre-Emmy thing where [NYC] Mayor Bloomberg invited us to Gracie Mansion. I wanted to look sophisticated to meet the mayor. I love that outfit. I still wear it. I think it's Laundry." |
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← "This lace, vintage-looking dress, I loved it. I wore it to the technical Emmys three years ago. It was just the beginning of when the old 50s vintage look was coming back in. I just felt classy in that dress. Sully Bonnelly makes very classic and beautiful dresses." |  |
← "This metallic strapless shirt was my first designer purchase; it's Versace. I got it the second year I lived in [NYC]. I was always too scared to pay too much for a piece of clothing - I still feel that way. But I splurged. I still have it in my closet. I'm going to save it for [my daughter] Julia; it'll come back around someday. That's the one good thing about designer clothes." |
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← "I wear a lot of pink! The pink funky pants with a black top was put together at the last minute for a movie premiere. Just a casual kind of thing. It was thrown together, but ended up looking pretty cute. I don't think I could fit into it anymore, but..." |
Heavenly Father (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 31, 2005) Being a mom and having a full-time career can be stressful for any woman, so it's a good thing for Terri Colombino (Katie) that her husband, Arthur, is a real hands-on father with their 10-month-old daughter, Julia. "He's been the best dad, right from the beginning," she gushes. "Even during my pregnancy, it's like something 'clicked' in him and he just took over. Which is great. I'm so lucky because he gets up in the night, or he'll stay up late to help feed her, because he stays up late anyway." Which is something the actress herself isn't normally inclined to do. "I'm an early bird," Colombino admits, "and Artie is the night owl. He'll stay up and make sure that he can give Julia the last feeding so that I can get some sleep and get up early in the morning. We're a good team!"
A Whole New World (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 17, 2005) Terri Colombino (Katie) marvels at how much daughter Julia has changed her life
Ever since giving birth to daughter Julia 10 months ago, Terri Colombino (Katie, AS THE WORLD TURNS) hasn't been the same. And as she sat down to be primped for this very special Mother's Day photo shoot for Soaps In Depth, we asked her what it felt like to celebrate this holiday now that she's a mother herself.
"Well, it feels pretty weird," she admits with a chuckle, "because I didn't even know it was going to be Mother's Day until you asked me to do this! Although I should've known, because of my own mother and mother-in-law. I would've known the week before, with enough time to buy flowers or a gift or something, but now it's a little different." In fact, the new mom actually had made other plans for that weekend! "I'm going to Vegas with one of my friends who's getting married," Colombino reveals. "It's her bachelorette weekend. We were supposed to come back on the red-eye that Sunday. So, [we were returning] Monday morning, basically." Of course, she soon realized her mistake. "I got the tickets," she relates, "didn't even realize it, and then I was like, 'Oh my God! I have to come back! I can't miss my first Mother's Day! She'll know that for the rest of her life, that I missed her first Mother's Day! ' So I switched my ticket, and I'm coming back on the red-eye Saturday night."
Family Tradition
Growing up in New Mexico, Colombino had a particularly sweet smelling Mother's Day custom. "My mom and grandmother always wore corsages," she recalls. "and my grandmother would always wear a gardenia, because that was her favorite flower. "I remember always going to get her corsage the day before with my dad," the actress continues. "He would always make sure they had their corsages. I think it's a Southern thing, doing that." And even though she was only a little girl, Colombino's father made sure to include his daughter in the tradition. "He would get me a little one," she reveals. "He said, 'You have to wait to be a mother before you get a nice, big corsage.' So he'll probably get me one this year!"
The Next Generation
Now that Colombino has a daughter herself, it's time to begin family traditions of her own. But when asked if her husband, Arthur,, has any special surprises planned for May 8, she glances across the table at her spouse and smiles as she confesses, "I don't know... Not that I know of!" But whatever Artie has up his sleeve won't be the only new experience the new mom enjoys. Little Julia has completely and utterly changed her life. "In every way possible," Colombino chuckles. "My whole attitude and outlook on life is different. I'm just so much more content," she adds after a thoughtful pause. "She just makes life so happy and... easier. I thought it would get hard, because you have so many responsibilities, and I'm a total worrier, but for the time being, I've just become more... more me. I don't know if that makes sense. It just feels right."
Caption: "It feels like I was just waiting for her," Colombino says of the bundle of joy that made her life complete.
Caption: A self-professed worrywart, the new mom expects to get worse "as soon as [baby Julia] starts walking and running around and going out on dates and stuff like that!"
Star Talk "What's the weirdest dream you've ever had about your soap or your co-stars?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 17, 2005) Terri: "You know, I have my weirdest dreams when I take naps in the studio, because you hear the announcements [over the intercom system]. And so usually, the characters will kind of creep in. I can't really think of one specifically, but I always wake up [feeling] like, 'Where am I?' and, 'Did that really happen?'"
Totally Terri (SoapCity Online, May 2005)
Terri Colombino (Katie) has come a long way since September of 1998, when she didn't get the part of Georgia (remember her?) and was instead handed the quickly created role of Katie, even though the then-writers had no idea what to do with her.
In those seven years, Katie went from rootless teen, to ambitious schemer to quirky heroine.
She fell in and out of love with Simon and Mike... only to end up married to her best pal, Henry. But is this a relationship destined for the long haul?
SoapCity Alina: How did you first feel when you learned Katie and Henry would be getting together?
Terri Colombino: I love it. I think that happens with friends, one of them always ends up having feelings for the other one. I think it's a very real thing and very unexpected, so even better.
SCA: Henry has been in love with Katie for years, but she's been apparently oblivious. Did you always play it like Katie knew Henry was in love with her but didn't want to deal with it, or do you think she really was oblivious?
TC: I played towards the end that I was aware of it, but putting it out of my head because I didn't want to deal with it. Up until then I think she was really oblivious. Sometimes you're so into your own world, you don't know. He never did anything. It was always behind her back, so she had no idea. I don't think she ever expected it. I was thinking the other day, if Paul (Leyden) ever came back, Simon would be freaked if he learned Katie and Henry are together.
SCA: The love scenes really change your dynamics with Trent Dawson (Henry). Is there any downside?
