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Intervjuer
Starting a new job is always tough, because there is some adjustment required... and SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) found that all too true when she started on B&B, she tells SOD. She admits that her first impression of the CBS Television City studio building where B&B tapes was that it was cold and clammy, and she felt like she was in a tin can. But once she got to meet her co-workers and saw how warm and friendly they were, she began to ease into it. She already knew ASHLEY LYN CAFAGNA (Kimberly) from her days at SUNSET BEACH, since Ashley taped SAVED BY THE BELL across the hall and the two shows shared a make-up room, and ADRIENNE FRANTZ (Amber) was a familiar face since Adrienne got her start on BEACH. She also found some former BEACH crew members on board at B&B now. RONN MOSS (Ridge) took her to lunch on her first day and showed her around, becoming her first new friend among the cast. And while she admits she got flustered in an early scene with KATHERINE KELLY LANG (calling her "Katherine" in character instead of "Brooke"). She also talks about how much she loves working with SUSAN FLANNERY (Stephanie) and about how, over her first month, she started to feel more comfortable in her new job.
Even though she's NOW set to begin airing on February 15 as designer Morgan DeWitt, SARAH BUXTON (ex-Annie, SUNSET BEACH), the actress tells Soaps In Depth that the reports of her joining the cast definitely came before the final deal was signed. While she will confirm that B&B had made an offer to her at the time the insider reports began and that she had spoken to Executive Producer/Head Writer Bradley Bell about it, nothing was signed at that time. Buxton and her representatives worked with the show's producers in a series of negotiations that ultimately led to her signing with the show to play Morgan. As for the rumors that Morgan is Amber's half-sister, Bell tells SID that those are not true. Bell has no plans to introduce a sister for Amber at this time--but he will confirm that Morgan and Ridge share a mysterious past that no one--not even Brooke, who hires the actress/model turned designer to work for Forrester--will know about at first. Look for the secret to unfold gradually in the coming months. Meanwhile, even though Sarah won't be playing her sister, former SUNSET co-star Adrienne Frantz (Amber, who was the original Tiffany when SUNSET debuted) is still glad to have her old castmate on B&B.
According to JOHN McCOOK (Eric), SARAH BUXTON made quite a first impression on her new co-workers when she began taping as Morgan DeWitt, he tells Soap Opera Weekly. He was so impressed, in fact, that he placed a phone call to Kathleen Noone, Buxton's former Sunset Beach co-star. McCook guessed that Noone was responsible for the professionalism Buxton shows on the set because of their work together on Sunset, and he wanted to thank Kathleen for that.
The road to her February 15 debut as designer Morgan DeWitt was an odd one for SARAH BUXTON (ex-Annie, SUNSET BEACH), as she was being congratulated on getting the role before she had even MET with B&B's producers. Sarah tells SOD that she received word from B&B in December that they would like to meet with her in January: no specifics were mentioned as to what the meeting would be about. Then she read the reports in magazines like SOD that she had been cast, and friends and colleagues started congratulating her--and while she admits she was flattered, Sarah was quite nervous as to whether anything would happen. Finally, B&B called her with an offer in January and negotiations began... and even though she had not planned to do another daytime drama after SUNSET folded, she was glad for the opportunity and explored it. She is also grateful to former SUNSET castmate ADRIENNE FRANTZ (Amber) for campaigning with The Powers That Be at B&B to get her the part. Sarah sees her character--an ex-model turned designer who Brooke hires at Forrester to act as buffer between her and Ridge & Eric, who Brooke now despises--as more sophisticated than Annie and is looking forward to the new challenges ahead of her.
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) facts from Soap Opera Update:
•She's not sure why she keeps getting cast as bad girls (Morgan, SUNSET BEACH's Annie), although she suspects her darker looks, as opposed to the look of an All-American blonde, might have something to do with it.
•She thinks Annie was more over the top than Morgan, although Morgan is most definitely a bad girl who will keep you guessing.
•She feels that the fun in playing bad girls is that she gets to do things she wouldn't in real life, although she's not all sugar and spice off-camera either.
