Saturday Soapy Flashback: Evangeline and Laylah Williamson, The Sistahs of Llanview

 

No other sisters could top this duo. 

Hotshot lawyer Evangeline “Vange” Williamson and her younger actress hopeful sister Layla painted the town of Llanview red on One Life to Live. Evangeline first arrived as dating RJ Gannon and representing for his daughter Keri Reynolds in the custody case, a storyline that tragically ended. Layla arrived two years later just as Evangeline’s in the midst of a terrifying stalking ordeal. Interestingly, Layla acquires a job as a waitress at Antonio’s owned Capricorn, RJ’s old place originally named after Keri’s zodiac sign where so many of his scheming lies took root. 

Layla (Tika Sumpter) almost gets shot by John McBain’s police force when Evangeline (Renée Elise Goldsberry) rescues her. After Evangeline chastises Layla for coming, she allows sis to move in. The friendship between Evangeline, Antonio (Kamar de los Reyes), and Layla grows delightful.

After bringing Layla’s belongings to Evangeline’s tastefully decorated apartment at 345 Fuller Street, Apt. 42, the girls go clubbing at RJ and Rex’s co-owned spot, Ultraviolet. Unfortunately, at the same time, the stalker trashes Evangeline’s home, leaving her so shaken up that she buys Layla a oneway ticket back to Los Angeles. Layla adamantly refuses, gung ho on offering her support by staying put. Ex cop Antonio becomes the next best idea. The trio’s beautiful friendship lends itself to short yet poignant conversations between Antonio and the sisters, at times separate one on ones or all three simultaneously. Highlights include Layla sharing a candid monologue on beauty to Antonio and Antonio confiding with Evangeline what he would give to again see his presumed dead brother Cristian.  

Absolutely adorable how Vange always pulls Layla into a squishy side embrace. The big smiles on their faces light up scenes. Now Layla planting a sour if the moment kiss on a taken Antonio— a big no no. Haha. 

Once the stalker mess ends, Evangeline lets Layla move in. All the sister fun fluff ensues, showing an engaging other side to Evangeline, a girlish, humorous, fiercely protective sibling. Yes, Evangeline shared many scenes with Nora Buchanan (as did Nora’s daughter Rachel and Keri), but the moments between Evangeline and Layla delivers what the audience needed, a break away from Evangeline’s love woes, courtroom drama, and danger constantly finding her. 

The girls sing Aretha Franklin’s Ain’t No Way over a pint of ice cream, Evangeline reminiscing about her failed relationship with John. The girls fall asleep on the couch together, showing that they’re each other’s safe haven.

Unlike other sibling relationships, either estranged (i.e. RJ and Hank Gannon) or the frosty sister enemies to cordial respect angle (Jessica and Natalie Buchanan), the refreshing dynamic of Evangeline and Layla hits the right notes, sweet and entertaining. The little tidbits on their upbringing— Layla stealing Evangeline’s jeans when the latter was fourteen or Evangeline constantly bossing Layla around— sounds typical, familiar. Sometimes we never forget the things a sibling does to/for us. The good and the bad occurrences holds our memories captive, especially if growing up together, seeing each other everyday for what seems a forever permanence. Evangeline exclaiming, “we’ll have each other’s backs!” to Layla conveys an authentic expression of reciprocal, unconditional love— the very promise lacking in her failed romantic relationships. 

RJ (Timothy Stickney) calling Evangeline (Renée Elise Goldsberry) a “self hater” in front of Layla (Tika Sumpter) when he’s mostly been with white women— pot meet kettle. 

Layla’s acting aspirations soon inspire Antonio to use her as an instrument for the upcoming custody battle between him and RJ. Evangeline—who’s representing Antonio— has chooses not to support this fallacy. Antonio qualifies as a gray character, dangling between the fence of leading by his heart and letting his anger blind rationale, partly why his romance with Keri failed. Evangeline knows he has a terrible temper and doesn’t want to see her sister hurt. Plus, she may often be hired by some of the most unsavory felons, Evangeline prefers obeying the law. Although Layla amps up the feign act, Antonio is not as convincing. This arrangement doesn’t depict him in a good light. 

Laylah and Antonio let Evangeline on a plan of them being a fake couple for Jamie’s custody hearing. The funniest part was Evangeline bopping her sister on the head mid-fake kiss.

The revolving door of women of color in One Life to Live kept being on the receiving stick of silly lopsided triangles— Antonio choosing a younger Jessica over Keri and John McBain’s preference of Natalie over Evangeline. The writers recycled smart, sharp women versus the spoiled rich girls repeatedly. It’s a running gag that the Buchanan sisters always wind up kidnapped or missing and that the other woman winds up finding them. Evangeline and Layla offer help to John and Antonio respectively find Natalie, the kidnapped victim, and Jessica, trapped in her mind mentally and physically by her split personality alter ego Tess.

Evangeline goes blind after being struck by glass during the Llanview twister. Layla cheers her big sis up with a cute stuffed Nala from The Lion King.

Soaps are mainly watched for high stakes stories, wildly entertaining villains, and streamy slow burning romances, potential super couples that people rush home for. With Evangeline and Layla, two gorgeous sisters searching for love in the wrong places, we had a terrific charismatic representation. In Llanview together for two years— two years of constant mayhem and drama— the Williamson sisterhood foundation was the best part of their entire presence. Their connection felt too real, too loving, far too luminous and magical for the soap world. We loved the banter, the sass, and the confidence among their reflections at either Evangeline’s apartment, the club, or the Vega diner. 

