By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
Aug 31, 2007
Multi-Emmy-winning actress Patricia Wettig reveals her character on ABC's hit drama "Brothers & Sisters" will be even more of a thorn in Sally Field's side when the series returns Sept. 30. Wettig's character, Holly, was the mistress of Sally's character Nora's late husband -- and is the mother of their illegitimate daughter -- in case you didn't know.
Patricia Wettig Talks "Brothers and Sisters" (Wenn)
In the new season, Holly will be enjoying some newfound prosperity, thanks to an inheritance and the fact that her wine business with Nora's son Tommy (Balthazar Getty) is taking off.
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"Now that I have this money I begin to wield a little power," notes Wettig. "My character is a little more complex." She points out, "One of the interesting things about a series is that they can pull out a new card and hand it to you. You, as an actor, don't always have all the cards."
Granted, her husband, Ken Olin, is an exec producer of the show, their son, Cliff Olin, is one of the writers, their daughter, Roxy, has a recurring role in the show -- and the role of Holly was written specifically for Wettig. Though it's good to be the queen, Wettig makes it clear she's not one to wield her power. "I never feel like I want to use that card," she says. "People assume that because I've got Ken's ear and Cliff's ear, which I do, that they're working it for me, and that isn't really true.
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I was worried about something the other day and I said something to Ken at home, and he said, 'You better call them and get into it because everybody else does. The other cast members are always coming to the writing room and having meetings.' People assume because I have dinner with Ken that somehow I'm covering my bases, but that's not what we talk about that often. I have to stand up for myself and go in there as much as anybody else on the more professional level."
A FEW DEGREES LIGHTER: Kevin Bacon says he's ready to go for some lighter fare after playing the vigilante in "Death Sentence," opening today (8/31), and the currently shooting "Taking Chance," in which he plays a volunteer military escort officer accompanying the body of a slain soldier to his hometown.
However, he says, "Sometimes it's hard to really control that, and it's a combination of two things. One is those are the things that seem to be coming to me now, and also I have to take a certain amount of responsibility for the fact that I seem to be drawn to these roles that are emotional challenges at this point. The last three or four things I've done and the kinds of characters and films I'm finding myself in seem to be what's supposed to be happening in my life for a reason -- and who knows if there'll be another chapter in my life where I can lighten things up a little bit, but that doesn't seem to be my work right now."
Bacon says he's "very happy" with the way "Death Sentence" came out. "It's a very visceral and emotional kind of film," he says. "One of the things I like about it is even though my character is a hero, he's a reluctant hero. He's really a fish out of water who doesn't know how to fight or use a gun." He admits playing such intense characters "does definitely catch up to you. When you wrap on a Friday and you know you have to go back on a Monday, it's sort of hard to completely walk away from it for the weekend, but I think I'm really good at the end of the movie about letting it go."
THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: With their New York-based syndicated "Morning Show With Mike and Juliet" expanding into new markets across the country next month, are hosts Juliet Huddy and Mike Jerrick doing anything special to prepare?
"Mike has been drinking a lot, and I'm shaving my legs right now," answers Juliet. But seriously, the duo admits that their show's first six months turned out to be a useful shakedown period. "There was a point when we started getting a little wacky, tabloidy-Jerry Springerish. There was a shift in the producing staff, with different ideas about what the show should be. They brought in a hypnotist one day. I hate hypnotists. I kept thinking, 'Please, make this end.' It was definitely not our speed," she says.
What is their speed? "What people are talking about today -- the water cooler talk. We're definitely topical," she says -- whether the topic is pedophiles, what's hot on TV and film, goofy stunts, celebrity interviews or sex. Sex gets a lot of attention on their show, and they won't be toning anything down.
"What we talk about is maybe a little edgy," admits Mike, "but people discuss these things hanging out at home. Sometimes we go over the line a little bit, but it's not like we're big perverts."
DON'T MENTION IT: Judge Lynn Toler reports that between her MyNetwork TV "Decision House" and her syndicated "Divorce Court," "My first real break won't be until the second week of October." But she's not complaining about the load of having two shows, even though she commutes to L.A. for production from the Phoenix home she shares with her husband, an accountant, and their two sons. "My husband is good about it. He's been really supportive. If something goes wrong at the house and I'm out of town, he never tells me."
(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)
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