•She and her boyfriend Chad, who lives in New York, like to go to exotic locales to surf, and she recently snuck away with him to Mexico, where she won a celebrity tennis tournament with Robin Leach of LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS.
•She'd like to do films someday, and if she hadn't gotten the part of Morgan, she would likely be pursuing film work... but given the number of unemployed actors in the field, she doesn't regret taking the B&B part when it was offered to her
Is Morgan crazy? Given her recent attempt to scare Clarke with a snake, which almost killed him, Soap Opera Digest had to wonder, so they asked actress SARAH BUXTON, who plays Morgan, what she thinks. "I think she's a little mental. She's certainly getting a little desperate," Sarah concedes. She feels that Morgan is very angry about Clarke betraying her and she wants to send a message to him not to mess with her. Sarah also worries that such things should be far from Morgan's mind given her pregnancy, but she does not think the character has crossed the point of no return; "She can always say she was whacked out because of her hormones," Buxton says.
You hear stories about how actors are often discovered in common places, and SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) can tell you it's true. Sarah tells Soaps In Depth how she was on a shopping excursion at an L.A. market when she was 14, having an argument with her mom, when a woman asked if she wanted to be an actress. Although she had never thought about it before, Sarah pled with her mom to let her try, and she started acting school the next week.
Look for SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) to appear during Soaps Week on the syndicated game show HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. The show stars Whoopi Goldberg in the Center Square with Tom Bergeron as host. Buxton, who airs during the week of October 16 with other soap stars, told CBS Online that she was very excited to do the show and had a lot of fun.
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) was asked how many takes it took to do the scene where she threw tea in Stephanie's face. She answered it only took one... and in fact, it had to, because SUSAN FLANNERY (Stephanie) only had one blouse. Buxton joked that she would have had to run for her life from Flannery had she messed that first take up, so she made sure to get it right.
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) is a true film buff, she tells Soaps in Depth; she tries to go to the movies whenever possible, whether its classic films, big budget blockbusters and small independent films on the screen. Each year, she gets into the Academy Awards when that time of year rolls around, although she admits she prefers to watch the Awards at home instead of trying to fit in at some swanky Hollywood party.
In an article about the sexiest men and women in daytime in the Aug 1 SOD, SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) is looked at. In a quote from co-star Hunter Tylo (Taylor), Hunter says that "Sarah has a bizarre but wonderful sense of humor, and that's sexy." When asked who is sexier, Morgan or herself, Sarah thinks her alter ego is, as she isn't into the tight, revealing outfits Morgan wears.
Since many B&B stars, like Bobbie Eakes (Macy), have done it, Soaps In Depth asked SARAH BUXTON if she would ever be willing to belt out a tune for the show. Even though she did record a song in France in connection with her part on SUNSET BEACH, Sarah doesn't think she has much singing talent, so she shudders at the thought of singing on B&B.
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) tells Soap Opera Update that unlike other soaps with large casts, the cast of B&B is very much like a family, something she learned as soon as she joined the cast. She first met the cast the day she signed her contract at the Australian Boomerang Awards (held at Los Angeles' Bel-Air Hotel), and she further bonded with the cast at the 13th Anniversary Party in March. Now, Buxton has started to feel like part of this family at B&B.
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) is going, as she does every summer, to Spain to visit her best friend, who lives there. While there, the pair does a lot of riding, swimming and boating, and she also has taken in some bullfights while there.
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) was thrilled to be at the Emmys for the first time. She was ready to cheer the nominees from the show on, although she also had some fond hopes for the directing team from her previous soap, the now-canceled SUNSET BEACH.
Even though she had several years experience in daytime as Annie on Sunset Beach prior to her B&B days, SARAH BUXTON tells Soaps In Depth that there was still an adjustment period when she started as Morgan. She sees the two characters as different, she explains: Morgan is more of an enigma whereas Annie was a hellion in a formfitting wardrobe, and she makes an effort that even the characters' mannerisms will come off as different on screen, even though she played both parts.
