INTERVIEW: Crystal Chappell Dishes Beacon Hill, The Bold and The Beautiful and More!
The hardest-working soap star on the web is at it again! In a partnership with lesbian-themed book publisher, Bella Books, Crystal Chappell is set to debut her latest web soap, Beacon Hill.
We caught up with Chappell to get all the dish on her latest venture. She also reveals which of her many daytime soap screen partners she misses smooching...
Daytime Confidential: Where did the idea for Beacon Hill come from?
Crystal Chappell: The idea for Beacon Hill came from the ladies at Bella Books. After years in the book distribution business, they decided to break into web series. They contacted Open Book in January of 2013. We loved the script! Formed a partnership and now here we are.
DC: What can you tell us about Claire Preston? What drives her?
CC: Claire is the daughter of a powerful Senator played by Ron Raines. She's lived her life in the public eye, and, of course, her father has very suffocating expectations of her. She lives in her own world drowning her pain in booze, but she also has a secret....a secret that if any one knew, would blow up the political world in Beacon Hill.
DC: Where your first web soap, Venice, was centered mainly on the relationship between two women, Beacon Hill, while exploring lesbian themes, is about two rival political families. What made you want to explore this world?
CC: Again, this is all Bella. I loved the idea of a political drama. Two families working to secure their own position in Beacon Hill, but someone has to lose. The lead characters, Sarah (Alicia Minshew) and Kate (Sarah Brown), once in love, come back into each others lives, but in the heat of political change.
DC: Politics are hot right now on TV, from Scandal to Homeland, to the Netflix original drama House of Cards. Will Beacon Hill tackle similar ripped-from-Washington-Post-headlines story arcs?
Recommended Articles
CC: Of course! The first season touches on some political themes but really focuses on who these characters and families are — positioning.
DC: Speaking of House of Cards, you were ahead of the curve when it came to bringing dramas to the web. Does the success Netflix and Amazon is having online galvanize you even more?
CC: I felt from the beginning that the web would be an exciting place to showcase different types of shows. It's on-the-go viewing! It's exciting to see how much it has grown and the content is amazing!
DC: Brad Bell has gone on the record saying he wants to do more with the lesbian storyline on The Bold and the Beautiful. Will we be seeing more of Dani and Karen soon?
CC: I was contacted a few weeks ago to check on my availability for B&B, so my guess is yes.
DC: Your TV wife, Joanna Johnson, is having major success with ABC Family's The Fosters. Do you ever get a chance to pick one another's brains about your sapphic serials?
CC: Joanna is awesome! I'm so happy for her, and The Fosters is a slam dunk, brilliant show! We stay in touch and are very supportive of one another. Yeah, we've discussed writing, producing, kids. I just miss kissing her...
