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Stocking Stumpers (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 24, 2007)
Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT)
Q: What is your personal New Year's resolution? "Oh, just the usual... eat better. I'm trying to go all-organic. So try to go organic, and be healthier for the family."
Q: What should your character's New Year's resolution be? "To swear off men for a while! Well, you can't do that forever, but... a good month or two would probably do her well."
Q: What do you want for Christmas? "I don't know. I'm focused so much on what to get [my daughter] Julia now, I don't really think about me. Because it's so fun just to watch her, and you get that same kind of excitement like it's yours. [Laughs] I think we might do a trip to Disney, maybe in the spring, and that will be our family Christmas gift."
Out Of Order (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 24, 2007) Soaps used to be broadcast live, and even for years after they began recording to tape, most episodes continued to be shot one per day. But lately, shooting schedules have become much more flexible, and actors often find themselves performing scenes out of order, so Terri Colombino (Katie) found it refreshing to one day film in sequence. "We did one full episode from beginning to end, and no segments, in one day," she reports. "We haven't done that in probably five years. It was so weird. It was so much easier to make sense of everything because you weren't like, 'Wait, did I do what happens before this yet? Oh, no I haven't played that yet. So I have to figure out how I am going to play it so I can play this, because I don't do that until next week.'" Colombino laughs as she muses, "It's amazing that we get scenes done and they make sense!"
Ice Capades (CBS Soaps In Depth - December 24, 2007) AS THE WORLD TURNS straps on its skates for some on-location fun!
Location shoots are becoming more and more common on AS THE WORLD TURNS these days, but few are as much fun as the one that took some of the cast and crew to the northern end of New York City's Central Park to tape some scenes at Lasker Rink.
"It's been a while since I've been on skates," admits Terri Colombino (Katie). "I used to hang out at an ice skating rink when I was in middle school. It all comes back... it just takes a while."
"They were slipping around on their tennis shoes," Colombino says of the crew.
Roundup "Who do you turn to for advice on your show and why?" (Soap Opera Digest - December 4, 2007) Terri: "It depends on what kind of advice it is. Everyone has their expertise. For work, probably Martha [Byrne, Lily] because she's been there and knows the politics. For family stuff, probably Michael [Park, Jack] because our families are close and he's a little further along with the children. Acting-wise, I always learn things from who I'm working with."
Terri Colombino's Bio (astheworldturns.net/ - November 2007)
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM.
Favorite childhood memory: Receiving my first pet - a tabby kitten named Garfield.
If I had one super power, it would be: Invisibility.
If I had a time machine, I would go: Back to my childhood - I have a poor long-term memory and would love to go back and experience it again.
The most memorable thing that's ever happened to me on the set of the show: Doing my own stunt and literally hanging from the rafters. It was scary, but fun!
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Favorite season: Fall in the Northeast/ Spring in the Southwest
Favorite vacation spot: Positano, Italy
Biggest pet peeve: Snobbery
Biggest fear: Losing my loved ones.
Best meal I've ever eaten: My birthday dinner at Il Mulino, although afterwards I thought I might pop!
Least favorite place in the world: Hong Kong - I was too young to enjoy it when I went.
I admire: Those who speak up, even, and especially, when it is against the status quo.
I am proud of: My husband, he is such an involved, caring, loving, father.
I worry about: EVERYTHING.
My most recent goal is to: Run 3 miles (I'm up to 2).
Something I said I'd never do but did: Run.
Biggest turn-off on a date: Talking on a cell phone.
Favorite color: Army green.
Favorite comedian: George Carlin and Carol Burnett.
Favorite sports team: Yankees.
Favorite city: New York.
First concert I ever went to: INXS.
Favorite band/artist: Arthur Colombino (now available on iTunes)
First album I ever bought: Prince 1999
Most prized possession: My home.
If I weren't an actor, I would probably be: A teacher.
What I like most about my appearance: My smile.
Personal motto: "Think positively: If you can see it, you can be it!"
Personal theme song: "Lose yourself" Eminem.
Up-Close and Personal (CBS Soaps In Depth - November 13, 2007) SHE'S LEAVING HOME
Playing a frontburner storyline on AS THE WORLD TURNS means lots of fantastically juicy material for Terri Colombino (Katie) to sink her teeth into. But unfortunately, the flip side of that is that she can't see as much of daughter Julia as she'd like. "Usually I'm working in the morning," she explains, "so when she wakes up and I'm not there, she just kind of accepts the fact that I'm not going to be there all day. But if I'm there for a couple hours in the morning and then I have to leave, she freaks out. The other day, she goes, 'Mommy, take me with you!' and it just broke my heart." But when the actress comes home from a long day at work, the big hugs she gets from her baby girl makes it all better. And she knows that she's still got it very, very good. "Even still," Colombino remarks, "I do get to spend a lot more time with her than if I had a regular 9-to-5 where I'm working five days a week. So I'm fortunate in that way."
Star Talk "Who on your cast would make a great president and why?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - November 13, 2007) Terri: "Don Hastings (Bob), because he is so... well, he's very involved with AFTRA (The American Federation Of Television And Radio Artists), and takes it very seriously. He's got great morals and he's extremely charismatic. He could get anyone to do anything. He could get the country to do whatever he wanted!"
Take Five (Soap Opera Digest - November 13, 2007)
Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT)
What is always guaranteed to make you laugh?
"THE SOUP. I love that show."
What talent do you wish you were born with?
"The ability to sing. It's that everybody in my new family can sing and I always feel like an outsider."
What is your most common recurring dream?
"That I'm still in college and it's finals day and I forgot that I took a class the whole semester. I don't even know where it is; I have to go to the registrar and ask. Or I'm scared or I can't get there. It's different versions of the same stress dream."
What is something you've always wanted to do but were afraid to try?
"Go somewhere really far on a plane, like Australia or India. I didn't do it when I was young enough and not afraid of being on a plane for 24 hours."
What movie could you watch over and over?
"[National Lampoon's] Christmas Vacation. I know every word. I quote it year-round, but I only watch it around Christmas time, so it doesn't get too old."
Her Perfect World ( 201 Daily - October 2007) As the World Turns star Terri Colombino basks in Old Tappan life
Even though Terri Colombino spends the bulk of her day amid glitz and glamour, portraying a denizen of the fictional soap-opera town of Oakdale, it's her real life in Bergen that she calls the true fantasy.
The Old Tappan resident and star of As the World Turns grew up as a self-described "Army brat," touching down in various parts of the country in her peripatetic childhood. The blonde, blue-eyed actress moved to New Jersey in 2001 after many years on Manhattan's Upper West Side - "I'm not a city girl," she relates, "but loved it when I was single."
Colombino and her husband, Arthur, found their way to Old Tappan in 2004, and have been in love with the community ever since. The commute to her CBS show's Brooklyn sound stage, she adds, is insignificant compared with the benefits of life here.
"We're close to the city, yet still have that homey, neighborhood vibe," Colombino says. "There's a lot of space in Old Tappan. Ideally, I would love to have land and horses - that is the goal, eventually."
And of course, her daily routine contrasts sharply with that of the character she's played for the past nine years, Katie Peretti. Unlike the scheming and nefarious Katie, Colombino is content to spend her time exploring ("I don't know half of what I could [about New Jersey]") and riding the train at Van Saun County Park with her 3-year-old daughter, Julia. Although work may soon call the family to Los Angeles, globe-trotting holds no appeal for this down-home girl. Colombino says she won't leave the Garden State for good.
"It's more my speed here - it has a good energy to it," she exclaims. "We'll be bi-coastal, and keep this house if I got a show in LA."
Twist on snacking
Colombino and her daughter are regulars at Mindy's Munchies in River Vale, where they stock up on the snack shop's chocolate pretzels. "Every time I go to a pool party or someone's house, I bring Mindy's Munchies with me."
She says "tom-ay-to"
Colombino calls Dimora Ristorante in Norwood "better than most restaurants in the city." Though everything on the menu is "so good," she's partial to the spaghetti pomodoro (angel hair with fresh tomato and basil) and the plates of antipasti with fresh parmesan cheese that Dimora serves before each meal.
Grill time
Some of Colombino's fellow soap-opera actors have followed her into the area; she invites them over frequently for summer barbecues, pool parties and "just for the girls" sleepovers. "It's like we're still in college - my friends stay the night," she says, giggling. "It's a favorite thing to do."
Good-humored fun
Old Tappan can seem like Mayberry to this down-to-earth gal: "I hear kids playing outside, laughing, and the ice cream truck ... the local towns with the little shops lining the streets," Colombino says. "I feel like it's almost fake."
Making of a Greek goddess
Downtown Englewood is a favorite shopping destination; Colombino's John Galliano dress, purchased at Gito, made for stunning red-carpet attire at the 2007 Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards show, June 15.
The Longest Day (Soap Opera Digest - October 30, 2007) Sure, those big soap events (The weddings! The parties! The pyrotechnics!) look good on-screen, but do you know how many hours of rehearsing, blocking and shooting (not to mention joking around) goes into these efforts?
