Real women have curves, and some would argue, there’s nothing sexier. Which is why TVGuide.ca had a very easy time picking Guiding Light’s simply luminous Crystal Chappell as this year’s sexiest woman alive. Those soulful eyes! Those luscious lips! And that seductive yet wry grin! And let’s not forget that sinful body!

Although Chappell’s hypnotic beauty has long captivated me ever since she landed the role of Dr. Carly Manning on Days of Our Lives in 1990, it was in her sexy GL reincarnation as Olivia Spencer, the suicidal, opera-loving, misunderstood and misguided diva, that propelled the devoted real-life mother and wife into the sex goddess annals of daytime TV. In fact, if I were to be reincarnated as Chappell in my next lifetime, you wouldn’t hear me complaining. I spoke to the bi-coastal Emmy winner about the importance of promoting a healthy body image, GL’s new visual aesthetic that is set to debut any day now, working with partner-in-crime, her acting equal, Kim Zimmer (Reva), and Olivia’s new love interest, Gus Aitoro.

TVGuide.ca: It must be lonely being so sexy, gorgeous, and talented, huh? Let’s talk about your beauty for a moment: you prove you don’t have to be rail-thin to be sexy and I’ve always admired that.
Crystal Chappell: Wow — thank you every much! That’s nice to hear! [laughs] Yes, I prefer to be healthy and don’t want to starve myself. I did starve myself in my 20s — and it became unhealthy. And I succeeded; I was 112 pounds and very miserable! I think curves are beautiful.

TVG: As a mother, do you worry about this unrealistic and dangerous image Hollywood is promoting?
CC: Yes, it worries me. As a mom, you worry about these girls who are obsessed with being thin and unhealthy. We certainly need to clear this up in this business before it gets out of hand and people start dying. Call me crazy but I enjoy seeing women with wrinkles and fuller figures; I think it’s beautiful.

TVG: Who do you think is beautiful?
CC: America Ferrera is very appealing to me — even in character, with her unibrow and eyeglasses. Of course, I’d add Jessica Lange, whom I just saw in Tootsie again on a recent plane ride. She had just had a baby at the time, and she had curves, and a luminous, healthy glow to her. Anyone who is healthy appeals to me — Hilary Swank, for instance, has a fabulous body. I like reading about women who take care of themselves.

TVG: Any beauty tips you’d like to share?
CC: Exercise, watching the sun and staying hydrated. I also run five miles every morning. I build muscle very easily.

TVG: Did you ever think you’d be an Emmy-winning soap star — and one of the most respected actors in the business, who could have her pick of any role she chose? I have to admit your evolution from a popular star on Days to a serious actor on GL has been thrilling and inspiring to watch.
CC: No, not at all! It’s funny— a friend of mine sent me some old Days tapes recently. You know, it was a great role, but I thought: ‘God, I can be really good at times, but I can also be really bad, too [laughs].’ I took it in, and said, ‘Okay!’ I feel really blessed as a woman, mother, and actor to be working in daytime.

TVG: When did you realize you wanted to be an actor; was there a specific ‘a-ha’ moment you experienced?
CC: Yes, and in fact, I was watching Days when it happened! I didn’t watch Days at the time, but my grandmother was a die-hard fan. It was around the time a couple of dogs were getting married, and I was sitting down watching it with her and I remember remarking, ‘Wow, this is surreal,’ and my grandmother, who was dying of cancer, refused to change to channel because I was an ABC soap fan. She explained to me why, saying, ‘Don’t touch that dial — you’re going to be on that show one day!’ And I was just 16. Unfortunately, she passed away a year later before she got to see me as Carly on Days.

TVG: Wow — that’s a great story. Olivia has a new man to terrorize — Mr. Gus Aitoro — how do you feel about the storyline and working more closely with Ricky Paull Goldin?
CC: I like it. It’s different for me. Usually, Olivia goes after a guy because of blind lust. With Gus, she thinks he’s terrific because he’s not only a great friend, but he’s also protecting her daughter, Emma. To me, that gives more weight to the story, and I love working with Ricky.

TVG: Yeah, he’s alright [laughs]! Olivia is running out of men to date in Springfield. The show is very incestuous romantically, wouldn’t you say?
CC: We’ve all been paired with everyone; Springfield is getting smaller every day! I certainly think there are old loves for Olivia to revisit.

TVG: Who is Olivia’s true love?
CC: I think her daughter, Emma, is — which is the purest love she’s experienced. In terms of the men in her life, I would say Phillip. He was more like her than any of the other men she’s been with.

TVG: I like to think Olivia’s true love is Reva! You and Kim Zimmer ooze with so much chemistry that I could easily watch you divas act out scenes from Passions all day and be entralled! Reva and Olivia should fall into bed just for the hell of it!
CC: [laughs] I love that! That’s hysterical! You know what — Kim and I would probably go for that, too, knowing us! I have so much fun with her; she’s all there. For some reason, GL didn’t play Reva and Olivia for a long time, but thankfully they revisited us this past summer. We had a blast. I hope it continues.

TVG: Writer’s strike — how’s that affecting things on-set?
CC: It’s hard because we’re waiting for scripts. We’re in a transition right now because we’ve just begun shooting the show with our new style and production system. Currently, we’re shooting three shows in five to seven business days. So we’re getting used to the new format on the production side of things. At some point, we’re going to need writers…

TVG: In more ways than one. Are you happy to be acting outside the studio?
CC: Yeah. We shoot the show like a film now — with a master shot, and close-ups. We shoot in a charming little New Jersey town that dubs for Springfield. I think fans are going to respond well to the changes ahead. The new sets they built are absolutely phenomenal.

TVG: Are you going to be sticking around Springfield? It seems like you’re a fan of the one-year contract renewals? Also, how’s the familia, by the way?
CC: Last year was the first time I did that; before that, I was signing two-year deals. But yeah, I’m here as long as they’ll have me. The reason I only signed a one-year deal was because of my commute from L.A. to N.Y. Michael [Sabatino, Chappell’s husband] is doing very well as a general contractor out in California; we live on the central coast. The kids love it out there; no winters to deal with! We’re all happy. Life is beautiful.


 

 

Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, and In Touch Weekly, along with covering soaps for tvguide.ca. He got his professional start in 1997 as Senior News Editor at Soap Opera Update, and has freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly, where he interned in 1994, and Soaps In Depth since the magazine folded in 2002.