In their ROUNDUP column, SOD asks the soap stars what their worst date ever was: SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) remembers a blind date her roommate set her up on with a guy who would not stop talking about his personal problems. Sarah felt like a psychiatrist and was glad when the date ended, at which time the guy hoped for a kiss... and Sarah quickly said good night and ducked inside!
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) "Take Five" from SOD:
•The thing that gets on her nerves is traffic.
•She likes getting advice and doesn't think she's ever really gotten any unwanted advice she didn't ask for.
•If she had $100 to spend anywhere, it would be at the Gap.
•If she could invent anything, she would make a device for instantaneous travel.
•If she could relive any part of her life, it would be her teenage years, so she could learn to be less serious and have fun.
Week of: July 31 - August 4, 2000
SARAH BUXTON, Character: Morgan DeWitt
For this past week, the spotlight goes to Sarah Buxton. This past week Sarah Buxton did a wonderful job portraying her character of Morgan DeWitt.
Sarah did an excellent job, as Morgan went to great lengths to keep her secret pregnancy a secret. Morgan had to lie to her friends and be "sneaky" to keep her secret. Buxton played these scenes with just the right amount of spice.
Later, we saw a new side of Morgan, when she first saw her baby's picture on ultrasound and heard it's heartbeat. Here, Sarah did an amazing job playing Morgan, the twisted girl who had finally achieved her dream of being stable by motherhood. We, the audience could feel her happiness of the baby's health and paternity.
This past week Sarah Buxton did an amazing job as Morgan Dewitt. Who knows what shocks we have in store for us in the weeks to come!
--Ben
Source: CBS Soaps In Depth
Stephanie's Secret
When Ridge told his mother that his old flame had been hired as a new designer at Forrester Creations, Stephanie seemed unduly concerned - even given the fact that archenemy Brooke had handpicked Morgan for the job. Ever since, Steph's number one priority has been to make Morgan disappear before the secret that the two of them share comes out and does heaven knows how much damage.
Morgan's Heartbreak
At that, Morgan lays everything on the line, saying that she never has forigven Ridge's mom for convincing her to get rid of the child that she conceived with Ridge when she was only 17. In fact, having endured years of pain over the decision, she has come back to Los Angeles in hopes of achieving closure.
"It really all had to do with Stephanie," explains Morgan's portrayer, Sarah Buxton. "Stephanie wanted to cover everything up, so she made all of the decisions. Morgan has a lot of residual pain left over from that pregnancy, mostly because she was sent away. Stephanie just wanted to get rid of Morgan and her dirty little secret."
Ridge's Surprise
During Morgan and Stephanie's argument, the circumstances of the then teenager's sad past are revealed bit by bit. For starters, it is revealed that upon realizing that she was expecitng, desperate Morgan sought Steph's counsel. In turn, Ridge's domineering mom handed the girl a fistful of cash and urged her to leave town and terminate the pregnancy - advice that the adolescent took.
"Ridge had no idea [Morgan was ever pregnant] and still doesn't know," says Buxton. "He basically thought Morgan left town because she didn't love him anymore. She didn't want to burden his life with the heaviness of a marriage and family, so she got rid of the child without ever saying a word to him."
In Too Deep
Today, the model-turned-designer knows that listening to Stephanie was the biggest mistake she ever made. "Morgan's whole life has stemmed from that pain," Buxton elaborates. "She's been through a lot - probably drugs and eating disorders and breakdowns. I think now she just wants to sew up those loose ends."
That said, Buxton believes that Morgan is revisiting the City of Angels neither to bedevil her ex nor to raise hell for his family. "She reallly didn't intend to come back and cause a lot of trouble," insists the actress. "She came back for the job, and she wanted to be quiet about it. She thought she could handle a situation that she really couldn't - she never thought it would be this emotional for her."
Taylor's Bosom Buddy
For that matter, the designing woman couldn't have imagined how complicated her homecoming would be. Every day, she becoems more entangled in the lives of the Forresters - especially, of all people, Ridge's third and current wife, Taylor. Completely oblivious to the fact that Morgan could pose a bigger threat to her marriage than even Brooke ever did, the shrink sees her spouse's old girlfriend as a potential gal pal.
