From: Soaps in Depth, 1992
Story by: Madeline Scheier

It was just another run-of-the-mill day for three Another World actors. Or was it? Instead of routinely arriving for a workday at the NBC studio in Brooklyn, New York, Mitch Longley (Byron), Jensen Buchanan (Marley) and Chris Bruno (Dennis) took a detour to Mahwah, New Jersey, for a day of fun, sun and tennis.

It wasn't a well-deserved day off for the three actors, who were embroiled in a steamy love triangle. The remote, a tennis match between Byron and Dennis, took place at the Woodland Hills Country Club condominium complex and was strictly storyline-dictated. Although Byron and Dennis have been battling over the affection of Marley back in Bay City, according to Associate Producer Scott Collishaw, "The match isn't about who will get Marley. It's about Byron overcoming certain obstacles and fears. Ultimately, we want it to be a peak emotionally for these three."

The producers also wanted to showcase actor Mitch Longley's spectacular tennis skills. Originally, says Longley, the writers had planned for Dennis and Byron to face off in a basketball match. "But basketball is not my best sport," Longley laughs. "I suggested tennis. I thought it would come off a lot better."


Longley was an avid tennis player prior to the car accident he had several years ago that left him paralyzed. "After the accident, I saw a wheelchair tennis exhibition. I thought, 'I could beat these guys.' I became a member of the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis - they play all over the United States."

Dressed in tennis togs, the actors arrived at 6:30 a.m and hit the clay courts ninety minutes later. Bruno forgot his racquet, but the prop department was prepared with three extra ones. Executive Producer Michael Laibson recalls, "The hardest part [of the day] was trying to keep the boys from playing tennis when they weren't supposed to be playing tennis with each other. They kept walloping the ball back and forth when they were supposed to be standing still, so we kept having to de-sweat them." When they weren't perspiring, Longley and Bruno were taking direction, whether they liked it or not.

"Byron had to throw his racquet. It was weird for me because I don't do that ... not since I was eight years old," Longley chuckles. The actor was also instructed to take a few spills. "It was gruelingly hot, and we had Mitch falling out of the chair. He did that a dozen times," recalls Associate Producer Collishaw. "We also had Chris falling down as part of the remote. The two of them were troopers."

But were the actors really playing tennis, or were they just following directions? Collishaw explains that each serve and point was scripted. Longley and Bruno had to follow directions to a tee. Did the match ever become competitive? "I think Byron was the more competitive one," says Longley. "But when it comes to athletics, Chris is definitely more competitive."

Longley and Bruno played straight through the day, except when they were forced to stop mid-game and wait for several small airplanes to pass overhead. When they weren't slamming and returning shots, the actors pitched in with everyone on the set and helped retrieve the five hundred tennis balls Another World purchased for the day. Collishaw is hoping the show can donate the barely used tennis balls to a local charity.


Although Marley wasn't seen showing off her backhand on the court, Jensen Buchanan admits she had the easiest job of the day - sitting in the umpire's chair, keeping score and watching Longley and Wheeler duke it out. "I kicked back and caught some sun. When we had a break, I bonked the ball around," she says, adding, "Remotes are fun!"

But it wasn't all fun and games for the actors. The falls Longley took were real. "This was a first for me," he admits. "When you fall and you don't mean to, your instincts come into play. I had to make it look realistic. [Hopefully] people's perceptions [of the disabled] are going to change. People in wheelchairs are not glass. We can fall and not break," he states. "There were several spectators watching us," recalls Buchanan. "And when Mitch fell out of the wheelchair, everyone caught their breath. He waved to them and said, 'Everything is cool.' "