The Prince and the Stripper
Guiding Light fans have royally embraced the tale of the buttoned-down-wounded Prince Richard and his Pretty Woman, heart-of-gold ex-stripper Cassie. As the characters prepare for an arranged marriage (while struggling to hide their true feelings), Bradley Cole (Richard) and Laura Wright (Cassie) sit down for some red meat and gossip at the Palm Restaurant in New York.
Digest: Cassie's first fantasy of Richard and the horse really started something, huh?
Bradley Cole (deadpan): Now she just has fantasies about the horse.
Digest: Why can't Richard just say to Cassie, "I'm over Reva, you're the one"?
Cole: Just as he's about to, something happens. and the more Cassie protests, the more doubts he has that she cares for him at all.
Digest (to Cole): When you rehearse, do you do the fake British accent?
Cole: Yes.
Laura Wright: I make fun of him.
Digest: The "first base" scene was funny. You knew that term.
Cole: Of course I did.
Wright: He has a lot of people fooled.
Digest: Speaking of running the bases, Richard and Cassie haven't had sex yet.
Wright: They haven't even really kissed. I'm assuming that will be at the wedding.
Digest: Will Cassie have Reva at the wedding? Anyone who slept with the groom doesn't get to be in it.
Wright: That counts Olivia, too. [To Cole] I'm assuming you had sex with Olivia?
Cole: A gentleman never discusses these things.
Digest: Do you know?
Cole: Please, ladies!
[Cole is saved by Executive Producer Paul Rauch, who is also dining at the Palm and approaches the table to make sure Digest is being nice. Cole quips, "No"!]
Digest (to Wright): Since you were on LOVING and THE CITY [as Ally], did you give Brad advice when he started/
Wright: He knows more than I do!
Cole: Laura made me feel very welcome. She brought me lots of presents, took me to lunch every day, gave me massages in the dressing room&
Wright: Shut up!
Cole: I couldn't have done it without her.
Wright: The story's so much fun to play, and Bradley's so much fun to work with.
Cole: Don't gag when you say that.
Wright: Are you going to give me the money when we leave [laughs]?
Digest: Cassie talks to her girlfriends about her secret love for Richard. Who does he talk to?
Cole: He walks the hallways at night and rants to himself, like some sort of weird Hamlet. Actually, when Dax is around, he talks to Dax, but he doesn't really have a confidante.
Digest: How do you guys rehearse?
Wright (to Cole): Do we rehearse?
Cole: Yes, extensively and gruelingly.
Wright: We work really hard.
Cole: We run lines and talk about them, and then she tells me how to do everything and I do it.
Wright: Liar. It's exactly the opposite.
Digest: Isn't there anything you disagree on? Does he take too long in
the make-up chair?
Wright: No, I do. I have to straighten my hair now, so that adds an hour
to everything I do. He doesn't do anything to make me mad.
Cole: Let's go. I want to hear all the pet peeves and contentions&.
Wright: About you?
Cole: Yes. Please.
Wright: He's too tan. I look like a ghost next to him.
Digest: Why are you tan in the middle of winter?
Cole: I'm naturally rugged [Wright groans]. I reside in San Cristobel-of course I'm tan.
Digest (to Wright): You're a morning person, aren't you?
Cole: Yes, you're all chipper and cheery in the morning. I wouldn't call myself a morning person.
Wright: He gets more fun as the day goes on.
Digest: Do you ever go out together after work?
Cole: Yes, we go to strip clubs.
Wright: We've occasionally gone out for drinks, when we're done late and we're wired from the scene we've just done. He analyzes his work.
Cole: I do not! I let it go at the office.
Wright: Bull----! If he forgets to do something in a scene, he'll be like, "Oh, I can't believe it!" It's very funny.
Digest: In a good way?
Wright: Yes. The show where Richard has the fantasy and kisses Cassie? All of that stuff with the shoes and everything was his idea. He's very, very funny. He comes up with great ideas.
Cole: You're funny, too. I mean that in a good way.
Digest: Do you watch the show together?
Cole: She'll drag me down to watch tapes [before they air].
Wright: We both sit there like this (hands over her eyes) going, "Uggghhh". but, I'm glad we can watch it together because there are certain things he does that are wonderful, and I like to tell him. And he's very supportive. Yet again, compliments.
Digest: Did you practice your fantasy kiss?
Cole: Extensively. We worked on that for hours.
Digest: Was there tongue?
Cole: She's always sticking her tongue in. It's really annoying.
Wright: In your dreams. He wants my tongue in his mouth [laughs]. Eww!! We haven't had to do a lot of kissing, though. That's good.
Cole: That is good. Thanks.
Digest: Is Bradley Cole anything like Richard?
