// What's Love Got To Do With It? //
ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Natalie Balsom - or Buchanan, as she prefers to be called - arrived in Llanview intent on finding her fortune. Instead, she is discovering a much more rewarding treasure: a real family. Love, according to the character's portrayer, Melissa Archer, is an emotion that Natalie never has experienced. "I don't think she knows what love is. I don't think she has ever had
it from any person."

That's about to change, as Viki opens her heart and slowly starts to welcome her biological daughter into the clan. "Viki is a caring person, but at the same time, she still thinks of Jessica as her daughter," explains Archer. "So she is still going to be protective of that, no matter if I'm blood or not. I'm sure it will take awhile."

A New Attitude
Already, there have been signs that the chip of resentment perched atop Natalie's shoulder like a pet parrot is beginning to fall off. At Christmas, viewers saw the possible birth of a sisterly bond between Jessica and Natalie, when Viki gave each of her daughters matching family heirlooms.

Natalie also has refused to be a pawn is Allison's wicked vendetta. "Natalie is not stupid," Archer says. "I think she knows that Allison is not her best friend."

My Alternate Personality
While professing to having little in common with her avaricious alter ego, Archer nonetheless is sympathetic to her character’s ordeal. "Sometimes, Natalie is just misunderstood," she says with a sigh. "She comes from a really hard life. "I don’t know what I would do if it were me in that situation," she adds. "It’s insane."

Despite being in her 20s, the talented actress displays a level of maturity far beyond that of her character, who at times can be pretty. "I don’t ever get that angry over things, and I don’t ever get jealous or vindictive," she insists. Archer attributes her positive outlook on life to her good fortune of having a family that supported her. "I grew up knowing what love is," says the Dallas native.
"I lucked out in a lot of ways."

When I Grow Up...
In grammar school, Archer’s favorite movie was "Shining Through," featuring Melanie Griffith and Michael Douglas as World War 2 spies who fall in love. In fact, Archer liked the film so much that she too wanted to be a World War 2 operative. Two generations too late for that particular profession, she instead turned her attention to another line of work.

"I started to get into a little bit of acting around 12. I did this play and was like, 'This is it. I’m doing this!' I told my mom, and she said 'Okay.' From then on, I just pursued it."

Six years later, Archer left the Lone Star State for Hollywood. "At 18, I said, 'Sayonara! I’m going to L.A.' and I did it!" It’s a risk that she is glad she took. "Thus far, I’m having the time of my life. It’s great!" Archer exclaims with a perky smile, evidence she means what she says. "I love this career,
and I just hope it goes really far!"