There's nothing better than a major celebrity who honors his or her time spent on a soap opera, which is exactly what film and Broadway sensation Renée Elise Goldsberry recently did during an interview about her new film, Waves. The actress, who rose to fame as part of the original cast of Hamilton, gave major props to One Life to Live, where she got her start as Evangeline Williamson back in 2003.
During a chat on Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast, Goldsberry reminisced about her soap opera days and said she thinks the genre doesn't get enough love.
"I learned my acting chops on that show, because we have so much work. I just think the best actors in the world are on daytime television," she says. "We take three months to film an hour and a half movie, but [soap actors]... shoot six hours of television a week. They're just really talented. The stories are so broad, and they always have to continue to defend their character and some kind of really crazy situations."
Not only does Goldsberry think soap opera actors are the most talented performers in the business, but she also credits the genre for inspiring her to become an actress -- well, at least partially.
"My mom worked, and it was summertime, and my brother and I would watch television all day long. I would set my alarm clock for 12PM to watch All My Children. How pathetic -- I had to set my alarm clock so that I was up in time!" she says with a laugh. "But anyway, my mother was like, 'This is unacceptable,' and we had a friend who was taking her daughter to this theater school, theater camp, over the summer, and there was room in the car, so she put my brother and me in the car."
The actress recalls that her first show at the theater school was Guys and Dolls, and that's when she got bit by the acting bug.
"I was in the chorus, and I loved it so much. When it was over, I was just crying because I was going to miss the people, and I couldn't believe I couldn't do it anymore," she shares. "There's a depression when a show ends... it's just really signature to what it means to be in this gypsy tribe. The first time I experienced that, I was like, 'Oh, Lord, please, just put me in another show!'"
Luckily, Goldsberry went on to act in many projects, including OLTL, Ally McBeal, The Following, The Good Wife, and Evil. But she'll never forget her time on soap operas.
"I love [soaps], I love the fans of soap operas, I love the writers and the producers, I love everything about soap operas," she enthuses. "I have some really, really good friends who are still in that medium, killing the game... I still see my friends on those shows, and I watch them, and I'm super proud."
To listen to Goldsberry's full interview, click here.
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