LUCKY LADY
Soap Opera Digest, exact date unknown, 1987

ALL MY CHILDREN'S Robin Christopher Seems to Have Given the Starving Actress Syndrome the Slip....

"I thank my lucky stars, believe me," Robin Christopher says, referring to her current position as Skye Cudahy on ALL MY CHILDREN. "It took me two years to get here, and I still can't believe I have this role. I remember my agent telling me I got it. I started crying and she started crying and I called my mother and she started crying. Me, excited?"
You would think Christopher, who assumed the part of Adam Chandler's devilish daughter last March, would be getting used to things going her way by now. There was the day a few years back when a photographer spotted her in a Boston department-store elevator and suggested she model. Christopher was a teenager at the time, living with her parents and brother in Revere, Massachusetts, attending an all-girl Catholic high school, undergoing what she calls a "sheltered upbringing," and concentrating on maintaining her straight-A average. Although she's only 5'6"--on the short side for modeling--the offer turned out to be legit, and in quick fashion she was headed for a three-month stint in Japan. Unchaperoned.
"Let me tell you, it was difficult for my father because he's very strict," she notes. "My mother was really behind me, and we're a very close family. But when I came back home I was undecided about what I wanted to do, so I went back to Europe. I went to London and stayed there for about a month, and then went to Germany for about a month, modelling all the time. But then it was time to come home."
Once again, she didn't know what she wanted to do. In describing this predicament, Christopher manages to reveal rather major news casually. For example, "Well, it came time to go to college, and I had gotten two scholarships--one to Boston University and one to Boston College--for art, to study painting," she says, at the same time she's talking about her desire to act.
In Christopher's case, she headed for New York and, again, things came her way. She hooked up almost immediately with Elite, one of the city's top modelling agencies. But for the eager, bright young woman, posing wasn't enough.
"Financially it was wonderful, but I felt I couldn't be creative and that every time I went out on a shoot, the model was sort of at the bottom of the totem pole. There would be the photographer, the art director, the photographer's assistant, and on and on. People say that about actors, too, what with producers and directors, but I feel more creative as an actor and it makes me happy. I went through a few years when I was really unhappy because I didn't know what I was going to do with my life."
In an attempt to describe herself during this first interview, Christopher reveals, "I'm very sensitive, sometimes too sensitive, quiet, meditative--the type who sort of sits back and observes people. Then there's the other side of me, very nervous, jumpy, restless. And I think I'm imaginative. I'm a very genuine person--which is why I have so few friends in my life. I'm not superficial, and if there's somebody I really care about they are friends for life. What I'm very bad at is schmoozing and parties. But then, I also know sometimes this business requires that."
In Christopher's case, the business also requires donning some skin-tight costumes--costumes which, poetically enough, seems spray-painted on. So every other day she hits the weight machines at a gym, supplementing the workout with aerobics.
"Those clothes are something else. I had stopped going to the gym when I first started with the show, but when I took a good look at those clothes, well, it was back to the gym! I guess I better get used to it."
Indeed. For starters, she has a two-year contract and her storyline is steamrolling ahead. And, considering her recent on-screen marriage, there are those up-close love scenes. In fact, her second day on the set found her cuddling in bed with Brian Fitzpatrick (Mitch).
"Talk about a welcome to Pine Valley! I was very insecure when I came to the show because when you come to ALL MY CHILDREN, it's sort of like a family. I was very insecure. And those love scenes are tough. There is a part of me that wishes I could really be there (mentally) for every single moment (of the love scene), but I just can't help it. I think about what I had for lunch, or how work is going. I mean, with my Catholic upbringing, well, sometimes there's some guilt. My dad growls over the love scenes."
In fatherly fashion, he's also immensely proud of his only daughter and her career. Christopher admits her fellow cast members still tease her about her overnight success since her only previous professional acting experience was as an extra on ANOTHER WORLD, and a day player on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW.
However, she quickly points out that she invested studying at the famed Stella Adler studio, and her classes with William Esper--a man not known for accepting actors at such a young age. Christopher hopes to one day parlay her talent to theatre and possibly film roles. A movie buff who favours James Stewart, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, she remembers James Dean's performance in EAST OF EDEN sparking her interest in acting.
"The screen just sort of sizzled, you know? And, well, I decided I wanted to do that. But James Stewart is the best. I've seen IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE about sixty-four times. My mother bought me the movie for Christmas, but it was the colorized version and I told her to get rid of it. I wouldn't watch it in colour. Those are the great actors to me, along with Anne Bancroft, and I love Mickey Rourke. Acting is very important to me. I want to stretch and expand, which to me means portraying somebody who I would never have really understood with the background I have."
To supplement, she made a commitment to read voraciously during the summer, covering everything from religion ("I'm at a crossroad right now, so I'm reading the Zen books") to history to painting in the hope of absorbing characters and cultures.
And just what about that painting she mentioned earlier?
"I've put so much of my attention into acting that I feel lucky if I have time to go home and go to sleep. Even my social life...well, I'm involved in a relationship. But, I've never had enough room to do any painting in the apartments I've lived in New York." William de Kooning and Julian Schnabel, in other words, have nothing to worry about. But maybe there's that little chance of allowing Robin to paint by having Skye give her Uncle Stuart, also a painter, a run for the brushes?
For now, Christopher is doing her best memorizing scenes, studying, and just getting used to all those autograph seekers and male admirers belting, "Yo, Skye!" as she winds through the city streets. She understands the importance of fans and their loyalties--after all, she used to be one of the masses who gathered to watch ALL MY CHILDREN.
"I'd like to think that getting this soap hasn't really changed me at all," asserts Robin Christopher, "On the other hand, it is so different from what I was used to. I think the writers have some interesting plans for Skye and Tom. I think it's going to be open territory for those two. My only hope is that Skye always has a certain edge. I, for one, can't wait to see what happens."

