cbs.soapsindepth.com answers your burning questions!
Was that Grant Aleksander (Phillip, GUIDING LIGHT) I recently saw on Life on Mars? Deborah, Ohio
Indeed it was. Appropriately enough, Aleksander appeared as a doctor on a soap-within-the-show being watched by the lead character. The faux TV show also featured Elizabeth Hubbard (Lucinda, AS THE WORLD TURNS) and Alicia Minshew (Kendall, ALL MY CHILDREN).
How many times have Eric and Stephanie been married on the BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL? It’s been several hasn’t it? Kristen D., Florida,
The pair have walked down the aisle three times… so far. In between, he’s been married to Brooke Logan (twice), psychotic Sheila Carter and, more recently, Brooke’s sister, Donna. Interestingly, the Forrester men obviously view family gatherings the way some men see speed dating: Brooke and Donna have each been involved with both of Eric’s sons, Ridge and Thorne!
I’m not sure why, but I don’t remember how GUIDING LIGHT wrote off Shayne. When the character returned last year, I tried to recall the circumstances of his exit but couldn’t. Can you fill me in? Tonya Hawkins, Pennsylvania,
You may have forgotten because Shayne’s exit was rather quiet as opposed to the big, splashy storylines often built around the departure of a character. Shayne left quietly in 2004 for Bosnia after deciding he needed a change in his life. In the years since, Shayne has been working with the Peace Corps in Europe, though he did occasionally check in with mom Reva and dad Josh in order to keep up with events in Springfield!
I could have sworn I saw a western years ago with a much younger Jeanne Cooper (Katherine, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) playing a character named Marge. Am I just confusing the name of the character she played then with the name of Katherine’s double? Jessica M., Maryland
No, you aren’t mixed up. Cooper actually got her start in a string of westerns in 1953. Though playing relatively small parts in two of the movies, Cooper had a leading role in SHADOWS OVER TOMBSTONE. In the movie she plays the heroine, Marge, a determined reporter working in the lawless West. That’s a far cry from her most recent stint as the woman with the same name.
I loved seeing all those familiar faces on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS for Katherine’s funeral! I feel like it’s been ages since we saw Nina, though. Didn’t she move out to LA to become an actress? Minnie, Pennsylvania
Close. Nina (played by Tricia Cast) actually moved west to write the screenplay version of her best-selling novel. Her then fiancé, Tomas, was supposed to join her, but jealousy over his inability to produce an equally well-received book drove them apart.
I know that AS THE WORLD TURNS’ Parker and Liberty aren’t actually cousins since he’s Jack’s adopted son. But can you tell me who Parker’s real dad is? Caitlin Jackson, Oregon
Parker’s history can be a bit confusing. His real father was the late Hal Munson, Oakdale’s Chief of Police and all-around good guy. Parker was conceived during Hal’s brief marriage to Carly, who got pregnant in order to get her hands on a big cash payoff. Seems Rosanna was so desperate to keep Carly away from Mike that she was willing to pay her to marry and get pregnant by any other man out there. Interestingly, for a while everyone believed Parker to have been fathered by John Dixon. In fact, “Parker” was the Dixon’s mother’s maiden name!
By sending this E-mail to Soaps In Depth, you give your permission for us to run your letter on our Web site or in the pages of Soaps In Depth magazine. Soaps In Depth reserves the right to edit your submissions for length and clarity.
Was that Grant Aleksander (Phillip, GUIDING LIGHT) I recently saw on Life on Mars?
Indeed it was. Appropriately enough, Aleksander appeared as a doctor on a soap-within-the-show being watched by the lead character. The faux TV show also featured Elizabeth Hubbard (Lucinda, AS THE WORLD TURNS) and Alicia Minshew (Kendall, ALL MY CHILDREN). 
How many times have Eric and Stephanie been married on the BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL? It’s been several hasn’t it?
The pair have walked down the aisle three times… so far. In between, he’s been married to Brooke Logan (twice), psychotic Sheila Carter and, more recently, Brooke’s sister, Donna. Interestingly, the Forrester men obviously view family gatherings the way some men see speed dating: Brooke and Donna have each been involved with both of Eric’s sons, Ridge and Thorne! 
I loved seeing all those familiar faces on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS for Katherine’s funeral! I feel like it’s been ages since we saw Nina, though. Didn’t she move out to LA to become an actress?
Close. Nina (played by Tricia Cast) actually moved west to write the screenplay version of her best-selling novel. Her then fiancé, Tomas, was supposed to join her, but jealousy over his inability to produce an equally well-received book drove them apart. 
I know that AS THE WORLD TURNS’ Parker and Liberty aren’t actually cousins since he’s Jack’s adopted son. But can you tell me who Parker’s real dad is?
Parker’s history can be a bit confusing. His real father was the late Hal Munson, Oakdale’s Chief of Police and all-around good guy. Parker was conceived during Hal’s brief marriage to Carly, who got pregnant in order to get her hands on a big cash payoff. Seems Rosanna was so desperate to keep Carly away from Mike that she was willing to pay her to marry and get pregnant by any other man out there. Interestingly, for a while everyone believed Parker to have been fathered by John Dixon. In fact, “Parker” was the Dixon’s mother’s maiden name! 