Might Morgan work Taylor's trusting nature to her advantage, possibly to stake a claim on Ridge? No - or at least not yet. "Morgan likes Taylor and isn't doing anything to break her and Ridge up by any means," says Buxton. "But she is a little jealous of Taylor. It's like Morgan can see this perfect life that she could have had."
Will Old Flames Reignite?
Whatever goal on which Morgan sets her sights, don't expect a little Ridge Jr. to come crawling out of the woodwork to lend her a hand. Buxton thinks Morgan's long-lost offspring is going to stay lost. "It seems clear that Morgan had an abortion," she offers. "I actually say the word abortion in one episode."
Regardless of whether Morgan really did terminate her pregnancy, the mere revelation that she ever was carrying Ridge's kid is sure to have a profound impact on how he views her. Should she let the cat out of the bag, the course of her future - and that of Ridge and Taylor's union - could be altered forever. Even if Morgan keeps mum, her mere proximity to Ridge could spark anew their youthful passion.
Back to the Future
For one, Ronn Moss, who plays Ridge, can't wait to move forward - and backward - with this storyline. "It's like a prequel," he observes. "We're going back to Star Wars I and II.
"As an actor, it definitely gives a boost to get to play something new," he adds. "This seems like it will give me an opportunity to go into unknown territory, which is always exciting to play."
And as the plot throws the Forresters onto increasingly shaky ground, it promises to be exciting for viewers to watch, too. Next week, Steph accuses Brooke of meddling in Ridge's life, and in the process, inadvertently makes her foe suspicious about what's going on. At the same time, Eric vows to find out the real reason that Morgan upsets his wife so much.
Allthough a lot of Ridge & Taylor fans are disliking the interferance by new character Morgan DeWitt, it sure is nice to have R&T on fruntburner again. Here is an excerpt from a recent article in SOD. Let´s hope for more soap mag coverage for this trio soon!
From the August 1 issue of Soap Opera Digest:
Judging by the mail from Digest readers, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL viewers are hopping mad over the current Taylor/Ridge/Morgan storyline. (Happily married Ridge was duped into sleeping with his ex-girlfriend Morgan, after receiving an e-mail supposedly from Taylor saying it was okay.)
‘I have never been disgusted with a storyline like this one on BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL,’ wrote one disgruntled fan. Another declared, ‘I am no longer watching B&B!’
Though viewers find Morgan´s actions reprehensible, Executive Producer/Head Writer Bradley Bell insists that the character isn´t slated to be B&B´s new villainess. (That slot has been vacant since Sheila exited in 1998.) "Morgan is a little sneaky, as we found out," Bell chuckles. ‘But she´s not an evil person. She´s motivated for the right reasons. We´re trying to keep her very human, and yet she´s no saint, either. What she did wasn´t right, but if ever she was justified, it´s because of her history. Stephanie took advantage of Morgan at a young age.’
Bell assures viewers that the controversial plot point will ultimately lead to a dramatic payoff - something that couldn´t have happened if Ridge and Taylor lived happily ever after. ‘You know, Ridge had just finally found that place where he was content, and loved his wife and family. There were no problems. And then Morgan came back into his life,’ says Bell.
‘I´m just digging into this chapter. August will be a very exciting month, with more drama than Ridge ever wished to have.’
Soap Opera Update applauds the performance of SARAH BUXTON as Morgan in the 13-Feb issue's STARSHINE column. Pointing out how villains give viewers someone to love to hate, the SOU editors love Sarah's bitch-on-wheels portrayal of Morgan. While they agree that the character of Morgan needs help, the SOU writers are sure that Sarah will make watching her antics a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns.