TC: We don't get to do the goofy fun stuff anymore, which I do miss. It's a little more serious, but even better because he's so good to work with, and when you're working with somebody in comedy and drama whose right there with you, it just makes it easier.
SCA: So what's the State of Katie these days?
TC: She's a little depressed because she's been denying the fact that she's still in love with Mike. So much so that she got herself into a marriage with her best friend. The (feelings for Mike) could ruin her relationship with Henry, and (the marriage) could ruin her friendship and relationship with Mike, as well, so she's a little scared and confused.
SCA: Can you really be in love with two men at the same time?
TC: I don't think it can be the same kind of love. One of them is always going to override the other one.
SCA: You've been at ATWT for almost seven years now, but the show will next celebrate its 50th Anniversary. What do you attribute the longevity to?
TC: It's definitely the presence of the veterans. That's the cool thing about soaps, you get to turn it on and it could have been a month or fifteen years, but you get to see the same people, how they've grown and how they've changed. That's a unique thing about soaps that nothing really has. I hope we'll be around for fifty more years.
On The Dote (Soap Opera Digest - May 10, 2005) Real-life soap moms share reflections on motherhood, boast about their broods and give an inside look at their private lives.
Terri Colombino (Katie, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
Bragging Rights: Julia, 9 months
Do you ever get advice from co-stars?
Terri: "Well, she's starting to stand in her crib now, on her bumper, and getting really high. So, [my husband] Artie called Kelley [Menighan Hensley, Emily] and Laurie Park [wife of Michael, Jack]. Both of them said 'I don't want to be responsible for telling you what to do.' So, we took [it] out and she's okay."
Who does she take after, personality-wise?
Terri: "She just started singing, so I guess that would be like Artie. We make a little noise and she'll make it, too. If you go down a note, she will, too. Hopefully, she'll be a good singer. I'm the only one in the family who can't sing, so it's kind of embarrassing and I hope she doesn't join me in that."
What is your favorite activity to do with her?
Terri: "Well, she just started crawling and she has this little piano in her room. I love to put her across the room so that she crawls there and I let her play for a while. She gets such a kick out of it. That was such a 'Mom' thing to say: 'She gets such a kick out of it.' "
You are what you are!
Terri: "Yep. But with anything that she's learning or experiencing for the first time, it's so amazing to watch her face, getting proud of herself or look at me like, 'Oh, my God, did you realize that that happens when you do this?' She loves peekaboo, too. Peekaboo is big right now."
Any plans for your first Mother's Day?
Terri: "That's gonna be amazing. Wow. I remember last year, Artie did something special because he said I was a mother already, even though I was just pregnant then, but I forgot that I'm gonna be a mom this Mother's Day. That's gonna be really cool. We'll do something pretty special because it really does change the way you see yourself. We'll be in our new house, so maybe we can have a little party or something."
Baby Love (Soap Opera Digest - May 10, 2005) Daytime's Newest Moms Weigh In On The Joys Of Motherhood
Julia Catherine was born on July 8, 2004 to Terri Colombino (Katie, AS THE WORLD TURNS) and her husband, Artie. At the shoot, her grandma was behind the camera, eliciting smiles.
What has been your best "Mom" moment?
Terri: "The thing that got me in the heart is the first time that someone else was holding her and she reached for me. She wanted me and nobody else, and that was a pretty amazing feeling. But she's still so little, so everything to me is amazing. I'll hear her in the morning going, 'La la la la,' entertaining herself, and I'll walk in and she's standing up in her crib holding onto the bars like she's in jail, and when she sees me, she smiles so big and gets all excited. Just her responding to me in a different way than she responds to anyone else is the most incredible feeling."
How did you get back in shape?
Terri: "I'm not quite there yet, but pretty close. I've got to say this last 10 pounds will not disappear, and it's really frustrating. I've done everything: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, The Zone, a diet similar to Atkins and the grapefruit diet for a couple of weeks ... I've done a bit of everything and each time I'll lose two or three pounds and then it just stops. I'm like, 'I could be eating whatever I want!' Laurie Park [wife of Michael Park, Jack] said that after nine months, it just sort of drops off. So I just hit nine months and I'm waiting for that to happen! I was working with a trainer a lot, but I've been working on the show so much that I haven't had as much time with him. But he was perfect for getting that initial weight off. If I wasn't on the show, I would be totally happy with where I am right now, but you know, we're on TV."
Is there any pressure?
Terri: "Not from the production. They know that it takes a while. It's my own pressure that I give myself because I know that if I don't get it off in the first year, then it's gonna stay."
What do you want Julia to learn from you?
Terri: "I want her to learn manners and respect, first of all, because I think that's a good basis for life and treating people with respect. You'll get that back, which makes life easier. People don't focus on that as much anymore. I don't know what I'm going to have her call our friends, though. I would feel weird if kids called me 'Mrs. Colombino,' but when I was little, that's how I addressed my parents' friends. That would make me feel old. But 'Yes, please,' and 'No, thank you,' are big ones for me."
What did you learn from your mom that you want to pass along?
Terri: "That you can do anything that you put your mind to. See yourself doing it and you'll do it, and there aren't any limits. I want her to be young and dreaming for as long as possible. Because now that I'm older, I realize that a lot of dreams I had were totally unrealistic, but I so thought I would get there that it got me a lot closer to it than I ever would have. When you grow up too fast and realize things aren't as attainable, you don't go for them with abandon like you should. My mom encouraged me to dream and not think it's silly. And I always want her to have something that she's excited about. I want her to do whatever makes her happy."
Would Katie make a good mom?
Terri: "Hell, no [laughs]! I think eventually she will be, but she just has to get out of her own head and figure out who she is first. She's way too focused on herself."
You were glad that they didn't write in the pregnancy, right?
Terri: "So glad. Mainly because in two years, I would end up with an 18-year-old. And that would not be so good for my career."
Soap Opera Secrets - Spring 2005
Guilty Pleasures... "I love US Weekly magazine and Star and Access Hollywood and all those horrible things that celebrities hate. I'm infatuated with them, even though I would be totally upset with those publications if I was that much in the public eye and having those things said about me. So I feel guilty loving them but I do." - ATWT's Terri Colombino (Katie)
Roles They Didn't Get... Terri Colombino "The only one I ever auditioned for was Georgia (on ATWT), which is how I ended up getting Katie."
