Maura Moves West!
Fresh from her 2010 Emmy® award win as Carly on As the World Turns, Maura West landed the role of Y&R's returning vixen Diane Jenkins. The petite powerhouse seems set to rock Genoa City residents to the core. Find out about Maura's big east coast/west coast move, her LA connections and leaving Carly behind in her latest interview.
Welcome to The Young and the Restless. Were you excited about going right into another show, especially the number one show?
"Yes, definitely excited to not be unemployed for very long. Also, it is very daunting, you just said it, it's the number one show. There's certainly pressure involved in being on a show like this, where they don't, frankly, need you. You know, they're doing just fine without me there quite clearly."
So you better bring something good?
"Exactly, or I'm in trouble. No but certainly very excited and nervous, and uh all that stuff. Any emotion you could imagine I had, I did. You know."
How did they describe the role to you?
"Well, I was sent the run down of the events that took place with the sperm deception and the marriages and the burning down of the boat at the boat house. That's Carly and Jack. No, I meant at the pool house. So I knew what I was getting into."
Maura, how did you find out about this role? Did Y&R casting just call you up, and say 'We would love to have you' or did your agent hear about it?
"No, it was actually, it was actually the other way around. Because what had happened was, the last, couple of months back east where I was just wrapping there, there started to be these rumors, and I would get texts from people. And, you know, people saying to me, 'so Y&R, huh?' I heard a lot of that. So, somehow, somewhere, there was a rumor, probably it was like a game of telephone tag, where someone said that 'oh, Maura will probably go to…', and then it became that I was. And I generally was dumbfounded by it, and just said, 'No, no one's mentioned anything to me. No one's offered me a job; that's for sure.' And then, the clock was ticking on As the World Turns, and I said to my agent, I said, 'well you know there's this rumor…' She had actually heard it. And I said, 'well, it's actually kind of a good idea, isn't it?' So, she tested the waters to see if there was any interest in that, and there was. So, I am very grateful."
Did you guys make the move to the west coast, or do you consider yourself bi-coastal?
"We moved, and actually, the move, it was just another really nice coincidence that I moved in a fairly good commute from the studio, because we were coming anyway. You know, the deal was finalized two days before the moving truck came to my house. This move was not based on this job. There's just a timing instance that worked out."
Oh, so you guys were moving out to the west coast anyway?
"Yes. You can't really sit in Darien, Connecticut and hope that an acting job is going to come to you. That's not what I wanted to do. I had to be proactive about it. So, we were planning on coming. We sold the house back in the early spring, and the move was planned well before the role of Diane came about."
Have you ever lived on the west coast before, Maura? Or is this sort of like a rude awakening to you now?
"You know what, rude awakening is pretty accurate. [laughs]"
It's different.
"I'll say. No, I've never lived out here. Briefly, as a very young woman I lived down in Irvine. Which isn't the same, you know."
Orange County is so different than LA.
"Yeah, it is. And so, this is my first time here. And you know, I'm joking about the rude. The drivers are incredibly rude, but other than that, people have been very, very kind to me and my family since we've been here, certainly at the studio. I mean, you know those guys. They've just been really, really, welcoming. And I wouldn't expect that they wouldn't be, but it just seemed surprisingly so. Just really warm and welcoming to the new kid, you know."
What was your first day on the set like?
"I don't mind telling you. I was really nervous, kind of like knee-knocking nervous. You know, like, um, uh, but my first scenes were with Peter and Michelle, who were extremely gracious. And so, as soon as that first scene was in the can, I thought, ah, I know how to do this. You know. So, it was good. And again, each time I would do the scene with the next kind of new person to name. My first scene with Melody, okay, I was really nervous. And as soon as it was in the can, I kind of took a breath and said, 'hey I can do this.' And um, so, so I was really nervous, but not for long."
Are you back to short hair?
"Yes!"
When did you decide to go with short hair?
"No, I'll tell you what. Years and years ago I wore my hair short, and I always liked it. I always liked my hair short. It was really at As the World Turns that I was asked to grow my hair. And that was my hair. And people always say, oh you had extensions. But no, I never had extensions. That was my hair, long hair. And um, I just felt like A) I get to be Maura again. Because my vision of Maura has short hair, and also I needed to leave Carly behind, and that was just one sort of symbolic way. There's not a heck of a lot I can do to not be likened to her because I am, I'm the same woman. But to have a different look going in was important to me. They are very different women, Carly and the Diane that I know so far. I don't know her too well, but they're very different. And I wanted to bring, to shed that old self in a way—if that makes sense."