SKYE HIGH
by Irene Vitale
ABC Soaps in Depth, November 2, 1999

On her first day on the set of OLTL, Robin Christopher felt a sense of deja vu. "It was strange, to say the least," admits the actress, who played Skye Chandler from 1987 to 1991 on All My Children before relocating the troublemaker to Llanview. "On the one hand, it felt really comfortable. But since the last time I played her, the character has been through a lot."
And so had the actress. For three years, she appeared as another hell-raiser, Lorna Devon, on Another World. There she got to know executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, who now is OLTL's boss; she became very close to her screen mom, Linda Dano, who played Felicia and now is OLTL's Rae; and most significantly, she met her life partner, fiancé Matt Crane, who was Lorna's ex-lover, Matt Cory. "I remember saying to him prior to reporting to work at OLTL, 'Am I going to be able to do this? Can I play this character?" she recalls. "But it was like jumping right back in."
Thankfully, there were quite a few familiar faces around the OLTL set to ease Christopher's transition. In addition to Phelps, Christopher had worked at AW with four of the show's leading men- including John Bolger (Sykes), who had been Gabe, Lorna's ill-fated boyfriend. And of course, there was Dano. "it was just such a comfort having her here," Christopher says, adding that she has considered the possibility that Rae and Skye are related. "I think we're both hoping for it because we loved playing mother and daughter so much."
If reclaiming Skye and reconnecting with old pals weren't treats enough for Christopher, then acting opposite five-time Emmy winner Erika Slezak (Viki) has been icing on the cake. "Working with Erika in the early weeks really helped me," she says. "I felt a confidence from her, which eased me into it. It's a good mix because the plays the classy grande dame that can really snipe at you," she adds, "and Skye resorts to the lower end of that."
To those who knew Skye back in Pine Valley, it's clear that the bad girl hasn't changed much. "Basically she isn't a happy person," explains her portrayer. "I don't think she's ever had real love, but I do think that she thinks she's in love with Ben. It's the closest thing she's had."
However, Skye's rivalry with Viki may be coming from an even darker place. "Part of Skye's wanting him back is just for the sake of winning," the actress allows. "She's the kind of person who wants to be the one pulling the strings." To that end, she adds, "Skye will undermine Ben and Viki's relationship in a way that makes her question if she's right for him. A woman with a younger man might worry about the age issue, and Skye will take advantage of that." Clearly there's a long road ahead before Skye will be able to redeem herself. "She needs major therapy!" Christopher laughs. "Whenever she can make trouble and be the centre of it, it makes her feel like she's worth something. She always wants to be where it's at."
While Skye always has to be where it's at, at least Christopher is content to be right where she is. "I'm so happy in my personal life," she says, referring to her engagement to Crane, "that I never feel like there's a place I have to be or something else I should be doing." After making a life and buying a home in LA, following AW'S cancellation, the couple once again have returned to New York where that show taped and where OLTL still tapes. The tricky part: They rented out their New York place when they moved West, so now they are "bopping around" Manhattan, as Christopher puts it. "That's been hard, because for Matt and me, our home is our sanctuary, and we haven't been able to settle in." While the pair are figuring out living arrangements, they also are mulling over a time and place for their nuptials. But for two people obviously smitten with each other, a marriage license just seems like a formality. "We already feel married," says the bride-to-be. "I just hate all the planning. The whole pressure thing, I can't get into it. We're probably going to try to go away somewhere, possibly Italy or Bermuda."
As Christopher and Crane look forward to a wedding in an exotic locale, and a postnuptial dinner party for East Coast-based family and friends upon their return, they are sentimental about their past and bursting with anticipation for the future. Case in point: the demise of AW. "It was bittersweet for us," she reveals. "The irony is that we closed on our home the day the show was cancelled. But we both have healthy views about the future. Having each other really lets us face it fearlessly together."