AS THE WORLD TURNS
An Affair To Remember: Jake and Molly's wedding, 2001
Guest of Honor: Terri Colombino (Katie)
This was a huge event: "They are just not like they used to be. We would dread those days. We would be like, 'Ugh, so-and-so's getting married? We're all going to have to be there!' It's kind of exciting at first because you get all dressed up and go around saying, 'What are you wearing? You look so pretty!' But after a couple of hours, you get exhausted and then after a couple of more, you start to get giddy and crazy."
Katie had some moments with Simon while fending off Bruno: "Right! I forgot about Bruno. I miss those because it's fun for the audience; the writing would cumulate in one big event that involved everyone, but I think they just can't afford them anymore."
Do you watch all the scenes? "You have to because you're in it! Everybody jokes about how they'll do a gesture as if they're responding to someone off-camera, pointing to themselves and going, 'Oh, me? Okay.' And then they'll walk off set to get out of the next scenes [laughs]!"
What did you do between scenes? "Usually, if you have a lot of time you can sleep, but those are the hair and makeup Emmy [submission] episodes, so they follow us around going, 'Don't you dare go to sleep on that hair!' So, we'll just hang out. We'll pick out something special for lunch. We'll order a big bucket of wings and everyone just pigs out. For Jake and Molly's wedding, it was three days in a row where we'd start at 7 in the morning and the first day we finished around midnight, which wasn't too bad, so everyone went home. The second day was like 2 a.m. and we were going to have to be here at 7, so a lot of people stayed over. But then they ended up partying all night, which defeated the purpose of staying to get some sleep [laughs]. I actually went home because I knew I would stay up talking. I always said, 'If I ever do one of those days again, I'm bringing alcohol!'"
Group Effort (CBS Soaps In Depth - October 16, 2007) When Terri Colombino (Katie) was in high school, she says that she was friends with a lot of different groups of people. "I always loathed that whole cliquey, popular group thing," she declares. "I tried my hardest not to associate myself as being that type of person because it's so elitist. That drove me crazy about high school. And life, in general, actually. It doesn't stop in high school!" So the actress made sure to meet and befriend many different people, and still does. "I think that's how I am," Colombino muses. "I don't ever really fit in one little box. There's different parts of me that click with different people. And I'm glad about that. I mean, it's kind of hard when you're in high school... you do just want to be able to say that you're a certain thing. But it excludes people, and I hate that!"
inset: Colombino is a friendly sort.
Carolyn's Corner (Soap Opera Weekly - October 2, 2007) This week's guest is Terri Colombino, who plays Katie on As The World Turns.
Carolyn: Jack and Katie get married this week, which makes me wonder what kind of mail you are getting from Carly fans.
Terri: I don't read my mail and I don't read the Internet anymore because it makes me mad. Carly can do no wrong and Katie is the bitch in all this?
Carolyn: Katie has her fans, too, but the Carly fans are more vocal. Were all the other opinions starting to affect how you play her?
Terri: Yes. It started making me wimp out on scenes because I wanted people to like me. But I don't care if the [Carly] fans hate me anymore. People are flawed. I'm over it. I'm bringing Katie's spunk back.
Carolyn: It's so weird, like if Carly and Jack don't end up together, then the Carjackers have "lost".
Terri: Right. You should write an article on the psychology of that. Because they really feel like they're losing...
Carolyn: ...instead of watching a television show. When you go to ATWT fan events, what happens?
Terri: The last time it was the beginning of Jack and Katie, and Carly wasn't back yet. So it was really good. Michael [Park] was getting a chance to be light and fun and bring more of himself to the role of Jack, and people really liked that. As soon as Carly came back it was just so obvious that they are addicted to each other.
Carolyn: How is the wedding dress?
Terri: Beautiful. But it was tight as hell. I couldn't breathe for two days, but it looks really good.
Carolyn: Why, are you pregnant?
Terri: No, no, no, no!
Carolyn: Would you tell me if you were?
Terri: No. I wouldn't tell you. But I'm not. I'm not ready for that yet. I may not have another one. Who knows? I'm an only child and I dug it.
Carolyn: Is the dress white?
Terri: Yes. At first I thought, "This is kind of ridiculous. It's her fifth wedding, it's outside; she doesn't need to be all done up in a white, fluffy dress." But, of course, it's a soap opera and we have to show the white, fluffy dress. Actually, it's cream, because this is her fifth wedding. She should be in black.
Carolyn: Will Carly's illness stop the wedding?
Terri: There are so many factors that could make it not happen. They haven't had a smooth go of it so far, so they're both pretty nervous.
Carolyn: Do they have that moment of "If anyone here has just cause... speak now or forever hold your peace"?
Terri: Yes! It's so funny, because they have Henry go, "Now, why did they leave that part in?" We look at each other like, "Okay! Is anyone going to say anything?" No one does, so we continue on. The surprise with this wedding is that the interruptions don't happen when you think they would.
Carolyn: So it goes off without a hitch?
Terri: Yeah - until I throw the bouquet. Who do you think is going to catch it?
Carolyn: I would guess Carly.
Terri: Nope! Brad. He comes back to tell us Carly is dying. But we're all good and married when the s--t hits the fan. I can't believe they actually married us.
Carolyn: Are they making Carly sick to try and get sympathy for her?
Terri: And to get Jack back into her life, because he's pretty much done with her.
Carolyn: What kind of special soap opera disease does Carly have?
Terri: She has a brain tumor... a lesion. It's inoperable. Michael's like, "I have to say it's inoperable? Come on!"
Carolyn: Does Jack go to her?
Terri: Of course. She has only a month to live. Katie's like, "I know she's sick and you need to be there for your family and everything - but can't you get her a nurse?"
Carolyn: There must be a twist to keep Maura West on the show if the brain tumor is "inoperable."
Terri: Yup. Luckily, Brad is there to help Katie through it. All I can say is that Katie must be really good in bed for all these guys to want her - because she's really not all that great!
My 5 Favorite Things for Fall (Soap Opera Weekly - September 18, 2007) Terri Colombino:
1. "A really unique bag is always good. You can get pretty plain but well-fitting sweaters or T-shirts that you can wear with jeans or boots, and the bag will just set you apart. I have one. It's L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani. It's a leopard print and so pretty. Usually I go with a brown, but I decided to rock it out a little bit. I got the wallet to match - on sale!" (L.A.M.B. Cheetah Kingston Tote: $675; available at www.eluxury.com)
2. Sunglasses, which you don't think about necessarily in the winter, but are still a very important accessory for your face. You need to get something that fits your face, and flatters you. It could be a $10 pair or a $500 pair. I usually don't spend too much because I lose them. I did buy a really cute pair of Oliver Peoples two years ago. I still love them and they are still in style... and I haven't lost them." (Oliver Peoples "Coquette" Sunglasses: $285; at www.shopbop.com)
3. "This year I like those big dresses. You need to pair them with a belt unless you are super-skinny. If you have the same sort of figure as most of us, you can wear them with leggings, tights and boots. They are really versatile and comfortable. I'm lucky I live in New York - I would much rather get them at little boutiques. If you don't live in New York, you can go online. I love www.shopbop.com. I look at their lookbook for the season, and that's where I find the trends. I get a couple of expensive designer pieces that are classic, and then a couple of inexpensive pieces." (Lauren Moffatt Sweater Dress; $326; at www.shopbop.com)
4. "A comfortable but sexy pair of high boots. You can wear them over jeans or under a skirt. They are very versatile. Just a neutral color like black or brown. Last year I had a camel color. I love those; I got them at Nordstrom." (Frye "Mildred" Boots; $297.95; at www.nordstrom.com)
5. "A great-fitting pair of jeans, no matter what the style is. Whether it's skinny jeans or wider-leg jean, see what fits you the best. My favorite from this past fall was True Religion. They fit well and were skinny jeans, which I didn't think I could wear. But they looked pretty good. (True Religion "Julie" Basic Stretch Denim; $196; at www.truereligionbrandjeans.com)
Too Close For Comfort (Soap Opera Digest - September 4, 2007) For These Real-Life Soap Pals, Becoming On-Screen Lovers Is Anything But Sexy
Imagine that you've been working with someone for years and have become close to that person outside of the job. You go out to lunch together and your families socialize on weekends. Then one day at work, your boss tells you and your buddy to have sex with each other - and your jobs depend on it.
Of course, soap actors expect to perform intimate scenes with people who aren't their real-life significant others. But it can be awkward to suddenly be paired romantically with a co-star who's also a good friend off-screen...
"I was definitely nervous," admits Terri Colombino (Katie, AS THE WORLD TURNS) of her character's recent hookup with Michael Park's Jack. "I was shocked, actually. So when they told us, I immediately thought, 'How am I going to kiss Michael?' it's like kissing a brother or sister or one of my friend's husbands."
She believes that her friendship with Park has colored their characters' romance. "You never know what your chemistry is going to be like with someone and how you are in real life is kind of going to cloud it a little bit," she explains. "That's why I think it's hard for us to give them a sexual tension kind of thing because we're such good friends. Let's face it: Jack will probably end up with Carly again and now that [portrayer Maura West] is back, I do see that they have that special chemistry.