Even if their foolish lovers didn’t put them above, the sisters always chose each other. What’s more heartfelt than that?

The Williamson sisters in real life— Renée Elise Goldsberry (Evangeline) and Tika Sumpter (Laylah).

Evangeline and Layla’s portrayers have been pretty accomplished post One Life to Live.  

Well-known for Broadway smash Hamilton, Renée Elise Goldsberry is a noted Tony, Grammy, and Soap Opera Digest actress/singer with nominations for two NAACP Image Awards, three Black Reels, three Emmys (two for Daytime, one for Primetime), Critics Choice, Astra, etc. Films include leading roles in Christine Swanson’s Albany Road and All About You. Among television cult hit Girls4eva, The Good Wife, and Altered Carbon. 

Former model, children’s book author, and actress/producer Tika Sumpter starred as Michelle Robinson in indie darling Southside With You, Bessie’s lover Lucille in dee rees’s award-winning Bessie, Delores in Whitney Houston produced Sparkle, and the voice of Maddy in the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Television roles include Watson, The Game (her Jenna Rice arc was a highlight), and Gossip Girl. Sumpter has been nominated for two NAACP Image Awards, a Gotham Award, and a Women’s Image Award. 

Not to mention having THE Julliard trained dancer/actress Janet Hubert aka the original Vivian Banks playing their mother Lisa Williamson. All that supreme talent on one soap in the middle of the afternoon. 

Twenty years later, it would be amazing to see Goldsberry and Sumpter unite on a future project—a film, television series, or even a web show. Their strongly believable sisterly chemistry made the soap bearable. The days they weren’t on was a simple waste of turning on the TV. 

Renée and Tika beautified the opening credits.

Nonetheless, One Life to Live fumbled hard on these two phenomenal Black women, their ends showing a continuous trend of callously mistreating Black and brown characters. Evangeline’s slow coma death by racism and Layla leaving town for Paris lacked the genuine care afforded to the prioritized characters. This also includes Keri’s madness descent before suicide, RJ and his brother Hank disappearing in the background, Rachel Gannon’s story, the list goes on. 

At least there are YouTube channels (Evangeline’s Heart and Wild Hearts Losers Club OLTL) with old episodes to look forward to rewatching the feel-good Evangeline and Layla content from beginning to end. The Williamson sisters were everything! 

Chelsea Hamilton and Dr. Madison Montgomery’s Romance Heats Up Faster Than The Speed of Light

 

Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) isn’t afraid to dive in with young neurologist Dr. Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil). DP: Vincent Steib.

Beyond the Gates continues making soap opera history with its latest story— Chelsea Hamilton and her girlfriend Dr. Madison Montgomery. 

Chelsea, the retired supermodel and newbie purse designer, has explored her bisexual status since the soap’s February debut. Originally, an enthusiastic third for adventurous couples, Chelsea’s the type not to be defined by labels. Craig and Allison, Chelsea’s last polyamorous relationship, saw her choosing to primarily commit to her lesbian side, setting out to separate Allison from her husband for a while. The move seems straight out of the Bill Hamilton playbook, predatory cheating strategies showcasing that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In her personal life, Chelsea can behave similarly like her father— a man who committed adultery for years. 

Yet, Chelsea has the tendency to fall hard and fast—perhaps a trait of her zany mother Dani Dupree-Hamilton? 

Chelsea and Dr. Madison share wine and affection at the pad that Chelsea shares with her cousin and best friend Kat Richardson. DP: Vincent Steib.

After being dumped by Allison just before June’s Pride Month started, Chelsea meets a mysterious woman at the hottest nightclub in town, flirting up a storm. It turns out Madison is a neurologist— her own father’s stroke doctor. Chelsea holds nothing back, becoming a full-fledged seductress of the highest order, ambushing the gorgeous doctor at the hospital, thirsty as heck despite not getting the water her inpatient father needed. Skipping many steps including the crucial angst part, Dr. Madison succumbs to Chelsea anyway— a couch date, the quickest blink-or-you-miss-it love scene, the introduction to the uppity Dupree family, and the “I love you,” hearts in her eyes. Chelsea and Dr. Madison are moving at the speed of light, ultimately symbolizing the unfortunate U-Haul trope. Does this mean that their fast relationship could crash out at the same pace? Sugar can only jolt the adrenaline for so long. What exactly are Dr. Madison’s intentions towards Chelsea? 

While it may seem downright boring in a soap opera— a genre often thriving on pushing wild, outrageous envelopes and overzealous acting decisions— the fascinating parts about Chelsea and Dr. Madison are their Bechdel Test passing conversations. They center topics such as coming out to their respective families and their individual career paths. Chelsea’s extrovert personality could clash with Dr. Madison’s humbleness. These hardworking women share a common passionate drive and of course— a growing ardor for each other. Sure, we’ve missed the longing looks cementing a fresh romance, but we’ve got public handholding, smooches, and dialogue. With a cast this stacked (and talented), it is pure luck to even receive little tidbits of these lovers.  

