Presto! Change-o! SUNSET BEACH's Kam Heskin Steps Into NewlywedLife - On-Screen And Off
When Kam Heskin was a little girl, every summer she and her family would visit her grandparents' cabin in Montana on Tongue River. She would spend hours lying on her stomach on an old dock, peering through the wooden slats and watching the crawling spiders and fleeting fish. "If you sit still watching something long enough," smiles Heskin, "all of a sudden, you see everything that's moving that you never saw before."
Heskin's practiced eye for detail has helped her assimulate into her role as SUNSET BEACH's new Caitlin. Brought up on old-fashioned, Midwestern values (she once had to paint a shed as punishment for staying out until 1 a.m.), the gracious actress resists critiquing the performance of predecessor Vanessa Dorman, explaining, "I really haven't seen too much of her work at all. I saw one tape of Vanessa when I first started [in late June] - just to catch up on what was going on. And then, just the other day, I rented [from the BEACH archives] Caitlin's wedding to Cole to really solidify all the characters' relationships."
In the video, one of the wedding reception scenes left Heskin truly stunned - and we're not talking about the cast's performance of the hokey pokey. "I was watching and was like, 'Oh, my God! Cole and Caitlin are dancing to my wedding song!'" she exclaims. "'How Do I Live?' by Trisha Yearwood was one of my favorite songs, which is why we chose it for our wedding for our first dance."
The other half of Heskin's "we" is new husband Jonathan Cheriff, owner of Manhattan's American Spirits restuarant. When she flew out to LA from NY to assume her role as Cole's young bride, Heskin was intending to become a new bride herself in just a matter of weeks. A postponement was considered, but ultimately, with a lot of help from Mom and an early wedding gift from NBC, Heskin was able to plow ahead with her plans. "We were onl about three months away at the time," she recalls. "I had the dress. We had reserved the place. Our honeymoon was set and paid for." What's a bride-to-be to do? In Heskin's case, she opted to make a rather extraordinary request of her new employers - a very premature two-week vacation.
"Originally, before I even came out here to screen-test, that was part of the negotiations," she confides. "It was very nice of them. I would have been open to change the wedding date, but nothing was movable at the time. Even the planes were booked." So, after Heskin's first two months on the beach (most of which was spent on the high seas, struggling to survive the tsunami), Caitlin was shipped off to San Diego with baby Trey.
During her time away, Heskin got married in an August 1, 1998 ceremony, which went off flawlessly - well, nearly. "My bouquest of champagne-colored roses ended up dying the day of the wedding," she sighs. "But they took it apart and put new flowers in." The only other disappointment was the absence of Heskin's grandmother, who had passed away in June. In rememberance, a single rose was placed on a chair.
The honeymoon was a little rockier, since it found the newlyweds in the middle of a real-life "Shockwave" disaster. "Tahiti had had a hurricane the week before we arrived," she explains. "The days were awfully windy and cold, so we stayed in our room and played chess. We sort of got in a tournament with each other. I kept winning. and he wanted to win - but he's a good loser."
Heskin also seems to be winning over BEACH fans, though she's learning that being a recast is not easy. She admits, "It was weird watching Caitlin and Cole's wedding [on video] because all the characters I know were calling out 'Caitlin,' I kept thinking they were talking to me, but then I saw someone else. I know from my experience as an audience member that adjusting to a recast can be very strange at first because you can become very attached to a character, and then you suddenly have someone new. But after a couple of months, I was always able to begin seeing the new actor as the character."
It's only natural for Heskin to be somewhat concerned with BEACH fans' acceptance of her. Then again, Heskin concedes that it's in her nature to be a worrywart. "I thought that I had multiple sclerosis for the longest time," she confesses. "My hands kept curling on me - getting a tingling pins and needles sensation. I'd get tunnel vision and see stars. Before long, I couldn't control my arms anymore. It would happen a lot in grocery stores. The earliest time I remember it happening was when I was on the school bus in elementary school. I got a bloody nose - blood everywhere. And I couldn't hold the Kleenex because my hands were so tight. It happened through the years, and quite frequently in college. My Mom feared I might be in early stages of MS, but I never knew what it was. Just recently, I was talking to Shawn Batten (Sara) who said, 'I get panic attacks. My hands curl; I get tunnel vision.' She described what was happening to me to a 'T'. I was like 'Oh, my God.' Shawn warned me there'd be certain things that would trigger it. So now, I know when it's coming on."
