Interview (OLTL): Crystal Hunt on Leaving OLTL, Part One

Crystal Hunt (pictured left, photo by Robert Milazzo) was recently killed off “One Life to Live” after playing bad-girl Stacy Morasco for the past year. Love or hate Crystal’s character, Crystal herself is anything but the dastardly diva that Stacy was.

Crystal fully acknowledges that Stacy was quite the schemer, but admits: “She was a blast. I absolutely loved playing her. I got to do things I wouldn’t normally do. I wouldn’t withhold stem cells from my nephew; I wouldn’t be a stripper. And I definitely wouldn’t go after my sister’s man — that’s for sure.”

Some of her fondest memories are when she was scheming with Kim, played by Amanda Setton. “Everything that she did with Kim I love, because they were like the dynamic duo. We played off each other so well. Every scene with Stacy and Kim, the audience knew they were up to no good and that there’s going to be trouble. And that was so much fun to play, especially with two people working toward the same end, and you have an ally. We were each other’s wingman in bringing our schemes to fruition.”

With Stacy’s story line coming to its natural end and Crystal eager to start new acting projects, she knew it was time to move on from “OLTL.” But that doesn’t mean she’s left the fond memories behind.

“I miss Amanda, for sure,” Crystal reveals. “She and I used to work with each other almost every single day. There was never a day where I didn’t give her a huge hug when I saw her. It’s funny, because the first day we met, it was written into the scene that I had to grab her boob. And she was like: ‘It’s OK. I don’t care.’ So here I am, grabbing her boob. From that day on, it was like we had known each other for years.

“I also miss Bree Williamson like crazy; she was my dressing-room roommate. We used to hang out on set with each other and have lunch together all the time.”

Crystal also has fond memories of her years spend on “Guiding Light,” where she played Lizzie Spaulding from 2003 to 2006. “I grew up there. I got there when I was 17 and left when I was almost 21. I spent a lot of my teen years there, where you change from a teenager to an adult. It happened with them. That was the hardest show to leave, because I truly and genuinely loved them all very much.”

Because of her strong connection to “GL,” she was devastated when she learned of its cancellation in 2009. “I was so upset. I got teary-eyed. I found out on my way to the studio. There’s an area where fans hang out outside the studio, and I was there signing some autographs, and they asked me how I felt about ‘GL’ being canceled. I thought they must be mistaken. I was distraught, especially to find out that way.”

Tune in next week when Crystal discusses the anxiety of being nominated for an Emmy, and the special charity that is near and dear to her heart.