Allison (Brianna Roberts) lets Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) that she wants her back. It won’t make Dr. Madison (Kenjah McNeil) pleased. DP: Vincent Steib.

A heavily accessorized Chelsea reassures Dr. Madison that she’s locked in. DP: Vincent Steib. 

Chelsea and Dr. Madison’s romance is put to the test by the sudden reappearance of Chelsea’s married ex Allison. This latest development complicates Fairmount Crest’s overwhelmingly saturated landscape of triangles and quadrangles— Kat/Tomàs/Eva, Hayley/Bill/Dani, Dani/Andre/Ashley/Derek, Nicole/Ted/Leslie. A slightly deranged Allison’s urgent desire for Chelsea pinpoints the Beyond the Gates writers’ leniency on interlopers to create a couple’s conflict. If the other dynamics didn’t exist and the overly rushed Chelsea and Dr. Madison were shown more frequently, this Allison angle would be enticing front burner stuff. After all, it is not everyday you see three Black women fighting for each other romantically in daytime. 

Chanel (Reagan Gomez) and Nova (Rutina Wesley) from Queen Sugar.

Max (Chanté Adams) and Esther (Andia Winslow) from A League of Their Own.

Eva (Gail Bean) and Tye (Jerrie Johnson) from Harlem also had a U-Haul relationship. 

Black women falling head over heels with each other onscreen remains a rarity. Television and film have a longstanding preference for interracial LGBTQIA couples from Cheryl Dunye’s classic The Watermelon Woman to Maria Maggenti’s The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls Falling in Love. Even this Buzzfeed list contains mainly white or interracial TV lesbian couples. Every now and again, a thoughtful Black woman filmmaker makes slow burned sapphic cinematic masterpieces: dee rees’s Pariah, Wanuri Kahiu’s Rafiki, and Natalie Jasmine Harris’s Pure and Grace are prime examples. Nova and Chanel were short-lived territory in Queen Sugar, Max and Esther briefly steamed up the sadly cancelled in A League of Their Own, and Eva and Tye got engaged in Harlem. Chelsea and Dr. Madison adding to this equation has the opportunity to shift the narrative in a powerful way— to inspire a new normal that other TV/film writers could build off on. 

Madison and Chelsea are having problems with Allison. DP: Vincent Steib.

Beyond the Gates, a soap opera staunchly committed to being a revolutionary force, provides the “love in the afternoon” lunch hour with some gorgeous Chelsea and Dr. Madison interactions. As the two women navigate their journey among the affluent Fairmount Crest community, let’s pray that intriguing twists and turns keep their union strong. Although this may be challenging as we’ve seen the characters interact in the same locations each week, Chelsea and Dr. Madison should be attending the movies together (especially the big D.C. queer film fest), taking trips to the pool, shooting photo booth strips, hopscotching and pushing each other on swings, dancing, sharing ice creams and cakes, throwing down a game of Uno, and all kinds of lovey duvey activities to squeeze into their tight schedules. Interrupt our broadcast shenanigans with a sweet induced drama that’ll make our hearts race and burn. 

Chelsea does have a type though— Dr. Madison and Allison look alike. May the best woman win. DP: Vincent Steib.

The key to crafting groundbreaking material as sensitive and rare as Chelsea and Dr. Madison is to reflect on the viewers at home. Analyze the question— is this a valid, authentically rendered romance that audiences deserve to bear witness to? The brave writers must prove that this story truly represents a Black sapphic love worth vouching for. 

‘Beyond the Gates’ Can’t Make Us Hate Eva Thomas

Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) is currently being dragged through the mud at Fairmount Crest. 

Eva Thomas has been our favorite Beyond the Gates character since the soap opera’s big February debut. The parted Afro wearing, bohemian styled former hairdresser stepped onto the scene as noted psychologist Nicole Dupree Richardson’s assistant after her own deranged mother Leslie Thomas hit Eva’s predecessor Laura Peterson with a motorcycle (unbeknownst to Eva). Of course, Eva discovered just how awful her single parent was during Ted and Nicole’s anniversary party. Yikes.  

In the beginning, despite not having held any previous administrative experience, Eva gets the job based on Nicole’s other assistant Mona Wilson’s recommendation. Eva tries to be the best person for the job, going above and beyond her duties to ensure Nicole that she’s the right fit. However, Eva is Leslie’s tool into ingratiating with Nicole’s family as a means to gather dirt on Ted’s wife— as Ted was Leslie’s affair partner and Eva’s biological father! Plastic surgeon Ted Richardson, lauded by Nicole as a better man than her ex-brother-in-law Bill Hamilton, cheated on his wife long ago. Sadly, Nicole doesn’t know about Ted’s straying. Shaped by Leslie’s ironed manipulation, a conditioned Eva plays niceties while carrying the burden of her mother’s hatred. 

Eva (Ambyr Michelle) the assistant at Nicole’s home office near the gorgeous framed art on the wall. 