One thing Heskin is not wasting any time fretting about is her job security at BEACH. "This business, in general, tends to be insecure," she rationalizes. "In the back of your mind, there's always that seed of possibility. But I think that's the case in any job you do. I think they wanted to see a strength in Caitlin's character- for her to become a stronger person and start dealing with all the stuff that was going on with her. And I'd like to think that Caitlin has become a little bit stronger. With anything's that happened before, there's always the chance of it happening again, but there's nothing I can do about that. All I can do is do the job that I'm here to do and do it well." Bravo.
By Jennifer Ofiana - Sunset Central. September 1998
Sunset Central would like to send a big thanks out to Kam Heskin (Caitlin Deschanel) for agreeing to let me do an interview with her. Kam is one of the most sincere actors I have ever met. She is very open and gracious towards her fans. She cares about them and was very willing to help my web page out by doing an interview. I think Sunset Beach made a great move hiring her. She plays a wonderful and "stronger" Caitlin. I look forward to watching her grow into her role and become a great powerhouse for Sunset Beach. Below, Kam dishes with me about her career, her recent wedding, and the transition into daytime!
SUNSET CENTRAL: How did you get into the business of modeling and then on to acting?
HESKIN: The day I graduated from college, I had the choice to move to Bismark, North Dakota and be a copywriter or move to Chigago and model. I moved to Chicago 2 weeks later. I landed my first film in Chicago and moved to New York after six months. In NY I booked some commercials and got into an acting program. I then did a film directed by John Woo and shortly after, I got the audition for SB. I read for the VP of casting in NY and flew to LA a couple days later to screen test. I ended up getting the job and staying in LA for the next week before I could go home.
SUNSET CENTRAL: Did you know when you auditioned for Sunset Beach, that it would be a recast role?
HESKIN: I had no idea it was a recast. I read for a role called "Amy" and the day I came to work I still didn't know it was a recast. They just said okay, so now your name is Caitlin, you have this baby that you stole from your mom and your married to this gorgeous guy .... and I was like HUH???
SUNSET CENTRAL: How has the fan support been since you took over the role of Caitlin?
HESKIN: The fans have been very supportive. I have gotten lots of really great letters from people. I try to write everyone back but I've gotten a little bit behind from being out of town. The people who write are such sincere and sweet people, I really enjoy their letters.
SUNSET CENTRAL: Do you enjoy working with Eddie Cibrian? Has he been supportive of you in the Caitlin transition?
HESKIN: Eddie has always been supportive of me as Caitlin. We get along really well. Eddie is a true proffesional and a lot of fun. We used to reherse with a "Trey" doll and he and Randy would always do things to the doll before giving it to me. One time during a "serious" moment at the baptism, they popped the doll's eyes out.
SUNSET CENTRAL: Who in the cast has been the most support to you? Are you particularly close to any of them?
HESKIN: Working on the set is so fun. I feel like I've been there for years even though it's only been three months. I know Lisa Coles the most because we always work together but I'm friends with Shawn Batten, Pricilla Garita and Christie Ellen Harris too. Christie Chambers is wonderful. Her and I met at the screen test in May and had dinner together in LA before either of us knew we had gotten the part.
SUNSET CENTRAL: How does it feel to be working for Aaron Spelling - one of the top producers of all-time?
HESKIN: I feel very lucky to be part of a Spelling Production because I have always been a fan of his shows.
SUNSET CENTRAL: What was it like filming the tsunami part of Shockwave? Was it difficult since it was your first major storyline?
HESKIN: Filming the "Shockwave" storyline was very intense for me because we were working very long hours with lots of emotional material. The day that Cole fell down the shaft I really lost it. I couldn't stop crying. Father Antonio kept handing me kleenex's going "are you sure your okay?" as I sat on the floor sobbing.
SUNSET CENTRAL: If you could be any other character on Sunset Beach, who would it be and why?
HESKIN: If I could be any other character on SB, I would be Francesca so I could tell Caitlin everything I've been up too.
SUNSET CENTRAL: You recently got married, can you tell us a little bit about your wedding? How did you meet your husband? Are there children in your future.
HESKIN: I met my husband at the restaurant he owns in NY. He was my boss! We are waiting a couple of years to start a family though.
