Learning Life's
Lessons
........Enter
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kendall Hart, the long-lost daughter of
Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). This exciting new character popped into
the minds of the head honchos at All My Children years
ago. However, the timing for her arrival never seemed quite
right, after all, Erica was too busy battling Adam (David Canary)
and falling in love with Dimitri (Michael Nader). Just as Erica
and Dimitri were settling into a blissful life as an engaged
couple, the show decided it was perfect for Kendall to hit Pine
Valley and stir up some trouble. The next problem presented
itself - who would portray her? All characters on a show are
important, but this wasn't your average, run-of-the-mill role -
this was the infamous Erica Kane's unknown daughter! It had to be
an actress of great range and ability, one who could not only
match wits with her mom, but actually win a few battles as
well.
........"I didn't know when I
auditioned for Kendall that she would turn out to be who she is,"
Sarah shares. "I had heard rumors, but they were squelched very
quickly. I was scared enough just to be working with Susan, and
then when they told me I would be playing her daughter, I was
like 'I'm her what?! Daughter? Me?!"
........Sarah's
initial shock turned into a mild state of jitters as she reported
for her first days of work playing the most important role of her
young, but busy career.
........"I remember on my first day
when I walked into the rehearsal hall, Susan and Michael were
rehearsing a scene and I just snuck in the back and tried to
blend in with the coffee machine, when all of a sudden, Susan
said, 'Hold it, we need to stop for a minute,' and she walked
over to me and said,'Congratulations! I'm very glad you're here'
and introduced me to everyone who was there. She really helped me
and always made sure I was okay during my first couple of weeks
when I was still unsettled."
........Now, the
gregarious teen is loving every minute of her time playing the
troubled and feisty Kendall. She's especially grateful to have
found a role in her age category which is so complex.
........"I thank Judy Wilson (AMC's
casting director) so much for giving me the chance to actually be
a teenager playing a teenager on the show. In this business, if
you're a young person who doesn't look like your in your forties,
it's really hard to get a role that has any meat to it," she
states. "To get a role like Kendall, I feel so lucky because it's
so rare. They just don't write for kids anymore. You always have
older people playing younger people. I'm sorry, but 90210? Hello!
I go to school and our seniors sure don't look like that! There
are some very talented teenagers who can do just as good, if not
better, than any adults but they're not given a fair chance."
........Sarah's
opportunity came at age four when she was cast in the film An
Invasion of Privacy and she's never looked back since! She's
been hard at work at her craft ever since and is quick to defend
the choices she's made in her life to people who may look down on
children getting involved in the very adult world of
performing.
........"I was not meant to be in
Little League or the local ballet school," she says with a big
smile. "I'm tired of people who say, 'Acting corrupts these young
people.' You know what? There are a lot of actors who have been
working since a young age and they're just fine. Look at Susan!
My stepfather always says that when he sees how many things I
handle in a day, he'd be willing to hire a young person like me
because now he sees what an incredible thing it is to see kids so
focused and how much they have to offer."
........The
young lady knows of what she speaks. Currently in the 10th grade
at New York's famous Professional Children's School, Sarah is
surrounded by people, including her best buddy and the person she
shares a dressing room with, Lindsay Price (An Li), who have the
same desires, dreams and even disappointments as she, and they're
all in the same age group. But doesn't she feel like she's
missing out on the so-called 'typical' teenage stuff?
........"No way. At this school, I do
have it all. I go to proms and I go to formals, and you know
what? I yawn at them!" she giggles. "I don't have any regrets.
I've done a tremendous amount of traveling and it's given me the
opportunity to see all the different things that are out there in
the world."
........For now,
Sarah is more than happy to stay right where she is at
AMC.
........"I can't believe they're
paying me to do this!" she exclaims. "They're such great people,
it's a great studio, and Chinese food is delivered right to the
door! I've got to have it at least three times a week. We're very
lucky that they clean out our dressing rooms very day because
Lindsay and I have a problem with that! There's Chinese food
everywhere!"