The main reason that we must advocate on Eva’s behalf is because a crazy woman named Leslie raised her— a woman who is not even stable enough to adopt a cat. Leslie may have been super abusive to Eva, inciting her to hate the Richardson and Dupree clan prior to meeting them, likely ingraining into Eva’s development that she’s less than. Leslie continuously lied and gaslit Eva into believing things that weren’t true, fed her the most outlandish information in hopes of passing down her ire. The moment a happy, enthused Eva returned home from helping Nicole write her awards dinner speech, a jealous Leslie offered no congratulations or praise. She sought to bring Eva to a sunken, depressing place— a hole of her creation. It showed that that was perhaps Eva’s upbringing. Any amount of Eva’s joy that did not benefit Leslie would be cruelly snatched away. When Eva started suspecting Leslie’s foul games including how an awakened Laura became too ill to leave the hospital, Leslie shut it down by nastily elevating her voice and calling Eva, “little girl.” To say “little girl” is almost as belittling as men spouting out “females” or white men shouting “boy” to full grown individuals. This was Leslie’s way of bringing down Eva, mentally and psychologically and to ensure that her “weapon” kept running at revenge coded factory settings. 

Eva (Ambyr Michelle) and heartless mama Leslie (Trish Mann-Grant) scheme together.

As Eva interacts further with Ted and Nicole, however, her stance softens, soon blossoming into reluctance and regret. Often, she’s pictured with her mind operating against Leslie’s wishes, instead fantasizing about being pictured in the Hamilton family photographs. She has seen their genuine kindness and feels an affection that must have been severely lacking in the Thomas household. Eva then makes moves to protect them at Nicole’s awards dinner, having her wig-donning mother thrown out. It was certainly a demonstration of Eva’s manipulative tactics put to good use— a notion that the girl’s allegiance shifted, that in her heart of hearts, she knew intuitively that Leslie was in the wrong. 

The style of Eva (Ambyr Michelle)— cutesy chic turtlenecks, cozy sweaters, and patterned tops— could be the height of soap opera fashion. Lipsticks are always on point.

The other downside in Eva’s world is Kat— the uppity, spoiled daughter of Ted and Nicole who hated Eva on sight. An ice cold Kat goes on and on about Eva’s lack of experience and cracks on Eva’s clothes and hairstyling employment yet rarely sees the hospitalized Laura, the girl she can’t wait to see back at the job. Kat’s instincts regarding Eva’s intentions may be right on some instances, but her behavior indicates that she views Eva as a simple peasant undeserving of respect and care. Then add the boring Tomas character as another division between Eva and Kat. The classicism was enough without a triangle element. Now we have the virgin Kat versus the around-the-way Eva with Eva having already spoken about past men discarding her. Heck, Leslie is bound to throw Eva under the bus in the same deliberate manner as throwing a framed picture of them in the trash can! Eva needs girl friends, unconditional girlfriends, not a man that her sister’s radar is failing to vet on. We’d love to see a healed Laura become Eva’s bestie, an eventual storyline of Eva rescuing Laura from more harm, and a tender slow burn romance (with a better man) for Eva. 

Eva’s devastations are felt by the viewers watching her despair. Her whole life has been a complete lie and she has to pick up the scattered pieces.

Thus, the colossal reveal happens, Eva finally learning that Ted never knew she existed, that the carefully calculated vengeance was fueled by Leslie’s jealousy of Nicole and nothing more. Kat’s then dead to Kat, fired by Nicole, and disowned and kicked out by Leslie. It is Ted who promises a hotel room and eventual apartment to the abandoned young woman who slept in her car. While Mona and the hoity-toity Dupree women Anita and Dani attempt to sink Eva’s self-esteem to lower degrees, our girl has won money at the casino (here’s looking at you, Dr. Doug McBride— the addict) and vows to begin anew. 

Side note: Leslie showed more hurt / sympathy at losing Mona’s friendship and more love for Teddy than she ever did for Eva. Goodness, a tough watch. Thankfully, Eva wasn’t present for that. 

Poor Eva.

Apparently, Eva’s March 13th fantasy of being Ted’s (Maurice Johnson) perfect daughter will come true this week right down to the blazer material. We hope she returns to her unique style that sets her apart from the other women. Surely, Ted will accept her true fashion, either or. 

Eva Thomas couldn’t be possible without portrayer Ambyr Michelle’s masterful performances each week, showcasing the extreme depth of Eva’s inner turmoil— the emotional nuances of pain, sadness, anger, and love. Michelle renders remarkable vulnerable complexities, broadcasting resilience and dignity to this wronged character, a beautiful, riveting woman determined to make amends. She operates well with her chosen scene partners, especially Trish Mann-Grant (terrific at being an unrootable doppelgänger villain). Their storyline contains the juiciest entertainment elements, the most dynamic duo to the afternoon. By putting Michelle and Grant in huge positions during the three day exposè complete with the following aftermath showed the soap’s strongest acting and direction since the debut. They both received Soap Opera News’s Performers of the Week and Michelle had this honor for Soap Wire as well. They must be bound for nominations galore at next year’s Daytime Emmy Awards. 

If anyone deserves the nod and the win— it’s Ambyr Michelle, eligible for the new Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama category. 

Eva Thomas has been on fire from the very beginning. We only hope the fuel remains lit. 

Saturday Soapy Flashback: NAACP Image Award For Outstanding Acting in a Daytime Drama

If Victoria Rowell aka The Young and the Restless’s Drucilla Barber was nominated, the other soap opera actress nominees had no chance against her at the NAACP Image Awards. She played the role on/off from 1990-2007.