Eating healthy is becoming important in people's lives in this health conscious age, and it's not always easy to resist junk food. However, it comes easily to SARAH BUXTON (Morgan), she tells Soaps In Depth. Sarah's family never ate junk food and ate a lot of strange vegetables, she explains... and when her mom took Sarah and her friends to McDonalds when Sarah was a teen, Mom brought along juice, carrots and celery sticks to go along with the burgers! "I like eating healthy because I grew up that way," Sarah says
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) tells SPW how she was worried at first, when Morgan lost her baby, that her days on the show were numbered. The writers assured her Morgan was not done yet, and she became encouraged once she learned of Morgan's plot to kidnap Steffy. She was especially pleased to learn of her story with Tim (Aaron Lustig), who she adores.
Are Morgan's days numbered? Insiders have again hinted to both Soap Opera Digest and Soap Opera Weekly that SARAH BUXTON is on her way out as Morgan. This is not the first time that rumors of Buxton's exit made the rounds: after Morgan lost her baby, similar rumors began, but they turned out to be untrue. A rep for the actress told Soap Opera Weekly that "as of this time, Sarah is still under contract with the show." Meanwhile, B&B Supervising Producer Rhonda Friedman, while neither confirming nor denying the rumors, says she thinks Morgan has not gone too far to be saved. While she agrees Morgan is disturbed and dangerous, she thinks the circumstances leading to that could have pushed Morgan to the edge. And when SOD compared Morgan to Sheila, who thrived under similar circumstances to Morgan for years, Friedman says, "Morgan is NOT Sheila. I think Morgan is a much more vulnerable character that the audience can really feel for."
Meanwhile, Sarah herself remains optimistic, she tells SOD. She admits the folks around the cast and crew are worried Morgan's mean streak means Sara's exit, but if it's coming, she remains committed to her job until the end. If it ends tomorrow, she will be grateful to the folks at B&B for a great year-long run. Rather than feel cheated, she would be sad, but would move on to something else.
When SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) filmed her last scenes on B&B (which aired May 11), she didn't have a chance to say goodbye to the cast and crew, she tells Soap Opera Digest, because she didn't know it was her last day. Sarah was told that she would be on the back burner until after Rick and Amber's wedding after shooting those scenes, and it was not until a few weeks later that she got a call from Executive Producer/Head Writer Bradley Bell that she was being let go. Sarah was glad she did not know on her last day, since she thinks taping would have been awkward knowing the end was near, but she is sorry she did not say goodbye. Her release was even kept from her castmates, including her good friend Adrienne Frantz (Amber), who she met on SUNSET BEACH. For now, Sarah hopes to find new challenges in prime time and films. And in all, she is not bitter about her B&B experience. "I think Brad wrote a really great character. Morgan was very complicated and multilayered. I'll miss her," she tells SOD.
A few summers ago, SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) decided to act on an impulse to learn something new and went to surf camp, she tells SID. The camp was called SURF LIKE A GIRL, and it taught Sarah all the basics about ocean currents and standing up on a board. She enjoyed the camp so much that she kept practicing after it was over, and now she surfs all the time. Waikiki is a favorite place for her to surf because the waves are smaller, she says, saying, "I'm not good at it, but I'm not bad."
SARAH BUXTON (Morgan) tells SOD that she's addicted to clothes, especially expensive ones, so it's no surprise to see her hitting the stores and buying away. One store in particular calls her when all their new stuff comes in, she explains... and she spent so much money at that shop last year that they even bought Sarah a Christmas present!
•She admits that it's fun to play bad characters, since it makes things interesting. She even thought it would be fun for Morgan to team with Deacon (Sean Kanan, her former co-star on SUNSET BEACH), but she realized that having all the bad folks in one story isn't good for the show.
"While she does meet some people who get angry at how Morgan acts, she rarely gets flak about her character's wicked ways.
"She has become friends with HUNTER TYLO (Taylor) off-screen, but she learned the hard way from Hunter that staged fights on B&B are different from SUNSET. On her former show, all the slapping was fake, so Sarah was a little stunned when, in a confrontation between Morgan and Taylor, Hunter let her have it! The two laughed about it though, and Sarah got some payback when Morgan got to spit paper in Taylor's face... a shot Sarah had to do 4 times before she got it right!