Actor's Secret Jobs... Terri Colombino "In college, I was a DJ's assistant and we had to learn dances and perform them at bar mitzvahs, and get the kids dancing. We would teach them little counts of eight and stuff. That was a pretty weird job. It paid well, though, and it was fun."
What Goes On When The Clothes Come Off For Nude Scenes... If ordinary underwear is used, it's usually flesh-toned. Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT) favors nude-colored biker shorts and pasties as needed. "If they want to get a side shot, I can't really be wearing a nude bra," she says. "But if we're under the sheets, then I can just wear a strapless tank top."
"I'll give you Mark Collier's (Mike, ATWT) secret," volunteers Colombino about a recent nude scene. "He was wearing a sock, because they wanted to show his butt. That was hot - and extremely hilarious."
These Are Plots That Everyone Secretly Hated... Terri Colombino "My least-favorite storyline was the involvement of Pilar and the fact that Simon had paid her to break Mike and Katie up. It wasn't believable. And I don't think bringing that character back from so long ago interested the audience or made them scared that Mike would choose her over Katie, anyway. Everybody felt the pressure to make it work, even though we knew the audience wasn't used to that Pilar, or even that Mike, or, really, that Simon, even though it was the same person. Because they needed Mike and Katie to get together, Simon's character had to change to make that happen. It was just a lot in a short amount of time."
The Secret To Memorizing All Those Lines Is A Four-Letter Word... Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT) prefers to recite her lines. "I record the other person's lines on a little tape recorder and then leave space for mine and quiz myself," she says. "But, really, the best way is just to run them with the other actor, because then you hear the rhythm of it." However, if her fellow actor is not available, Colombino drafts her husband, Arthur. "He's such a good imitator, which makes it funny," she says. "We end up not getting too much done because he's always imitating the other person. He's very good at Craig."
Hide And See... Many soap actors are blessed with amazing memories - which is lucky, considering how much dialogue the job requires! But there's also a trick to help stars get through a tough day: hidden scripts.
"We hide them in the drawers, because there's not usually anything in the drawers of a desk or the cabinets," reveals Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT).
Soap Opera Style (Soap Opera Weekly - April 26, 2005) How do you celebrate spring, wardrobe-wise? Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT) "When I bring out the sandals and flip-flops, I know it's spring. There is a BCBG dress I tried on in wardrobe that I want to get. The top is all crocheted and the back is loose crocheted and it has a green, flowy skirt. Green is the big color I'm into this spring."
Stop The World .. We Want To Eat Cake (Soap Opera Weekly - April 26, 2005) The As The World Turns cast and crew celebrated the show's 49th anniversary with an on-set celebration March 30. "The baby boomers say that 50 is the new 30. So, applying this new math, we won't be 50 for another 20 years," quipped executive producer Chris Goutman.
Terri Colombino and Kelly Menighan Hensley (Katie and Emily) aren't just cast mates anymore. "Terri bought a house in my neighborhood and I can't wait until we're neighbors," said Hensley.
"What's the craziest story idea you've ever heard from a fan?" (SoapCity Online - April, 2005) Terri Colombino (Katie): When Roger Howarth (Paul) started, my fans who do my website are huge fans of his, so they really wanted me and Paul to get together. I can't imagine them together. Now, my fans are totally split. Some love her with Henry and others think that it doesn't work because they've been friends for too long and it's too brother/sister. Others want her with Mike.
(Almost) 50 and Fabulous (SoapCity Online - April, 2005) Although ATWT officially turned 49 on April 2, 2005, Oakdale's proud cast and crew couldn't wait to celebrate, and so jumped the gun, having an on-set party Wednesday, March 30.
In honor of the occasion, SoapCity (with a tip of the hat to Alfred Hitchcock) asked your favorite stars: What are the steps to creating a soap that lasts 49 years?
Terri Colombino: "It's definitely the presence of the veterans. That's the cool thing about soaps, you get to turn it on and it could have been a month or fifteen years, but you get to see the same people, how they've grown and how they've changed. That's a unique thing about soaps that nothing else really has. I hope we'll be around for fifty more years."
Terri Needs Your Help! (CBS Soaps In Depth Online) AS THE WORLD TURNS' Terri Colombino (Katie) invites fans to participate in a walkathon to support the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center. "This is a cause very close to home," shares the actress. "[My husband] Artie's cousins had a baby boy named Tyler last September, and he had a rare heart defect and passed away three weeks later. But their experience with this hospital was so amazing and just made their time with him so much more special that they wanted to focus their energy into helping other families that, unfortunately, have to be in the same situation."
As a team leader, Colombino roped a few castmates, including Michael Park (Jack), Jon Hensley (Holden) and Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily), into donating their time for the cause, and hopes fans will, too! The walkathon will be held Sunday, May 15, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. EST at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. For registration/more info, call (914) 493-2575, or visit MariaFareriChildrensHospital.wcmc.com. "It'll be a fun day," Colombino promises. "They're going to have a carnival, so it'll be great for kids. Hopefully it'll be sunny and warm and God will be shining down on us... and Tyler."
A Baby Story (CBS Soaps In Depth Online) Terri Colombino (Katie) gives birth... on television!
Her AS THE WORLD TURNS co-stars, Martha Byrne (Lily) and Maura West (Carly), had already done it, but when it came time for mom-to-be Terri Colombino (Katie) to decide whether to film the birth of her first child for The Learning Channel's series, A BABY STORY, she had some trouble making up her mind.
"That was actually a difficult decision," she admits. "Being our first baby, I thought, 'Well, I don't know what to expect. I'm gonna be freaking out... I don't want someone there filming it.'"
In the end, it was husband Arthur Colombino who helped persuade her. "Artie was really excited about doing it," she explains, "because he thought, 'What a beautiful thing to have for her when she gets older.' So that really got me on board with doing it. And then what really sealed the deal was finding out our hospital doesn't let any cameras in for the actual birth!"
Sharing With Everyone
So while the Colombinos initially were nervous about broadcasting the birth of their daughter, Julia, they now appreciate having a record of this landmark moment in their lives. "I'm so glad we did it," she says. "It's the most beautiful gift we can give her later, and that we have now."
