By 
TVSource Magazine spoke with All My Children stars Julia Barr (Brooke) and newcomer Jordan Lane Price (Celia) during a conference call hosted by The OnLine Network. In our interview, the stars discuss their characters and their relationship off-screen.
When All My Children returned last spring, a lot had changed for longtime character Brooke English. During the five year time jump, Brooke had become an integral part of Chandler Enterprises as she helped Adam rebuild the damage sustained under JR’s reign of terror. Given the shape of the company, Adam spends a lot of time traveling, leaving his fiancée to steer the company and their family in his absence. Brooke’s involvement with the Miranda Center introduced her to new character, Celia Fitzgerald.
Celia, a student teacher at Bramwell Hall, met Brooke while volunteering at the Miranda Montgomery Center for Women and Children. After her mysterious benefactor made her quit her job, Brooke found Celia a new job as Dimitri Marick’s executive assistant at Talk Tempo.
In our interview, Julia discusses why she decided to return to All My Children and what the future holds for Brooke. Will viewers learn more about Celia’s mysterious benefactor? What would Jordan like to see as her character comes out of her shell? Find out what they have to say!
—
TVSource Magazine: My first question is for Julia. Julia what – for so many years away from All My Children what was it about this project that made you want to come back?
Julia Barr: Actually two things – two people actually. I knew that Ginger Smith was going to be producing and I knew Ginger from, you know, a long time back as one of the associate producers on the show. I knew how much she loved the show. I knew it would be in good hands. And then also the fact that Agnes Nixon would be back involved with it.
And plus I was learning over the months before coming back all of the wonderful cast that was also going to be involved, you know, and all of us who had known each other for so many years.
So it just felt like it was going to be this, you know, sort of new adventure but at the same time, you know, we were going to be steered in a good way for ourselves and for the show and have a good time doing it because we all have this wonderful bond.
TVSource Magazine: Now what was it like reuniting with David Canary after so long?
Barr: Oh well we hadn’t been quite so long, you know, because David and I actually did one of the last four shows before, you know, AMC went off network. And I tell you, you know, we were all so vain it’s like, you know, as soon as we get together, “Oh you look great,” you know. And if somebody doesn’t look so great, you go, “Oh how have you been” [Laughs]. But anyway, you know, David is – we almost had sort of a married relationship on, you know, on camera and as actors we – I think that sort of provided us with, you know, a lot of underpinnings for our scenes together. So David, you know, it’s like no time passes sometimes with people.
I mean that’s true not of just David, but of, you know, Darnell Williams, and oh my God I’m blanking, Ray McDonald, and Jill Larson. You know, it’s just all – Debbi Morgan. It’s like friends. You know what I mean? You cannot be friends for ten years and it’s just like you saw them, you know, the day before. It’s a wonderful feeling.
TVSource Magazine: I bet it is. Switching to a little story question with Adam out of town trying to repair Chandler Enterprises, that leaves Brooke alone more times than not. Enter DiMitri, this guy that she’s known off and on for years. Does Adam he have to worry about Dimitri’s growing fondness for Brooke?
Barr: Well I think, you know, whatever Dimitri feels, you know, he feels. I think for Brooke, you know, she’s devoted to Adam. And I think her focus at the time is that there are, you know, issues that this family has, you know, with J.R. and all the things around that and (Clovie) coming back that where her focus really needs to be and then, you know, sort of running Chandler Enterprises and starting a new online venture I think the last thing on her mind would be anybody, you know, coming from anywhere with romantic interest.
And then I don’t even know if she – I mean I think that’s the furthest thing from, you know, she loves Adam, you know. But I think sometimes things can catch you up when you least expect it so I’ll say that.
TVSource Magazine: I look forward to seeing how that plays out.
Barr: So do I.
TVSource Magazine: Jordan, How much of yourself do you see in Celia?
Jordan Lane Price: I see a little bit of myself, but Celia is definitely more naïve and she’s, you know, personally I find her a risk taker and I’m kind of – I think my friends see me as kind of a free spirit and I’m always, you know, I’m always new things and trying new things and I think Celia’s a little slower to that. She’s definitely more sheltered and, you know, she’s kind of – she’s very hesitant to try anything.
So I see a little bit of myself in that, you know, I have, you know, she’s got a very strong moral hold on life but she’s a very sweet person and a very good person and I like to think of myself but, you know, I always try to see the best in people and give people the benefit of the doubt. So there’s definitely that similarity, but I think I’m a little more (loud).
Barr: Jordan and I had a little bonding moment when they got the cast together to do the Harlem Shake and we both were so happy because we could remember each other’s names because they both begin with a J and we also discussed the fact we had so much trouble remembering people’s names. So that was an immediate bonding point for us.
TVSource Magazine: When will viewers learn more about Celia’s mysterious benefactor?
Price: Well I can’t say exactly. I can’t really speak to that exactly without giving things away. But they will, you know, in time, you know, the mystery will kind of unravel a little and people will find out. So you just have to keep watching. That’s all I can really say to that.
TVSource Magazine: Celia’s seems very guarded and naïve. If she starts to come out of her shell, what would you like to see her do? Would you be open to singing on the show?
Price: Absolutely. Okay yes I would love that. It was so cool when Denise got to do that and we were all saying because so many of the cast members are actually singers which we were all kind of finding out about each other. So I definitely think Celia, you know, kind of did come out of her shell that that would be something really cool to kind of intertwine if the writers ever found a way to do that but yes.
And I think that, you know, if she comes out of her shell I’m just anxious to see her kind of bloom a little bit, you know. Just be, you know, because she does have such a great personality but to really like shine and, you know, even with her relationships. I think, you know, working right now she’s doing an internship with Brooke and Dimitri and I think that’s helping a lot. I think, you know, working and she’s finding out what she’s good at. I think that’s going to help so I’m anxious to see, you know, how, you know, she’ll become a little bit [bolder] I guess.
Barr: I guess I want to say [something] particularly about Jordan. Probably because I work the most with her in terms of the young people, you know, that the new young people that they brought in and it is one of those things that it’s – I think all of us who are veterans just as working with new actors would say that everybody has come in with their own sense of professionalism and also their own characters and how they’re bringing them to life.
And, you know, Jordan is one of those wonderful ones that it also begins to enliven, you know, the actors who have been around for a while because it’s a new dynamic. You know, I know for my character I think she responds, you know, because, you know, who knows what her daughter would have been if she had lived and I think she has this very warm place in her heart immediately for the character of Celia. And I think much of it comes from what Jordan brings to it, you know. It’s got that lovely blossoming quality, you know, that’s exciting so.
TVSource Magazine: I agree.
Price: Thank you, Julia.
TVSource Magazine: Is there anyone who can sort of steer Celia in the right direction it’s Brooke. I mean look at all that she’s accomplished – where she started and who she’s become. Brooke really is a perfect role model so to speak for Celia.
Barr: Yes. She’s not over indulgent, but she’s – I mean the two characters and the two of us just I don’t know, we sort of seem to fit together right away and it’s really nice.
Price: Yes definitely.
Comments