 I know Passions is your daytime debut, but had you done any other television before? I did one tiny little guest stint on a show that was cancelled the day after my episode aired. I didn't take it personally. Other than that, I did lots of little independent films in New York, and I did a lot of theater. As far as TV goes, it was always really hard for me to get TV jobs other than commercials. I got to the point where I thought this was not going to happen; I just wasn't right for television. So winning the role of Gwen must have been a pleasant surprise. Yeah, a pleasant surprise because I had almost given up on television as a medium for me. How did you land the role? I screentested three times. The first time was when [Passions] first started. A year and a half later I got a call that they wanted to see me again. I screentested for the role of Amanda — which was actually the replacement for Gwen, but we weren't supposed to know that — and I didn't get it. Then a few weeks later I got a call that they wanted to test me again, and I guess they just got sick of testing me. How difficult has it been to take over the part of Gwen? A lot of people have asked me that, and I just didn't really understand what a big deal it was to be taking over a role until I was several weeks into it. When you start watching it... you realize that I just don't look anything like Liza. How have the fans reacted to the new Gwen? I personally haven't gone seeking response, although all of my family members are on the Internet all the time. As far as my fan mail is concerned, it's been so wonderful. I never realized how important it is to have people out there who support you, who you don't know. I mean, it's great when your family and friends call up and say you did a great job, but they have something invested in it. The fans that have written to me have just been wonderful. And the ones that haven't been "so wonderful"? I know there are some fans who are very upset. It's always going to happen. Somebody's going to come on and take the place of somebody that [they] really like. It's not always so cool. I think that a lot of people have written in complaining about my hair color. That's also to be expected. I hope that after a while they understand that I am not Liza. And I am not going to bring the same thing to the table that she brought. Hopefully, it will be just as interesting even though it's completely different. That's going to take time, and I understand that. We've noticed that your hair is light brown, while Liza's was blonde. Do you think that it helps people to identify you in the role? I understand why they did it, in a way, because they didn't want [the audience] to be making comparisons. They may have wanted to start fresh. But at the same time, I think a lot of the fans may have had a problem with it because it's odd, with so many different characteristics, to be portraying this person who had blonde hair, brown eyes, all the characteristics that Liza had, and now I'm doing it. Unlike some recastings where an actor leaves for a couple of months, and then somebody new comes in, you pretty much started immediately. Yeah. I think that may have been jarring for the fans as well. As it probably should have been. Not only was there a lot going on in the storyline, but I think there were three days in between her last airdate and my first. I'm assuming it will probably take a while for people to feel comfortable watching me in the role, as opposed to if there were a couple of months or weeks in between. Not that they would forget her, but it would be a little less fresh in people's minds. Did you speak to Liza before she left to get any pointers or hints? No I didn't, because I didn't know that I was actually testing for this role. It was kept under wraps. I came here under the impression that I was doing a new role. And then I was told that I was replacing her. I think she had already left by the time I got here. So we never really had time to cross paths. The most I could do was watch the show. And read all the background and bios. I didn't even do that. I just felt like I might as well jump into this face first, and if I end up stinking up the room, then I'll go from there. I basically just watched the show and took everything from that. The rest I kind of gathered from myself and my past experiences. You seemed to have mastered the hoity-ness associated with Gwen Hotchkiss. I couldn't be further from that person, so that's very nice. Some Notes: Stepping into a role is never easy; it's even more of a challenge when your predecessor's last appearance is less than a week before your debut. Such was the challenge faced by Natalie Zea, the new Gwen Hotchkiss on Passions, but the easy-going actress took it in stride. Instead of trying to fill Liza Huber's shoes, Zea traded them in for her own pair, right down to the difference in the two actresses' hair colors. And the talented newcomer has steadily been making the role her own. While Gwen is a no-nonsense kind of girl, Zea is a more relaxed individual, blessed with a biting sense of humor that shines through, even over the phone. She's quick to say that she and her alter ego have little in common, which makes her seamless transition even more of an accomplishment. TV Guide Online spoke to Passions's new star to learn how she snagged her role, her unusual wardrobe, and why she has to limit her karaoke outings. — Delaina Dixon Back to Top |
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