"It's different than it was with Paul (Leyden, ex-Simon) because I started working with him first and then became friends with him," she continues, "Michael and I went on vacation together, we hang out, our daughters are the same age.... We had really become close, and to have it sprung on us was strange. I think it's really a challenge not to let our real friendship and relationship come through."
Plus, Colombino and Park both have spouses. "His wife, Laurie, and I kind of joked about it," Colombino recalls, "But it's still weird. We kind of brush over the subject. It's not something we talk about when we're all hanging out [laughs]" As for her husband, Artie, "He loves Michael and thinks it's funny," she shares...
"It's not as sexy [as Jack and Carly], but it's sweet and friendly," contends Colombino. "And people do fall in love with their best friends."
Friends With Benefits
There are unexpected advantages to working with a pal. Terri Colombino reports of working with Michael Park, "We've been riding to and from work together, so we can run lines in the car. We'll start looking at our stuff for tomorrow on the way home. I've been a lot more prepared lately [laughs]!"
inset: Brotherly Love - Terri Colombino (Katie) admits that kissing Michael Park (Jack) on ATWT feels like she's smooching her brother.
The News - buzz (Soap Opera Weekly - September 4, 2007) AS THE WORLD TURNS' Martha Byrne (Lily) knows she has a strange day job, but it's driven home to her even more on the weekends. "My husband goes golfing with Jon Hensley (Holden) and Michael Park (Jack), and his wife is kissing Jon on TV," laughs Byrne. "It's just weird." Jon and Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily), Terri Colombino (Katie) and husband Artie, Michael and Laurie Park, and Byrne and her own husband, Michael McMahon, joke about it at weekend barbecues. "We always have this discussion, 'Who would be more uncomfortable kissing each other in a scene?' Kissing Michael Park for me would be really strange," admits Byrne. "I'm sure for Terri it was strange to kiss him in the beginning. It's a very strange life that we lead." But Byrne has a solution to the kissing round-robin going on at work. "One day, Kelley and Terri should just make out with my husband and we'll call it even!"
Myth or Reality? (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 4, 2007) MYTH: AS THE WORLD TURNS' Terri Colombino wanted her real-lfe pregnancy written into Katie's storyline.
The writers didn't think it was time to saddle Katie with a baby, and the actress more than agreed with their decision. "I was pretty relieved," Colombino admits. "I didn't want Katie to have a baby, so I'm glad about that. The only thing was that it did become difficult to hide it after a while!"
Up-Close & Personal - Growth (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 4, 2007) With daughter Julia just having celebrated her third birthday, AS THE WORLD TURNS' Terri Colombino (Katie) is watching her baby girl grow up before her very eyes. "She just learned to swim with her swimmies," the proud mom declares. "So that's really exciting. I mean, to see it happen in one day is amazing." While visiting the home of Jon and Kelly Menighan Hensley (Holden and Emily), Terri took Julia for a swim with the Hensley's son, Spencer. "She got interested in some shark that he had," Colombino recalls. "She was holding it, so I let go of her. And then she realized that she was floating all by herself. She kind of freaked out for a minute, but then once she got that confidence, she was like, 'Let's go over here... Let's do this... Let's do that... Look, I'm swimming!' And it's been great ever since. That's really fun to watch."
Star Talk "Who on your cast could get out of a speeding ticket?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - September 4, 2007) Terri Colombino: "Hmm, that's interesting. Well, I mean, anyone who has a [Police Benevolent Association] card, or whatever it's called, which would be Michael Park (Jack). But with sheer personality, I'd probably say Marie Wilson (Meg), because she's just so sweet and gorgeous. As long as it was a male cop, she's good."
A Summer Getaway to Oakdale (www.soapoperadigest.com - August 2007) It's always a pleasure when Weekly gets to visit Oakdale, but sometimes visits to the AS THE WORLD TURNS studios in Brooklyn turn out to be an even wackier ride than usual....
I dropped by ATWT around lunch hour on a bustling, busy day. The gang had just gotten takeout fried chicken when I walked into the green room. Having skipped lunch to arrive on time, I escaped the temptation at first by chatting with Ellen Dolan (Margo) in the hall. "I am having so much fun working with Soctt Bryce (Craig) again," she raved. "When we get together and do scenes it's like 'Wow! This is fun!' I find that with Michael Park (Jack), too, but he's fighting with Scott Holmes (Tom) all the time, and I never get to do scenes with him anymore!"
After asking Ellen a couple of questions for some of our future issues, I went in to talk to Terri Colombino (Katie) - and my timing was excellent. I had just missed her having an...incident with a container of hot sauce, splashing not only her cute green blouse but a couple of her lunch buddies. She quickly returned in a pink robe emblazoned with "I Love You" that led to her good pal Park to insist she was declaring her feelings for him. "I'm reading between the lines!" he cracked. But more on Mr. Park later. I pinned Terri down for some round-ups and a style feature that you will see soon enough. Then she revealed that the yummy chicken and mashed potatoes she was eating came from a famous Brooklyn eatery: Not Just Chicken.
To silence my growling stomach, I concentrated on talking to Ewa da Cruz about Vienna's plans for Al's. "She is still a socialite, but the work is good and now she is concentrating on making Americans eat healthy," laughed da Cruz. As for those trademark blue uniforms, be prepared to say sayonara! "She might not be jet-setting right now, but she won't wear something that in her opinion doesn't look that pretty," warned da Cruz.
Clothing was actually a good (read: non-hunger-inducing) topic, since I next ended up in wardrobe to talk to costume designer Tracy Dorman. There, I saw Gwen's infamous "Murgatroyd's Mom" T-shirt, which the show had printed through New York-based Dyenamix (www.dyenamix.com). I even saw my favorite pair of Vienna's sparkly high heels. Sadly, they were a size 7 to my puny size 4.
I had a little bit of an adventure when I took those size 4s of mine to find publicist Johanna Bradford but got completely turned around in the studio. When I emerged in the lobby by mistake, Mick Hazen (Parker) and Daniel Manche (J.J.) enjoyed a hearty laugh at my confusion.
I eventually made it back to Johanna and the green room unscathed, but the real trauma was yet to come: sitting down with the dueling Snyder brothers, Park and Austin Peck, for some roundup questions. If you think Jack and Brad are a riot of constant bickering, you ain't seen nothin' till you've seen their portrayers go toe-to-toe. Suffice it to say, it took three times longer than usual to answer questions, because of random chopstick fights and exchanges like the following:
Peck: The best advice I ever got was, "Learn your lines."
Park: He constantly has to take his shirt off. The best advice I would say he ever got was, "Put your shirt back on." The best advice I ever got from him was, 'You don't want me to give you the look!"
Weekly: What's "the look"?
Peck: The look means, "I'm about to kick your ass."
Weekly: Oh, come on. Michael, you take your shirt off, too.
Park: I'll take it off right now. I'm not even scared!
Peck: Take it off. Let's see your shaved belly button. Ugh!
Park: This is a real man's body. I want Austin to feel at home. He lives a shirtless existence.
Peck: You know that's not true. I'm shirtless sometimes.
Park: He got a great sense of humor, this one.
They both do. But before I could laugh my way into an asthma attack, I luckily grabbed a few minutes with Grayson McCouch (Dusty) for a decidedly mellower chat about his character's upcoming troubles.
For more with McCouch, check out our Sept. 19 issue. As for the other awesomely crazy folks at ATWT...I can't wait for another visit - and maybe a bite of that fried chicken!
On The Town (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 21, 2007) Seeing Stars: ATWT's Terri Colombino (Katie) being led around a Paramus, NJ, Crate & Barrel by her daughter while husband Artie shopped.
Best Weeks Ever (Soap Opera Digest - August 21, 2007) Terri Colombino
Destination: San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2006
Why There? "[My husband] Artie and I had been talking about going on vacation [with Michael Park, Jack, and wife Laurie] for a while without the kids. Something quick that's close and tropical. And we just wanted to get away and have fun and we always have fun with them."
When To Go: "Unfortunately, we had to go there in August. But it was still nice - I definitely didn't feel like it was too hot."
Where To Stay: "We decided that if it's only going to be for a few days, we've got to go luxury. So we picked a Ritz-Carlton and decided on Puerto Rico. We stayed in the Club level, which was really nice: You have snacks and wine and beer all day. I've never stayed in a Ritz, so I was like, 'This is kind of swanky [laughs]'"
Don't Miss: "We went into Old San Juan and that was the best part. You get a little taste of what it's like. And they have amazing restaurants; every night, we ate such great food. You have to go to Maria's for the frozen drinks, but they also have nachos and tacos. It was just bar food, but the best bar food I've ever had. The best tacos since I've left New Mexico."
Leave Room In The Suitcase For: "We were really into the mojitos the whole time. We both bought mortar and pestles to make fresh mojitos when we got home, which we have yet to do [laughs]!"
Treat Yourself: "The spa was incredible. Laurie and I got these massages called Lomi Lomi, which is Hawaiian. It's rhythmic and goes along with the music. It was the best massage I've ever had."
