Some of the hardest working actors come into our homes every single day. They bring exotic romance and intrigue to spice up the lives of their viewers. At the time of this interview Houston-raised Ashley Jones, was the newest bombshell on The Bold & the Beautiful, and loved being on the number one show. Why wouldn’t she? Her love interests on the show include daytime hunks Antonio Sabato, Jr. and Jack Wagner. Ah, the life of a daytime drama star. Since then she has gone on to star in HBO’s hit, True Blood. She admits that being raised as the daughter of a Texas minister has helped her make the right decisions in both her career and her personal life. Her husband, Noah, a television writer, is the son of actor Craig T. Nelson, so show business has become a family thing. Here she talks to me about her Emmy™ nominations, her new home, and Diet Dr. Pepper.
Lance Avery Morgan: Were you a daytime drama fan as a child? A Luke and Laura nut perhaps?
Ashley Jones: I was! Because of my mom. We loved watching All My Children. Peter Bergman, who played Cliff on that show of the Cliff and Nina storyline was the first actor I got to know when I was 19 on landed on The Young & the Restless with him. I’ve never been so nervous as when I met him the make-up chair that first day. Sweaty palms and all.
LAM: You’ve also done a lot of movies, too – tell me about the fast pace of a daily show opposed to film’s slower pace?
AJ: I really had to reacquaint myself with the daytime regimen. We shoot about 48 to 55 pages of script a day…very different than primetime or film. I get to work early and rehearse because I care about my role. Acting in a role like this is a lot like real life – you never what’s going to happen.
LAM: And you’ve done theater in New York?
AJ: I did Vanities, one of the longest running plays in Off Broadway history. The writer, Jack Heifner, is from Corpus Christi. It’s about three high school cheerleaders who grow up and grow apart. It follows them through post-college and reveals the secrets that unfold until they are 30. The play shows how environment changes you.