Interview: OLTL's Blair Takes It All in Stride

Blair Cramer has been the originator and recipient of much trouble since coming to Llanview in 1991, and definitely since Kassie DePaiva took over the role in 1993. The latest drama to enfold on One Life to Live has Blair’s ex-husband, Todd, planning to fake his grandchild’s death so that he can raise the child together with amnesiac (and presumed-dead) Marty.

After all these years, trouble still manages to find Blair, and that is just they way Kassie likes it. “I don’t want life to be tame for her,” Kassie admits. “I like the excitement, although it does get a little exhausting in real life and on the soap opera. But it’s all good.”

Kassie hints that even more trouble is brewing than viewers originally thought. “Blair is gonna have her hands full with the turn of events in the next month, because once you think things have settled in, something else happens. Starr is giving the baby up, and there’s a lot of things that’s going to come out with the birth of that baby.”

While it seems inconceivable that Todd and Blair could even be old enough to be grandparents, Kassie takes it all in good humor. “Blair’s probably not the youngest grandmother around, but it is a little shocking. I really don’t even think about it. And it doesn’t change her stride at all.”

She adds with a laugh, “She still puts on a red dress, so it doesn’t matter.”

Blair has been making some inroads lately toward getting Todd out of her life, and even has a new guy, John. But will Todd ever truly be out of Blair’s life? Kassie explains: “I think once all of this (Todd’s kidnapping scheme) comes to light, it will be easier for her to choose to be with John. I think it’s easy for her to be away from Todd, but it’s one of those things where she might not be romantically linked to him, but she’s always going to be linked to him through their children and through their past. There’s no way around that.”

Kassie also has her own take on Todd’s outrageous plan for his daughter’s baby. “As a longtime viewer and somebody who understands Todd’s psychotic behavior, I think he truly believes that he’s got this clean slate now with Marty, and if he can somehow get her to believe that he is the good person that he is and not the bad person that he was, then he’ll absolve himself. People who are that narcissistic truly believe that. I think he truly believes that he can pull this off and that everything will be perfect.”

One new development that Kassie is really enjoying is relationship between John and Blair. “I love their relationship. I think that it’s very adult; there are no apologies. This is adult, it’s mature, it’s fun, and it’s a little sexy.”

Soap fans can catch Kassie in person on Nov. 15 and 16 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla., for Super Soap Weekend. “This is the last one that they have scheduled, so that makes me very sad. But they have ‘Soap Nation’ planned for next year, which is a series smaller fan events in other cities across the country, so we should be able to branch out and reach maybe a broader fan base that way. I will personally miss Super Soap Weekend. I know it’s a fan favorite, and it is also a really incredible experience for everyone. Since this is going to be the last one, I’m sure they’re gonna make it memorable.”