What made this the best vacation ever? "You never know how people are going to be, travel-wise, but we were totally compatible. Laurie and I would get tired earlier than the guys so they'd go down to the casino after dinner and we'd get in our pj's and watch movies. So in that respect, it totally worked. The perfect thing about it was, we had a couple there to hang out with if we wanted to, but we could also be alone with our respective significant others if we wanted to, too - it was kind of like two vacations at once."
inset: Easy Riders: "They apparently have a different kind of horse there, so they gave us a full 20-minute lesson on how to sit in the saddle and ride [laughs]. That was an interesting experience! We got to go on the beach, which was beautiful."
inset: Cool Colombinos: "Artie's dad was a singer also and he used to play there for a couple of months every summer for years, so Artie spent a lot of time as a kid there. He used to play ping-pong with Ricky Martin when they were little!"
inset: Parks' Place: "Michael and Laurie's sister-in-law is from there, so she gave us all of these amazing places to go, including this great spice store and other places in Old San Juan."
Summer Lovin' (CBS Soaps In Depth - August 7, 2007) ... and Terri Colombino (Katie) is having a blast!
Having played AS THE WORLD TURNS' Katie for almost a decade, Terri Colombino has seen her alter ego drug a rival, pretend to be stalked, get stranded on a desert island and turn from a nurse's aide into a bestselling author. But even after all the wacky adventures Katie has had over the years, the actress was still thrown for a loop when the soap paired her character with Jack. "Oh, I was shocked!" she chuckles. "I mean, I can tell you, that is the one person on the show that I thought I would never be with. And I didn't know what to make of it at first. I was like, 'How is that gonna work?' And how the hell am I gonna not be completely even more hated than I already am?"
BEING BAD
Soap fans are a determined bunch, and when they see something they don't like, they're not shy about voicing their opinions. Colombino admits that the negativity can be dangerous, especially when it isn't directed solely at the storylines or characters. "Even though they're talking about Katie," she explains, "Katie is a part of me. So it can't not affect you if someone's trashing her. However," she's quick to add, "I do agree with them half the time, because I do see her faults and I'm like, 'Why is she doing that again?' I feel the same frustration, too, with her. But that's kind of the point. If Katie or any of these characters were these perfect characters, there wouldn't be a very good story. It would be kind of boring. But it is hard to be the villain."
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
Katie wasn't the one to break up Jack and Carly, since the pair were already split when things sparked between her and the hunky cop, but the actress agrees that Katie is the perfect "other woman" for the supercouple. "Oh, she's a great spoiler," Colombino enthuses. "Because how pissed would you be if you were Carly? I mean, not only did Jack move on, but with Katie, of all people? It's fantastic!" The actress also appreciates that the soap is using an established character to come between Jack and Carly instead of introducing a new one. "Because you're not invested in [a new] character," Colombino explains. "Whether it be positive or negative, it's a lot easier to have a reaction. I mean, even if it is people going, 'What the hell is he thinking? Katie?' You can't think that when you don't know their character. So I definitely think that's why it has worked also."
THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
However, Colombino has no illusions that a proposal from Jack will lead to happily ever after for him and Katie. "I don't truly think they belong together," she confesses. "I don't know, maybe they do, but at this particular point, Terri definitely thinks it's way too soon to be getting engaged. But Katie seems to think it's a great idea!" Breaking up a fan-favorite supercouple forever may seem like a pipe dream, but Colombino thinks it would be a great long-term storyline. "However, I have to say, as a viewer, when I see Jack and Carly together, I'm like, 'Aw, man, they do belong together!'" she confesses with a rueful chuckle. "And it's hard for me as an actress to play. I just used it. I'm like, 'Well, Katie would be so scared that they do actually belong together that that would motivate everything that she does." Being the one tasked with coming between a pair with as many rabid fans as Jack and Carly may seem like a thankless job, but it's one that Colombino was eager to take on, and was surprised to discover wasn't as impossible as she'd thought. "When we first started the Jack-and-Katie thing, Michael Park was like, 'Look at this, we're getting a good reaction,'" she reports. "That made us feel good and gave us the confidence to continue with it even though it felt kind of weird. But it's been a while, so I actually don't know if it's 50/50 anymore... I have a feeling it's probably not!"
... ON WHY KATIE ACCEPTED JACK'S PROPOSAL: "With Carly back now, Katie feels like she's racing against time," Colombino muses, "because she feels like it's only a matter of time before they reconnect."
... ON HER PLANS FOR SUMMER VACATION: "I have a week off in September which is ending with Paul Leyden's (ex-Simon) wedding," she reports. "It's just so wonderful to see people that you really love find someone that you really know is good for them. It's perfect."
... ON THE FANS TURNING AGAINST KATIE: "Jack and Carly were already broken up," she says, "so it was a little bit easier. And I also wasn't conniving, like lying about a pregnancy to break them up. That's when people really hate you."
... ON FINDING TIME FOR FAMILY WITH HER BUSY SCHEDULE: "You just have to make that time you do have together quality time," Colombino says of being with husband Arthur and daughter Julia. "I guess it's quality, not quantity."
FYI
Birthday: January 28.
Home, Sweet Home: If you've noticed the same sets being used over and over again, you're not the only one. "I think everybody in Oakdale lives at Emma's farm whether they're related to her or not!" Colombino laughs.
No Parking: Colombino saves money by opting to park on the street instead of in a garage near work, though she admits the spots without parking meters fill up fast! "You can't do metered, because you're on set," she smiles. "It's like, 'Excuse me! Sorry, Jack, I've gotta go put some money in my meter.'"
When Fans Attack (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 24, 2007) Soap fans are a vocal bunch, and the actors appreciate their support, but what happens when they not only badmouth the character, but turn on the actor as well? "When they attack you, it hurts," admits Terri Colombino (Katie). "And the thing is, the last time I was upset about something, Mark [Collier, ex-Mike] was like, 'Terri, do you think Brad Pitt goes on all these Web sites and cares what people say about him?' We are just too close to how the fans react. We see them at functions and all that stuff, whereas other actors don't do that." But during her years in daytime, the actress has learned to cope with the negativity. "I'm learning to ignore it," Colombino confesses. "That's what I have to do. Because if I do pay attention to it, it still bothers me. I can't lie."
Caption: Colombino has learned to defend herself.
The 34th Annual Daytime Emmys - The Arrivals (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 24, 2007) Terri Colombino loves L.A. "It's just nice to be in the beautiful weather and relax!"
The 34th Annual Daytime Emmys - Best Dressed (CBS Soaps In Depth - July 24, 2007) Emmy presenter Terri Colombino (Katie, ATWT) in John Galliano; "It's beautiful and kind of ethereal - sexy but not overtly sexy!"
Roundup "What complaint do you hear most often from fans?" (Soap Opera Digest - July 17, 2007) Terri Colombino: "I have a good one: that Katie acts like a 12-year-old and like she did nine years ago when she started on the show. But it's getting better. Jack is helping her become an adult."
"Which character on your show could you be friends with?" (Soap Opera Digest - June 2007) Terri: "I would be friends with Vienna [Ewa da Cruz]. She's rich, she always knows where the parties are. She's not selfish, even though she has all of that. She shares it. And I'd like to have some of that [laughs]!"
Golden Girls (CBS Soaps In Depth - June 26, 2007) Terri Colombino (Katie), Jennifer Landon (Gwen) and Alexandra Chando (Maddie) play dress-up!
Finding the right outfit to wear to an event is important, and if the event in question is the Daytime Emmys, it's even more crucial. So nominees Alexandra Chando (Maddie) and Jennifer Landon (Gwen) joined AS THE WORLD TURNS co-star and Emmy presenter Terri Colombino (Katie) in seeking the help of celebrity stylist Felix Mercado in getting gussied up for the big night. "Each of the actresses have very different personalities," Mercado explained. "Jennifer Landon has more of the rocker chick kind of personality like a Chloe Sevigny. Then you go to Alexandra Chando, and her look is very young. And then for Terri Colombino, we're working on adjusting her image a little bit so she doesn't look like her character. So we're going to put her in a little bit more of a glamorous look." Soaps In Depth was on hand to browse the selections with them, but you'll have to tune in to the Emmys on June 14 to see what they chose to wear!
Colombino watched as Mercado showed her co-star his recommendations, then the pair nosed through Chando's potential picks before she arrived! The girls mugged for the camera as they browsed Mercado's selections for each other to see if there was anything they could "steal" from each other's rack.