Last night, the 51st Daytime Emmys aired, the last sole honor for talented soap opera actors to grasp an accolade for their proficient ability to act out three-hundred page scripts on the daily. Some are very, very good at it. Others are obvious models who believe they have what it takes beyond looking beautiful. Unfortunately, actors of color— rarely preferred over the predominantly white nominees— felt a disappointing absence when the NAACP Image Awards stopped awarding the Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 2015. The category was introduced post-Generations in January 1994– with The Young and the Restless’s Victoria Rowell and the late Kristoff St. John not having competition for the first two years of its inception. 

The Young and the Restless has eighteen wins out of twenty-one victories for actors and nineteen of twenty-two for actresses. No male actor was nominated in 1995. 

Years after One Life to Live’s Al Freeman Jr. won the first ever acting Daytime Emmy Award for a Black actor in 1979, All My Children’s Debbi Morgan was next in line. Her 1989 win, however, was shared. She won Image Awards in 2009 and 2010.

Yes, it would be fair to criticize the Image Awards for its obvious preference— Rowell has a whopping eleven wins including a few consecutive runs, St. John has ten, Shemar Moore has six, and Tatyana Ali has four. All My Children received love in the Best Actor category circa 2010, 2011, and 2012– likely because St. John wasn’t competing. Passions scored a win in 2007 for Tracey Ross (Eve Russell) and All My Children held back to back wins for Debbi Morgan’s return as Angie Baxter. 

The late Kristoff St. John won the first (1994) and the last (2014) honor in the category for portraying Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless (1991-2019).

There are only these categories per year. No supporting because quite frankly, that is the role most minorities are granted onscreen anyway— props to the leads. Still, plentiful performances were robbed of receiving recognition from that time forward including those who kept being nominated, favored for the aforementioned repeat winners. It’s on the same tier as so and so having five Best Lead trophies at the Daytime Emmys.

Currently, four soap operas are airing (Days of Our Lives is behind a paywall streaming service Peacock) until The Gates— the first primarily cast Black soap opera to air since Generations— will perhaps help boost up this dwindling genre. Although there’s no chance in heaven that the NAACP will resurrect this category, let’s look back on some who were nominated and never won versus the others coming up behind post removal.


Memorable Past Nominees

The late Kamar de los Reyes (featured in the In Memoriam segment) was nominated once for playing Antonio Vega on One Life to Live (1995-2009) and won an Alma Award in 2008. He guest starred on SEAL Team, Sleepy Hollow, The Rookie, and The Passage and films Love & Suicide and First Strike Butcher Knife. His last appearance was Coach Montes on All American and the upcoming Washington Black. 

Renee Elise Goldsberry was twice nominated for playing Evangeline Williamson on One Life to Life (2004-2007) and won a Soap Opera Digest Award for being in a lopsided love triangle. Since Goldsberry’s controversial end to the role, she’s won a Tony and Grammy and received nominations for a Critics Choice, Black Reel, and Primetime Emmy (a win here would make her an Oscar win away from EGOT status).

Retired actress Renée Jones was nominated five times for playing Stefano DiMera’s reformed daughter Lexie Carter on Days of Our Lives (1993-2012). She also played an earlier character, Nikki Wade on the soap in 1982.

Amelia Marshall was nominated three times for playing Belinda Jeffries on All My Children (1996-1999). She later moved onto the villainous Liz on Passions (2001-2004) only receiving a Soap Opera Digest nod. 

Karla Mosley was nominated once for playing Maya Avant Forester— the center of the most powerful Black story ever told on Bold and the Beautiful (2013-2019). Mosley has since starred and produced short films including the Wed-locked web series with Bold and the Beautiful and Guiding Light co-star Lawrence St. Victor.  

Peter Parros was nominated twice for playing Dr. Benjamin Harris on As the World Turns (1997-2009). Prior to, he held roles on One Life to Live and The Young and the Restless. He continues to guest star on various television series.   

Nathan Purdee— the original Nate Hastings on The Young and the Restless (1986-1993)— was nominated seven times as the District Attorney Hank Gannon on One Life to Live (1992-2009).

Timothy Stickney—a gifted thespian— was twice nominated for playing villain R. J. Gannon (Hank’s younger brother) on One Life to Live (1994-2009) and won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villain. Stickney has guest starred on various television series including Evil and Elementary and is a theatre practitioner.

Theatre actress Tamara Tunie was nominated twice for playing Attorney Jessica Griffin on As the World Turns (1987-1999). Tunie also played medical examiner Melinda Warner for twenty-one years on Law & Order SVU, worked with the phenomenal Denzel Washington twice (co-starred with him in Flight and co-starred in his directed Journal for Jordan). She has been received the Reel Sisters Trailblazer Award in 2017.

 

The trophy. 

The Never Will Be Nominated

Tabyana Ali currently plays the third Trina Robinson on General Hospital (2022-present) and there’s a lot of promise when the writers give Trina stories. Ali— a comedian— has guest starred on New Girl and the Horror Noire anthology. She wrote a short film screenplay Before it’s Too Late. 

Sean Blakemore, Daytime Emmy Award winner played Shawn Butler on General Hospital (2003-2022), first starting out as another character Chase Wright. Blackmore has since starred in many shows All Rise, Greenleaf, and Quad. He also co-starred with Shemar Moore in the scandalous x-rated drama Motives and the sequel in addition to S.W.A.T.

