Considered by many, one of daytime television’s greatest assets, Actress Susan Flannery was finally rewarded her second Daytime Emmy as Lead Actress this past May. Her portrayal of Stephanie Forrester on CBS’s "The Bold and the Beautiful" has been nothing short of electrifying. SoapCity Michael caught up with Susan after a day on the set of B&B. Enjoy Susan’s thoughts on her Emmy victory, portraying Laura Horton on "Days" (in which she garnered her first Emmy), the loss of her poodle and the art of directing and acting! Ladies and Gentlemen of SoapCity.. Susan Flannery!
SC Michael: So, my first question is, that night, at the Emmy’s, how did it feel when you name was called as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a daytime drama series?
Susan: I said it up there and I meant it, "I was thrilled", I was so happy to be up there. It had been such a wonderful week, the whole week, everybody was so positive, they kept coming up to me, you’re going to win, you’re going to win, I said don’t jinx me. Ian Buchanan said "Everybody in NY voted for you, I know they have". You never believe it. It ain’t over till the fat lady sings, and when the 3 fat ladies said it was me, I was really happy.
SC Michael: When you submitted your scenes, did you know this was a very strong year for you, with your material, you must have felt that?
Susan: I was totally taken by surprise when I got nominated. They called me in the morning. Rhonda Friedman, my producer called me. I was totally surprised. I didn’t even know first of all that it was the day of the nominations, and I didn’t even think about getting nominated. But I’ve been on the show for 13 years and had some wonderful stuff, but had never been nominated.
SC Michael: You won 25 years ago for Laura Horton on "Days of our Lives"?
Susan: Yes and the same thing happened. Bill Bell won his first writing Emmy and then he won it again this year. Yeah, 25 years ago. The Emmys were a daytime program, on NBC, and it was on the boat.
SC Michael: How did you feel about Laura Horton?
Susan: That was a very, very strong, wonderful character. And a real breakthrough character in the late 60’s and early 70’s. And Bill Bell and Lee Bell weren’t the least bit hesitant in making her a very strong person. You have to remember that was the whole time during the civil rights movement and the women’s movement and this one of the first women, a career woman and a mom at the same time, portrayed on television. It was a very empowering character for a lot of women. We used to get all kinds of mail. The number of women who would come to me over the years and say you inspired me or inspired my daughter. The character and I was always touched by that.
SC Michael: Laura was a psychiatrist – and perhaps, involved in the greatest love triangle of all-time?
Susan: We played that for 8 1/2 years, that triangle. Isn’t that amazing. Wow you remember so well.
SC Michael: Stephanie’s quite a character?
Susan: Yes she is. Very strong. A real mother. Totally different. She’s liberated, but in a different way from the Dr. Horton character.
SC Michael: Do you see Stephanie as an evil character, an important character….
Susan: I think she’s a great character because…. When we first started the show I said to Bill Bell, you know, the audience will forgive Stephanie anything, as long as they know that her main drive is love and survival of her family. I said, you know, people identify with that. If you portray her that way the audience will forgive her anything. And I think they do. But one of the great things that happened is Bradley, this past year, giving her a stroke. It made her so vulnerable. And the audience had never really seen her that way. That was a great stroke of writing and turning the character to the audience.
SC Michael: Over the years many people have said, "You can give Susan Flannery anything and she’ll make it work". Do you feel that way?
Susan: I do. That’s a very nice compliment. It’s very nice to hear. Something that you think about yourself. I’ve often said that to Bill and Bradley, Oh I can make anything work. That’s not from an arrogant point of view. Please don’t misunderstand me. I guess I have confidence in myself, my talent.
SC Michael: When you started out as an actress where did you train?
Susan: I was in high school in New York City, the Catholic high school sent me down to Catholic University in the summers on scholarship to study at the University. At that time Catholic University and Yale and Carnegie Mellon University, as it was called then, and Northwestern University, those were the four big universities for training people for the theatre. So that was my basic training, was stage work. And then I went to Stephens College and majored in theatre. It was theatre, it was acting. It wasn’t somebody going to teach you how to teach class or something. Then I did some summer stock, did a lot of work, went down to Arizona State and worked there and at the theatres in Phoenix and then went to Los Angeles. My training was theatre training, which put me in good stead.