Mercado went through the racks with the actresses beforehand to see what they were drawn to. And while Colombino loved the lace and detailed beading on this dress, she didn't like it as much on. | ![]() |
This Joanna Mastroianni couture gown is what Mercado refers to as a "360" dress, meaning it's just as stunning from every angle. "She's wearing Giuseppe Zanotti ankle strap bejeweled shoes, a Judith Ripka wrist cuff and diamond earrings and a Whiting & Davis clutch," he said. "What you want to do is kind of create a oneness. The shoes pick up on the jewelry and the bag." And what did Colombino think? "I love it!" she gushed. | ![]() |
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Colombino felt this dress looked better on her co-star. "Jen's a little more statuesque that I am," she mused. "We have the same coloring, so the colors looked good on both of us. I just feel like it fit her body better." | ![]() |
This double-sided Reem Acra is actually meant to be worn the other way, but Mercado preferred the green in front and capped the look with Giuseppe Zanotti pumps. "this is my favorite color of green," Colombino declared. "it usually works well with my eyes and hair. I don't necessarily know if I would wear it to the Emmys, but just as a dress, I liked it. Plus, I loved the shoes." | ![]() |
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Mercado satisfied Colombino's desire for glamour with this sparkling Bagdley Mishka. "Platinum pretty much woks on everyone," he said. "And the metallic detail in the fabric just makes her pop." The actress agreed. "It reminds me of the '70s or something," she smiled. | ![]() |
"The lines of this dress are just gorgeous," said Mercado. "This dress gives her length. It makes her seem a lot taller than she is. Terri's wearing a Whiting & Davis platinum clutch, Stewart Weitzman platinum bejeweled stilettos and Judith Ripka diamond hoops. In jewelry, she's probably doing about $65,000 total!" | ![]() |
"Which of your co-stars should write an autobiography?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - June 26, 2007) Terri Colombino: "Eileen Fulton (Lisa). Oh, or Liz Hubbard (Lucinda). Hers would be very interesting. And she's a very intelligent, well-read, very interesting person. I'm sure she would be a great writer, and she would have a lot to say."
Open All Night: Hot Day for Daytime Emmy Awards (www.oanmedia.com - June 15, 2007) Austin Peck and Terri Colombino of the soap opera As The World Turns were bumping, grinding and dancing ballroom-style backstage, and they "dared" us to print it. We didn't.
Soap Stars Glam Up For Daytime Emmys (TheShowBuzz.com - June 11, 2007)
The Daytime Emmy awards air on CBS Friday night, but the actresses who will be walking the red carpet that night began their preparations weeks ago.
The Showbuzz tagged along in early May when "As The World Turns" stars Alexandra Chando and Terri Colombino met with celebrity stylist Felix Mercado to select their gowns for the awards ceremony, which will air live from the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. The afternoon included a photo shoot for CBS Soaps In Depth featured in the current issue.
"It's really important to have something that will sparkle on camera," says Colombino, who will be presenting an award during the telecast. "We found some beautiful things, but of course we can't say what it's going to be because then it won't be a surprise."
"I told one of my friends, 'I'm going to pick out my Emmy dress tomorrow' and she was like 'what store?'" said Chando, who is nominated for outstanding actress in a drama series for her role as Maddie Coleman. "I told her 'no, no' we've got a stylist who's going to show us a bunch of dresses.'"
Mercado brought dozens of designer dresses, rows of shoes, and a huge collection of jewelry, bags and belts to Greg Weiner studios in lower Manhattan for the actresses to try on. Designers included Badgley Mischka, Joanna Mastroianni, Reem Acra, David Rodriguez, Priscilla of Boston/Melissa Sweet and John Galliano.
"There was a ton of different varieties and many different styles to choose from," said Chando. "Terri's right, we both need to sparkle and stand out and also feel comfortable in what we're wearing. That's a big key."
Chando and Colombino agreed that working with a stylist made the process so much easier. "Felix is great," said Colombino. "I've worked with him before so he really knows my style and everything he brought was everything that I would have picked out. It's nice to have a relationship with someone like that where they know what you're gonna love." Mercado puts in a lot of prep work before he even begins selecting dresses. "I look at photos," he said. "I do my research and try to figure out their personalities in addition to what they've been doing before."
Don't expect to see any outrageous outfits on Mercado's clients, though. "I like to streamline my client's look," he said. "I'm not interested in putting a client in, let's say, a strapless gown and I'm not going to put them in a necklace and a trumped up chandelier and bracelets. All that gaudiness - gone. It's all about very natural, very simple, kind of freeing in a sense. "
The 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards airs on CBS on June 15 at 9 p.m. ET.
Soaps.com Exclusive Interview With Robin O'Malley (Soaps.com - May 15, 2007) I had the pleasure of interviewing Brookfield resident, Robin O'Malley. She and her husband, Kevin O'Malley welcomed Austin Peck (Brad) and Terri Colombino (Katie) as well as the As the World Turns film crew into their basement on Friday, June 29, 2007.
Robin O'Malley, who has watched ATWT for 15 years, won the "Win a Day With Brad and Katie" contest. Not only did she get a clean basement, but she also received a check for $5000. During my e-mail interview with Robin, she shared her plans for the $5000, and spoke about the exciting adventure she and her husband had with Austin Peck (Brad Snyder) and Terri Colombino (Katie Kasnoff).
Misti: Is Brookfield a small town?
Robin: We are actually called villages here in Illinois. We have about 18,000 residents, but are considered small. We share a high school with neighboring Riverside, but otherwise are independent. We have a nationally acclaimed zoo (Brookfield Zoo, of course) and a huge 4th of July parade that many local and state groups participate in. It's a great family community and one we are proud of.
Misti: If you don't mind sharing, what do you plan to do with the $5000 you won?
Robin: My 50th birthday is this year, and our 10th anniversary is 2009, so we decided to combine the two and take a cruise to the Greek Islands next year. My husband and I actually met on a Windjammer cruise in the Caribbean, so we thought it would be fitting.
Misti: How surprised were you when you received the news that you won?
Robin: I thought they were telemarketers at first, then I thought it was a joke. Then I was totally shocked! I couldn't believe it!
Misti: We understand that the least favorite household chore you had for Katie and Brad was cleaning your basement. Did they do the job to your satisfaction?
Robin: It looked FABULOUS when they were done. It was bright and shiny and I could actually see the furniture again! Katie, like all women, organized and paid attention to all the details. Brad was the brawn behind the operation.
Misti: Can you tell us what it was like having Terri and Austin and the film crew in your home for a day?
Robin: They were GREAT! The crew was polite, and very respectful of us and our home. They were kind to our dogs as well. Austin and Terri were warm and friendly -- it was almost like having your neighbors over. We talked about current events, and traded personal stories as well. Austin was especially thrilled that I had homemade coffee cake and blueberry bread in the kitchen, along with coffee and a big glass of milk. Austin even called my mom -- who is a long time viewer -- to say hello.
Misti: Do you care to share the winning essay that you send with us?
Robin: Sure:
There's a place in our home -- room number 7
The basement -- domain of my husband Kevin
Tools, shoes, clothes, dust and hair
Papers and books piled high everywhere
Katie's pretty cottage it certainly is not
More like Brad's bachelor spot
He won't clean it, and he won't let me
I know you could do it if you would come see
Make my husband a happy boy
With a less nagging wife here in Illinois!
Misti: While filming the show, were there any "blooper" moments?
Robin: I guess me tripping over my tongue a few times, and Austin introducing himself with his real name were about it for bloopers.
Misti: Tell us what it was like to be on camera. Did you have a script to learn and follow, or did you ad lib?
Robin: There really was no "script" -- just the way the scenes were supposed to go. The cameras weren't very big, so I didn't really notice them much. The producers gave us the general scene they wanted, and we ad-libbed. The first scene when Austin and Terri arrived, took only two takes, and that was because the boom microphone was showing. The others took a little longer -- we would do the scene once, then the producer would tell us what to keep and what to change. I never felt uncomfortable -- just worried about looking "pasty" on TV!
Misti: What was the public attention like for you after having well-known actors and the ATWT film crew in your home?
Robin: Two newspapers did articles, and the CBS affiliate and a local news show did a little story based on what was written in the papers. It was not a huge amount of attention, so it didn't bother me in the least. I did get a lot of attention from family, friends and curious neighbors though!
Misti: What is Austin (Brad) and Terri (Katie) like off screen, and is Austin as good-looking in person as he is on screen?
Robin: Austin is actually better looking in person, and quite a funny guy. Terri is the cutest little thing, and both of them were so "normal." Terri has Westies like mine, so she spent a lot of off time hugging them. Austin fell in love with my "manly" little Clyde -- we had a lot of conversations about pets. They are both very sharing and caring people. I was a little apprehensive before I met them -- "real actors" in my home. But they came right in and gave me a big hug, complimented our home, and sat down on the floor to play with the dogs. We all ate lunch together and talked about all kinds of things. There was never a break in the conversation.
Misti: Is there anything else you'd like to add about your day with Austin and Terri?
Robin: It was truly a wonderful experience. I was honored to be selected out of so many entries, and very surprised that they used all the footage they shot. I didn't see the actual "cleaning" scene until it was aired, and really enjoyed seeing them flinging my husband's clothes at each other. I hope they might want to invite me back for a cameo appearance some day!
Soaps.com would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Robin O'Malley for taking time out of their daily lives to share their exciting experience with us. Robin e-mailed me a photo and said, "I thought you might like this photo of Austin with my Clyde, and Terri with Iris in our kitchen. I think it really shows what warm, caring people they are."
"What was your first big splurge when you landed your first acting contract?" (CBS Soaps In Depth - May 2007) Terri Colombino: "I never really did that. I'm always thinking too far into the future that this may not last, so I'd better not be stupid and mess with the money!"