Tanya Boyd played Celeste Perrault, the sensuous oracle and sidekick to Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives (1994-2007). Boyd never fully received her props for bringing a Grace Jones like vibe to Salem. Meanwhile, she guest starred on many classic shows such as What’s Happening!!, Good Times, A Different World. She also directed two short films, Supremacy (2011) and Hold Up (2004). 

The late Sonya Eddy played the wise, scene-stealing Nurse Epiphany Johnson on General Hospital (2006-2022). Eddy guest-starred in various shows— Everybody Hates Chris, Black Jesus, The Black Lady Sketch Show, etc. She won a Daytime Emmy posthumously— from her first nomination. 

Jason George played the lovable doofus lifeguard Michael Bourne on Sunset Beach (1997-1999) and received a Daytime Emmy nomination. George has been seen on Girlfriends (Toe Sucking Charles is unforgettable, sorry), Eve, Roswell, and Half & Half. Currently, he stars on the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19. 

Even though most characters listed here are “goodie types,” Dominique Jennings deserved some recognition for playing the kooky Virginia Harrison on Sunset Beach (1997-1999). 

Napiera Groves as adult Bonnie McKechnie #1 on As the World Turns (2001-2004). Groves had a small part in Jordan Peale’s Us and directed/produced the full Kickstarter backed short film Aisle 2. 

Lauren B. Martin played breast cancer survivor Camille Bennett on As the World Turns (1998-2001). Martin also starred in other soaps: Another World, All My Children, and Guiding Light. Currently, she is an award-winning producer behind Anacostia, Asunder, and Reality Sets In and has several independent projects on the works. 

Sidney Mikaela, two-time Daytime Emmy nominee, played the second Trina Robinson on General Hospital (2019-2022). Mikaela is mostly remembered for playing a young Gabby Douglas in The Gabby Douglas Story and has lent her voice to animated series: Dew Drop Diaries, Fright Krewe, and Hailey’s On It! 

Mishael Morgan— first Black woman to win a leading actress in a Daytime Series Emmy and a femfilmrogue favorite— played Hilary Curtis and twin Amanda Sinclair on Young and the Restless (2013-2018 and 2019-2024 respectively). Morgan has starred in a few films and produced award nominated Sway. 

Sherri Saum played Vanessa Hart, the nosy, resourceful reporter on Sunset Beach (1997-1999) and the criminal sociology professor Keri Reynolds on One Life to Live (2001-2003). Saum starred in the hit ABC Family drama The Fosters and recently directed an episode of the spinoff Good Trouble. She also made appearances in How To Get Away With Murder, Girlfriends, and  Mrs. Davis.

Veronica Redd played the fabulous Mamie Johnson #2 off/on Young and the Restless (1990-1995, 1999-2004, 2023-present)— Jill Abbott’s best other nemesis next to the late Jeanne Cooper’s Katherine Chancellor. The first Black actor to receive a contract from The Young and the Restless, Redd also guest starred in various shows— Living Single, 227, The Jeffersons, and The Women of Brewster Place and films: The Five Heartbeats and Bluehill Avenue. 

Saturday Soapy Flashback: Antonio Vega and Keri Reynolds

 

Keri (Sherri Saum) and Antonio (the late Kamar de los Reyes) had the makings of super couple status.

“I'm just worried about her. I mean, what if she gets sucked into his world? What's going to happen to her? I mean, when that day finally comes and he gets into some serious trouble? Or worse?”— Hank Gannon’s disclosing fears to ex-wife Nora Buchanan in regards to Keri’s desire to know her biological father. Foreshadowing galore. 

The new sociology of crime professor Keri Reynolds came to Llanview, Pennsylvania believing her father was District Attorney Hank Gannon— ex-wife to Keri’s old Chicago mentor / friend Nora Buchanan, a criminal defense lawyer. It turned out Hank’s shady brother Randall James “R. J.” Gannon would be Keri’s true maker. Simultaneously, the beautiful, bookwormy Keri didn’t initially favor the handsome, charismatic, hot-tempered Antonio Vega— R. J.’s sworn enemy— either.

Yet, after several months, Keri soon fell hard for the former inmate turned police officer, helping Antonio earn his required credit and embark on a positive path that included an award-winning paper and detective status. 

Before Antonio leaves for New York City, the gorgeous professor dotes on her former student on December 17, 2001 around the holidays.

Unbeknownst to them, their main antagonist is outside watching, desperate to keep them apart. By the end, R. J. will be victorious. 

As Keri and Antonio’s pure romance blossomed, R. J. kept standing in the way, stalking Keri, ensuring that he always interrupted Keri and Antonio’s intimate moments. Antonio’s mother Carlotta wasn’t a fan of Keri either— insulting Keri’s homemade dinner, purposely spicing up her food at the diner. The doomed couple tried to live apart due to their warring families— a regular ole Romeo and Juliet situation complete with their own signature music. And if a couple has a signature music on a soap opera, you know that it’s bound to be epic! 

Cutesy moments: Antonio, Keri, and little Matthew going upstairs together holding hands on New Year’s Eve, Antonio calls Keri and later comes over to wish her a goodnight, and Antonio bringing Keri an apple for a second time and enjoying it with her on campus. 

Eventually, Keri and Antonio reunited and Carlotta accepted them as a bonafide match. 

