It’s strange to think of how influential the NBC Daytime lineup was to me back in the 80’s, and it was on those soap operas where I found expression for my love of drama and intrigue and over-the-top lifestyles and behavior. While my grandmother introduced me to ‘Days of Our Lives’, it was ‘Santa Barbara’ that caught my interest (rather helpfully, as at that time we didn’t even have a VCR to catch a show, so a 1 PM airtime for Days didn’t work well with school – ‘Santa Barbara’ was just getting started when I usually got home, so I didn’t have to rely solely on Soap Opera Digest to keep me up to date.
One of my favorite characters, Julia Capwell, was a no-nonsense lawyer who held her own with Mason Capwell and just about anyone who crossed her path. It was a performance grounded by the natural presence and power of Nancy Lee Grahn, who has made a lifelong career in an industry where only the strongest and most talented survive. She just won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series. More impressive of late, and the main reason for this Dazzler of the Day crowning, is her online voice against the current fascist administration. She tells it like it is, and isn’t afraid to take a stand for what is right and just – she has more spine and integrity than the majority of those in Congress right now.