Of course, it's not exactly a personal home video they're sharing with their daughter. "People all around the country got to see her be born," Colombino marvels. "Which is also kind of a weird thing.
"I brought the tape to the studio for people who hadn't seen it yet," she continues with a chuckle. "And I'm watching it with like, Mark [Collier, Mike] and Trent [Dawson, Henry], going, 'Yeah, my male co-stars are watching me give birth!' I was so excited about the actual thing that you don't step back and realize that for someone that hasn't been through it, it's kind of traumatic to watch!"
The Magic Moment
Before agreeing to let The Learning Channel tape the last days of her pregnancy through to the birth of her baby girl, Colombino checked out Byrne's episode but was unable to get a copy of West's. Which might have been a good thing, since West had cameras in the delivery room broadcasting her every scream as she gave birth.
"I know!" Colombino smiles. "And she did it naturally! I mean, by the time [the crew] got there, I'd had the drugs, so I was like, 'Hey... ' The labor went pretty quickly, so by the time they got there, I already had the drugs, thank God. Because I was in so much pain, and I wouldn't have wanted to see that on camera.
"I know they like that for their ratings," Colombino says with a chuckle, "but for me, I'm glad that's not part of our tape. Not something I want to remember!"
Up Close & Personal - That's My Girl! (CBS Soaps In Depth - April 5, 2005) For new mom Terri Colombino (Katie) and husband Arthur, watching their now 8-month-old daughter Julia develop is a wonder. "She's really becoming a little person," the actress marvels. "She was sitting by herself in her swing - which is our godsend, by the way, because it lets her entertain herself and gives us time to do what we need to do - just going, 'Ah! Ah!' She's been in it for months, and she never responded to it that way. I have to wonder what's going on in little babies' heads." And the changes in Julia just keep on coming. "She's really gotten so animated," Colombino reports. "Her hair is getting long, she's getting bigger, her face is changing... It's just amazing. Every day is something different."
Caption: "She's always happy," Colombino says of her baby daughter, Julia.
Strange Love (Soap Opera Digest - March 22, 2005) ATWT's Terri Colombino And Trent Dawson Embrace An Unexpected, Unconventional, Unconditional Romance
It seems ridiculous until you realize it makes perfect sense. Henry started as the acid-tongued devil on Katie's shoulder in self-serving support of her wide-eyed romantic dreams. But five years of scheming and two devastatingly intense relationships later, only Henry's devotion has been unwavering. His feelings arguably go as far back as their time on a deserted island, but Katie only realized it just before they tied the knot (in a plot to win back Mike). As things heat up between the old friends, portrayers Terri Colombino and Trent Dawson, who share great mutual respect and a wry sense of humor, point out how something that started out so wrong turned out to be just right.
Digest: What did you think when you heard about Katie and Henry?
Colombino: I was pretty shocked. It came about really fast. But the way that it's progressed has been really cool. If you think back to Henry and Katie five years ago... He's softened up a little bit.
Dawson: Quite a bit. He's quite the gentleman now.
Colombino: Very sweet. Henry's the little...
Dawson: He's not the little anything.
Colombino (laughing): He's the darling of the story, that's what I mean. I think the audience will feel the most for him because he's doing everything so selflessly.
Digest: Everyone's terrified that he'll get his heart broken.
Dawson: I was sure he was. When we were shooting the wedding and he's not sure it's going to happen, and Margo comes out and says it is, they said, "We need a tight shot of Henry waiting." I had this really pained look on my face, so they cut and said "Trent, you know you're going to marry her?" I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, even though I had read the script!"
Colombino: If Katie hurts him, she's screwed. She's not coming back from that.
Dawson: It's so weird - he used to be blackmailing people and drugging them with ipecac syrup.
Colombino: And now everyone's like, "You better not hurt him or I'll kill you!"
Dawson: It's crazy.
Digest: It must be nice, though.
Dawson: Yeah, I'm on for the ride, man.
Digest: Was it odd to start doing romantic scenes?
Colombino: Not really, I thought it would be more weird than it was.
Dawson: I thought it was a little odd for you, I got that sense, but I wasn't sure if it was Terri being odd or if it was Katie.
Colombino: No, it was Katie, At first, when I thought about it, though, I was like, "Trent's my buddy. It's gonna be weird kissing him." Because with Mark [Collier, Mike] and Paul [Leyden, ex-Simon] even, we started that way and then became friends. But we've been so close for so long that I thought it would be really weird, but it wasn't.
Dawson: It got easier for me when he told Jennifer, "I'm in love with her." Once he declared that, I had a mission, in a way. After that it wasn't like kissing my sister.
Digest: How is he as a kisser?
Colombino: Great!
Dawson: She's fantastic.
Colombino (laughing): That's probably helped it not be weird.
Dawson: Yeah, right: "Oh, this will work."
Digest: I should ask about your best and worst qualities.
Dawson: Come on!
Digest: I've got to. I'm sorry.
Colombino: You do me first.
Dawson: No. You got the question first!
Colombino: I'm not going to be able to say worst.
Dawson: (joking): Stop looking at yourself in the mirror and answer the question. [She glares at him.] Oh, I don't like that look. I shouldn't have said anything.
Colombino: I have to go get the Aquarian book. "His best qualities are that he's very inventive."
Dawson: Good kisser!
Colombino: And a great actor.
Digest: Trent, you look so nervous.
Dawson: I am very nervous.
Colombino: He has taught me a lot. I've said that a million times before, but it's true. Not like, "Here's the way you do it, Terri" [Laughs] But just working together, I've picked up a lot of ways of doing things that he just naturally does. And he's very sweet. And fun. But he is a little moody. Don't catch him on a bad day.
Dawson: If I have a bad night's sleep or something, don't come near me. I'm more of a black hole than a bad person.
Colombino: Yeah, you're not mean. I'm like, "What's wrong?" "Nothing."
Dawson: That's true. Um, Terri's got a great butt [laughs].
Colombino: Oh, yeah. I love your butt.
Dawson: I was fishing for that one. She's extraordinary. She's an incredible actor. I'm so glad she had the baby and came back to work because she just lights up like no one else on the show. So much more comes out of me when I'm working with her - emotionally - and I work harder. I'm better.
