DAYS' Patsy Pease: "Torn Souls Are Much More Interesting to Play"
Submitted by Jamey Giddens on July 13, 2009 - 10:08am



In his premiere interview series for We Love Soaps, renaissance man Damon Jacobs sits down with one of the most popular soap heroines of all times, Days of Our Lives veteran Patsy Pease (ex-Kim Brady), for an in depth chat about soaps, overcoming personal demons and the importance of "the work" over ratings.


We Love Soaps: When you learned in 1984 that Kimberly was going to be a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, what was that like for you?

Patsy Pease: "I was glad I wasn’t playing one of these Suzy Cream Cheese characters. I never felt comfortable playing that. What had gone against me all my life is that I looked like a cheerleader. But then I’d open my mouth and start talking and people would go [makes a shocked sound], and then, “Oh God, don’t cast her as a cheerleader, don’t cast her representing conservative right wing church people.” So I was glad! I thought, "Have her abused, have her be something that makes her a torn soul." Torn souls are much more interesting to play than someone who just had their Barbie taken when they were 8-years-old and still has resentment over it."

Fans of DAYS, or the 80's heyday of soaps in general won't wanna miss this series! After reading Parts One, Two and Three, I can't wait for Four! Wouldn't it be great if Aunt Kim paid her nieces Sami (Alison Sweeney) and Stephanie (Shelley Hennig) a visit from time to time? Who knows, maybe she could bring their cousins Andrew and Jeanie with her? Sounds like it's time for a Wishful Casting...

Thanks for posting. My first thoughts were, don't bring their cousins in for them to date.

Loved that SL! Is that maybe why I've been working with at-risk kids for the last 19 years?

Everytime I hear the song, "Somebody to Love," by Jefferson Airplane/Starship, I think of that SL. Back when they got to play "real" songs, it's the song they played with Kimberly's alter ego got "tarted up" to go out...

Wouldn't it be great if Aunt Kim paid her nieces Sami (Alison Sweeney) and Stephanie (Shelley Hennig) a visit from time to time?

Thanks for posting. My first thoughts were, don't bring their cousins in for them to date. rolling.gif

Or maybe their own mothers...



LOL. This is exactly why I kind of doubt we'll ever see Shane and Kim's kids.

I never knew Days used to play Jefferson Airplane. Real music makes everything better! BTW, I love how candid Patsy Pease is -- she doesn't hesitate to call it like she sees it.

We Love Soaps: ...you thumbed a ride, in Hollywood?
Patsy Pease: Oh yeah! Well I’m from North Carolina, we do stuff like that! I said, “Hell I ain’t got two dimes to rub together, somebody is going to pick my poor white trash ass up.” And some poor soul did, in a convertible no less. My hair looked like it caught on fire, I was sweating because there was no air conditioning. The stage manager took one look at me when I came in and went “WAH [makes surprised screaming noise]”. She grabbed a hair dryer and dried me off, and said, “Never never never let them see you sweat.” I thought, “Oh my God, do I really want to work here?”

Patsy Pease: People always talk about their first impressions, and they say, “I walked in and it was so wonderful.” I thought they were neurotic messes! They’re running around like they discovered the cure for cancer. It’s a soap people! We are entertaining, hello? She grabbed me by my arm, threw me in the bathroom, and told me to straighten myself out. But then I got locked in the bathroom and I heard this shrieking voice on the intercom yell, “[in a high-pitched voice] Patsy Pease, Patsy Pease, where are you?” And I thought, “Holy cow, do I really want to be here? I can’t get out of the bathroom, my hair is a mess, I’m apparently not okay for these people because I’m a human being and I sweat. [yelling] So sue me! I’m a freakin’ human being! People in daytime don’t sweat! I didn’t know that, but they don’t! And their hair is always perfect! You could have a hurricane come through and so of those dames’ hair don’t move! And some of the men too!”

We Love Soaps: What was your agenda when you started?
Patsy Pease: I just wanted to work. I just had fun playing with other people who wanted to play. And it hasn’t changed all that much. Hell, let’s face it, DAYS OF OUR LIVES fired me three times while I was there! It didn’t make one diddley squat bit of difference to me. Because they don’t own me. And they are certainly never ever worthy of becoming my higher power.

Part Four is now up
http://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/07/wls-int...-part-four.html

I'm loving hearing from Patsy about all this stuff from the past.

You know, other actors have gotten a lot of flack recently for breaking their contracts and I wonder how people feel about Patsy breaking hers. The way I see it, she had a very good reason and she did what she thought was right, so good for her. But it does make me curious as to what the ever insightful critics think.

I agree. And if TPTB didn't think it was in the best interest of the show for her to leave once she declared she was walking away, they would have sued, like they sued Missy Reeves. They don't seem shy about throwing their weight around when it suits their interests.

We Love Soaps: What were your visits to DAYS like after your left in 1992?
Patsy Pease: It was just kind of funny. I would get these long faces, these sympathetic looks, like “Awww, here she is.” And I would be looking at them like, “Awww, there they are. Those poor things. They’re trapped in a building which has no sunshine for 12 to 14 hours a day. They look haggard and awful. They say terrible things behind each other’s backs. And they think this is fun and successful? Oh God, those poor little babies! And I get to leave to go home to my three dogs and my two wonderful boys? And I have great friends and we have a wonderful time really talking about things that matter? Awww. Poor Patsy!”

We Love Soaps: If they ever offered you a contract to come back...
Patsy Pease: No!

We Love Soaps: Even if Charles [Shaughnessy] was willing?
Patsy Pease: No.

However, when you get the opportunity like I’ve had to visit, that last job that I had, every time I’d walk out at the door I’d go, “Oh God, thank you, thank you ,thank you, I’ve never made a better decision in my life! Thank God, I don’t want to end up like those people! Please God, I don’t want to end up like those people! They’re dead, and they don’t even know it!” It’s not the same people I started out with 22 years ago. There were signs of life 22 years ago. Vivacious, wonderful, full, laughing, life. And I can’t recognize that person 22 years later. There’s something very odd about that to me.

We Love Soaps: As a viewer I have seen this too. And it wasn’t until these clips started appearing on YouTube that I was able to see the difference, how much life had been in these actors back then. Before that I had wondered if I was just young and impressionable, or if there truly something magical about the show back then?
Patsy Pease: No, no, there was something magical, there was something wonderful.

We Love Soaps: It had a soul in the early and mid 1980s.
Patsy Pease: Yes! And I’m not trying to personality bash. I’m just saying, my God! For people, if they think that money and fame is going to fix it, take a look at the clips from 22 years ago, and take a look at the work by the same person now. And tell me, please tell me, if there’s a soul left in that body. If there’s a sparkle! I saw a sparkle in the eyes of people I worked with 22 years ago. There was a light coming out of their face, out of their being, they had light. It’s not there now. And that’s sad to me! Something happened along the way, steady, consistent and over time.