Interview: Lisa Peluso, 'Gotham'

Look who’s back on soaps!

Beloved soap treasure Lisa Peluso has joined Martha Byrne’s web series, Gotham (gothamtheseries.com/You Tube).

Series creator and star Martha Byrne tells TVGuide.ca exclusively it was a no-brainer when casting the role of Veronica.

“Lisa will be playing Veronica Manning, Richard’s soon to be ex-wife,” relays the Emmy winner. “When thinking about who to cast for Veronica, I thought Lisa would knock the character out of the park. Lisa has been out of the soap opera world for a while so I knew the fans would love to see her back on any screen. I’m thrilled she said yes, and I know she’ll have a blast working with Michael Park and the others in our ever-growing cast.”

TVGuide.ca spoke with one of the most beautiful and talented actresses to ever grace the soap medium about her acting comeback, working with Angela Lansbury and John Travolta, and why Another World’s Lila Winthrop — and not Loving’s Ava Rescott — is her favourite role to date.

TVGuide.ca: Where in the world has Lisa Freakin’ Peluso been all this time?! Lisa Peluso: Where have I been? [Laughs] I’ve been raising my two children. Since Another World, I had my son, Parker, who is now seven. My nine-year-old daughter, Phoebe, was born around the time I did One Life To Live as Gina Russo [Ed. Note: she had previously played Billie Giordano in 1987]. I’ve just been enjoying being a mom and wife. I have also been selling real estate.

TVG: And probably making more money! Have fans recognized you when you’re selling houses?
LP: You know what? It’s only happened once. [Laughs] I guess I’m out of context. But that’s fine by me. I’m able to manoeuvre through life without being recognized which is nice. The business has sure changed since I was last on TV. As an actor, I simply just took a break and the break just kept continuing …

TVG: Now you’ve joined Gotham. I think Martha Byrne made a very wise choice in casting you because we soap fans have missed you terribly. You are one of my all-time favourite soap actresses. Who are you playing on Gotham? LP: Thank you. That’s nice to hear. As for Gotham, all I know is that I’m playing Michael Park’s ex-wife, Veronica. I haven’t received a script yet so there isn’t too much I can tell you. TVG: Had you met Michael before? LP: Oh, yeah. I know Michael from our P&G days. Martha is such a sweetheart, so when she called me to be on her show, all I could say was, “No problem!” TVG: Is your character a vixen? You play them so damn well. LP: Seems to be I’m typecast, huh? [Laughs] My character is very full of herself but very fun, too. TVG: Why do you think you’re typecast as the vixen? Is it your dark looks? LP: I don’t know … I guess, I don’t look like the girl next door. I have more of an edge to my looks. I look like a femme fatale.

TVG: You’ve been acting for the majority of your life. As a teenager, you first starred as Wendy Wilkins on Search For Tomorrow for nine years. Did you need this break?
LP: Yes. I spent 25 years in daytime. I started modeling at four months old, and acting at five. I never took a break from work. So yes, I needed some time away from the business. It was nice to be out of the limelight for a change. I actually quite enjoy being a civilian. I live in New Jersey on a beautiful lake with my husband, Brad. I have a beautiful life. We’ve been together for 15 years.

TVG: You were definitely my favourite Ava on Loving. In fact, it was your sensational performance that made me such a diehard Loving fan. But I think your best work and role to date was as Lila Hart Roberts Cory Winthrop on Another World. Which soap role is your favourite?
LP: Well, Gina Russo on One Life To Live was my least favourite role, I can tell you that much! [Laughs] During my second run on One Life, I was unfortunately caught between two head writers so they didn’t know what to do with me. But I agree with you — my favourite character is Lila. A lot of people are surprised to learn that. I had such a wonderful career and time acting on Loving, of course, but there was just something about Lila that made the whole experience fun and magical. It was a beautiful marriage between the writing and the cast, I think.

TVG: My friend, Soap Opera Weekly’s former managing editor, Freeman Gunter wasn’t necessarily a passionate daytime-TV fan, he was more into the opera world than soaps, but when you debuted as Lila, he literally went absolutely gaga over your portrayal. Hailing from North Carolina, Freeman would often remark how your perfect portrayal of Lila reminded him of several real-life southern belles he grew up with.
LP: Yes, I remember! Wow — that’s so nice to hear. I had so much fun with the accent! Growing up, I was always this frustrated Scarlett O’Hara wannabe! I got all my southern belle frustrations out on Lila. I loved movies like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Lila was great therapy for me.