RHAPSODY IN BLOOM
by Lara DeLosh
Soap Opera Weekly, Dec. 14, 1999

Firmly rooted once again in daytime's fertile fields, OLTL's Robin Christopher continues to flourish both personally and professionally....
While the rest of the patrons pour into the Upper West Side Cafe looking like drowned rats-compliments of Hurricane Floyd- One Life to Live's Robin Christopher (Skye Chandler) sits serenely in a corner booth looking fresh as a daisy. Appropriate, considering several minutes into the conversation it is more than obvious this elegant beauty's life is in full bloom. One reason is because she is back on daytime after a two-year absence, playing a character she created in 1987 and played through '91 on All My Children. The other-and most significant-is her relationship with fiancé Matt Crane (ex-Matthew Cory, Another World), which, she says, "keeps getting better and better with each passing day. It is hard to put in words, but Matt is really the best friend I've ever had- and it has always been hard for me to find a best friend in life. We're the best of everything for each other. He's the best of everything."
When Christopher talks about Crane, her eyes sparkle and a softness comes over her flawless countenance. "Matt is the sweetest, purest soul to me," she notes. "He is amazing, and I have learned so much from him. As women we tend to be people pleasers. We are taught that as little girls. And I fell into that, especially in this business, which would be my undoing at times. Matt is just the opposite of that. He does things only because he wants to, not because he has to, and that is a gift. He's taught me about figuring out what I want and don't want, and basically doing what is best for me. And what is really surprising is that although from a distance we seem different, we are very much alike."
Christopher and Crane started dating while they were both appearing on AW (she played Lorna Devon from 1994-'97). "I had a little crush on him, but I never entertained the thought that I was his type at all," she says with a laugh and a slight shrug of her shoulders. "What's funny is that he thought that about me, as well. I do remember being afraid to accept his invitation to go out. Linda Dano (ex-Felicia Gallant, AW; now Rae on AMC) and Jill Farren Phelps (then AW's executive producer, now OLTL's) both encouraged me to say yes, and I am forever truly indebted to both of them."
The cliché about actors not dating other actors obviously doesn't apply here. "Matt an I aren't typical actors," she says with a laugh. "Matt has his sculpture, I have other things going on in my life. And we are not competitive people, therefore we've never been competitive with each other. Seeing us together you would never know we were two actors."
Christopher admits that "there was never any question that Matt was the man I would spend the rest of my life with," she says. "I think it was probably the surest thing I ever felt in my life. I am a thinker- my mind is always going, and for me not to have any doubts about that is pretty amazing. And it is funny, because when I was alone I never really worried about not meeting someone; I always knew it would come along when the time was right. But, when it happened, I never realized how much I was missing. When I think about life without him now it's unimaginable."
While Christopher and Crane have the commitment, the ring, not to mention the house, the only thing missing is the exchanging of the vows. "The wedding...oh, god," she moans. "It's so weird because we already feel like we're married. I guess maybe the time and place isn't right. We wanted to do it in our house in L.A. because it would be the perfect place to have a wedding, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. And then we were thinking about going to the Bahamas for a long weekend, but you need to be on the island for two days to get the license or something. And now we're thinking about going to Italy again. I don't respond well to pressure, and the pressure of planning a wedding freaks me out. I don't want a big wedding. I don't want to have to plan anything. I also think doing what we do for a living, you get sick of getting dressed up and being the centre of attention. Getting married is more laid back for us. Elopement-that's probably what's going to happen. I am sure that won't sit too well with the families, though."
Because of the L.A. roots they've laid down, the couple is currently dividing their time between both coasts. "It is great to be working, but it's very hard being back in New York and away from our home, " she says. "We get back as much as we can, though. It's our own private little retreat. We never had any intention of moving to L.A. We had this great apartment here, so it really was the furthest thing from our minds. Maybe it was the timing. I was out there for pilot season, living in this adorable little guest house in this great part of town. These smells were enveloping us-orange trees, lemon trees, azaleas. It was like: Wow this is nice. you could really have a life out here. We had lived in New York for so long and after a while it's almost like you're ready to move on to the next phase of your life. We do that so well together, Matt and me; we're such a team. We both know when we're ready to move on to the next step, and we both felt it at the same time about L.A. We found the right house and the day we put our bid in was the day AW was cancelled. Funny, huh?" Christopher exudes a knowledge, confidence and serenity that seem to surpass her 30-something age. The last few years, though, "was the time in my life I have grown the most, " she says. "Getting fired from Another World- I had never been fired before, and it was such an emotional experience. It chips at your self-esteem, and forces you to question where you go next. That was a real soul-searching time for me, questioning: Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Should I go back to school? I realized that yes, acting is what I want to do, and it gave me a renewed passion. Being fired turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened. I know every actor says that, but it is true. It's like when I first came to New York from Massachusetts, and being terrified, not knowing what was coming next. As human beings we crave security. When you don't know what is coming you tend to question everything about yourself, and I am proud to say I came through with flying colours."
And that is just the way she is handling her return as Skye. "It was weird though at first, bringing this character on," she relates almost reticently. "But everyone has been really nice, and it feels so wonderful to be working with Jill again. Seeing her face every day at the studio and having her support has just been great. Also, since I played Skye before, the transition back into the role wasn't as jarring because in a small way the role was a part of me."
That is not to say the character was just as she remembered. "When I played Skye, (AMC) had her go through a lot of emotional stuff," Christopher says. "She was an alcoholic, never had her father around...Then they brought the character back with another actress and Skye had all these bad experiences, which hardened her up quite a bit. Now Skye sees everything in life as a little problem to be solved, and there has to be a plan for everything instead of just letting it happen." Most importantly, "Skye is not a victim anymore-expect of her own shenanigans. She is a great character because she never sits back. She's always on to the next thing. It is fun to play someone who's always in action like that."
Action is something Christopher enjoys in her own life, whether it be working out or running in the park with her fiancé, painting, doing yoga, or playing with their cats. "I never thought I was a cat person," she says with a laugh, but a few of the cats came as part of the Crane package. "But Sasha, Bonu and Tiger Lily are so sweet and they really feel like they're our ideal family right now. It is hard for me at times to unwind and relax because I'm always going in my head, so sitting there playing with the cats is a great stress reliever for me- and, to be honest, is the time where I do my best thinking."
Though the cats may complete the family right now, they don't preclude children. "Someday I would love to have children-one or two- but I don't feel the urge yet," Christopher says candidly, adding with a laugh, "I should be thinking about it soon, though, because I am getting old. There is still stuff I'm figuring out about myself-that we're figuring out about each other- and I don't feel we're ready for it. But I'll know when it is right. No pressure, please."

SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: 50 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
SOW, Volume 11 Issue 13
March 28, 2000

SOW: When do you feel your most beautiful?
When I'm at home with my hair pulled up, and Matt and I have just finished doing yoga, and I'm really relaxed and living in the moment. That's when I feel really vital and alive, and I think it shows in my face.

(continuation from 50 MBP section)
The Beauty Shop~Top tips from soap opera's 50 Most Beautiful People
Robin Christopher (Skye,OLTL)
Products: Framesi Bigenol hair products, Bumble and bumble Styling Was, Origins Constant Comforter, Prescriptives Px Comfort Cream, Nars Honolulu Honey lipstick, Chanel Glase blush
Diet: "Everything in moderation."
Exercise: Yoga.
Tip: "Don't drink red wine the night before a day when you need to look your best; it'll make your eyes look puffy."