R. J. continued scheming including Shawna’s bogus charges as an attempt to get Keri fired from Llanview University, not considering the repercussions of this colossal lie. It’s understandable that the man hates Antonio with every fiber of his soul. R. J. has to understand that the allegations were to follow Keri even to Stanford— a position she was offered in Palo Alto, California, home to Antonio’s ex-wife Andy. R. J. was not demonstrating fatherly love and care. He desired to control a daughter, to break her heart and spirit and one up Antonio. Animosity and rage blinded him to the fact that Antonio and Keri were soulmates. 

Thankfully, Antonio makes things right for his love— he gifts Keri with a gem his grandmother gave him for good luck and uses every resource to counteract Shawna and her friends’ false testimonies. He also shows his own award-winning paper’s progression— from four drafts to the completed version. They have a party afterward at the diner, Carlotta even ending it early to give Antonio and Keri the swoony kind of alone time. 

The angst and yearning stage: Antonio and Keri had difficulty trying to maintain distance during their brief breakup (after the R. J. reveal). When Antonio wins the MacKenzie Award, the tension is real. Keri’s green bug breaks down and Antonio fixes it. Unfortunately, R. J. (the stalker) interrupts them, gleefully rubbing it in that Keri is moving in with him. 

R. J. continued manipulating and gaslighting Keri, hoping to destroy not only her and Antonio, but herself too. Yet, one of Keri’s bravest moments was during “live week” (the first ever done on a soap opera). She told R. J. that his tricks were tiring and that “if he forced her to choose, he would not like the results!”  She then cancels his surprise birthday party in spite. 

From there, Keri and Antonio’s relationship strengthened. 

Irony alert: Jennifer Rappaport (Jessica Morris) tells Keri (Sherri Saum) about Cristian’s unsettling connection to Natalie Buchanan. A year later, Antonio will fall for Natalie’s sister, damsel-in-constant-distress Jessica. Jessica was also Cristian’s ex-girlfriend and a student in Keri’s class.

Dr. Rae Cummings (Linda Dano) gives Keri an old camera that has old film in it— upstarting Keri’s desire to find the man in the photo. Investigative mode Keri (similar to Sunset Beach’s reporter Vanessa Hart) is grateful to have her boo Antonio’s aid. 

As a celebration for publishing her first book, Keri treats Antonio to French cuisine and then flan at his mother’s restaurant. Carlotta tells Antonio about Keri’s $50,000 debt (planted by R. J.). Weeks later, Antonio plans a hot tub interlude, whispering Spanish anecdotes to his love, eventually revealing a surprise to an island getaway. 

Antonio and Keri’s 2002 summer Hawaii trip had everything— romance, mystery adventure, and fun times! After they follow an intriguing trail, they end the trip with surfing, bike riding, and a marriage proposal. Lots of wonderful moments between them showcasing back when soap operas had budgets for these kinds of location stories. 

Keri is mysteriously ill and Antonio takes care of her. After Antonio leaves for work, R. J. takes advantage of Keri’s condition— using her as his alibi when he helps Allison Perkins and Lindsay Rappaport escape prison. He resets all the clocks and records Keri’s TV program on brides/weddings while she’s asleep. When she awakes, Keri truly believes that she’s watching her show at its real intended time. 

Keri breaks up with Antonio because she felt he didn’t trust her. 

Antonio doesn’t want to accept the engagement ring back, still persistent that his gut is right about R. J.— who once again comes between Antonio and Keri’s beautiful thing. Keri never learns about her father’s crimes.

You wished that Antonio and Keri stayed in Hawaii rather than return to a running gag— a blind, clueless Keri remaining steadfast in her belief of R. J.’s innocence. There’s a moment when Keri doesn’t spot the yearbooks Antonio placed in their Maui hotel room and he says, “you’re not an observant detective.” This behavior is enhanced in Llanview. Keri studies crime as a profession, not as a life like Antonio. So when Lindsay Rappaport calls thinking R. J. was answering, saying “everything is set for tomorrow,” Keri does not recognize Lindsay’s voice despite attending Lindsay’s trial in support of Nora months prior. Plus, Keri’s newfound sickness worsens and she’s knocked out the next day— which oddly enough is the night Lindsay breaks free from prison. The money clip Keri also gave R. J. as a gift is at the crime scene. The clues were right in Keri’s face. When Antonio blames R. J. for the crime— rightfully so— Keri chooses her father yet again over their relationship, refusing to even think about the little pieces that could have tied it altogether. 

In fact, Keri could have singlehandedly put her father in prison if she paid attention. 

Well, Keri and Antonio have another breakup. 

A hurt, inconsolable Antonio gets into a fight with R. J., shoots Ben Davidson, and has a one night stand with Liz— Keri’s mother. Any hope for Antonio and Keri’s reconciliation has vanished. There’s no coming back from the latter. Antonio once told Shawna he didn’t do one-night-stands yet here we are. Plus, it doesn’t help that he keeps flashing back to that night and feeling grateful for Liz bringing him off the ledge. Keep in mind that Antonio and Keri have only had one major love scene— a short shot at that. 