Wright: I can answer that.
Cole (wryly): Thanks. Richard is my fantasy of what I'd want to be. Who wouldn't enjoy being royalty? But, I'm nothing like Richard in real life.
Digest: You've had an unusual experience as far as daytime goes.
Cole: Really?
Digest: It's very unusual for a new character to come in, break up one of the favorite couples on the show [Josh and Reva] and be so well-liked. What do you attribute that to?
Cole: My natural charm and good looks? I don't know. You're right. Richard is a wonderful character. I don't want to sound unappreciative. I realize what you're saying and the gravity of it. But when it comes down to it, all I can really do is perform the script they give to me and hope for the best. I'm a nice guy. I try to get along with everybody at work, and I think I do--- except for her.
Wright [noticing that his giant prime rib is nearly gone]: Oh, my God, you almost finished that thing. Do you see how much he's eaten?
Cole: I've already put on five pounds since I quit smoking (for 2000) ..
Wright: You've got to take your shirt off &&
Cole: Tomorrow.
Wright: He's walking out of the shower. Cassie's like, "Go in your own bathroom, at least".
Cole: It gets a little stupid sometimes, a little gratuitous. I'm not coming out of the shower. That's going to be changed.
Wright: To what?
Cole: Coming out of a sauna [laughs]. In a loin cloth.
Digest: What has been your favorite scene so far?
Cole: I don't know. What's yours?
Wright: The phone thing. Richard came running in, "What happened?" I'm in a nightgown and you're in a tux. That was a funny show. Or Cassie's fantasy with Reva and Josh when we got married.
Cole: My favorite scene with Laura was when I met her on the horse. Hands down.
Wright: Oh, God, why? Can I tell the story about the bathing suit?
Cole: No.
Wright (ignoring him): When we were filming the horse scenes&..
Cole: Oh, no.
Wright: He was in these very sexy riding pants and blue top, and I'm in this draping nightgown-I'm thinking, "How romance novel cover." But Paul Rauch said, "I want him coming out of the water. Go put him in a bathing suit." The costume designer comes down to the beach with a pair of itty-bitty Spandex bikini pants and Bradley's like, "I am not wearing them!" I doubled over. They found him a pair of workout shorts. We barely knew each other, and he comes running over in these shorts&
Cole: "Hi, let's kiss now!"
Wright: It was very weird.
Cole: Then she started sticking that tongue in and I thought, "What the hell is this?"
Wright: Oh, my God! Would you shut up!
Digest: Hey, she's a Method actress and her character was a stripper.
Wright: I did actually go to a strip club before I started as Cassie. [to Cole] I had to strip my first day.
Cole: I want to see those scenes.
Wright: Hell no, you're not seeing those.
Cole: I want to know about the character of Cassie. This is research. Pure research.
Wright: You don't need to know about that.
Cole: I'll go look it up myself.
Wright: You will not.
Digest ( to Wright): Are you getting mail from women who are jealous of you?
Wright: I've gotten maybe two negative fan letters in my entire career.
Cole: I sent those.
Digest (to Wright): How are your husband, John, and baby daughter, Lauren?
Wright: Great. John is working out of NY now, and Lauren is wonderful. Now that she's on her feet moving around, it's boring for her to come to work with me. But I live near the studio so I can go home constantly.
Digest (to Cole): How's your personal life?
Cole: I have no personal life.
Digest (to Wright): I can't pay for this meal unless you tell me something about his personal life.
Wright: He has a very nice apartment. He has a very cute Christmas tree. His ornaments were fun.
Cole: I beg your pardon.
Digest: Who'd you kiss on New Year's Eve?"
Wright: Me. I tongued him.
Digest: No. In real life.
Cole: I can't remember. I was really enjoying myself.
Wright: I got smashed and enjoyed every second of it. But I haven't had a drink or a cigarette since. [Cole rolls his eyes.] Watch it because I'm going to start telling your business in five minutes.
Cole: I dare you. [Silence]
Wright: You want to know if there is a woman in his life?
Cole: I'm seeing someone and that's all I want to say.
Digest: How long have you known her?
Cole: I'm still getting to know her.
Digest: Where did you meet?
Cole: In New York.
Digest: What does she do?
Cole: She takes care of me.
Wright: Oh, God.
Digest: Now I'm nauseous.
Wright: She would be, too.
Cole: That's a joke. It's a joke!
Digest: Anything else you want to say?
Cole: Yes. I'd just like to say that working with Laura Wright has been one of the &.
Wright: &.worst experiences of your life?
Cole: Yeah [laughs].
Digest (to Wright): Anything you want to say?
Wright: Yeah. Bradley Cole can kiss my &..
Cole: Just so long as I don't have to tongue it!"
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