SUNSET CENTRAL: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
HESKIN: I have a huge soft spot for animals. Especially dogs. Over Labor Day we found a stray puppy that we thought had been badly burned because the skin was so blistered and bleeding. We took him to the 24 hour Veteranarian and they said it was a severe type of skin infection and it was going to be $200 to leave with him or they would send him to be put to sleep at the pound. We didn't have any money because we hadn't planned on finding this dog so we sat there for an hour deciding what to do while this dog sat there being so good.
Then, it was like something out of a movie, this lady walks in our room, she tells us she's from the Amanda Foundation, and says they will cover all medical costs for this dog's life if we give the dog a nice home. Sold! We already have two dogs and this dog is very contagious for a while, so we gave him to a friend of ours who wanted a dog and who has a nice yard and the time to take care of him. We go visit him or call everyday to check on him. Guess what we named him? Lucky!
My favorite actress is Gwenyth Paltrow
My favorite movie is "Up Close and Personal" and "Dangerous Liasons"
SUNSET CENTRAL: Your USA movie, Blackjack is going to air this month. Can you tell us a litte about that experience?
HESKIN: Yes, Blackjack is out next week sometime. It was exciting to work with an incredible director like John Woo and work with such a top action hero as Dolph Lundgren. Working with John Woo was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. He has an amazing eye for filming an action sequence using slow motion and dramtic detail. I really like the part when this bullet hits a huge flower vase which explodes in slow motion. It's really cool!
Sunset Central Note: I watched Blackjack and thought Kam Heskin did a wonderful job! Hope all you others supported her TV movie!
Matthew Mile Grayson
Soaps In Depth Magazine. Dated: February 1999
Within Kam Heskin lies the truth about Caitlin
Maybe it's kismet that finds Kam Heskin playing Caitlin Deschanel, an heiress who never met a chance she wasn't willing to take. After all, only three years ago, the actress herself took a gamble that changed her life forever: She moved to Chicago to pursue her dream of performing. "I didn't know anyone there," she recalls. "I wasn't even sure where I going once I got off the plane. All I remember is while we were landing, I looked over Chicago and thought, 'What am I doing here' Should I just stay on the plane and go back home?"
Yet that whole escapade plains next to the gutsy moves that the nervy, nervous Caitlin has made in the last year. By passing off a borrowed baby as her own, the ingenue has ensnared herself in a web of lies more tangled than any spider could have ever wove. And now that her husband knows that Trey isn't their child, the whole house of cards is about to fall. "This is Caitlin's worst nightmare," admits Heskin. "All the lies were to keep this ideal family alive."
Tut-tut. Though Caitlin's marriage seems to be done for good, don't count this chick out before she's fried. "When push comes to shove, she's resourceful," Heskin notes. "She gets it from her parents, especially Gregory. He's very strong and conniving."
"But if Cole can't forgive Caitlin for keeping the truth from him, I don't think she should forgive him for sleeping with her mother. You have to draw the line!"
The Whole Wide Whirl
Although Heskin admits that she's very shy, like the fiesty Caitlin, she's no weeping willow. "You have to take risks," she states. "I see so many people who want to get into acting, then make up every excuse not to. You just have to be brave and go for it."
Her just do-it attitude really was put to the test last summer when SUN hired her to replace Vanessa Dorman. Just as Heskin was getting to know her alter ego, her life was as chaotic as her character's! "Fortunately, this time when I moved, it was easier because Jonathon [Cheriff, her hubby of six months now] made all of the arrangments," she says. "We're a good team."
Still, Heskin admits that, in the beginning, there were adjustments to be made, especially at work. "I thought I was just coming in as this girl," she says. "Then I found out it was a recast, and all these had happened to the character."
"I am a kind of uptight workaholic," she adds, "so I felt stressed. I wanted to get myself up to speed, but I tended to rush myself and not really take in what was happening in the scenes. Now, I've put it all together."
Life's a BEACH
As a soap neophyte, Heskin learned lots from SUN's vets. "I didn't want to bringng anyone down, but I am open to learning as much as I can," she confesses, citing Eddie Cibrian (Cole) and Sam Behrens (Gregory) as terrific mentors. "Lesley-Anne Down (Olivia) is so affectionate; she makes me feel I'm really her daughter."
While SUN has been a springboard for such actors as Nick Stabile (ex-Mark; lately in Bride of Chucky) and Cibrian (seen recently in Living Out Loud), Heskin is happy to stick to the world of soaps. "I come from such a small town," she says. "The thought of being an actress in Los Angeles seemed so far removed from me. To even dream like that was to say, 'I want to be the queen off England.' So I just sit back and think, 'Is this really happening?'"