Colombino: Really? That's how I feel about you.
Dawson: No, it's like we've been rehearsing for five years.
Colombino: I always feel like the inexperienced one because he does all this theater. [He scoffs.] You're really good and I always feel like, "I hope he's not getting mad right now."
Dawson: No, because you just light up. Other people, sometimes I'm just waiting for my cue, which is bad acting and boring acting. But I listen to everything you say: When I'm with you, I feel it.
Colombino: It's the easiest.
Dawson: Even when we're rolling our eyes going, "Geez Louise..."
Colombino: Sometimes I'm reading my script and go, "He's not gonna do that." Then we get into rehearsal and he says it like it's nothing and it totally works. Nobody else could do that. Some of his lines are pretty hard to pull off. What was that one last week? "Win, place or show."
Dawson: Oh, God. They have all these references to gambling and horse racing, which is fine, but sometimes they go too far. He says, "Win, place or show, I'm here. Mike's not even in the race."
Colombino: But it totally worked!
Dawson: Bull---t, it didn't.
Colombino: But at first you said, "Win, place or draw."
Dawson: I've changed a couple of things. Like when he proposed, I changed that.
Colombino: You did?
Dawson: Yeah, because he says, "I may not have Simon's accent or Mike's abs."
Colombino: Oh, right. It was supposed to be "Mike's brawn."
Dawson: Brawn? Who says brawn? Like the paper-towel guy?
Digest: What made her ultimately go through with the wedding?
Colombino: She realizes that there is this man who really does love her, maybe she should just go for it. How many people really have a person to adore them like that?
Dawson: That's a valid question because how attractive a quality is that, though? I guess to some people it is, to other people they want the unattainable.
Colombino: Well, with Katie, it's always the unattainable. But she's getting a little older and trying to be more realistic. She thinks. "Mike was my last chance at that."
Digest (laughing): Because she's so old.
Colombino (laughing): Well, ask the writers! But there is something flattering about someone just doing anything for you.
Dawson: Which makes me curious about where they go from here because it's gotten very tender. There is the potential.
Colombino: Definitely. She's just so caught up with Mike right now.
Dawson (quietly): I'm taller than him.
Colombino: True.
Digest: And Henry's willing to take the risk.
Dawson: Yeah. Once he's made that statement, he's totally committed. They still keep dropping in elements of, "This guy is willing to be with this woman for the rest of his life and not get horizontal?" What kind of man is that? He may just be saying that for now. But then also, they discover some of his old books and it's The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan [laughter].
Colombino: But every kid has those books. He saved them to give to his kids.
Dawson: Kids came up...
Colombino: Pretty quickly. The day after they got married.
Digest: Well, because Katie's so old.
Dawson (laughing): The clock is ticking.
Colombino: It's him that brings them up!
Dawson: Partly because it would be great to have kids and partly to start the trying process.
Colombino: Practice makes perfect.
Digest: Henry has come such a long way.
Colombino: I know. And Katie's gone nowhere [laughter]!
Dawson: I can't really see because I'm too close to it, but people tell me that they've always sensed, especially in the last two or three years, that there's obviously something else going on there.
Colombino: It's cool because it is kind of a big payoff. You thought that he was one way, and you've seen these little pieces of him coming through, and now it makes sense. I don't think they planned it that way, but those are always the best stories.
Dawson: It's an interesting experience of being friends with someone and suddenly looking at them differently, which we've all had.
Digest: Could they have a long marriage?
Colombino: I think they're the one couple who could.
Dawson: Because they've been friends for so long. I could see that happening.
Colombino: What will our name be?
Dawson: What?
Colombino: "Kenry?" Or "Hatie." That's no good.
Dawson: No, no, no.
Colombino: We could be a supercouple.
Dawson: We could totally be a supercouple. Are we going to be on the cover of this magazine?
Blonde Ambition (Soap Opera Previews - March 14, 2005) When Katie Peretti first landed in Oakdale, she was a troublemaker with a penchant for getting in over her head thanks to schemes of her own making. But once she found true love... well, actually, not much changed! "She's gone through a lot of stuff," laughs portrayer Terri Colombino. "But she probably hasn't matured as much as she should have!"
RASH DECISIONS That said, the actress understands why her alter ego never really grew up. "Sometimes I think that when people go through a lot in their lives, they stay at a certain maturity level because they weren't nurtured through those things," Colombino muses. "And I don't really think Katie's had a lot of nurturing. So when Simon came along and completely loved her," the actress continues, "Katie became a better person. But once she couldn't trust that love anymore, she reverted back to her old ways." Forced to choose between two irresistible men when Simon unexpectedly returned, Katie followed her heart and wound up losing not only him but Mike as well. Unable to swallow her pride and admit to having made a huge mistake, the beauty instead told a tiny lie and hit the road. "Being in Paris gave her perspective," the actress continues. "She could look at her life from across the world and figure out the things that she had done wrong. She missed Mike, so she really realized that she needed to go back and fight for what she wants again."
CHANGE OF PLANS Of course, when Katie finally came back home, things didn't exactly go as she'd planned. Somehow, Mike had found a way to move on without her! "She came back figuring Mike would be single and missing her," Colombino says with a smile. "but he doesn''t seem like he's missed her, and he's not single anymore. So Katie is in panic mode. She came back with every intention of being aa better person and trying to be more mature," the actress adds, "but the second she sees that competition, she freaks. And time is not on Katie's side. Time is on Jennifer's side. So that justifies Katie going to these major extremes to get Mike's attention." And although it was lying and scheming that got her into this - and pretty much every other - mess in the first place, Katie remains convinced that underhanded tactics are are best shot at winning the hunk's heart. Has she never heard the old saying about tangled webs and deception? "The thing is, she always does get it in the end," Colombino says. "She has to go through the hurt and be made to realize that she hurt someone else, but she always gets what she wants eventually. So I guess that's why, in her twisted mind, she believes that it works. Either that," laughs the actress, "or it's just a soap opera, and I'm going to have to keep scheming in order to have a storyline, so I'm fine with it!"
