Fans of OLTL know the marriage between Bo and Nora Buchanan has weathered some pretty heavy storms since the couple exchanged vows - but none has been as difficult and destructive as that brought on by the machinations of the now deceased Georgie Phillips. But even with Bo facing charges for murdering his alleged extramarital "lover," Nora still managed to keep the faith and stand dutifully by her accused spouse.
Hillary B. Smith, whose refreshing portrayal of Nora continues to be a highlight of the show, spoke with SOM recently to give us her take on the complicated goings-on in her character's rather dizzying existance.
SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE: Did Nora ever doubt Bo's innocence during the period right after Georgie's death when the evidence seems to keep mounting against him?
HILLARY B. SMITH: Bo's innocence? No. She knew he didn't kill Georgie - that was never up for debate in her mind. She just knew that Bo, the man she married, the man she loves, could not be capable of murder. Nora knew immediately from the first second she discovered Georgie had been killed, that Bo could never have done it. The affair is a different story though. It took a little while for her to totally believe that there had never been an affair going on between her husband and this girl. That doubt was there - despite the fact that Nora was absolutely sure Bo could not have been responsible for Georgie's death.
SOM: What about all the evidence? Did Nora consider any of it particularly devestating?
HBS: Well, the fact that Georgie was carrying a baby hit her hard, and then discovering that the baby's blood type was the same as Bo's was really overwhelming. It kind of made her stop and step back from the situation to say, "Oh God, maybe he did sleep with her, maybe he was having an ongoing affair with this woman..."
SOM: So how was she able to stand by and continue fighting for him with that doubt when it might have been easy for her to walk away at that point?
HBS: It would never have been easy to walk away from Bo. Plus, he told her, he said, "I didn't do it." That answer was enough for her at that point because she knows Bo is not a liar. He isn't capable of lying about something like that, something that important. It was a leap of faith on her part - it was belief in Bo and his word. Nora absolutely believed Bo despite the evidence which kept hitting them at every turn.
SOM: Do you think there will always be a tiny glimmer of doubt in Nora's mind from now on regarding the alleged affair?
HBS: No, she believes him totally. There is no longer question in her mind about it - she knows he did not cheat on her, and that's the end of that story for her.
SOM: What about her feelings for Sam and the fact that Nora threw herself at him the night of Georgie's murder?
HBS: That came not from an affection for Sam so much as from a need to be appreciated and loved by someone at that moment. I mean yes, there is affection for Sam on Nora's part, but that is not what that night was about. She was feeling betrayed, and she needed to feel wanted by someone - Sam was the one who was there for her.
SOM: What does Nora feel for Sam now that he's calling Llanview home?
HBS: There's nothing greater than being adored by somebody, and a past love like Sam always holds a very special place in the heart - especially after a relationship that wasn't completed. Things with the two of them were sort of left undefined and unrealized, and he is so adoring and supportive of her that there are residual feelings, even feelings of ownership. The relationship with the two of them ended years ago when he wanted her to go to Tahiti with him and sort of said, "Meet me at the airport." She realized she couldn't go because she had a child, responsibilities, so she couldn't just take off like that. Ultimately, Nora realized in her heart that it was time to move on, so the relationship ended.
SOM: What about Drew? What kind of stress does his presence put on Bo and Nora's marriage?
HBS: To give you some idea of what Nora thinks about Drew, she was convinced that he was the murderer for a while there. She even brought it to Hank's attention, which ultimately got Bo freed from jail and caused even more tension between her and Bo in the process. Nora had never understood Drew - she thought she did in the beginning when he first came to town, but then she found out differently. He scammed her once, and now she doesn't trust him as far as she can throw him. For Bo's sake, Nora would love nothing more than for Drew to become the model son, but in her mind, he is still the con artist. That doesn't sit well with Nora, especially because she has such a love of justice. She cannot abide someone who operates the way Drew repeatedly has. Obstructing justice, or any of the games Drew has played that get in the way of the truth being revealed, is detestable to Nora.
SOM: Bo decided to keep Nora in the dark the whole time Georgie was coming on to him. Isn't that sort of like "obstructing justice"?
HBS: That's a major source of anguish for her. She has said to him, "I understand why you did it - I don't agree with it, but I understand." She also withheld information from him on how intense things got between her and Sam in the hotel the night of the murder, but she later came clean with him about it. In defense of both of them, they were operating under the guise of protection, of protecting one another.
SOM: Will their marriage ever be the same again?
HBS: (laughs) We'll just have to wait and see, now - won't we?
Art Smith
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