LOVIN' LIFE
by Irene Vitale
ABC Soaps in Depth, November 28, 2000

After just over a year in Llanview, transplanted Pine Valley vixen Skye Chandler has made quite a name for herself- a five-letter one that rhymes with witch! First she moved heaven and earth to give ex-husband Ben and fiancee Viki hell, then she targeted Blair's marriage to Max. And now that the rascally redhead has teamed up with Blair's ex, Todd the best-that is, her worst!-may be yet to come.
"Skye is still emotionally immature," explains Robin Christopher, who first played Adam Chandler's daughter on All My Children in 1987, then relocated her to One Life to Live in August 1999. "To her, life is very much like high school. She wants things she can't have, and she wants the other girl's guy." Despite Skye's misbehaviour, her portrayer has sympathy for the she-devil. "There's a lot of history that will be revealed," she explains. "Her mother got pregnant with her to lure her father back. So she always had the sense that her mother never really wanted her, and her father never was around. She never had the grasp of a real relationship."
Thankfully, Christopher's own upbringing was far more stable. "My parents were, and still are, very loving and concerned," says the native of suburban Boston. "I went to an all-girls school, and was actually even a little sheltered. The fact that I left home at 18 to become an actress in New York was shocking, considering the way I grew up," adds the daytime vet, who turned down an art scholarship at Boston U. to move to the Big Apple. "It was a great growing experience for me, because when I first came to New York, I didn't know a soul."
Though Christopher may have been a stranger in a strange town when she arrived in Gotham, she soon made friends. And in 1994, upon replacing Alicia Coppola as the daughter of Linda Dano (now OLTL's Rae) on Another World, she even met her future husband, Matt Crane (who played Matthew Cory). While sparks flew immediately, their relationship began later-after an evening of hand holding at the show's Christmas party. "We both knew just a couple of months into the relationship that this was it," she recalls.
When not working in New York, the couple, who wed on April 11, 2000, spend down time at their LA home and dream of owning a small villa in Italy. "The great thing about our marriage is that our careers are our careers, but they can't compare to our life," she marvels. "If there are any changes we want to make, we feel strong because we'll be there for each other. I feel like I'm the luckiest woman in the world."

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU:
Soaps' Prettiest Faces Reveal How They Stay Ready for Their Close-Ups

Soaps In Depth, Feb. 20, 2001

ROBIN CHRISTOPHER (Skye, One Life to Live)

*What is the key to inner beauty?
RC: Trying to live as honestly and simply as you possibly can-and to be happy.

*When do you feel most beautiful?
RC: When I don't have a stitch of make-up on, and I've spent the whole day with Matt (Crane, her husband and former Another World co-star). I have a little glass of red wine, and I'm feeling really good.

*What are your best and worst features?
RC: Call my mother!

*If you can change anything about yourself, what would it be?
RC: When I was a kid, I used to wish that I had darker skin because people used to tease me about how pale I was-but now I like it. Now, I wish my hair was straight naturally because there's a lot of time wasted straightening it!

*Do you have a specific diet and exercise regime?
RC: Matt and I try to do yoga together at least four times a week. I try not to eat a lot of processed food, and have a lot of fruits and veggies. I really believe in moderation as far as diet.

*What is your skin-care routine?
RC: I never go to bed without moisturizer, and I drink a lot of water. I'm big on sunscreen, too.

*Would you ever consider plastic surgery?
RC: I would actually. In this business, it's no secret that it's based on your looks.

SMOTHER LOVE
Soap Opera Digest, May 22, 2001
by Tom Stacy

Soap Opera Digest: Besides Rae and Skye, you also played mother and daughter as Felicia and Lorna on Another World (1994-1997). This is a first for daytime: two actresses playing mother and daughter on three different soaps.
Robin Christopher: We want a cover!
(they laugh)
Linda Dano: It's lovely. It's groundbreaking. That and a quarter will get you on a bus.
RC: A quarter? It's at least two quarters now.
SOD: When the search for Rae's daughter first began, did either of you suspect that this is how the story would climax?
LD: Not in the beginning. And I'm not sure anybody knew. When it ended up being Skye, I was thrilled. Robin and I are good friends, and we had played mother/daughter before. I thought it was a wonderful twist that Adam Chandler had adopted her and knew I was looking for her, and the son-of-a-bitch never said a word.
RC: Some people got upset with the changing of Skye's history. You have 15 years of the character's history here, but once you let go of that and suspend your belief, people are like, "Okay, why not?"
LD: It's perfectly fitting that Adam Chandler could do such a thing. It didn't alter his character at all. Or hers. For me, it worked from the get-go.
SOD: On-camera, at least, Rae and Skye don't get along at all.
RC: When Rae found out that Skye followed her (to PC), she wanted to bash Skye's head in. In fact, we were just discussing we should write a scene where...
LD: ...Rae just hauls off and hits her. She deserves to be hit.
RC: This may be the most realistic mother/daughter relationship on TV.
LD: I agree. The next thing we'll be doing is planning a wedding together, and I'll have her head between my legs, pounding on it.
(Christopher laughs)
SOD: What's the trouble with Skye?
RC: She never thinks of the consequences.
LD: Ever. She wants what she wants. She doesn't care that the Quartermaines don't like her. She appears not to care. Rae, you see, as her mother, believes she does care. So Rae's constantly trying to get her to not put her foot in her mouth, which she does anyway.
SOD: So, having already played mother and long-lost daughter on AW, what's different this time around?
RC: When I took over the part of Lorna, the characters had pretty much worked out their differences. We were more of a traditional mother/daughter team. But coming in to OLTL and starting from a whole different place was fun. As far as personally, we're picking up where we left off.
LD: There's a safeness in knowing each other this well. I so love her.
SOD: There's also a third pivotal person in this saga: GH Executive Producer Jill Farren Phelps, who you last worked with on OLTL. What's it like working with her again?
LD: I've never made any bones about the fact that I've always felt Jill Phelps is the best executive producer I've ever worked for. I had such a great ride with her at Another World. I loved it. I loved her. I love her style. So it was great fun for me to work with her at One Life and now come and play with her here on GH. It's the best of all possible worlds.
RC: It's like when directors continue to work with people they've worked with before and they trust, and they know can do a great job and are pleasant to work with and take their job seriously, but not too seriously- it all worked for us.
SOD: What do you think about the die-hard GH fans who created an uproar when Phelps first arrived?
LD: Jill loves GH. She was here many years ago, heading up the music department. Because I know her talent, because I know what she's capable of and the way she can make a show look, she will do that here. Just give her time. She's not here to change it. She's here to make it what it was.
RC: I think it's left over from her days at One Life, where she did great with the numbers, but there was a certain group of fans who were...
LD: ...Vocal. Very vocal.
RC: They felt she changed a little too much, but she's really into good stories.
LD: Relationships. She likes real, honest-to-God love and passion.
SOD: How would you two categorize your off-camera relationship?
LD: Robin's a beautiful creature, the daughter I never had. When we used to work on Another World, I said "Why don't you let your mother give you to me?" I've loved her from the second I knew her. It seems fitting that we follow each other about. It's like it's all predestined.
RC: In this business, it's nice to have that constant. It tends to ground me for whatever show I'm on.
SOD: Robin, you just celebrated your one-year wedding anniversary with Matt Crane (ex-Matt, AW). Does marriage change things?
LD: Not for them.
RC: It really feels like we've been married for the five years we've been together. The only thing that changed is my real life mother can't give us dirty looks once you're married. (laughs)
LD: No, she didn't need it. Trust me. Those two have a magic between them that is very unusual. And I knew them both before they knew each other. I'm the one who said, "Go out with him!"
RC: Linda was instrumental in getting us together because Matt asked me out and I didn't think I should date a co-worker, and Linda said, "Go." And that was it.
LD: And when they clicked, they clicked.
SOD: Will Rae and Skye ever click?
RC: Skye's relationship with her original mother, Althea, was difficult because she saw her mother as a victim, especially now that she knows her mother used Skye to get Adam Chandler's attention. She views all mother figures as weak and not worth the trouble. But once Skye looks at the big picture, I do think there will be some coming together.
LD: I hope so. As much fun as it is to have this banter all the time, I'm the consummate optimist. (Winks) I don't think she cares one way or the other, but I do.