...ON GETTING BACK INTO THE DAYTIME GRIND AFTER HER MATERNITY LEAVE: "I'm still having a hard time with it," Colombino admits. "I'd been doing it for six years when I left, and I was gone for almost five months. I really realized just how much of a routine you get into. It's been harder for me to learn my lines since coming back. I'm not used to working! I was playing with the baby for months!"
...ON KATIE'S FINEST MOMENT: "That would probably be when she decided to give part of her liver to Margo," the actress says. "That was one of the most selfless things that she's ever done, and it showed how much she loves her family. Especially Margo."
...ON KATIE'S MR. WRONG: "Holden!" Colombino says quickly. "I don't know what she was thinking there! That was so very wrong. Never go after a married man!"
...ON KATIE'S MR. RIGHT: "I think it's probably a combination of Simon, Mike and Henry," Colombino says with a laugh. "Maybe she hasn't found him yet. Maybe she needs to find someone completely different!"
SEEN & HEARD... At the ATWT set, Terri Colombino (Katie) shared with her castmates a DVD that husband Arthur had made of the first months in the life of their new baby girl, Julia!
Who's Who (Soap Opera Digest - March 8, 2005) Find out more about what your favorite stars are really like on the set from the folks who know them best - their castmates.
Celebrity Judges: Terri Colombino (Katie), Trent Dawson (Henry) and Eldo Ray Estes (Makeup Artist)
Who takes the longest in makeup?
Estes: "It's a tie between Tamara Tunie [Jessica] and Cady McClain [Rosanna] because they're both incredibly gorgeous and extreme perfectionists."
Who tells the best stories?
Colombino: "Hunt [Block, Craig], absolutely. He has something interesting to say about every topic."
Who's the most talkative?
Estes: "Right now, Mary Beth Evans [Sierra]. She's a moving target."
Who's always in a good mood?
Dawson: "Michael Park [Jack]."
Colombino: "Yeah, Michael."
Who's the best at remembering birthdays?
Estes: "Kelley Hensley [Emily]. She's such a mother and very generous and loving, gift-giving, cookie-baking - all those things."
Who's the most serious?
Colombino: "Roger [Howarth, Paul]?"
Dawson: "No, he's got a very wry sense of humor. I'd say lately, since Mark Collier's [Mike] been taking really heavy drama classes in the evenings, he's gotten serious. But no, he turns into a 12-year-old most days."
Colombino: "Colleen [Zenk Pinter, Barbara]?"
Dawson: "Mmmmm, no. Jennifer Ferrin [Jennifer] is pretty serious."
Colombino: "Yes, that's true."
CBS Gossip - Baby Swap (Soap Opera Digest - February 15, 2005) Since their baby, Julia, was born, Terri Colombino (Katie) and her husband, Artie, have been spending a lot more time with Michael Park (Jack) and his family. "It's been great - they're so close by and we have more in common now," says Colombino, whose daughter is just three months younger than the Parks' newest addition, Annabelle Jayne. "Michael's daughter, Kathleen, is so cute. She's like, 'You can hold my baby if I can hold yours.' Like Annabelle is hers to just give away to anyone!"
Getting the Girl (CBS Online - February 14, 2005) TRENT DAWSON has been a fan favorite for years playing Henry Coleman, Katie's sidekick and partner in crime who always provided comic relief. Fans always clamored for more and ATWT delivered when Henry confessed his unrequited love for Katie to Jennifer, which has propelled the character into a front burner storyline for the first time. CBS.com caught up with Trent about finally getting a story of his own.
CBS.com: What is it like working with Terri, who you've worked with for a long time, with this totally different dynamic?
TRENT DAWSON: It's been great. I had a little apprehension about and she did, too. But then we found out that we're both good kissers! [Laughs] What helped me was [the] declaring the love issue. It's not something that all of a sudden [happened], this is a long-term development. This is best friends who find out that they're good dance partners, you know what I mean? We're having a blast with it.
CBS.com: Did you miss Terri when she was away on maternity leave?
TRENT DAWSON: Oh, God, yes. The best acting I do is when I'm with her on the show. It's a lot of pressure; it's an hour worth of television a day. Everyone there is really good, but I really, really listen when she talks, and that's the key to doing good work. For some reason, she just brings out the best in me that I can do. And I missed that a lot.
CBS.com: Have you seen a change in Terri now that she is a mom?
TRENT DAWSON: I have. I also knew - this is weird - when she was pregnant. I saw her walking down the hall and she hadn't told anyone and I sort of tilted my head to one side and knew it. I knew around the time she was supposed to deliver. I was in my apartment thinking, "Hmmm." And about five minutes later she called and said, "I'm in the hospital and I had the baby and she's beautiful." I don't know what that's about. She's a woman; she's not a little girl anymore. I don't know how to express it; it just sort of comes through after [having the baby]. She's still a goof ball. I don't know how to describe it, but it's just lovely.
Q & A with Trent Dawson and Terri Colombino (TV Guide Online - February 14, 2005) As the World Turns' Henry Coleman got a surprise this Valentine's Day: He married the object of his affection, his best friend Katie Peretti. Now Trent Dawson and Terri Colombino - who play Henry and Katie respectively - are basking in the afterglow as their characters evolve from friends to lovers. They're getting more screen time (Trent's on contract!) and a very real opportunity to become Oakdale's next big supercouple.
Trent, how long has Henry been in love with Katie?
Trent Dawson: Probably longer than he realizes. It's been building and building. He's been in denial about it for a long time, but he finally told Jennifer, "I'm in love with Katie," and described what they've been through over the past five years. Maybe he's been in love with her since the beginning, unbeknownst even to him.
And Terri, how long has Katie known Henry was in love with her?
Terri Colombino: I've been trying to figure that one out. I really don't think she knew for quite a long time. But there have been moments... I think subconsciously Katie chose not go there because she never thought of him in that way. She loves him so much as a friend, if [their romance] was not going to be forever, it would ruin the friendship.
Is Henry ready to be a husband and fix things around the house and take out the garbage?
Dawson: Fix things? He went to an island with this broad. He's lied for her and gone to jail for her - I don't think taking care of the garbage is going to be an issue. He's ready for the whole domestic situation.
Henry is the type of guy a girl could overlook. What would he need to do to finally win Katie over?
