Julia Campbell:
"We Made Love in an Oyster Shell"
Daytime TV Magazine, November 1986
by Janet Di Lauro
Article Provided By SabrinaWhen it comes to doing love scenes, Julia Campbell's really in the swing of things!
Julia Campbell was finally beginning to feel like she belonged in New York City. “People weren’t staring at me like I was a foreigner any more, when I got on the subway,” she laughs. “I was starting to feel like a real New Yorker.”
But, as fate would have it, Julia’s days as a Manhattanite were numbered. Her role as Katie Thompson Greenberg on Ryan’s Hope had just about run its course.
“Once Katie and Dave got married, neither Scott Holmes nor I were working much,” explains Julia. “Then, Scott’s contract came up for renewal, and he decided not to re-sign. So, I really didn’t have anywhere to go storyline-wise.
“My agent and I met with the Ryan’s Hope producers and we all decided it would be best for me to leave the show, too. TV pilot season in L.A. was coming up, and I wanted to be free for that.”
That was the first week of December, 1985. By the end of the month Santa Barbara had contacted Julia about an audition.
“They wanted me to try out for the role of Hayley,” recalls Julia. “But then they decided I was a little bit too old for that part. They told me they were going to get back to me with another part. I really didn’t believe they actually would, but they did!
“I was in St. Louis at the time, doing some modeling,” she continues. “I got a call to test for Courtney Capwell. I flew to California and screen-tested with Robert Thaler (who plays Courtney’s beau, Pearl). It went very well. I felt good about it the minute I walked off the set. I remember thinking, ‘I could definitely get this part. I could be moving to California.’
“So, I went back home to New York, and a week later I learned I’d gotten the job. That was on a Friday. I had to start taping that Monday.”
So Julia packed her bags, sublet her apartment to good friend Cain Devore (Chip, One Life to Life), and took the next flight to California.
“It was crazy,” she recalls. “Everything happened so fast. Luckily, I adjusted to California life pretty quickly.
“A friend of mine moved out here the same time I did, so we found an apartment together. It’s a really nice place—a beautiful, sunny townhouse. It’s a lot bigger than what I was used to, and would you believe I pay less than half the rent I did in New York?”
Aside from the cost of living, Julia has found a few other differences between life on an East Coast versus a West Coast soap.
“For one thing the atmosphere is so different on Santa Barbara,” she notes. “Everyone’s so positive, so proud to be on this show. We rehearse constantly. I feel like part of a real team.”
“Getting recognized is a lot different out here, too. In New York you’re in constant contact with people. I used to get spotted wherever I went. But in California the only place I ever see any fans are at the grocery store. If it weren’t for supermarkets, I wouldn’t know anybody was watching me on Santa Barbara,” she laughs.
Julia is also glad to be playing a character with a bit more spunk this time around.
“Katie was so good. Courtney’s a bit more mischievous…a little devilish, but she’s got a good heart. She’s just not so good that you get sugar shock from watching her!
“I’ve even gotten to do my first real love scene on Santa Barbara. On Ryan’s Hope Katie never slept with Dave, not even after they were married. I’ve finally gotten my first on-screen experience,” giggles Julia.
“I thought it would be a lot scarier than it was, but it wasn’t. Robert and I were too busy worrying about bumping noses, keeping the sheets up, and not blocking each other’s shots,” she laughs. “Plus I had to be careful how I moved in my body stocking. I didn’t want to pop out!
“Actually, Robert and I had a lot of fun that day. We laughed a lot. After all, we were making love in a giant oyster shell. I can’t ever imagine Katie and Dave doing that!”
Santa Barbara gave Julia the chance
to do her very first bed scene. "I
thought it would be scarier," she
says. "But Robert Thaler (Pearl)
and I weren't nervous at all.