|
Fiona Hutchison returns Gabrielle Medina to Llanview to settle an old score Soaps In Depth July 10, 2001 By:Irene Vitale 
For a decade, rumors ran rampant that Fiona Hutchison was returning to One Life to Live as guileful Gabrielle Medina. But the gossip really was no more than that. “It was always just a typical lunch date when a new producer came on the show,” reveals the actress, who after leaving Llanview in 1991, shone on Guiding Light (as jewel thief Jenna Bradshaw) and As The World Turns (as Celia Fresher, a lunatic desperate to get a piece of the rock). “A couple of times there were offers made by OLTL, but they weren’t really serious.” Finally, a breakfast meeting with OLTL’s latest exec. producer, Gary Tomlin, provided Hutchison with more than an excuse to order eggs Benedict. “they had a good story, and mapped it all out for me,” she relates. Adds Tomlin” “We wanted to bring back an actress who the audience adores. We also saw it as an opportunity to get back Max [Gabrielle’s ex-husband] being a romantic rogue again.” “There’s A Lot Of Hurt” So far, Hutchison has had an easy time reacclimating herself to Llanview. However, her ex-con alter ego may have it tougher. “I’m home in every sense,” she says. “But it’s a very dangerous, dysfunctional home for Gabrielle. There is a lot of resentment and mistrust, a lot of hurt and pain. “She feels that Max deserted her when she needed him most,” she continues. “She fantasized that love would conquer all. he saved her from the convent [years ago], so why couldn’t he save her from jail?” “All Have Us have Changed” Such questionable reasoning has led Gabrielle to marry Max's "pa,' Asa, out of spite. Nonetheless, that match made in hell will open a new chapter of Gabrielle's relationship with Max rather than close the book on them. "One has to realize that you can't be what you were," she says, acknowledging that it's been nearly 15 years since she and James DePaiva first acted opposite one another. "But the exciting thing is that we have laid the groundwork for those who do remember us. For people who never have seen me, I hope the merits [of the story] will be there on their own. 'But" she adds, 'we have to realize that its been years. All of us have changed." 
We were very good friends first,"
“The Light Of Our Lives” Personally, Hutchison has changed for the better. Happily married since 1994 to writer/director John Viscardi (once the OLTL priest that Gabrielle tried to corrupt), the couple are raising sons Hutch, 4, and Trevor, 3, between their Manhattan digs and a home in the country. "They are absolutely the light of our lives,' says Mom. “This is the best thing John and I have ever done.” "Motherhood has taught me to have a great deal more patience," she continues. "And I've also learned to have fun on an hour-and-a-half's sleep! You can either choose to be grumpy, or get up and go do something that makes you feel good. If you go with all the downs that you get, you'd never enjoy the waking hours." “I Cannot Believe I Am Back!” Currently, Hutchison is enjoying every waking moment of her new life in Llanview. "In the years that I've been away, I've been fortunate enough to have had some lovely experiences," she reflects. 'I've never stopped having fun since the day I started in the business. "Now," she concludes, "I cannot believe I am back on OLTL, lucky enough to be working with people whom I adore."
|