TVG: You and Robert Kelker-Kelly were very sexy together. Do you watch old tapes of your soap work?
LP: No, I fall into the category of actors who absolutely hate watching themselves on TV.

TVG: Was it your choice to enter show business? You started so young …
LP: My mother was a stage mother, yes, but I say that affectionately because I did enjoy performing. It’s not like she forced me or anything but you don’t take yourself to photo shoots at four months …

TVG: Did you ever take acting classes?
LP: I did but after I was already acting. I took acting classes to keep fresh and get out of certain creative ruts, that king of thing.

TVG: Your first big break was co-starring with Angela Lansbury in the Broadway production of Gypsy.
LP: Yes. I was nine. We did the national tour and then we were on Broadway for seven months. Angela is fabulous. What a pro. Even at my tender age, I knew she was a great, great talent. I don’t have enough words to describe what a wonderful person Angela is. I’ve always known how very, very blessed I’ve been in my career. I never took my success for granted, especially when it comes to the calibre of my co-stars. Whether it’s been Randy Mantooth, Nada Rowland, Marie Cheatham, Erika Slezak and Stephen Schnetzer — I mean, how can you go wrong?!

TVG: And you played John Travolta’s younger sister in the classic film, Saturday Night Fever. LP: I know! Talk about being in the right film at the right time. It’s still a classic. They won’t let the film die. I’ve heard they are thinking of doing a remake. At this point, it’s a rumour. I don’t know if it’s true. I hope they don’t because it was so perfect for its time. I’m not sure if it would resonate as powerfully today.

TVG: Did you watch soaps when you were a kid?
LP: No, not really. I just went where the work was. I never saw myself as just a TV, film or theatre actress. The role was always the most important thing to me — not the medium. Of course, at the time, I never knew I would keep working in soaps for over two decades! [Laughs]

TVG: What was it like working during the golden age of soap opera?  We didn’t know how good we had it back then because the industry always felt like we were the ugly stepchild of entertainment. In hindsight, soaps were a very lucrative business compared to today.
LP: [Laughs] With lots of big hair! I can barely look at pictures from that time. Experiencing that golden era was a blast though. I am very proud of that time of my career. Thanks to the combination of great writing, co-stars, and roles, I was really able to connect with the audience. You can’t have one without the other. All the elements have to be there. I was fortunate to create some memorable characters and storylines.

TVG: Had Another World not been cancelled in 1999, would you still have stayed in soaps?
LP: Yes, definitely. Without a doubt. I may not have been on Another World forever, but I would have stayed longer had it not been cancelled when it was.

TVG: You were only on Another World for two years but it felt like you were toiling as Lila Hart forever. LP: I know! I felt so at home on Another World. TVG: Another World ended with Lila’s wedding to Cass. LP: I could have done without the gorilla, but I understood that the gorilla was referencing Another World’s history. When we learned Another World was cancelled, it was incredibly sad. I used to joke that I was the kiss of death for soaps even if it was a decade later after I left. First Search for Tomorrow, Loving and then Another World!

TVG:  Well, maybe that’s why The City died. You and Martha both started out as young actors in daytime.
LP: I know. We have that in common. I’ve known Martha forever. In New York, at some point, you meet every soap actor. It’s a small business.

TVG: Are you nervous about acting again?
LP: I feel a little rusty. But I’m hoping it’s like riding a bike.

TVG: Would you consider returning to a network soap?
LP: I don’t know. I think that part of life is behind me. But you never know. At this point, I love staying at home with my kids. I can’t say I miss the business. If it was a very specific situation and role, maybe I would do it just to reconnect with old friends.

TVG: I would kill for you to return to One Life because you have unfinished business there. For some strange reason, One Life has always screwed up your roles!
LP: Well, they never found the body …

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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, OUT, and fab magazine, along with spearheading the soap coverage for TVGuide.ca's popular daytime TV hub. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1997, he moved from Toronto to New York in 1998 to take on the roles as senior news editor at Soap Opera Update. Branco first freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly as an intern in 1994, and after leaving Soap Update to help create and launch Bauer Publishing's In Touch Weekly in 2003, Branco continued to freelance occasionally for its sister publication, Soaps In Depth. Most recently, he helped create and launch Canada's first celebrity magazine, Weekly Scoop in 2005 as its news and entertainment director. Branco is also a contributor to a new TV show titled Planet Soap to air in Canada and America.