Skye High
by Kristin Gallegher
Soap Opera Digest, January 29, 2002

How a Coast-Hopping Career and a Marriage Made in Heaven Keep GH's Robin Christopher On Cloud Nine

Be assured that General Hospital's Robin Christopher (Skye) understands and appreciates the role that good timing has played in her life. After all it was well-placed fortune that led her to husband (and former Another World co-star) Matt Crane (ex-Matt)-"He asked me out and I got fired a month later! If he didn't ask me out when he did, maybe it would never have happened," she points out. And it was even better timing earlier last year, when the actress learned that Skye, the character she's played on and off since 1987 (first on All My Children, then on One Life to Live,) would be making the move to yet a third show on the Alphabet Network: GH.
"Jimmy DePaiva (Max, OLTL) said to me one day in the makeup room, 'So I hear you're going to GH at the end of the month,'" she recalls with a grin. "I said 'Ah, Jimmy, you're kiddin' me!' And he was like, 'You'd better go find out.' Of course, I went to Gary (Tomlin, OLTL's executive producer) and he was like 'Yeah.' 'Okay, see ya! (laughs)"
All right, the offer was a tad more formal then that (and here's where the good timing comes in). "Basically it was 'Do you want to?" she clarifies. "'If you go (to GH) we have such-and-such amount of story planned, but after that, we don't know. Are you okay with that?' Quite frankly, I was, because my contract was up in a couple of months anyway. What did I have to lose? Plus, they knew that I really wanted to go back to my house in L.A. That was no secret. They probably took that into account, so it was all good. At the end of my contract, whether they renewed me or not, we were coming back to L.A."
Ironically enough, it was just two years earlier that Christopher found herself in a similar situation, having just moved to the West Coast and purchased a house when the call from OLTL came. "We had moved when Another World went off the air in '99," she notes. "Then a month later, we had to go back to New york for One Life. The circumstances were very similar. This time around, I had only about three weeks before I had to be out here; it was a little crazy. But we found great tenants for our place in New York, and our tenant (at the house in L.A.) had just left. So it all fell into place."
As did Christopher's transition into the GH cast. "Well, first of all Linda was there to take me around," she shares, referring to Linda Dano (Rae, OLTL; ex-Felicia, AW), who has portrayed Christopher's mom on both AW and OLTL, and whose OLTL character preceded Skye to PC. "She was funny. She introduced me to everybody. 'Oh this is my Robbie. She's great. She'll fit right in.' It was so cute. She was very nurturing and protective with me."
Not that Christopher needed protection. "I had heard such wonderful things about the cast of GH that it waylaid any fears I may have had," she relates. "Everyone was incredible. This experience has been the best of my soap experiences because of who I am right now. I don't feel that pressure you feel when you're a kid, that you have to show the world. I don't have to live up to anyone's expectations but my own."
A sentiment her often self-sabotaging character has yet to learn, as we well know. "She's so deeply flawed that it's always going to be a struggle for her to do the right thing," opines the actress, "to be the generous person, to fulfill herself for herself and not for any other person. But even though she's rich and wears great clothes and is unreal in many respects (laughs), some of those struggles are intriguing. Once you get past the Fendi and look at the feelings...That should be Skye's motto: "Look past my Fendi and see my feelings! But they've written stuff that runs the gamut."
Including a potential romance between Skye and Jax (Ingo Rademacher). "He's a powerful, confident guy who never apologizes for anything he says or does," she observes. "Skye's spent her life feeling like the minute she said something, she should feel bad about it or feel judged. So he's really fascinating to her. Where they're going to take this, I don't know. But it's fun to play. They really piss each other off, but also they enjoy the whole game of it."
Such maneuvering is conspicuously absent from Christopher's own romantic life, which by all accounts is the definition of marital bliss. In addition to their home in L.A. the two share a self-built retreat in Nova Scotia, where they wed in April, 2000. "People say, 'Oh, you two don't need anybody else,'" she smiles of her marriage to Crane, who is now a sculptor but is planning to return to acting. "But that's not a bad thing. We're just used to being together a lot. Being actors, when you're out of work, you spend so much time together. We probably spent more time together in three years than most people have in 10. We know how great it is, and that it's going to last forever. We're together all the time, and it's just as good as ever."
And if her acting career dosen't last forever, so be it, professes the at-peace performer. "Work is important to me, but it's not everything," she reveals. "I would like to act for maybe the next 5 or 10 years; I don't want to do it forever. But right now, I'm truly enjoying what I'm donig. The cast and crew...I have a really good time there. I guess it's also where I am in my life. I'm happily married, we're living in a house we love. Everything seems to fall into place now. However long it lasts, this has been a great experience thus far."
*~*Sidebar: New York State of Mine
She may have been 3000 miles away from New York on September 11, but Christopher admits that the tragedy of that day hit powerfully close to home. "I feel like we were so over New York when we left," admits the actress, who had called the Big Apple home for 14 years before moving to L.A. "When everything happened, Matt and I felt like we should be back there because we really are New Yorkers at heart. There's been this conflicting feeling of, 'Wow, we love it here in L.A. but there is the guilt that we should be back there. But we realize that it's okay to love our life here. We still have our apartment in New York, so we may be back there someday. In an odd way-not that we never appreciated New York, because we loved it for 14 years-I think that all of this happening has made us think: 'Wow, it gave us a great life. It is an amazing place full of good people.' A part of us will always be New Yorkers."

