Stephanie has this to say about Jennifer's reaction to her unique situation of being the object of two men's affections, husband Peter (R, Jason Brooks)and ex-husband Jack (L, Mark Valley), She wants to keep her family together. She wants to be loyal and wants to believe that other people are being loyal to her. Fiercely loyal!"
Stepping into a coveted role that was previously played by a beloved actress is hard enough without constant scrutiny by the press and fans, but Stephanie Cameron has handled her transition into the role of Jennifer with a graceful ease. In her first four days of taping, Stephanie (and her castmates) recorded nine shows--and that was before she was given the chance to become acclimated with a character that is as much a part of the tapestry of Salem as any other.
In the beginning, I didn't have a chance to be nervous," she admits.
"The memorization of all the shows took all my time so then, it was much more slipping into the character. At first it was more of a time crunch for everybody, everyone did nine shows. Everyone was doing it.
"I feel a lot more comfortable now. I don't know if I want to say I'm settled, because then that would mean I am comfortable, I do. And I'm glad, because it was hard. Just trying to get to know everybody well was difficult."
Now, looking back on the tough time, Stepahnie can laugh about those first harrowing days as she explains, "It's still hard for me to watch those early shows." When asked why, she laughed and replied, "Because I think, 'Ugh!'"
This St.Louis native may think she didn't exactly have it all together in the beginning, but in those first days, she won the respect of her fellow castmates, particularly Jason Brooks(Peter) who has stated, "I think that Stephanie brings a different quality to Jen than Melissa did. It's different and most notably, (laughs) Stephanie is much taller than Melissa, so now, you can actually see my eyes when I talk to her!" The level of frienship she has reached with her leading men lends itself to an off-screen banter that Stephanie finds a joy, particularly when it came time to learning about her character's background. "One time I asked Jason, 'What did Peter really do with Jude?' because I didn't know and he said, 'I can't tell you that! I'm not going to tell you!' And he didn't" she says laughing.
Speaking of which, being in a heated romantic triangle also leads to yet another pleasant situation for Stephanie, being the object of two handsome men's affections!
"A blond and a brunette!" she laughs heartily. "Two men vying for my attention!"
But in all seiousness, olaying Jennifer has given Stephanie the chance to spread her acting wings to their farthest reach. She relishes the chance to sink her teeth into a role where it seems the women(without her knowledge)holds all the cards.
"I like Jennifer's loyalty, her dedication to holding her family together", Stephanie explains, "even though at times, its frustrating. I think she's coming into her own and standing up for herself against Jack(Mark Valley), so she's growing."
But, when I asked what it is, do you think, that makes Jennifer want to believe everything Peter says to her? She muses and answers and answers, "She wants to keep her family together. She wants to be loyal and wants to believe that other people are being loyal to her. Fiercely loyal! It is mostly my feeling towards Jack at one time, or whatever, whether he's getting my goat or telling me my husband's a murderer. It is confusing to not know which way he is going.
"It's interesting, the conflict between Jack and Peter. I think there is a good dynamic in it, that relationship with everybody. But Peter and Jack being at each other's throats, I feel like something has to be resolved sooner or later. I feel like a fan!"
In the meantime, Stephanie is having a blast with her newfound fame["The fans are real nice. To know that people like the show and are okay with me in this role is wonderful."] and is finding it a little easier to kick back and enjoy the exciting roller-coaster ride being a castmember of Days has to offer.*
© By Lucille Giordana-Barilla from Days Of Our Lives Magazine.
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