After Keri pens Antonio a letter that he finds in her office (gawd soooooo romantic), they get back together in her Chicago hometown without discussing why they broke up, why R. J. will still be a problem for them. Instead, Keri and Antonio revert into habitual “ignorance is bliss.” Antonio does tell Keri that he had a one night stand during their break. It remains the beginning of the end anyway. You would think that as close as these two were, Keri would have shared photos containing the woman who raised her. Thus, this messy, strangely incestuous quad ties Antonio and R. J. together— being that they both created “children” with Liz. When Liz realizes she cannot carry a child to term, Keri is to be surrogate. That’s soap opera logic. 

Nothing ever makes complete sense. 

So we’re strapped in for an awful baby storyline when Antonio and Keri deserve better material. Earlier that year, they weren’t ready for children and now a little girl is on the way. It turns out the baby is not Liz and Antonio’s— Keri’s and Antonio’s likely conceived during their Hawaii vacation. Yet, we are robbed of celebrating this fortunate news since a crushed Keri decides to leave town with the baby in tow. Grossly enough, Keri names her daughter Jamie after R. J.— a man who plotted Keri and Antonio’s demise since the beginning. 

This third and final breakup—again initiated by Keri—put the nail on them. 

Keri’s 2003 surprise birthday party had foreshadowing galore. Her saying she couldn’t wait to celebrate many birthdays with Antonio when this would be her last. Antonio is crashing due to learning that the baby Keri is carrying may be his and Liz’s. Except fate did Antonio and Keri a bittersweet favor— meaning she had been pregnant before their first breakup. What a heartbreaking discovery. 

A step from being similar to Sunset Beach’s deranged Virginia Harrison, Keri began to suffer the same writing pipeline as Julia Lindsay on As the World Turns— the good girl transforming into a completely different character in order to make her competition look better. Keri (who cruelly faked her and Jamie’s deaths) returns from hiding in Toronto. She centers Antonio as the object of her desires as opposed to her child and professional career. You miss her sweet friendships with Rae and Nora, her sweet disposition altogether. Perhaps it’s a mere development of postpartum resulting in Keri’s painful discovery of her mother and Antonio (which caused Keri’s early labor in the first place) and the aftermath of Jamie’s maternity. Thus, Keri’s constant lies— lashing out at Antonio, pretending that he was physically abusing her, and harming Jessica’s kitten was such a severe opposite of an honest, smart, sweet-natured woman. This is the same person who had Antonio searching all over Hawaii for “Mark?” The same who joked about her financial situation? The same who wrote thoughtful cards and letters? 

The writers did not want this couple to thrive, to have any longevity. They did not have any soap opera magazine cover stories and were almost a background in their own on-location storyline. It had to become as ugly as possible. The optics were terrible— the comparison to Jessica (who Antonio would later have try to replace Keri as Jamie’s mother). Keri ultimately was a shadow of her former self, completely unrecognizable. You would almost believe that this was an evil twin masquerade. Her last months onscreen seemed a requirement to strengthen the foundation for Antonio and Jessica— who were already sharing scenes during Keri’s final trimester— aka chem testing. 

Furthermore, R. J. hides Keri’s suicide note addressed to Antonio. Instead of doing right by honoring his daughter’s final wishes, R. J. frames Antonio for her murder while trying to gain custody of Jamie— another little girl he would have potentially undermined and ruined. Such a sick man. 

The most hurtful part is that there was no funeral for Keri, no final goodbye for Keri and Antonio with their daughter. 

Keri and Antonio were the only people of color pairing nominated and one of the newer relationships for the Daytime Emmys America’s Favorite Couple Award in 2002, especially huge considering that Todd and Blair and Bo and Nora are still the most known on One Life to Live.   

It is undeniable that Keri and Antonio’s chemistry was off the charts— smoldering, intense, and oh so addictive. It seemed truly believable that these two struck their first foray into love and that nothing could get in their way, especially late 2001- summer 2002. Yet most remember Antonio’s later pairings more so and not the incredible woman Jamie’s mother was. If only Keri realized the extent of R. J.’s villainy, if only Antonio’s one night stand never happened (he once told Shawna that they weren’t his thing)… Keri and Antonio would have had the storybook soap wedding of their dreams and raised Jamie surrounded in that love. Secrets are always revealed in soap opera, but somehow R. J. got away with destroying Keri’s life. 

Antonio and Keri. 

Still, is it any wonder that portrayers Sherri Saum and Kamar de los Reyes fell for each other offscreen too? Our hearts go out to Sherri as Kamar passed away from cancer on Christmas Eve last year. They had been married seventeen years and share twins, last starring together in former costar Michael Easton’s 2017 short film, First Strike Butcher Knife. 

The Keri and Antonio clips were made possible with the incredible archival channels of OG Soap Fan, AMC & OLTL Fans, and the Wild Hearts Loser Club OLTL playlists exception of December 17, 2001 from Cheap83x21 on YouTube. I highly recommend binging them for the weekend, stopping before the second breakup. Their tragic enthrallment reminds me of why I loved soap operas growing up and why constant changing writing regimes can ruin what could have been exceptional super couple history. Their later months give sabotage, ensuring a tainted legacy for Keri’s character, a woman who said, “I thought that my gift was helping people to open their minds and see things in a new way— and I thought I was going to do that forever.” 

So beautiful. 

Props to Sherri and Kamar for gifting viewers the treasure that was Keri and Antonio. May an old pairing from twenty plus years ago continue to flourish in the minds of those who will forever fan them. 

edited* May 6, 2024