February 21, 2002

 

From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Hello!
Date: 02/21/2002 11:06:19
I just came off the set, so I'm sorry if I'm a little late. But I'm happy to make it and be here and talk to the people we do our stuff for every day.
-Robin


Q:
From: M2DISCO72
Subject: Re: QUESTION FOR : ROBIN CHRISTOPHER
Date: 02/19/2002 10:00:01
I was wondering if you like it better working on General Hospital or One life to Live??
#2. As well if you like the storys better with Linda Dano or the Quartermaines?
# P.S. Skye never mentions her adopted Father Adam Chandler, does she hate him now??
Your a great actress , which ever show your on. Thank you for taking the time to be with us. I hope you will be able to answer my questions.
AnnMarie

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH Subject: Re: QUESTION FOR : ROBIN CHRISTOPHER
Date: 02/21/2002 11:10:35
Let me start by saying that I feel really luck to've worked on three ABC soaps. Each place was very different in atmosphere, but for some reason, I really feel at home on GH. I think it has a lot to do with the storyline and having a lot to do here. It really makes me feel like I have a home here. I enjoyed my time at OLTL. It seemed really short to me, but I really like who I worked with. I really enjoy where I am now.


Q:
From: WackedDIVA1030
Subject: **QUESTION FOR THE AMAZING ROBIN!!!!! ***
Date: 02/21/2002 10:43:09
Robin.. You ROCK!!!!!!! You are the best actress on GH.... I asked a question a few days ago but I'm sure it was buried I was just wondering how you got so far.. My dream is to be where you are one day ( and as talented as you are!!!!) and I'm just starting out! any advice?? Best of luck to you always...you really are the best robin
love,
Meg

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: **QUESTION FOR THE AMAZING ROBIN!!!!! *** \ WackedDIVA1030
Date: 02/21/2002 11:16:17
That's kind of a hard question to answer. I find that the easiest way to start to answer this question is first of all, you have to study - go to school, and basically learn the technique of acting. You rely on it so much, because things go so quickly and you really have to know what you're doing. So #1: go to school and learn your craft. Then you have to get an agent. For that, you should be in LA or NYC. There's really no other way. I started in NYC. You really have to be ready to pound the pavements, be dedicated, and be passionate. If you aren't passionate to the degree you should, then you might want to stay away. You have to be dedicated and be prepared for the downtime. There's a lot of competition, and you have to have a good sense of self and good self esteem to perservere.


Q:
From: ItsMeBarbL
Subject: Re: "Thursdays With The Stars" welcomes Robin Christopher
Date: 02/19/2002 10:46:54
Do you wish AJ and Skye were not related? Most people think they have more chemistry together than with the people the show is trying to pair them with. Also Skye and Ned would be hot. Any chance Skye is not a Quartermaine?

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: "Thursdays With The Stars" welcomes Robin Christopher \ ItsMeBarbL
Date: 02/21/2002 11:20:37
Billy and I joke about this at least once a week. We have a great energy between us and a great give and take in the scenes. I really feel that Skye has so much in her corner with him. I think it's really powerful for them to have each other so long as they don't influence each other too much in a bad way. As for Skye and Ned, it's so much fun and I wish they wrote more scenes for us. I love snarling at him as I think he does at me as well.


Q:
From: Alexisfan4ever
Subject: **Question for Robin Christopher**
Date: 02/20/2002 11:54:52
First off, if you're reading this, I just want to say I'm a huge fan!! You are so very talented!! "Skye" is the reason I started watching GH...I just had to find out if she was Alan's daughter!!
Ok, here's my question: What is your favorite part about working on GH?? And one more: are the rumors that you're getting your own primetime show true?? (I'd REALLY miss you on GH!!)
Once again, I absolutely love watching you on GH!!

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: **Question for Robin Christopher** \ Alexisfan4ever
Date: 02/21/2002 11:24:19
I'd say my favorite part of working at GH is having such a full family life. Skye has never had such support and people around her willing to accept her. And with that, I really love Stuart Damon and Billy and John Ingle. I felt like I fit in right away, and that's such a good feeling. Also, I really like being in LA too, so it's great the way that works out. I'd have to say that knowing you when come to work you enjoy the people so much and know that you work well together - it's a really gratifying feeling.


Q:
From: skye_c_q
Subject: ***Robin Christopher***
Date: 02/20/2002 17:58:25
Will we ever see some mother-daughter bonding between Rae and Skye? You and Linda are brilliant in your scenes together!

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: ***Robin Christopher*** \ skye_c_q
Date: 02/21/2002 11:27:16
I really hope that Linda could come out and spend some time here on GH. First of all, I love Linda Dano. I feel like I've known her forever. I feel like we're going to keep following each other in our lives - which is a great feeling. I think it would be wonderful for both of our characters to have that relationship evolve and bring out other facets of our characters. Because I think with mother and daughter relationships, things come out that wouldn't be there with Skye and Alan's scenes. So I really hope that happens.