"Which actor from another show would you like to have on your show?" (Soap Opera Weekly - May 2007) Terri Colombino: "Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R). She's an unbelievable actress, but she's also so much fun to be around. I haven't hung out with her that much, but every time I have, it's been quite the experience (laughs)."
Jack's rival (Soap Opera Weekly - May 2007) There's Simon, there's Mike and there's Brad, but ATWT's Michael Park (Jack) reveals he has another, less famous rival for Katie's affections. "My neighbor Jason is jealous that I get to make out with Terri (Colombino). He's happily married. He's got two kids. He makes no bones about the fact that he's infatuated with Terri, and his wife understands. He's a funny guy. He calls me regularly now. 'What's going on? Did you kiss her today?' It's a running joke." But Park doesn't kiss and tell. "I'm not giving him details!" he promises.
As the basement turns dirtier, stars clean it (Chicago Tribune - May 7, 2007) Robin O'Malley's least favorite household chore is cleaning the basement of her and her husband's two-story brick home. But the Brookfield resident got help with the job recently when actors from the long-running soap opera "As the World Turns" stopped by her home in the western suburb.
O'Malley, 49, won a contest associated with the show, so actors Terri Colombino and Austin Peck helped her with the cleanup last Friday as part of a seven-minute scene for an episode that runs Monday. She signed a contract to be an actress for the day and had a speaking part, which she improvised by talking about cleaning the dirty basement. "I don't know if I felt like a star," O'Malley said. "I felt equal to the actors and understood that I had a role to play."
On the show, Colombino and Peck play Katie and Brad, hosts of a talk show in the fictional Illinois town of Oakdale. "This contest is a good way to get connected with our fans," Peck said when he, Colombino and a film crew arrived in the area from their filming studio in Brooklyn, N.Y. "The [O'Malley] family has been great from the start. It's great to film here in Brookfield since the show is supposed to be in Illinois." O'Malley won the "part" and $5,000 after submitting an essay explaining why the show should come to her hometown to perform her least favorite household chore. Her essay was among 25,000 entries, a representative for the show said.
O'Malley, an ultrasound technician for a fertility center in Oak Brook, said she expected to watch the episode alone after finishing work about noon. "All my friends and co-workers said they will be watching," she said. "I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'll definitely be recording it."
O'Malley said she wrote the under-75 word essay in the form of a poem. She described the basement by writing: "The basement, domain of my husband Kevin, broken doors, tools, shoes, dust and hair, books and papers piled high everywhere."
"I never expected to win," said O'Malley, who has been an avid fan of "As the World Turns" for 15 years. "Besides my wedding day, this is the best day of my life," she said.
The Breaker High graduates: Where are they now? (The Globe and Mail online - April 21, 2007) Long before Ryan Gosling's talent put him on Hollywood's A-list, there was Breaker High. After one season on the light and breezy Canadian series, he never looked back. Gosling had little choice at the time, since Breaker High existed for a solitary season back in 1997. Created for broadcast on the struggling UPN network, Breaker High focused on a group of precocious teens attending high school on a luxury cruise ship. (Think The Love Boat meets Saved by the Bell.) Filmed in Burnaby, B.C., the show produced 44 half-hour episodes, which YTV aired incessantly in the years to follow.
As one of Breaker High's principal characters, Gosling played the slicked-back character Sean -- a supposed ladies' man whose constant efforts to appear smooth usually made him look foolish. Gosling was a busy actor prior to starring on the teen-themed soap -- with guest spots on Ready or Not, Road to Avonlea and virtually every other Canadian-made series produced in the nineties -- and his career progressed nicely once Breaker High pulled into dry dock. But what of his cast mates? As with any shipwreck, some survived, while others have been lost at sea.
Scott Vickaryous (Max)
As the rebellious and slightly dense Max, Vickaryous was presumably the character who brought in the young female viewers. Born in Port Alberni, B.C., he was a standout high-school athlete (football and wrestling) whose first TV gig came on Breaker High. Two years after the show folded, Vickaryous briefly regained TV profile on the short-lived Fox series Get Real, which co-starred Anne Hathaway. In recent years, he's been a sporadic guest on U.S. series, with his most notable role coming last season on the CBS legal drama Close to Home.
Rachel Wilson (Tamira)
She was the quirky one among the female shipmates, and she's fared better than most of them, career-wise. The Ottawa-born Wilson has appeared on Canadian television (Jonovision), U.S. television (Popular, Charmed, Providence) and in small guest parts in feature films (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Mystery, Alaska). Still based in Canada, her biggest exposure in recent memory was an extended role in the cheeky Canadian drama Show Me Yours.
Kyle Alisharan (Alex)
Alisharan played the resident jock, Alex, though his interest in acting appears to have waned over the last decade. All told, the rugged young Windsor, Ont., native has taken on just five acting assignments since Breaker High's demise, including the bit part of "airport worker" in the 2006 feature Snakes on a Plane. Belying his own jock image, Alisharan moved toward academia several years ago when he enrolled at Stanford University to study computer science and English.
Persia White (Denise)
She rarely got the guy, but her grades were terrific. White assumed a thankless task playing the show's resident bookworm, Denise, but it made her name in TV circles. Following Breaker, she guested on more than a dozen regular series -- including Brooklyn South and Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- and enjoyed a brief turn on the soap Another World.
For the last several years she's been one of the four principals on the popular syndicated sitcom Girlfriends, executive produced by Kelsey Grammer.
Tyler Labine (Jimmy)
Hailing from Brampton, Ont., Labine supplied comic relief as the wisecracking Jimmy. Next to Gosling, he's likely the show's most successful alumnus; Labine has more than 50 film and TV credits on his resume -- with roles on the network dramas Dark Angel, That Was Then and Kevin Hill. Labine was also a primary cast member of the NBC series Invasion, and currently holds a recurring role on ABC's Boston Legal.
Wendi Kenya (Cassidy)
She was the blond and beautiful tomboy, Cassidy, which didn't seem to help her career one bit in subsequent years. After a single-episode guest shot on Beverly Hills, 90210, the Denver-born Kenya worked on only six more occasions, including the part of "sexy towel girl" in the 2003 comedy Winter Break. Beyond Breaker High, her biggest claim to fame: She was once married to Canadian comic Harland Williams.
Terri Conn (Ashley)
The other American actress imported onto Breaker High, Conn played the spoiled Southern belle, Ashley. Conn had previously appeared on The Young and the Restless and more than one ABC After School Special. She worked steadily following Breaker and later adopted her married name, Terri Columbino(sic), when she signed as a regular on As The World Turns in 2003(sic). When she gave birth to her daughter, Julia Catherine, a year later, the delivery was chronicled on the TLC series A Baby Story.
The EX Factor (Soap Opera Weekly - April 17, 2007)
ATWT's Terri Colombino and Michael Park have The Ex Factor
AS THE WORLD TURNS' offscreen pals Michael Park (Jack) and Terri Colombino (Katie) open up about why their new on-screen sparks inspire butterflies - and needs a little Maura mojo.
Weekly: Jack and Katie have been one-half of some huge love stories. Did putting them together surprise you?
Terri Colombino: You never would have thought of them together!
Michael Park: It was rare that Jack would be in a Katie and Mike or a Katie and Henry or a Katie and Simon story. When he was, it was in an official capacity.
Colombino: Or as Mike's friend.
Park: Right, or Simon's friend. Let's not forget Simon and Jack were pretty funny together, too.
Colombino: Well, they just wanted each other (laughs).
Park: Who wouldn't want...
Weekly: Jack?
Park: Who wouldn't want Simon? Who wouldn't want a well-tanned and oiled Aussie?
Colombino: No complaints here.
Park: I'm not complaining. I love the buzz [for Jack and Katie]. It's just out of left field for both of us.
Colombino: That's the fun! I've already experienced that with Simon and Katie because that came out of nowhere, too. I was like, "What? They're putting Katie with Simon? That's so weird. He's in love with Lily!"
Park: You were thrown in. You were thrown all over the place.
Colombino: I'm going to get hate mail again, like when Katie tried to hit on Holden. But that wasn't real. That was just a blip. This is Jack and Carly.
Park: I like this. It's a lighthearted, kindred-spirit relationship.
Colombino: There's a scene coming up where Jack is getting ready for a date with her, and I was watching it. It was him and Emma, and Michael had this energy. It gave me butterflies because everyone can relate to that. The great thing about it is that Jack's a man with kids who's been married and all of a sudden he's feeling that giddy butterfly feeling again. It's so nice to see it, and he played it so well. That's what soap operas are about; romance and those sweet moments in life that you want to hold on to.
Park: The butterflies you were feeling and the nervous actions of Jack were totally because I didn't know my lines at the time.
Colombino: Shut up. Don't take away from your brilliance. It's sweet.
Park: They've been writing that for both of the characters. Playing Jack happy is so refreshing, as opposed to him playing the judgmental cop. Amnesia Jack had a chance to explore a different character for a little bit. That was a blast, and now I'm exploring the happiness. I don't think I ever played Jack this way.
Colombino: No, you have a different energy. It's so fun to watch. Everybody's been saying that around here, too. Like he's sexy. Jack's hot (laughs).