Dawson: How did he become that guy? When Henry started off, he was the worst. Terri, answer the question so it can help me out in my own personal life! [ Chuckles ] I'm not a nice guy, I'm a dark and serious man.
Colombino: Katie needs to feel like she's going to lose him and realize what she took for granted.
Is it weird that people now perceive Henry as "the nice guy" when he started off so rotten?
Dawson: It's funny that there's sympathy out there for Henry. I haven't really adjusted to it yet. I still think of him as kind of snarky. I don't want him to lose too much of his dastardly edge. He needs to blackmail someone soon.
A lot of the fans have been pushing for a Katie-Henry pairing. Are you ready for your characters to go from great platonic friends to great lovers?
Colombino: I think it's a natural progression, though I never really pictured it that way. But now that it's there, it does make sense because they have such a rich history.
Dawson: What resonated with the fans, and with us too, is that it's great to see an adult male and female be friends, but it's even more interesting to see a relationship grow out of that, especially one that has so much depth to it.
Terri, you've done several love scenes, but this would be new territory for you, Trent. Are you ready for a bare butt shot in the shower?
Colombino: Would you be willing to do that, Trent? He's got the best butt on the show.
Dawson: I'm ready for it, but I don't think Henry and Katie will be getting these great sex montages. It will be more like they just made love, and at the end of a scene will go off to make more, which would say we're good at it.
Colombino: Janet [Jackson ] ruined it for us!
As their relationship moves forward, will we get to learn more about Henry's past?
Dawson: I've been asking for it. I've always wanted to know who his mother is, because who created this guy? He has mentioned that he has a sister and things of that nature, but it's usually in the middle of him lying about something, so I don't know how much of it is true.
Your characters are best friends on screen. What's your real-life relationship?
Dawson: I disgust her.
Colombino: And he hates me. [ Laughs ] No, we're good friends.
Dawson: She just gave me a wonderful birthday present and card.
Colombino: Now that I don't live in the city, I'm not much of a partyer, but we've had several nights of drunken fun.
Who's more likely to screw up lines in a scene first?
Colombino: Me.
Dawson: Oh, Terri. For me, it's usually blocking that goes before lines. I forget to make a move, and she'll gesture to me. I act like that cross to a new spot came back into my mind all on my own.
Colombino: And he'll use a prop to remind me of my next line. That happened at the wedding. Henry was bringing Snickers as a surprise. I was supposed to look at the rabbit, but I forgot and was looking at Trent, so he held Snickers up.
Trent, you've just been put on contract. Did Henry's blossoming romance with Katie sway the execs to make you a series regular?
Dawson: I'm not sure what came first, chicken-and-egg-wise. It was a very nice surprise, and once I got things straightened out I said, "This would be a good idea." It's a little more job security, and I'm glad to be a part of the team.
How are you celebrating your new status?
Dawson: My upstairs neighbors told me they can hear everything that happens on my couch, so I bought an area rug so my voice doesn't bounce around the apartment. I went and bought it like it was nothing. That's what being a series regular does for you.
Do you think that Katie and Henry can become a lasting supercouple?
Dawson: I do hope so.
Colombino: We could be the most unlikely supercouple ever.
Dawson: Couldn't we?
Up Close & Personal - Giving of Yourself (CBS Soaps In Depth - February 8, 2005) Terri Colombino (Katie) is the first to admit that her AS THE WORLD TURNS alter ego isn't exactly on her way to becoming a saint, but at the same time the actress doesn't believe she's all bad. In fact, she points to Katie's donation of part of her liver to save the life of her sister, Margo, as evidence. "It was a really beautiful story," Colombino recalls. "That's a scary thing to go through. It's not a simple procedure. You're putting yourself at risk to save someone else." And what impressed her the most was that people make such sacrifices in reality. "I just heard a story about someone doing it for a complete stranger," she reports. "She heard about this person's need for... I think it was a liver... on her prayer list at church, and just volunteered to do it. So there are extraordinary parts of Katie that come out every once in a while!"
Caption: Katie's sacrifice was "a hard decision," says Colombino.
HEARTS AND RUSES (TV Guide - January 29, 2005) Two Oakdale connivers plan to say "I do" - for all the wrong reasons. When it comes to threatening the sanctity of marriage, Britney Spears has nothing on Katie Frasier. The dippy ATWT vixen, played by Terri Colombino, has agreed to marry her best friend Henry Coleman, the sweet, geeky, sexually ambiguous con man played by Trent Dawson. Their Valentine's wedding (airing February 15) will take place in the Oakdale gym. But that's not all that's haywire: though Henry is secretly in love with Katie, she's still in love with her ex-beau Mike, who's now in love with sultry fashion designer, Jennifer. So the wedding is really a ruse to make Mike freak out and try to win Katie back. Just one problem: What if Mike doesn't take the bait and stop the ceremony? We spoke with Colombino and Dawson about the nutty nuptials. You guys are wildly popular and the best comic duo in soaps. Aren't you risking fan backlash with this cavalier approach to marriage?
Terri: Usually you know how the audience will respond, but I have no idea which way they'll go with this. I know I was shocked when I heard about the wedding through the studio grapevine.
Trent: She was very apprehensive. She didn't want to do this at all.
Terri: He saw me crying in my dressing room!
Dawson: Katie and Henry are like brother and sister. If they go through with this, it's gonna be like, "OK... now what?"
Terri: The day before the wedding Katie realizes that Henry really loves her and that she may as well marry him because it's never going to work out with Mike.
But she's still young and a real dish. Why is she so desperate?
Terri: I remember being 18 and breaking up with a boyfriend and getting wasted on champagne during the day and crying, "I'm never going to get married!" Women think that way... well, at least Katie and I do.
And a Valentine wedding is the ultimate chick thing.
Terri: Right! But it's not all pink and red.
Trent: We try to dress up the gym, but you'll still see free weights and Stair Masters in the background.
Terri: And there are pictures of men with bulging muscles behind the groom.
Trent: Yeah, we still want to keep Henry's sexual identity a little ambiguous.