Q:
From: WackedDIVA1030
Subject: **QUESTION FOR THE AMAZING ROBIN!!**
Date: 02/20/2002 17:15:56
aloha robin
you are so fantastic.....definatly the most talented and beautiful!! I love you with Jax.. you and Ingo have GREAT chemistry!! Do you think you will end up paired together?? Also.. Do you read fan letters? I always wondered if stars read the letters they get from fans I hope you will stay on GH for a long time.. you are so great by the way.. i dyed my hair the same color as yours LOL
Love always,
Meg

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: **QUESTION FOR THE AMAZING ROBIN!!** \ WackedDIVA1030
Date: 02/21/2002 11:31:40
First of all, I admire your taste in hair color!
As far as Skye and Jax being paired up, I think that they're probably gonna play with the push and pull with the differences in our characters. I think they're really gonna play that up and drag it out for a while. In a sense, they're good for each other and not good for each other. Which is a lot like really life in many instances. I think that it's good because he has a real, flawed person to deal with, which makes it interesting. And we have fun together, so I hope that they continue the story.


Q:
From: blueskyess
Subject: For Robin Christopher
Date: 02/21/2002 10:11:43
I did not get to see you on AMC as Skye the first time but I have been enjoying your performance and the character since you have returned to OLTL.
I am glad they are keeping her
edgy and getting in trouble every now and then with the best of intentions. I am also enjoying the pairing of Skye with Jax.
I see a lot of possibilities for the two characters and am also glad that the writers are giving you a lot of comedy to play. It has been a lot of fun to watch.
I don't have any character or show question but one question I have for you is what kind of Yoga do you and Matt practice as there are so many and also how long have you been doing it? What difference has it made in your life?
Ok, a second question just came to me. Do you have photographic memory in regards to learning lines or may I ask how do you go about learning your lines for each show.
Enjoy LA, I lived there for 20 years.
Take care,
Blueskyess

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: For Robin Christopher \ blueskyess
Date: 02/21/2002 11:35:52
I do these video tapes, but I don't follow one certain kind of yoga. I actually don't even go to yoga class. We have yoga tapes at home that we do. I've been doing it for over four years, and it's just something that I happened to pick up. It's so easy to do. One of the tapes that I love, the best tape if you ever wanna start doing it, is Ali McGraw's "Yoga, Mind, and Body." It's a great starting tape. Lot's of stretching and strength building moves. I recommend it highly to anybody. Sometimes I have lot of nervious energy that I need to rein in, and yoga really works for me.


Q:
From: mbelk925 Subject: Robin Christopher
Date: 02/21/2002 08:56:44
I met you on the Sony lot a long time ago when you weren't on AMC any more and told you I hoped they brought back Sky because you're my favorite character. You said you hoped they did to. Wishes do come true.
My question to you is, which does Sky prefer, being a Chandler or Quartermain?
I'm thrilled you're back.
Marilyn Belknap

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: Robin Christopher \
Date: 02/21/2002 11:38:47
Skye prefers being a Quartermaine in that she really has a large family to interact with. And I think there's a real connection with Skye and her father, Alan. She really feels that this is where she comes from and she and her father really understand each other on a deeper level that I think Skye and Adam never clicked or connected on.


Q:
From: MYPINKLADY
Subject: Whats a day in the life of Robin like?
Date: 02/21/2002 11:37:44
Robin, how long does it take to film a days show? how many days a week are you on the set?

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: Whats a day in the life of Robin like?
Date: 02/21/2002 11:43:24
First of all, the GH schedule is very actor-friendly. You usually don't spend the entire day here because we arrive, we go straight to hair and makeup, and then to the set to rehearse and shoot our scenes. It's very different from any show that I've worked on, and it's a dream. Right now, I'd say I'm averaging four days a week, but it doesn't feel like work because you're not here all day. It's great because I still get to have breakfast and dinner with my husband and get my nine hours of sleep! It's really a dream.


Q:
From: skyefanforever
Subject: Question: Whats coming up for Skye
Date: 02/21/2002 11:42:27
I would really like to know what is coming up.
Does the new doctor have anything to do with Skye.
Is Jerry jax coming to GH in order to split skye and Jax up and end up falling for her.
Is Rae and Skye going to take on Edward and Monica.

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: Question: Whats coming up for Sk ye \ skyefanforever
Date: 02/21/2002 11:48:18
I'm one of those actors that pretty much stays out of the producer's office and doesn't really wanna know too far ahead what I'm doing. I do know that they're gonna continue the whole Jax/Courtney/AJ/Skye storyline, which could be interesting with all of the different aspects of each charactrer. It's funny, when I snese a new story line coming up, I get all excited and want to know in what direction that they're going. I really don't think that they like the actors to know too much where they're going, which is OK with me.


Q:
From: Carly_rules79
Subject: Hi Ms Robin
Date: 02/21/2002 11:48:17
Even though your not on Amc and OLTL anymore do u still hang with any of the cast?

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: Hi Ms Robin
Date: 02/21/2002 11:50:38
Actaully, no. I'm always happy to see my old friends from those shows, though. Now, especially being so far away... I've never been good at maintaining long distance relationships, but I do think of them all fondly. And at events and parties, it's always a pleasure to see them!


Q:
From: 82947
Subject: Question for Robin
Date: 02/21/2002 11:50:19
How wonderful to have you here on the boards! I love watching Skye & all her antics. How do you like working with those baby blues of Ingo's??

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: Question for Robin
Date: 02/21/2002 11:52:36
Working with Ingo is really fun. We really enjoy each other and really seem to have developed a real good rapport and trust of each other in our scenes. It's very funny: somebody said the other day that the two people the most unlike their characters are Skye and Jax.


Q:
From: branpick
Subject: Robin
Date: 02/21/2002 11:49:06
Robin,
I just want you to know that I am a huge fan of your work. I watched you on AW and of course on all the ABC shows. I thought it was great to see you move to GH, although I loved you on OLTL. One thing I think would be fantastic for GH is if they would bring Jane Eliott back as Tracy. Skye and Tracy would be a hoot together, especially when battling the family. Keep up the great work!

A:
From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Re: Robin
Date: 02/21/2002 11:56:33
I'm a huge fan of Jane and grew up watching her and loving her. I think it would be great if she came back. Either we would be in cahootz with each other or at each other's throats. It would be great to have another dynamic female in the household. Tracy is a legend!