Park: It's the hair. Or the jeans. We live 10 minutes from each other, so it's been great saving gas driving in and out with Terri in the city. And we've talked about this a lot. I don't want history to repeat itself. I want Jack to learn from this experience he had with Carly. Although, he should have learned five years ago.
Colombino: I hope that Katie grows up a little bit in this relationship, too. With Jack, Katie is a little more mature. I hope that continues and she doesn't keep doing these stupid things where Jack is reprimanding Katie [instead of Mike]. It's interesting because Jack is similar to both Mike and Simon, but closer to Mike. You know in high school when you play, "If I could just take his looks with this guy's personality and that guy's smarts..."?
Park: If I had Simon's accent, Mike abs and Jack's character, I would be a package.
Colombino: That's how he is to Katie, though.
Park: Aw, that's sweet.
Colombino: They see similar things from the love of their lives in each other, but none of the baggage. We don't want to have baggage anytime soon. That's what weighs it down.
Park: No, but the 800-pound gorilla in the room is that sooner or later Carly will be coming back.
Weekly: Carly did sleep with Katie's ex. It's turnabout.
Colombino: Oh, Katie has no problem taking Jack away from her. She doesn't think that Carly deserves him anyway. Meanwhile, that's Katie not realizing that she's pretty much exactly like Carly, but she deserves him and Carly doesn't (laughs).
Park: Hasn't Jack called her a meddler? I've called you all kinds of things: meddler, nosy nose, nosy Nelly.
Colombino: But you see, that's the way I justify this. In Katie's head she would have never thought of him in a romantic way. He was always with Carly. She was always with these other people. We probably had barbecues together.
Weekly: Has it been fun to play this new aspect of their relationship?
Colombino: It's definitely fun for me to get this thing that comes out of left field but ends up working. You're actually excited to read the next script and find out what's going to happen and work with the other actor.
Park: I can answer that in a different way only because I have been working with Maura West (Carly) for so long, and I'm very comfortable. The two of us, we've been married - she's been my fake wife for eight years. I'll always love the Jack and Carly. I'll always look forward to when I'm doing scenes with Maura. When Terri and I are doing scenes together, the same comfort level is there. It's a joy to come to work and do scenes because we're friends offscreen. Our kids play together.
Colombino: So it was kind of weird when we had to kiss for the first time.
Park: I found myself flossing twice that days and downing mouthwash. In the makeup department, Eldo Ray (Estes) was laughing at me, "You're so nervous." I was like, "This is just so strange. I'm going to kiss one of my best friends' wives."
Colombino: I told Artie and Laurie, "Whenever we have to kiss onscreen then you guys can kiss." And we have to watch.
Weekly: Have they called in those markers yet?
Park: No, they haven't. And the odd thing is that Annabelle and Julia are only about three months apart, and that's basically my daughter's only friend. We have a lot of mutual friends from the show and outside the show. So, reading the script for when Jack and Katie kissed, we both went, "How is this going to happen?" It's like kissing my sister. I've known her for nine years.
Colombino: And never thought this was even a possibility.
Park: So imagine our surprise when we find out it's been working, and the fans are split down the middle. That's exactly what you want!
Colombino: As soon as Carly comes back, it's going to be different.
Park: I really can't wait for the Carly and Katie scenes.
Colombino: Oh, I can't, either. It's going to be good.
Park: Mojo (Maura West) is back. Everything she touches, she does phenomenally, doesn't she?
Colombino: I used to be scared, but now that I've worked with her for a while, I can get excited about it because you know you have to be on it.
Park: I've been really lucky. First I get to work with Maura, then Annie Parisse (ex-Julia), who's starring on Broadway right now, and Sarah Brown (ex-Julia), a three-time Emmy winner, and now Terri, a nine-year veteran and a nominee.
Weekly: What do you think the hardest part of playing this is going to be?
Park: Carly made a decision. It's easier for Jack to move on with Katie. The harder thing is convincing the kids. That's always going to be the underlying factor for Jack: his ties to his children. One thing that the writers have done very well is written Jack as an incredible father. He really is a great dad, and those scenes with Parker, scenes coming up with J.J. and the scenes with Sage have been dead-on perfect.
Colombino: That's what makes Jack sexy, too. The way he is with his kids.
Weekly: I agree. Watching those scenes is always...
Colombino: ...like, "What a good guy!"
Park: It's so sickening because Michael's not that way.
Colombino: Yes, you are. You wouldn't know how to be that way with those kid actors.
Park: Come on.
Colombino: No, I'm serious. You wouldn't act like that with them if you didn't feel the same way about your own kids.
Park: Well, I like some of them.
Colombino: Two out of three isn't bad.
Park: Half of one. I'm kidding! We've got these great young actors, Mick Hazen and Daniel Manche (Parker and J.J.). They're so available. That makes our job easier, because Jack and Katie have to make sure these kids are okay.
Colombino: That's the one thing that can mature her, thinking about someone other than herself.
Park: It's a great opportunity for Katie to force herself to grow up.
Colombino: That's what I'm hoping happens. It's time. I mean poor Katie, she acts like she's 16 years old. I'm 30 now. Can I stop acting like a little brat?
Park: You're still 25. You'll always be 25.
Colombino: Scott Bryce (Craig) said "Well, the last time I was here, Katie was about 3." That wasn't 27 years ago. I think she was born in '89, so she's about 18 now.
Park: You're hot for 18 - now Jack really wants Katie!
"What's the naughtiest thing your soap star child did growing up?" (Soap Opera Digest - April 2007) Cathy Conn, mother of Terri Colombino: "The first thing that comes to mind was when she and her best friend in high school rigged up a story where they were spending the night with each other and they actually ended up at another girl's house whose parents where out of town and there were boys and girls and all kinds of crazy people there. At 4 o'clock in the morning, the other girl's mother called and said 'The girls are there, right?' And I said, 'No, they're at your house.' So, we started calling all of their friends. I was a top-producing real estate agent in Albuquerque at the time and I said, 'Hello, this is Cathy Conn and I'm really sorry to bother you...' They said 'Cathy Conn the realtor?' I was so embarrassed! We finally found them and of course they apologized profusely. Terri will die I told you that story."
KISS & Tell (CBS Soaps in Depth - April 2007) Katie and Jack may have been taken by surprise at the romantic feelings they developed for each other, but so were portrayers Terri Colombino and Michael Park! "We're just playing it like we feel about it," she reveals, "because it is so out of the blue for us, too. We never thought [the writers] would put Jack and Katie together." Being professionals, the actors had no problem kissing on screen, but off-camera, the good friends and their co-workers found it a little weird. "It was like being in fifth grade," Colombino chuckles. "Everybody's like 'Ooh, they're gonna kiss at recess!' And everybody watched. I remember after the first take, we looked at each other and out at the crew to see if they were weirded out by it. And one of the guys that does hair only every once in awhile was here, and he was like, 'Oh my God! What are they doing?! Why are they together?! What's happening!' And I think that's how the audience is gonna feel!"
Puck of the Draw (Soap Opera Digest - March 2007) "For some reason I am always the one doing stunts and I always get hurt!" laughs Terri Colombino (Katie), whose character got beaned in the eye by a hockey puck recently. "It was foam, but they kept throwing it at me. Because it was in slow motion, you had to see it hit my eye. Plus, we shot the scene where she's bruised afterward first, so they had to really hit me exactly where the bruise was. We had to do it five or six times and the last time was the good shot," she says. Of course, Colombino's done a lot more involved stunts, including one that drew blood. "There was one time where Mike and Katie were in Australia and I was tied to a chair. They had a fake rope that's really soft and then we had a fake knife for establishing shots, but Mark [Collier, ex-Mike] had to cut me out of it, so he had a real knife for that. He was really into the scene, jabbing away, and the point was jabbing into my heel. I was like, 'Ow! Ow!' But he thought I was acting so he kept going. I finally said, 'No, stop!' I have some 'Mark scars' from that."
Round Up "Have you ever confused a co-star's name with his/her character's?" (Soap Opera Digest - March 6, 2007)
Terri: "When I first started, I called Kelley Menighan Hensley 'Emily'. It was so embarrassing because I kept doing it. But she just looked so much like an Emily to me!"
Kelly Menighan Hensley: "I remember that! She doesn't do that anymore. I think I did it to Benjy once. For whatever reason, he was the hardest person for me to call by his character's name because he was so 'Benjy' but I did once. I remember having to think hard about having to call him Hal."
Park & Colombino: The Name Game (http://www.soapoperadigest.com/features/as-the-world-turns/interviews/parkcolombinonamegame/index.html) Whether it's "Bennifer," "Brangelina," or "CarJack," the true signature of coupledom is a catchy nickname. So when Weekly sat down with AS THE WORLD TURNS' Michael Park (Jack) and Terri Colombino (Katie) to discuss their characters' fledgling relationship for our May 1 issue, we asked them the burning question....
Soap Opera Weekly: What should we call you?
Michael Park: I like Kack. I think Kack is hysterically funny.
Terri Colombino: What about Jackie?