Heskin could retire on the thrills that 1998 brought her, she adds. "It's going to be a tough year to beat!"
Soap Opera Weekly Magazine. Dated: March 1999
Recent fads I admit to trying: Bell-bottoms and platform shoes.
Favorite actor: Nicolas Cage.
Favorite actress: Gwyneth Paltrow.
Favorite movie: Dangerous Liaisons.
Greatest fear: Being in a plane crash.
How I want to spend New Year's Eve 1999: In love.
Favorite TV show: Dateline NBC.
Favorite singer: Elton John.
If I could only keep one household appliance, it would be: The radio.
Something you'd be surprised to know about me: I was a runner-up for America's Ultimate Cowgirl.
Currently reading: Power Curve, by Richard Herman.
Favorite book: The Source, by James A. Michener.
Favorite food: Anything Mexican.
Lease favorite food: Mustard.
Favorite comfort food: Cap'n Crunch cereal.
Favorite song: Night Fever, by the Bee Gees.
Favorite item of clothing: My husband's shirts.
Nobody knows I can: Do a back flip.
Greatest achievement: Working with [director] John Woo.
If I couldn't be an actor, I'd be: A journalist.
Cause I most believe in: Animal adoption.
If I had one wish: All animals would have a home.
Most treasured possession: My family.
First thing I do when I wake up in the morning: Walk my dogs.
Last thing I do before I go to bed: Walk my dogs.
Best quality: Integrity.
Worst quality: Shyness.
Biggest regret: That I didn't do enough theater.
Something that makes me see red: Injustice.
If I could live anywhere, it'd be: At South Fork on Dallas.
Celebrity I'm often mistaken for: One of the Hansons.
What I dislike most about my appearance: My shoulders are too broad.
Greatest love: My husband Jonathan.
Smartest thing I ever did: Went to college.
Quality I like most in a mate: Wit.
My hero: My grandmother.
My epitaph: None of us knows as much as all of us.
By: Tony Calega
Soap Opera Weekly Magazine. Dated: September 14, 1999
Kam Heskin was in the hot seat when she debuted on Sunset, but now she's got it
Kam Heskin was sitting on a plane waiting to fly from Los Angeles to New York when she learned that she had been hired for a Sunset Beach role. "The flight attendant came on and said, 'Kam Heskin, please ring your bell,'" recalls the actress. "Of course, the bell didn't work!" Eventually, Heskin made her presence known and was told she had to get off the plane immediately. She did - with nothing but her purse - and was at work on the set of the NBC soap the following day.
Heskin's road to Sunset - from her initial reading for producers in New York several months earlier to her aborted flight following another audition - was fraught with mystery. "When I did a reading in New York, I was told that it was for the role of Amy," she recalls. "I got kind of nervous because I had looked up the role of Amy and found that she was already being played by Krissy Carlson. I thought, 'This is bogus! How can I be testing for a role that someone else has already been cast in?'"
Heskin didn't realize that she was reading for the role of Caitlin Deschanel. Because Vanessa Dorman, who originated the role, was being let go, the recasting was shrouded in secrecy. So much so, in fact, that Heskin didn't find out the truth until she arrived to be fitted for her Sunset wardrobe. "Everyone was so hush-hush, and people were asking me, 'You know what's going on, right?'" she says. "I said, 'Yes, I got the part of Amy and ...' They cut me off and said, 'Well actually ... no. Here's the real story. You now have a baby and you're married to this guy Cole.' It was pretty mind-blowing."
So began what Heskin describes as a trial by fire. During her first day as Caitlin, she had to go head-to-head with Annie - and do a big love scene with Cole. Tough stuff to play, especially for someone who had never watched the show before, and had only a minor grasp of Caitlin's history. "At first, I was just so overwhelmed by the fact that I had this job, and really didn't realize everything that was involved," she says. Her adjustment period was minimal, thanks to the support of the people around her. "Basically, everyone I work with was great in helping me east into things," she says.
Heskin does mention that there was a certain "weirdness" that enveloped her for a while - caused mostly by fans who were used to Dorman in the role. "I got great support from people writing letters, but the Internet people were just brutal," she says. "I understand the reaction, though. You want the old person back, because that's who you associate the role with. People have trouble adjusting to a new face."
