[Sue Weiner Editor's
Note: This month's cover model, Marcy Walker, is an actress I've watched ever since her
on-screen debut in "All My Children". For the past five years she's been
starring as Eden Capwell Castillo, half of daytime TV's hottest couple, every day on
"Santa Barbara". While her on-screen love life is enviable, I've discovered that
her own true story is even more fascinating and fulfilling than any situation her soap
opera character has encountered!
After interviewing Marcy Walker I've learned that what you see her playing on TV, happily
married working wife and mother, is exactly what she is. She's dedicated to her work...but
the love she feels for her husband and child comes shining through. Marcy's fondest wish
is that her son, Taylor, grows up happy...and that wish is what mothers everywhere want
for their own children.]
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The romantic music
soars as the two estranged lovers meet on a cliff overlooking the ocean. One love-filled
glance is all that is needed for the dark, handsome hero to take the beautiful blond
maiden into his arms and sweep her up into a passionate embrace. Time stands still, yet in
their eyes are the memories of sweet yesterdays shared and the promise of eternity.
________________________________________________
This is the sizzling stuff of which soap oeras are made - and it's the reason why Marcy
Walker, who portrays Eden Capwell Castillo on "Santa Barbara", has soared the
stairway to stardom.
Proving the old saying that everyone loves a lover, Marcy Walker is one of television's
most popular sweethearts. She received an Emmy last year for best actress and has been
named one of the hottest stars to watch for in the 90s.
And, at twenty-eight, Marcy Walker is at the peak of her career on daytime television. But
what about her personal life? Is there a real-life Cruz Castillo waiting in the wings? Who
is the leading man behind the stage who has swept away Marcy's heart?
There are really two men in Marcy's life. But her husband, Stephen Collins, a television
cameraman, doesn't have to worry. The other man who has stolen Marcy's heart is her
year-old son, Taylor.
Love is a topic that Marcy knows a great
deal about. Right now the character she plays on "Santa Barbara" is one half of
the hottest romantic couple on TV. Ask any daytime TV viewer, and his or her face will
light up when you mention Eden and Cruz.
The love they feel for each other is evident for all to see. And the magic that the couple
gives off every day is due in large part to the outstanding acting talents of Marcy and
her on-screen partner, A Martinez. Marcy's ability to act strong and loving, look alluring
and sensuous, and, above all else, act realistically is what draws women in - and help
them identify so much with her character. After all, very few of us are beautiful blond
heiresses, but rather than envy Eden Capwell Castillo - viewers care about her, and that
wouldn't happen without Marcy's special ability to bring her character to life.
When Marcy talks about herself and her career, she has an easy laugh. She doesn't take
herself or her career too seriously. She's comfortable with her position. She's happy
being a wife, mother, and one half of the most popular couple on TV. She's also proud to
be a 1989 Emmy winner. "Winning the Emmy was great! It was an acknowledgement from my
peers more than anything. It was my fifth nomination, which made me feel like I had
finally earned it!"
Marcy was originally nominated for the very first role she had on TV - the role of Liza
Colby, "All My Children's" scheming high-school student extraordinaire, the kind
of girl who'd do anything to get the boy she loved. Marcy was eighteen years old at the
time.
After five years, Marcy left "All My Children" and New York City to move to
California...and a starring role on "Santa Barbara." Some people must have
questioned her move. She had established her reputation. Why was she leaving to take a
chance on a new venture? She was an actress on one of the top-rated shows, and was taking
a big gamble by moving to a brand-new show. But Marcy was ready for the opportunity - and
the challenge.
Once on "Santa Barbara", she blossomed into a full-fledged beauty. And became,
in her own mind, a better actress. "I'm much wiser at twenty-eight than I was at
eighteen, so I have a lot more to bring to my role. And, most important, she was given a
role that any performer would love to play. She was rich, beautiful, and in love with the
handsomest man in Santa Barbara - hero Cruz Castillo.
Their romantic love scenes are legendary. They've made love around the world, in every
climate, from luxurious surroundings to hideaway tents and barren wastelands. They've
joined together and broken up on numerous occasions, all the better for climatic love
scenes. But no matter how often they do it, it looks as loving and as exciting as the
first time.
Marcy always makes it look real, but she gives credit to A. "I have always felt
comfortable as long as I was with A," Marcy told NBC television. And when asked how
she and her on-screen lover are able to keep the magic going after five years, Marcy
explains that it's their friendship and closeness that makes it easy to sizzle.