Baby Talk (Soap Opera Weekly - January 25, 2005) ATWT's Terri Colombino offers candid advice for first-time moms - Terri Colombino wraps up her scene as AS THE WORLD TURNS' Katie and makes a quick call to husband Artie to check in on him and their 6-month-old daughter, Julia. She then suggests a nearby sushi restaurant for this interview, where she shares the highs - and lows - of first time motherhood.
"I couldn't believe that I had been gone for almost five months," says Colombino, who joined the show in 1998 and returned from maternity leave in October. "When I walked in that studio door, it felt like I had never left."
Probably because Katie's storyline is heating up - she just accepted a marriage proposal from someone she doesn't love. "It's to make Mike jealous but Henry's obviously infatuated with her," states Colombino. "She's always been so focused on other things that she never sees it, or maybe she doesn't want to see it. If she actually stopped for a second and realized it, there could be something there." Colombino is just happy to be working again with Trent Dawson and Mark Collier (Henry and Mike). "If I'm with those two guys, I know I'm going to have fun," she smile. As for her alter ego, "she's getting that manipulative side back again because she doesn't have Mike and it's freaking her out. She's definitely grown up a little, but I think everyone reverts back to the core of themselves in a crunch and that's where she is right now."
Colombino is enjoying this story much more than the one that just ushered her out last summer, when Simon paid Pilar to break up Mike and Katie. "I love working with Paul (Leyden, ex-Simon), so when they brought him back the first time I was like, 'Great, I missed him. Let's bring him back,' " she relates. "But they realized they made a mistake because Katie and Mike weren't strong enough yet for that to happen. The next time they brought him back they had to change his character, and that was hard for him to play. It was hard for me to play, too, because everything we had done before that was negated in a way. I think it ended up being okay and we made sense of it. But even now we have Margo and Henry saying lines like, "Oh, he was never good for you.' And I'm like, 'Since when? He was great for her until the last couple months!'" Colombino keeps in touch with Leyden, now living in Los Angeles, where he appeared in NBC's short-lived drama LAX. "He's doing really well," she reports. "He's been getting such great feedback from producers. They're talking to him about doing movies. I can't wait to see what he does next."
Like her former co-star, Colombino also considered making the jump to prime time. "Prior to getting pregnant, my aspiration was to get a pilot," she reveals, adding that she was up for a role on NBC's Joey. Her callback was July 8. "I was due on July 13th, so I thought, "This is perfect, I can get that in right before I give birth.' Well, at 6:30 in the morning on July 8th I was having contractions and I'm like, 'I guess I'm not having my callback for Joey today (laughs).' " The show found someone else to play the part, which worked out just fine for Colombino. "I didn't want to have to move to L.A. right after having a baby," she admits. "even though it seemed like a perfect opportunity, the logistics of it weren't perfect. We live in a great area with great schools and I want Julia to grow up in that environment. Artie's family is close. That's important to me."
There was speculation that Colombino wouldn't return to Oakdale after her maternity leave. "I don't know where it came from," she shrugs. "This job is so great because I get to fulfill my dream and at the same time have plenty of time for my daughter." Parenthood didn't always run so smoothly for Colombino. "The first couple of days were frightening," she confesses. "I had a hard time and I want to talk about this, because it's normal. But a lot of people don't know about it and they don't know what to expect. There's a difference between postpartum depression and the baby blues. I had the baby blues, which is a couple of days after you give birth, there's a drop in hormones. Michael (Park; Jack, ATWT) and Laurie came over to see the baby three days after I had her and we were talking about something sad - I don't even remember what it was - and I burst into tears and I could not stop crying the whole time they were there. I was so embarrassed. I was crying for three days straight and I could not stop no matter what I did. It wasn't a depressive feeling. I was so full of emotion I thought I was going to burst. I called my doctor and he said around the fourth or fifth day it peaks and then it's done. And it was so true."
Colombino also sought advice from former co-star and friend Anne Sayre (ex-Mitzi). "Anne had her baby two-and-a-half months before I did, so she went through everything before me," she relates. "I was so lucky to have her to talk to, because I called her and could barely get two words out. I was like, 'Anne... I... am.... scared.' And she was like, 'It's okay. You get through it and then you don't even remember that it happened.' She had felt the same way, but she was already past it and could see more clearly. She was right. But it made me feel better to know that someone else had gone through that."
The experience hasn't soured Colombino, an only child, from perhaps having another baby someday. "I'm already thinking of having another one!" she confides. (Memo to ATWT head writer Hogan Sheffer if you're reading this: Don't jump... Step away from the window...) "But I am going to step back a little bit and take it one day at a time. I'm having so much fun with her right now."
As The World Turns Katie Frasier (Soap Opera Digest - January 2005)
SOD: What is the most foolish thing Katie has ever done in the name of love?
Terri: "Probably flying off to that island to find this diamond that was in the middle of the ocean and getting stranded. Just so that Simon would love her. Although it worked!"
SOD: True- many of her wacky plots have happy endings.
Terri: "I know. People keep saying 'Katie's gone back to this immature schemer.' And I say 'Well, despite all of the havoc that it causes, she usually ends up getting what she wants in the end.' So, that's all she knows. She's like, 'Well, this should work.' "
SOD: Is she embarrassed being around Holden now, after all the ridiculous plotting she did to win him in 2000?
Terri: "Yeah, sure! Oh, Holden [laughs] - That's the hard thing because you think she would have changed after all that."
SOD: Well, she's had Henry egging her on. Although these days, he's the voice of reason.
Terri: "I know! Normally, he goes along with everything she says, so that's kind of giving her concern too."
SOD: Do you think she's smart?
Terri: "I think she's a smart girl. She just gets turned in the wrong direction sometimes. She uses [her intelligence] for the wrong reasons."
SOD: Is she aware when she is making mistakes?
Terri: "No. She truly believes whatever she's doing will work."
SOD: What advice would you give her to win Mike back from Jennifer?
Terri: "I would just tell her to be honest. Obviously, that's what Mike is liking in Jennifer anyway. Because the thing with Pilar and Simon wasn't really Katie's fault. Even though she did pretend to leave with Simon, I think they can get past that because she really did do it for Mike's own good. If she was just honest, she would prevent them from getting close. But she's scared. She's not that confident in herself and in his feelings for her. We do these things when we're insecure."