Lesli Kay: On Remaining on The Bold and the Beautiful
Matt Richenthal
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A few months ago, The Bold and the Beautiful fans were afraid they may never see Lesli Kay again.
After all, her character, Felicia, had cancer. Now, though, she's in remission and on the show to stay. Kay recently talked to Soap Opera Digest about these up and downs...
Last fall, Kay knew full well she was signing up for a death sentence, but by winter, she was hooked on life at The Bold and the Beautiful and ready to go to any (hair) length to see Felicia endure. And she wasn’t alone.
"The whole cast was fighting for me, and that's why this is different than other shows," Kay said. "On most shows, there's vying for position and, 'Why does she get the huge storyline?' I haven't seen that here. Certainly I'm a supporting player, not a lead player, so it's given everyone something to play. Felicia's fight united the family."
STEPHANIE AND BROOKE: THE NEXT GENERATION
However, thanks to Stephanie's life-saving machinations, Kay is an integral part of the show's future, with her character set to challenge little sister Bridget (Ashley Jones).
"Think of it this way: Bridget is Brooke's daughter; I am Stephanie's daughter," Kay said. "This second part of Felicia is going to be juicy, because the cancer's always looming. I've talked to people - there are a lot of cancer survivors in my life, and I've gotten huge response from survivors everywhere I go - it can always come back, so you live life differently. You say it like it is."
One of Kay's favorite things about the show is its strong focus on female energy.
"Female relationships are very important," she insists. "I think As the World Turns missed the boat with Carly and Molly. That was one of my favorite all-time relationships in daytime, but it should have been fleshed out more. Maura (West, Carly) and I used to laugh all the time, because we wouldn't work together for a month and then we'd have three 10-page scenes to catch up. When we finally got to 'break up,' it was great. It was the first feud they'd had."
Overall, Kay hopes Felicia also will be getting into more than family drama.
"I don't think it should be either you're in a family or you're in a love triangle. It can all be together, and Brad does a great job of that," she said. "Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) is amazing, and I haven't worked with her yet. I would like to work more with my brothers (Ridge and Thorne), just to be there for each other. And I'm still thrilled to have parents!
I have worked with Hunter Tylo (Taylor), whom I love," Kay continued. "She's a doll, so sweet. I don't think people get how funny she is. This cast is just unbelievably talented. I don't know that a lot of them have gotten their due. They've been playing [their characters] for 19 year and they keep them alive and fresh."
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.