"Sustaining the romance in our love scenes come naturally." The actors are
comfortable together, and it shows. "A and I are good friends both on and off the
set. Since we both have families, it's hard for us to mingle. He's a very sensitive,
spiritual guy who is very knowledgeable...He's a joy to work with!"
Marcy enjoys her scenes with A, as much as
the audience does. She knows what they want, and she's pleased to give it to them.
Recently the powers-that-be on "Santa Barbara" decided to break Cruz and Eden
up...and this time it wasn't natural disasters or the desire to save one another or the
world from harm (all common plot devices on daytime TV) that caused the breakup. This time
they actually tried to have Eden fall in love with another man! But, as the audience knew
from the start, there was no man who could take Cruz's place, and, after fans loudly
demonstrated their disapproval, Eden and Cruz were reunited and the sizzle
continues..."The audience has total control when it comes to determining what happens
to our characters," Marcy explains. And she agrees with the viewers. "I was
happy the audience wanted Eden and Cruz back together because that's what I wanted all
along!"
TV executives believe that happily-ever-after couples don't work on TV. Without problems
and conflicts, the couple becomes boring. But if any couple can prove them wrong, it's
this one. Marcy says, "I would like for Eden to continue to achieve a great
relationship with Cruz. I want them to have a wonderful marriage that will last a long,
long time." Her fans wish for the same thing.
Marcy's come a long way in her career, but as good as it gets for her on TV, it's the love
she experiences with her husband, Stephen, that sparks her passion. "My husband is
one of the most wonderful guys I know. We truly have a great relationship. He's so good
natured and solid - we just mesh perfectly."
Stephen and Marcy's recent marriage took place while they were vacationing in Colorado.
The very private affair was just the way Marcy wanted it. After two marriages which ended
in divorce, Marcy was finally able to find the kind of happiness she was looking for. And
it's even better than any soap-opera fantasy. It's the real thing. When asked why she
decided to get married again, Marcy says simply, "We chose to get married because we
have a family, and we're both very much in love."
Stephen and Marcy do, indeed, have a family - they have a year-old son, Taylor.
"Taylor has changed my life so much. I never realized that you could give so much
unconditional love to someone. It's nice to know that you can care about someone so much
and that the attention isn't always on yourself," proud mom Marcy says.
Being a working mother is never easy, no matter how much money or help you have. Marcy
admits that she finds it difficult. "The conflict of being a working mother is that
you become consumed with guilt that you cannot spend all your time with your child. You
want them to know that you're there for them, but at the same time you need to create your
own life along the way. After all, your children won't always be your life. They will grow
up and become independent beings themselves, so it's important for mothers to realize
this. I would advise working mothers to not feel so guilty about not being there all the
time. I think establishing routines with them, such as being the one to put them to sleep
every night, is beneficial. Just remember, having a career is good for you as a person,
and that is good for your child as well."
Like any woman with a young child, Marcy is very concerned about what kind of a future the
world holds for her son. "For the 90's, I wish that we'd become even more
environmentally conscious. I also wish that people would stop killing each other. I'd like
to see some way to eliminate the homeless problem and find a cure for AIDS."
One of the reasons why so many women watch
soap operas is because the story lines often help them deal with their own problems. They
recognize their own fears, and learn how to confront seemingly impossible situations. They
can watch a wife deal with her husband's death, a fiancee confront a lover who has
betrayed her, share a mother's joy when she gives birth, delight in lovers reuniting.
And when women watch Marcy perfecting her craft as Eden, they see a woman they can relate
to. A woman who laughs and cries; loves and suffers. And never was it more evident than in
the realistic rape story line that Marcy starred in. After each show concerning the rape,
Marcy came out of character and spoke to the audience. The response was really
overwhelming. "We received so many letters, and they were difficult to read. I never
knew the impact it would have. I actually had friends that I've known for a long time open
up to me about stories I never knew. I learned that it's a pain that never goes
away..."
What the future will hold for Marcy's TV character is anyone's guess. But when Marcy looks
into the future, her main thoughts are for her son. She hopes that his future is bright.
"I hope Taylor will realize that he has control over his life. I just want him to be
a happy person."
And, with thoughts like that, it's easy to see that Marcy Walker - despite the fact that
she has a soaring career and a real-life hero and child to go home to - is just like any
other loving mother. |
