Denise Alexander Interview Archive (2010, 2013)

Actress and longtime soap opera star Denise Alexander was beloved by fans for her portrayal of Lesley Webber on General Hospital and Susan Hunter Martin on Days of our Lives.  

Early in her career Alexander voiced characters on multiple radio soaps before making her Broadway debut in “The Children’s Hour”. On primetime television she made appearances on classics Father Knows Best, The Twilight Zone and The Danny Kaye Show. In the early 1960s she moved to daytime TV on the CBS soap The Clear Horizon.

She joined the cast of Days of our Lives in 1966 as Susan, where she rose to stardom during her seven-year run. She left Days in 1973 and joined the cast of General Hospital as Lesley to help give the ratings-challenged ABC soap a boost. Lesley fell for Rick Webber (Chris Robinson) and became entangled in a love triangle with rival Monica Bard (Leslie Charleson). Lesley also confessed to the murder of David Hamilton, a crime her daughter Laura (Genie Francis) committed. Her acting earned Alexander a Emmy nomination in 1976 for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.

When storyline called for Lesley to be killed off in a car accident in 1984, fans became outraged. (Editor's Note: Alexander shared the what really happened back then, off the record).  It wasn’t until 12 years later in 1996 that it was revealed that Lesley was actually alive. In between the two soaps, Alexander appeared on NBC’s Another World as Mary McKinnon, working once again with Robinson during a portion of her three-year stint.  She last appeared on General Hospital in 2021.

Denise Alexander passed away in March at age 85, which led me to revisit the times we spoke (always by phone).  Below are my interviews with Alexander from 2010 and 2013 below.

First published in November 2010

ROGER NEWCOMB: You were involved in the industry when it was transitioning from radio to TV.
DENISE ALEXANDER: At the tail end of it. I got to do a little bit of everything.

Interview Revisited: Ellen Holly on the Early Years of 'One Life to Live'

We Love Soaps TV traveled to Westchester County, New York, in 2012 to speak with daytime television legend Ellen Holly about her storied career. In the never-before-released video below, Ms. Holly talks about the early years of ABC soap opera One Life to Live, which premiered in 1968 and featured her character, Carla.

Interview Revisited: Larkin Malloy on the Nelson Aspen 'Where Are They Now Tour' (2010)

Serial Scoop Now is back! Look for brand new content in the coming months as well as interviews from my personal archive. Some have been offline for years while others will include never before seen material. Kicking things off is a video interview from March 2010 with Emmy-nominated Edge of Night actor Larkin Malloy, who passed away in 2016. The interview was conducted by Nelson Aspen as part of his "Where Are They Now Tour" series for We Love Soaps.

Malloy, who came in at #45 on the We Love Soaps 50 Greatest Soap Actors of All Time list, played Sky Whitney on Edge of Night, Kyle Sampson on Guiding Light, Travis Montgomery on All My Children and Clay Alden on Loving. He also had a memorable guest run as Dr. Weston on As the World Turns.

The complete interview has been offline for a decade. Watch it below.

'Serial Scoop Now': James Kiberd Previews "The Crusade of Connor Stephens"

Actor and artist James Kiberd is best known to soap opera fans for his 11-year stint as Trevor Dillon on ABC's All My Children. That followed a memorable run as Mike Donovan on Loving, and a few months as Dustin Trent on NBC's Another World. Following All My Children, he stepped in for a time as Hal Munson on CBS' As the World Turns. In addition to his work on daytime dramas, Kiberd is a talented artist and stage performer. He was named Best Actor earlier this year at the 2017 Midtown International Theater Festival for his portrayal of Big Jim in "The Crusade of Connor Stephens," a new play written and directed by Dewey Moss

In "The Crusade of Connor Stephens," extreme loss shakes a Texas family as it comes to terms with a tragic act of violence. In the midst of widespread media attention, their story becomes an allegory for the national debate over religion, tolerance and the seedlings of hate. With humor and resilience, they will confront the ghosts of the past and discover the brutal universal truths that define the American family in the 21st century.

In the latest episode of Serial Scoop Now (2.19), the multi-talented Kiberd talks about his time on soaps and his latest stage role. Watch below.