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TVSource Magazine talks with soap star Lindsay Hartley about her guest starring role on ‘Smallville’ and her new contract role on ABC’s ‘All My Children.’
Lindsay Hartley has been a very busy woman as of late! Her one year run on Days of Our Lives came to an end a few weeks ago when her character Arianna Hernandez died from injuries sustained in a hit and run. The death of her character has been a catalyst furthering one of Days big storylines featuring stars Alison Sweeney, James Scott and Galen Gering.
After her termination from DAYS it seemed like a rough patch was ahead, but to her luck, she got a call to join ABC’s All My Children. On December 8, Hartley will debut as Dr. Cara Finn, the ex-wife of Jake Martin (Ricky Paull Goldin).
The road from Salem to Pine Valley takes a detour tonight as she guest stars on the hit CW series Smallville as Mad Harriet, a bad ass alien with deadly kryptonite powered claws! She won’t share any scenes with her husband Justin Hartley (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow), but she does go toe-to-toe with stars Tom Welling (Clark) and Cassidy Freeman (Tess). TVSource Magazine talked with the beautiful star about the end of her run at DAYS and how her roles on AMC and Smallville came to be!
TVSource Magazine: So much has been going on with you these last few months. Let’s start from the beginning.
Lindsay Hartley: Well I had joined Days [of Our Lives] and I was really excited to be a part of that team and to be a part of basically the sister show to Passions. It was just an honor to be on that show and work with the same couple of cast members I had worked with for 9 years [Galen Gering and Eric Martsolf]. Then I find out that my character’s going to die from a car accident! I was like, “Oh this sucks! [Laughs] This is terrible!”
There was an avenue they had talked about going but then they thought “You know what, let’s just keep it at that.” And I was like, “Ok, alright cool. I had a blast. Thank you for bringing me on. It was rocking.” I got that news and I had six weeks left on the show. So they said, “During the next six weeks you’re going to be working really hard and we just want you to know there is an end in sight.” I was like ok great. So I went to the car and I called my manager and I’m like, “Oh my god we have to call all the soap operas and let them know I’m available after six weeks!”
TVSource Magazine: How did All My Children come into play?
Hartley: Crazy things happened and by week two I get offered a job by All My Children. I’m not even done with filming Days at this point and I’m over the moon. Totally can’t believe it! In the middle of all of this, they [AMC] needed six weeks after my six weeks of filming [Days] to create this character and make sure everything is the way that they wanted. They were going to bring another character on this show, my brother, and they need time to get the audience enticed by these two new family members so they need six weeks.
TVSource Magazine: So you’re wrapping up your stint on DAYS preparing to go to AMC. With all of that craziness how did you end up guest starring on Smallville?
Hartley: During all of that I talked to [Smallville executive producers] Kelly [Souders] and Brian [Peterson] and I’m like, “Look I only have this period of time and you know how much being on Smallville means to me. We’ve been trying to figure out what character I could be but the soap operas are always so busy and it hadn’t worked out. Is there any way you can fit me in? Is there any way we can make this work?” They were like ‘actually there’s this character named Mad Harriet. She’s a villain you would be perfect for.’ I was like ‘Great! When does this film?’ It filmed right in that window that I needed. It was perfect.
TVSource Magazine: It was as if all of the stars were aligned.
Hartley: They did! It really didn’t look too great, I gotta tell you. [Sighs] It didn’t look too wonderful. But then I powered through it and yeah, I guess you’re right. The stars were aligned. I’m grateful and honored to be a part of Smallville; this show that’s been going on for a decade which is like unheard of. Plus to be a part of a team where I have a relationship with a lot of people there — this experience, their experience was really unique. It’s cool to come on to shows that are already established because you get to join their family, their unit. I’m always coming up there with Bella and as a wife and a mother, but this time I got to go over there and be an actor. So that was cool.
TVSource Magazine: So tell me about the character you’re playing on Smallville. I hear Mad Harriet is kind of a bad ass.
Hartley: Mad Harriet is a DC Comics character. She’s an alien and she was brought up by this woman named Granny Goodness [guest star Christine Willes] who has this team of female fighters. Basically she’s bringing up this team – there’s one with a whip who’s another comic book character, and then there’s my character Mad Harriet. She’s the leader of this group of women. On the show she’s powered by kryptonite and the kryptonite makes her claws dangerous to anyone and gives her superhuman strength. Then of course she attacks Clark because you have to attack him when you have kryptonite. Then they have a little fight and she fights with Tess Mercer as well. She’s there to protect Granny Goodness and the other team of women.
TVSource Magazine: How was your fight scene with Tom?
Hartley: I actually had more of a fight sequence with Cassidy. I just kind of push Clark around a little bit. Basically when Clark’s around kryptonite he’s so weak that he has no ability to fight. So she kind of smacks him around a little bit with her claw hand. [Laughs]
TVSource Magazine: Were you disappointed you didn’t get to share any scenes with Justin?
Hartley: Was I disappointed? This is a little tough. Of course I wanted scenes with my husband, I mean how much fun would that be? We worked together on Passions – that’s how we met. I loved working with him. But to say was I disappointed? I was more like, “Aww that sucks. But hey I’m here.” I have high hopes we will be working together again in the future. I live with him; I mean he’s my husband. I get the best thing – I get all sides of him. [Laughs]
TVSource Magazine: How are you liking your new job at All My Children?
Hartley: Oh AMC, I can’t say enough amazing things about that show! I’m having a ball. I love my character – her name is Cara. It’s my first time getting to play a doctor which is really cool, a lot of multi-tasking with dialogue. I’m just having tons of fun.
TVSource Magazine: What’s Cara like? What brings her to Pine Valley?
Hartley: She is cocky and confident. She’s a woman with a lot of secrets that no one knows except for Griffin. She comes to Pine Valley to recruit her ex-husband Jake [Ricky Paull Goldin] and finds out that he’s married and has a child and basically spends her time masking her feelings after she realizes he’s moved on. Her cockiness and confidence comes from her covering up the pain that she feels. Apparently she’s supposed to be an amazing doctor, working with Doctors without Borders. She tries to get Jake to come back to the Sudan and work in the field with her.
TVSource Magazine: Does she want Jake back?
Hartley: [Laughs] She’s struggling with that right now. She comes there and has to see her ex-husband with his new family. Jake thinks she left with another man so there are a lot unresolved issues. Slowly viewers are going to start to find out the truth – why she left, what has happened to her and her situation. It’s actually really cool. They’re doing this in a really creative way of showing how the two of them met. It’s really cool and I don’t want to give too much away but I’m really enjoying the process so far.
TVSource Magazine: Your fights on Passions with Liza Huber were legendary. Any chance will get some of that with you and Chrishell Stause?
Hartley: What do you think? I mean come on it’s a soap opera right? A woman is trying to go after her [Amanda’s] man. [Laughs] I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of those. Right now it’s a little more of a cat and mouse game between my character and Amanda. I think Cara doesn’t want to show her true colors just yet. She’s keeping everything close to the vest.
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