From: RobinChristopherGH
Subject: Thanks Everyone
Date: 02/21/2002 11:58:58
Thanks so much for all of your questions and comments. I'm really thrilled that you enjoy the character so much and was quite surprised by all of the questions that there were. It's great to know that what I do everyday is enjoyed by you all so much.
P.S. Ingo just dropped in to kiss me hello and say "Hi!" He also let me know that I'm one of his favorite women in the whole world. And he says "Hi!" to you all as well.
-Robin

Robin Christopher Skye Quartermaine, General Hospital TV GUIDE Q&A, April 22, 2003

Blowing off a lot of steam proved to be one smart step for General Hospital's Robin Christopher. Her alter ego, emotionally-charged Skye Quartermaine, cried a river when her lover Jax learned of her deceptive ploys to keep them together, then raged beyond control when she witnessed his rekindled affair with former love, Brenda Barrett. The mix of hurt, anger and frustration won over judges who rewarded Christopher's performance with an Emmy nod in the outstanding supporting actress category. Christopher is keeping her own emotions in check as she gears up to be a contender against a co-star and her on-screen mom. Instead, the first-time nominated actress is concentrating her energies on her family, and shares that the only reward she needs is her brother, a Marine, returning home from Iraq. Delaina Dixon How did you learn of your nomination? My first! After all my years in soaps, I thought, "I'm not going to count on this." I didn't even plan to watch The View because I thought, "Why is it going to start now?" Then our publicist called and told me the great news. Unfortunately, I hadn't told my family about it being on The View, so they didn't get to see it live, but I did tape it on the L.A. feed. It is so cool being nominated with [OLTL's] Linda Dano (Rae), who plays my mother. But then there's all that pressure of choosing another tape and what you are going to wear. That's the stuff that I dread. How did your husband, Another World alum Matt Crane (ex-Matt) react to the news? He was jumping up and down for me. He said, "I knew it." He's so supportive, and so able to help me keep things in perspective. The nomination's great, but it's tempered by the fact that my brother, John Christopher, is over in the war in Iraq. He's a major in the Marines. Does he know of your nomination? He called my parents before he left, and they were able to tell him the news. He's so excited for me. I heard from him last week from somewhere in Iraq he reached me in the GH makeup room and one of the first things he said was that he wishes he could be at the ceremony. I told him, "John I don't care if I don't win. I just want you to come home." Was it a surprise just to get pre-nomed? Kin Shriner (Scott) was teasing me. He said, "I'm going to vote for you Robin, so you owe me one." It was at a time that I know I was doing some nice work, but GH is filled with good actors. These are people I've watched for years, and I'm still in awe of their talent. Just getting that was an honor. I really didn't expect to go past that. But you did it. Yes! I made it to ceremony. In 2002, GH only received one Emmy nomination for acting. The cast must have been bouncing off the wall over the seven nods you received this year. We all congratulated each other. We haven't gone out to celebrate. Maybe when we get to New York we'll enjoy ourselves at the after-party. It's just so great to have so many people recognized this year. I think the whole voting process has been an improvement. Do your nomination pieces display an angry Skye or drunken Skye? The tape I submitted to get nominated was when Jax found out about the contract Skye signed. She and Jax break up outside of Edward's room, and she falls off the wagon for the first time in eight years, then returns to Edward's room drunk and angry. That was good range. My second is after she sees Brenda and Jax make love, and they confront her in the lake house. It's kind of a continuation from the first as Skye goes into a dark, angry place. Why those two pieces? You want voters to able to understand the story, something they could pick up right away, even if they never watched the show. I judged for best actress in the prenoms, so now I know what those people want in that room: They want to be entertained [by something] interactive. It is soap opera. Could Skye ever forgive Jax and take him back? At this point, absolutely. She still believes he's the closest thing to unconditional love that she's ever had. She'd really be willing to give it another try. Skye has made so many mistakes in her life that she's willing to say, "This was a bad mistake, on your part, on my part, and let's just try again." She's still really mad for him. How long did it take you to find the perfect scenes? I knew what I wanted, but I still watched hours and hours of tapes. I would come home with bags of tapes and go into the living room and say, "Matt, I'll see you in a couple of hours." He'd say, "Well, if you want me to watch anything..." and he did. He helped me pick my first tape. He was really objective and gave me some good opinions. Betcha he didn't recommend any tapes of Skye smooching Jax. No. Still to this day, when he sees me kissing someone else, he says, "Blah, I hate that!" It must be nerve-wracking that there are six contenders in your category instead of the regular five. What is the academy trying to do to you! There was a tie, and I don't want to know between who. Was I in the bottom two like American Idol? I have no delusions of winning, and I think I know who's going to win, but it's just an honor to get nominated. If you do win, who will you thank? The writers gave me all that great stuff when Brenda came back. Her return was the best thing that ever happened to Skye. She gave me a lot of great story, and she'll be the first person I thank. (Chuckles) ABC Daytime for bringing my character on all the shows and finding her interesting enough to give story to. And my parents for teaching me all sorts of great stuff. This is good, I'm giving my speech now, so if I don't win... What advice have you gotten from your on-screen mom, Emmy winner Linda Dano? Linda came to General Hospital last week and said, "I've won one of these already, I want you to win." It was so really genuine. I would love it if there was a tie for the two of us. Any thoughts on what you'll be wearing? When I see the dress, I'll know it. The less I put into it, the less stressful this experience will be. I may even do my own hair and makeup. I want to keep it low-key. I won't be showing up in a Björk outfit. What does your real mom say you should wear? She always likes me in red. Linda was joking around and said maybe we should wear the same dress. I've got to solve this rumor that pops up about you every six months or so... That I'm leaving [GH], right? Every six months I get a nighttime show! (Chuckles) Maybe I have some really big fan who hopes I get a prime-time show and is putting it out there. I love my life right now where I'm at. I've got a year-and-half on my contract, and I'm not going anywhere. --Courtesy www.tvguide.com