Fancy's pairing with Luis launched Emily Harper into the hearts of PASSIONS fans, but who knew it would take Luis' execution to land her in her first wedding dress!
Soap Opera Weekly: Have you enjoyed life as Galen Gering's love interest?
Emily Harper: He's so much fun to work with. It's been crazy since Fancy and Luis paired up — from chasing Beth and Marty in Rome to going through training and becoming a cop. Then everyone in town got framed, and now we've got Luis' execution and the wedding. A lot has gone on in the last year.
Weekly: How was your first daytime wedding?
Harper: I loved it. I felt like a princess. I'm nowhere near getting married in real life, so this was the first wedding dress I've tried on. It was beautiful. My parents watch the show and are my biggest fans. I'm sure they got sentimental about it, as well. I said, "Soak it up, because the real one is not going to be for a while!"
Weekly: What is it like having a sister, Pretty, on the show?
Harper: I love it! Melinda (Sward, Pretty) is absolutely talented and fun to work with. She's very committed. I've seen her do the sweet, nice thing and then flip it around in the scene and turned into crazy. She has amazing range.
Weekly: Is that what we can expect from Pretty?
Harper: You can expect a lot of trouble! And this is a different type of trouble than when Fancy showed up, because Pretty is angry and wants revenge. At the same time, Pretty's a Crane. Like her siblings, she's been neglected by her parents, traveled the world and done cotillion and boarding school. In that regard, she's much like Fancy, which is why they got along when they were growing up together.
Weekly: What is the energy like at work with the run on NBC about to wrap?
Harper: We finished [production] on Aug. 1 and return [to production for] DirecTV on Aug. 20, so there's a lot of anticipation. Changes are happening, as we speak. Not everyone in the cast, crew and production is coming back, so that's bittersweet, but I'm thrilled to work with my castmates who are coming back. It wouldn't feel right if PASSIONS had shifted cosmetically and the whole face of the show was different. We're hoping the fans make the switch to DirecTV. My parents already got it. They're on the ball, but I still have to sign up!
Weekly: What will you do during your "hiatus" between networks?
Harper: I'm going to Las Vegas for a bachelorette party. One of my best friends from college is getting married and I'm a bridesmaid. That's going to be a blast. I'm also going to Rock the Bells, a big rock festival. And I haven't set this in stone, but a couple friends and I have been talking about going to Santa Barbara. I've been once, last year, and I loved it.
Weekly: When we spoke in November, you were talking about moving closer to work. Have you found a place?
Harper: I am still thinking about it. The commute kills me, but now that I've become acquainted with the El Segundo area over the past couple years I'm enjoying it. I've looked, and my parents have looked with me. There are a lot of options, but I love living with my sister and my best friend from high school, who moved down here. I have a great living situation, so I don't want to leave them.
Weekly: Are you able to hang with castmates in spite of your commute?
Harper: Yes! I don't usually see everyone on the weekend, but we do something about once a month. I hang out with Heidi (Mueller, Kay) a lot. I've spent the night out at her place a few times, and she's stayed out here. We try to mix it up on different sides of town, since I am far away. I've gone out with James (Stevenson, ex-Jared) and Adrian Bellani (Miguel). We all went out for Silvana's (Arias, Paloma) birthday a few months back. It's not only cast members. I just went out with our stage manager, Cherie Wall. We're a tight-knit family over here. I can't stress how lucky we are. My coworkers are such good people and the show has a zany quality, which allows us to laugh and have fun together.