SC Michael: You direct as well. I actually saw you directing, an episode of a soap, "" A New Day in Eden"
Susan: I was producing that show with my partner at that time, Michael Jaffe. We were the Executive Producers. That show was written by the late, Doug Marland, He was the best. He and Bill Bell and Agnes Nixon, those were the three world class players, as far as I’m concerned. Also, Claire Labine. She’s also very wonderful. I hear she is doing "Guiding Light" now. They’re very fortunate to get her. She’s a wonderful writer. I hope it helps them.
SC Michael: Is there something you’d like to do with Stephanie that you haven’t done?
Susan: I think she should have a mad love affair, with somebody else. Preferably somebody younger. I think that’s something the audience could gasp and be surprised by. It doesn’t have to last. It could end tragically. A mad, passionate love affair I think would be fun.
SC Michael: In this medium whose work do you admire?
Susan: I admire Eric Braeden. I think he’s a very fine actor. I enjoy watching him immensely. I enjoy Kin Shriner. I like him a whole lot. I’ve always admired Susan Lucci and Robin Mattson I like a lot.
SC Michael: What about Erika Slezak?
Susan: When she did, many years ago, the first Emmy she won, I think it was for Nikki/Viki. She was brilliant and deserved that Emmy.
SC Michael: Finola Hughes?
Susan: Finola’s an extremely intelligent and thoughtful actress. Very fine actress.
SC Michael: Do the younger actors on the set come to you for advice?
Susan: Sometimes they come and they ask me to fight for them. Then I’ll go into the booth and say, no we can’t do it that way. If I’m in the scenes it’s not a problem, but if I’m not in the scenes I have to be very careful as to how I do it because I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. Usually it’s the kids who come to me and ask me to help them.
SC Michael: I hear that some of the kids know what they’re doing and some don’t.
Susan: That’s the nature of the business. It’s the only business that if you get hired you don’t have to have training. That and reading the news.
SC Michael: What relaxes you?
Susan: Well, I love to travel and see different things. Ian Buchanan and I went around the world 2 years ago. We went to Egypt and Russia and China and all over the place. And the show is so huge overseas. But to meet a lot of people that under normal circumstances we would never have met. They arranged a special dinner with the President of Chinese Television; he’s like the President of CBS, NBC, Fox HBO, etc. He’s in charge of everything in all of China. And that was very interesting and a special chance to meet someone in other circumstances you would not meet.
SC Michael: Do you want to continue directing?
Susan: Oh, I enjoy directing very much. It would be fun to do film, but in order to do film; the first thing they say is "You only direct tape". What does that matter? A story is a story, whether you record it on film or whether you record it on electronic tape. You have to get the story across with pictures and get the performances from the actors. So what difference does it make?
SC Michael: I took your personalized doggy bowl from SoapCity’s "Auction for Animals" to the KABC morning show here in LA. Your bowl helped raise funds for the Humane Society. Do you have pets?
Susan: I do. I have two dogs, two big yellow labs. And two cats and fish and all that kind of stuff. My little poodle I used to take to the studio every day. She just got killed two months ago. I was so stunned when it happened. It happened at the house. He got run over by a fella who works on the property. He was beside himself. Crying, and you know. We stood there commiserating with one another. I had a poodle for 17 years and the last few months he was alive I knew he was going. And in a way you’re prepared. But when a dog gets killed in 10 seconds it’s a real shock.
SC Michael: Katherine Kelly Lang – what comes to mind?
Susan: Oh that she deserved to be nominated with me this year. I said that in my acceptance speech. She’s been my co-star and my scene partner for 13 years. She’s never ever once ever failed me in any way, shape or form. She’s always right there with me. I love working with her.
SC Michael: And John McCook?
Susan: John, my sweetheart. I can definitely say he is the sweetest, most wonderful guy in the world. He really is.
SC Michael: And Windsor Harmon – I know he’s is the third Thorne?
Susan: Yes, he is the third Thorne, and the best of the Thornes. He brings a wonderful energy and manly quality to the role. And a lot of passion to the role.
SC Michael: And Ronn Moss?
Susan: Oh Ronn. I call him my baby. I’m not old enough to be his mother, but I call him my sweetheart. He’s a wonderful, wonderful professional guy.
SC Michael: Do you like going to NYC?
Susan: Yes, well I grew up in New York. I went to high school there and lived right in Manhattan. So it’s like going back home. But when you’ve lived in California for so long, since college, going back to New York is a real treat. To go to any major city like that, because it vibrates. It’s a great place to visit. You have to be filthy rich to live there. Damn filthy. It sure has cleaned up a lot.
SC Michael: Susan, thank you so much and congratulations on your much deserved victory last month at the 27th Annual Daytime Emmys!