Park: In print, they're not going to get that.
Colombino: Put it down like, "As said by Jackee Harry on 227." The younger viewers won't get that, but Jackie is kind of boring. You have to say it, "Jhack-ayyyyy."
Park: I like the "ayyyy." (Fakes hacking and coughing) "J-ackkkkk."
Colombino: That's how the CarJackers are going to say it.
Park: They'll go, "Jackkkkk," and the other half will call it, "Jackee!" She has Matie, Skatie, Jackie... no, it's got to be something...
Colombino: Jadie, because we're both kind of jaded.
Weekly: How about Snyper - for Snyder/Peretti?
Colombino: Snyper, wow. Well, it is the era of the mushed name. Do you ever watch THE SOUP on E!? I love that show. Joel McHale said something about Scarlett Johansson. No, what was the most recent one?
Park: John Mayer and Jessica Simpson?
Colombino: What was it? "So-and-so and so-and-so got together this weekend - it's time for the celebrity name!" and he brought out this morph generator that looked like a toaster. He was like, "Cha-ching! Scarlett Johansson and Jared Leto are..." It was so funny.
Park: They should come up with something for Jack and Katie that makes absolutely no sense.
Colombino: Well, that's how that one was. It made sense, but it was only a couple of the letters.
Park: Harpoon. That's what they can call us. I love Harpoon, they're the best. They're the best couple ever, Harpoon. New super couple: Harpoon.
Colombino: Jaretti. We've got to think of something.
Park: Gas station - I love them. I love the gas stationers!
Colombino: Kack is pretty funny, though.
Park: The gas station attendants - man, they're awesome.
Weekly: They really know how to pump that gas.
Park: Yeah, I like that. Just something that makes completely no sense whatsoever.
Colombino: We're going to think of something by the end of today. We have to write out [the names].
Park: The waste management dudes. The waste managers.
Weekly: Think about this. It'll be your homework.
Colombino: Because it could be last names, too.
Park: You know, I love this story. At first, this was just supposed to be a filler for Jack and Katie until Carly got back to get jealous enough to make the Jack and Carly connection again. And then, of course, it would make Brad jealous enough to make the Brad and Katie connection - the Bradie.
Colombino: The Kad!
Park: The Kad?
Colombino: That's good actually, Kad - Brad and Katie - because he's kind of a cad.
Park: Yeah, he is kind of a cad.
Colombino: And so is she!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? (Soap Opera Digest - February 2007) Back when she joined the show in 1998, Terri Colombino (Katie) was part of Oakdale's teen scene. And though she occasionally runs into former quad-mate Nathaniel Marston (ex-Eddie; Michael, OLTL) at events, she hasn't talked to Jaime Dudney (ex-Georgia) or Ben Jorgensen (ex-Chris) in years. "I've gone through, like, four generations of teens since then, I think! That's just weird to me," laughs Colombino. "Having a child has finally made me not feel like I was 18 years old, but up until then, I still felt like I was in the teen group." She's actually still closest to Kristina Sisco (ex-Abigail; Charity, PASSIONS), a member of the teen group that followed Katie's. "I was at work and I said, 'Kristina's on Passions today----we have to watch.' And Jesse Soffer [Will] said, 'Who's Kristina?' I said, 'How dare you utter those words?' But it was actually a long time ago."
"Who is your soap crush?" (Soap Opera Digest - February 2007) Grayson McCouch (Dusty, ATWT): "I guess Terri Colombino [Katie]. I like her a lot ---- she makes me laugh. But all the good ones are married!"
Miss LONELYHEARTS (CBS Soaps in Depth - February 2007) With ex-husband Simon ruining her marriage to Mike and both men no longer in her life, it was no surprise that ATWT's Katie didn't have such a great Valentine's Day ---- at least not to portrayer Terri Colombino, who found herself very lonely without her co-stars after the holidays. "It really hit me when we came back from break," she confides. "Because it's just a different vibe. Even though they both left before the break, it was really coming back and knowing that they're not coming back that's..... disheartening." But it's not all doom and gloom for the bubbly blonde. The last time Katie got dumped, she ended up with Mike, so who knows what could happen next! "It's been fun, too," she says of her character's new storyline. "There's new energy, new people, and I've been through it before, so I'll be fine. Katie always lands on her feet!"
All In The Family (Soap Opera Digest - January 2007) With so many of their close family friends on ATWT, Terri Colombino's (Katie) 2-year old daughter, Julia, must think that just about everyone's on TV----which mom realized while checking out the show one day. "Jon Hensley [Holden] was on and she goes, 'Jonny!' and then Kelley [Menighan Hensley, Emily] came on and she said, 'Kelley!' And then goes, 'Nay-Nay? Where are you Nay-Nay?' That's what she calls [the Hensley's daughter] Sophie May. She associated it with Kelley's face," laughs Colombino. "They love each other; they totally bonded. Because when we go over there, Sophie just takes over: She wants to be the babysitter and watch movies and do all the fun stuff. We go to the Parks' [Michael Park's, Jack, family] a lot, too. Annabelle and Julia are around the same age."
"When you are in the background of a scene, what are you saying" (Soap Opera Digest - January 2007) Terri Colombino: "We're having a regular conversation until they tell us we're being too loud, and then we say 'Peas and carrots, peas and carrots.' "
Interview With Terri Colombino (www.soaps.com - January 8, 2007) At 11:00 am (CST), on Friday, January 5, I had a delightful chat over the phone with Terri Colombino, better known as Katie from As the World Turns. During our conversation, we discussed her role as Katie on As the World Turns, as well as her resolutions for 2007.
Misti: Since your time with As the World Turns, who has been the funniest co-worker on the set?
Terri: That's a tough one; there are so many goof balls on the set. [Laughter] I would say Michael Park.
Misti: Brad Snyder's coming into the scene soon. Do you foresee a close relationship between he and Katie?
Terri: Well, we have had some scenes together. We immediately, kind of, don't like each other. [Giggles] So, I don't know where that's going to go. I don't think they know either. They're kind of just testing the waters with that I think. Besides, I don't think it's time for Katie to move over to another relationship yet. I think she should lay low in the man department--work on a career to better herself, and work on growing up a little bit.
Misti: During your time on the set, have you ever had any blooper moments?
Terri: Hmm There was this one time Alexandra Chando (Maddie) and I had to walk off the scene together, and we tripped over a cable. [Laughter] It made the blooper reel.
Misti: What would you be doing if you weren't acting?
Terri: Now that I'm a mom, I might just focus on that, but I don't know if I would still want to do something for myself. Maybe a teacher. I love kids, and I respect teachers so much. I have a couple good friends that are teachers, and I love hearing their stories about how they help kids and change their lives in a good way.
Misti: We've read that you've been auditioning for sitcoms. Do you plan to leave As the World Turns to do sitcoms, once your contract has expired?
Terri: No, I wouldn't leave the show without another job, but if I did get a pilot that gets picked up, and if it was good, and I thought it had a chance, then I would leave. I mean you never can tell with new shows whether they're going to be a hit or not, but I'm just putting my foot in the water to see if there's anything that I'd really respond to. I do love it here. I appreciate what I have, but you never really know what's going to happen, because they could kill you off at any second, and Katie's not so liked right now. I don't know how they're going to redeem her. [Laughter]
Misti: What's the nicest item you've ever received from a fan?
Terri: I get so many nice things, but I think what sticks out the most is when I was pregnant with Julia, and so many people at the fan club luncheon brought me gifts that were knitted. One woman had knitted a beautiful sweater and hat for her. I mean, really beautiful, well thought out, and time consuming gifts that really mean a lot.
Misti: Did you celebrate New Year's Eve?
Terri: I did! I went to this really great 70's party to celebrate the wedding of some friends who got married this past summer. They got married in the Dominican Republic, and not everyone could go, so they wanted to celebrate with all their New York friends. So, they threw a big party in the city, in this loft, everyone dressed up in 70 clothes, and the original cowboy from the Village People performed. [Laughter] It was really fun.
Misti: Have you made any resolutions for 2007?
Terri: Yes, I've made a couple. I mean it is just a good time to kinda reflect on the blessings of the past year, and look at the things you want to work on with yourself. So, um, I decided to learn how to play the guitar, cause my husband's a musician, so I have a great resource right inside my house, and I feel like I never use it. That's something I've always wanted to do. I can't sing, so I thought maybe if I play an instrument, I would feel--cause I love music--I would feel like I was a part of music somehow. And then with the health issue, I'm just going to try and eat more fruits and vegetables. [Laughter]
Misti: Yeah, I need to do more of that too.
Terri: It's hard. The day goes by and I realize I've only had one serving or something, and it's so important.
Misti: How did last year's resolutions go for you?
Terri: I don't really even remember making any. I didn't make a point of it. I usually don't, actually. I think about goals for the next year, but I never usually make a specific resolution, but that's why I decided to do it this year, because you know, when you write out a goal and really state it you're more likely to achieve it.
Misti: Do you have a blog that you write on frequently?
Terri: No, I haven't gotten into that. I just don't really have time.
Misti: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule!
Terri: Oh sure, thank you very much for having me.