I believe you've met Jeanne Cooper (Kay) and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), when you joined the other nominees for that pre-Emmy® best actress lunch. Correct?
"Yes."
Was that kind of nice going in and being greeted by some familiar faces?
"Absolutely, the familiar faces and the friendly smiles certainly made it more comfortable. And Michelle and I, particularly, have had sort of a 'texting' (word?) relationship over the year. I've just been, kind of a fan, and also fond of her from a distance. So, and Jeanne, of course, she's just an icon, right, just an incredible woman. And also very welcoming, and I don't know my, I don't know if I'll get that, or I don't know if my path or if Diane and Katherine's paths will cross, but I hope so, because I would really love that, to work with her."
Peter Bergman (Jack) confided that he was a big admirer of your work. Are you looking forward to working with him?
"Oh, of course! I just come from working with what I think is an incredible actor for a long time, and to be able to make that move from this one man that I'm very fond of to this, and yes 'here's another one for you, Maura. Here's a smart, handsome, sexy man for you to work with, who is equally talented.' Who is luckier than I am? No one."
Have you worked with Eric Braeden (Victor) yet?
"Yes, yes I did. That was really, really, fun. I really enjoyed it. He's really a cool character alright. He's cool as a cucumber, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Just tasting every word, and I hope he enjoyed it too, and I hope I have more with him, too. It was great."
Do you feel like your world has changed since winning the Emmy® this year?
"No, except my husband will point them out to me every once and a while. 'Hey look at those. There are two.' But no. I'm still changing diapers and wiping noses and trying to stash money away for college just like everybody else. Except, I have these beautiful trophies, which somehow manage to look slightly gaudy when thrown into just a normal family room, [laughs] but they are beautiful, and I am certainly honored to have them, and very fortunate."
When I talked to Paul Leyden (Blake), he had already started, but he hadn't seen you yet, because you guys were in separate story lines. Have you talked to Paul in person?
"No we haven't, we haven't. You know it's an interesting set the way it works. It's different than what I'm used to. The call times and so forth are very staggered at Y&R, so there's not a big kind of group of people arriving at the same time. So you don't, you see, I see very few people there frankly. You, just, the call times are staggered. You go to your hair and makeup and then you disappear for the day. So it's a little different. I'm hot on his trail. I'll find him."
So as far as you're concerned, it's just rumors that he's there?
"Yes! He has texted me though."
What's been one of the most, or some of the most, challenging things about acclimating to LA, and have your co-stars tried to help you with any suggestions or tips?
"The hardest this is just making sure the kids are okay. That's the hardest thing. I don't really, Scotty and I, my husband and I don't really care. We're homesick too, frankly, but that's so secondarily compared to the struggles of the kids. Um, you know we have, our oldest one just started high school a couple of weeks ago, and that's hard. It's hard enough to be fourteen and a freshman, and now, we're taken from this beautiful town where we lived on the east coast and plop them down here, and so, we're concerned about their comfort, their happiness, their well being. And, that's the hardest thing for us by far. And yes, people at the studio have been really listening, which is great. And giving advice about where to go and how, where to bring the kids on the weekend. Fun things, so they can realize that we're not, that we're in a good place not a bad place, and where to live frankly because I'm renting now. I wasn't going to any firm decisions from Connecticut. So, we can always go find a different spot, closer to the water and I'm getting a lot of input based on where they all live and what they all like. So I'm asking everybody, 'Where do you live?', and they are very happy to tell me about it, so it's been nice that way."
"My son, Ben sails. We're on that, finding a club for him to sail at, or a high school that has a sailing team. Manhattan Beach has a sailing team I believe or maybe they don't anymore. But there are some schools. Palos Verdes has sailing. We're just trying to really pinpoint the best place for all the different needs of all of our children."
Wait till you have Christmas in LA. It's like in the seventies!
"Don't tell me this! This is not what I need to hear right now. You're supposed to say, 'Maura, you're going to love it here.' You know."
Diane's returning with a son on the show, Kyle? Tell us a little bit about the actor.
"He's eleven. Garrett. I don't know what Kyle's age is supposed to be, but I think it is around that age too, right? Soaps change all that anyway. But he's a lovely boy, Garrett. I've had several scenes with him already. I love working with kids. I love it. I always loved working with kids on World Turns, and had the best bunch. I don't expect it to be any different. I think it will be great."
Thank you so much Maura!
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