After 13 years as beleaguered heroine Dixie Martin on ALL MY CHILDREN, Cady McClain was itching to explore different avenues of artistic expression. "I felt like I needed a stretch," she explains. And within a month of leaving the soap to seek out new opportunities, the Emmy-winning actress found one on AS THE WORLD TURNS, taking over the role of Rosanna Cabot, last played by Yvonne Perry.
A Perfect Fit
Although aware that she would be breathing new life into a fan-favorite character, McClain wasn't worried about being in Perry's shadow, and not just because she received her predecessor's blessing. "In a way, when somebody comes on playing a particular character, the show tries to fit you, and you try to fit the show," she says. "It's a mutual effort back and forth.
"There's no standing in somebody else's shoes," she continues. "You have to make it work for you. For whatever reason, they thought I would be a good person to move this character into this new direction."
She's Got The Look
And the willful, worldly Rosanna is a welcome change for McClain, after playing St. Dixie for so long. "Rosanna is far more aware of what people are capable of," she says. "Dixie always looked at the bright side and was always a little broken-hearted that people were capable of being bad."
Plus, Rosanna's wealth allows the daytime veteran to model outfits Dixie only could dream of. "I'm very well-dressed," McClain laughs. "In a way, it's every daytime actress' dream. They dressed me great on ALL MY KIDS, too, but these are the diamonds and the fabulous sexy outfits that wealthy girls get to traipse around in. It's fun!"
A Fan First
When choosing to accept this role, McClain was adamant about not being tied down by another long-term contract, but admits that while Rosanna technically is a recurring character, she'll be recurring quite a bit. "I'm going to be around for a while," she reveals. "But it does provide me the opportunity to be available to do other things, and that was important to me."
Adding to the appeal of the role on ATWT was the fact that the actress herself has been a fan of the soap for years. "The first couple of days, I've been so starstruck, it's embarrassing!" she laughs, obviously enjoying the opportunity to finally share the stage with some of her favorites. "I want to work with everybody, they're all so great!"
— Chris Eades
Cady McClain