It's been more than a year since that backlash, though, and Heskin finds that besides finally being accepted as Caitlin, she is also more comfortable in her shoes. "When I first started, I cried every day for a month," she recalls with a laugh. "there was so much to learn, and I was concerned with what Vanessa had done with the character, and what my next step would be; I worked hard, took it seriously, and now am much more relaxed."
Recently, Heskin has been mulling over Caitlin's next direction - especially because she feels it's time for the character to lose her naivete. "She is just too damn trusting, and has this blind faith in everyone," she says. "Look where it's gotten her. I would like to see her a bit more wary, and notice the things that are going on around her. Also, I believe that she has some of her father, Gregory, in her that's just dying to get out."
With the threat of cancellation once again in Sunset's imminent future, Heskin hopes that she has time to continue fleshing out Caitlin, and a job to go back to at the end of the year. She understands that Sunset may not appeal to fans of a more traditional soap opera, like The Young and the Restless. "It is a little 'off,' which does set us apart from the others," she says. "The idea behind Sunset is neat, and I think people should really take a look at it, and give it a chance before they pass judgement."
Regardless of what the future holds, Heskin is content to continue to play Caitlin, and to focus on her husband, Jonathan, whom she's been married to for a year. When reminded that she's practically a newlywed, Heskin laughs. "The whole year has been such a whirlwind that I don't feel like a newlywed," she explains. Heskin met Jonathan in New York, and the couple was together for about eight months before they got engaged. "Then we stayed engaged for almost a year, and during that time lived together," she says. "Then we both packed up and moved to L.A., once I started Sunset."
Heskin and her husband have discussed starting a family, but they'd rather wait until the timing is right. "Working with the babies who play Trey on the show (the part is shared by Brock Bozzani and Gabriel Ging) has kind of cured me of wanting to be around children," she says. "It's sort of like baby-sitting and then giving them back. Then you can go out at night and enjoy your life."
Motherhood may not be in Heskins's immediate future, but acting definitely is. The acting bug originally bit in high school, but she remained more focused on another career path. "I originally decided to be a newscaster," she recalls of her earlier aspirations. "By the time I had gotten into college, I had done some theater, but decided I wanted to pursue journalism." Eventually, she decided to follow her dream, and steered herself onto an acting path. Because she "didn't fit into the theater community" of her school, Heskin turned to a television-oriented curriculum. "I really didn't know what else to do, how to go about being an actress," she explains, "or even - because I was so shy - if I had what it took."
Upon graduation, Heskin took a risk that would change her life, and ultimately send her on her current career path. "I got a job offer to be a copy writer in North Dakota, and another offer to modem for an agency in Chicago," she says. "I decided to take a chance, and moved to Chicago." It was while living there that Heskin appeared in her first film - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer; Part 2. "after the audition for Henry, I never thought I would get the part," she recalls. "I just assumed that - and had no idea that my agent was frantically trying to reach me to tell me that I did get it. When I got home, I had a message that said, 'Get on a plane tomorrow - you're shooting a movie for the next two months.'" The role, though small, made her want to take another risk. "I really wanted to move to Los Angeles, but my agent said, 'No, Go to New York and get some experience first,'" she says. So she went to New York, threw herself into acting classes for two years, and signed with the prestigious Wilhelmina Models agency, as well as HWA, a commercial agency.
Coming to the Emmys this past May was the first time Heskin had been back to New York since she left it behind for Sunset. "I miss it so much sometimes," she says. "You really notice how crazy and hectic it is when you leave for a while and then come back. In L.A. everyone drives very nicely, and follows the rules, so to speak. Here, it's like, you have to b tough or get out of the way. I love that - and I love that there is a depth factor; there's so much art and culture."
So would Heskin pack up everything and return to New York if Sunset is canceled? Maybe ... but she'd prefer to stay in L.A., where the bulk of the feature films are produced. "I'd love to get into films - even if Sunset remains on the air," she says. "I have an out in my contract, so it would be nice if something came up. Also, I think that it would be helpful to my work on Sunset if I could take a break and play a different character for a while." Different, indeed. "I'd love to play someone really dark and edgy," she says. "Maybe a prostitute."
It's hard to picture the delicate, soft-spoken Heskin as a prostitute, but, hey, anything is possible. By making her Sunset role solely her own - despite an uphill battle - she's proven that she can do just about anything.
