About
"When I first signed up to do soaps, I would hear, 'How can Mrs. 'Citizen Kane' belittle herself in a soap opera?' But Orson Welles told me, 'That's nonsense. The best acting on television is in the daytime. Those people are the real storytellers. They're the real actors and actresses.' I was very grateful for that. And I tend to agree."
In her four-and-a-half-hour interview, Ruth Warrick (1916-2005) talks about her beginnings as "Miss Jubilesta," which led to a brief career in radio drama. She recalls her early chance meeting with Orson Welles, which led to her being cast in the groundbreaking feature film Citizen Kane as the wife of "Charles Foster Kane." She discusses her years under contract at RKO, and speaks of her friendship with Welles, who encouraged her to enter daytime drama. Warrick recounts her early experiences on live television, and outlines getting cast on her first daytime drama, Guiding Light. She describes working on the daytime serial As the World Turns, which led to her being cast as "Hannah Cord" in the popular nighttime drama Peyton Place, opposite Ryan O'Neal and Mia Farrow. She recalls being cast as "Phoebe Tyler" in Agnes Nixon's All My Children, and discusses All My Children's groundbreaking and sometimes controversial storylines. She concludes by commenting on what daytime drama does best, and speaks of various people with whom she has worked. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on June 29, 1999 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Ruth Warrick on meeting Orson Welles and being cast in the feature film "Citizen Kane"
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on Carol Burnett appearing on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's groundbreaking AIDS storyline
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on radio and movies she enjoyed as a child; on deciding to become an actress
On her stint as "Miss Jubilesta"; on getting into radio
Chapter 2
On participating in early experimental television; on how radio people reacted to the advent of television and working in live television
On being cast in "Citizen Kane"; on her parents' reaction to her becoming an actress; on filming "Citizen Kane"
Chapter 3
On acting in "Citizen Kane"; on the controversey surrounding the release of "Citizen Kane"
On her contract with RKO Pictures and her relationship with Orson Welles; on her activities regarding the war effort during World War II
Chapter 4
On various feature films she did for RKO; on moving to New York and getting into television; on acting in live television
On various roles she played on television; on acting in Guiding Light; on Guiding Light creator Irna Phillips
Chapter 5
On being cast on As the World Turns; on the format of As the World Turns
On learning her lines for As the World Turns; on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
Chapter 6
On playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place; on starring in various feature films
On being cast on All My Children; on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Chapter 7
On working with Hugh Franklin on All My Children; on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"; on All My Children's groundbreaking AIDS storyline
On All My Children's controversial storylines; on the casting of All My Children; on the show expanding to an hour-long format
Chapter 8
On shooting All My Children on location; on Carol Burnett appearing on All My Children; on the role of the daytime drama in modern culture
On daytime drama getting the respect it deserves; on her proudest professional achievements; on when television is at its best
Chapter 9
On Susan Lucci winning her Emmy for All My Children; on various people she's worked with in her career; on working for Agnes Nixon on All My Children
Shows
All My Children
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on being cast as "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on working with Hugh Franklin on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on the relationships of her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's groundbreaking AIDS storyline
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's controversial storylines
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's casting and staying true to her character "Phoebe Tyler" and to her fans
Ruth Warrick on All My Children expanding to an hour-long format
Ruth Warrick on All My Children being the first daytime drama to shoot on-location and what people learn from daytime drama
Ruth Warrick on Carol Burnett appearing on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on the challenges on being on All My Children for over thirty years
Ruth Warrick on what she's learned from her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on the power of television and Susan Lucci winning her Emmy for All My Children
Ruth Warrick on working with Agnes Nixon on All My Children
As the World Turns
Ruth Warrick on being cast on As the World Turns
Ruth Warrick on the half-hour format of As the World Turns and the shooting process of the show
Ruth Warrick on memorizing her lines for live TV on As the World Turns
Guiding Light
Ruth Warrick on getting a job on Guiding Light
Ruth Warrick on Guiding Light creator Irna Phillips
Peyton Place
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
Ruth Warrick on being nominated for an Emmy for Peyton Place
Robert Montgomery Presents
Ruth Warrick on starring in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents and her thoughts on the advent of videotape
Topics
Anthology Drama
Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
Characters & Catchphrases
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler," and learning that an audience can accept a villainous character that they "love to hate"
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's casting and staying true to her character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on what she's learned from her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Emmy Awards
Ruth Warrick on being nominated for an Emmy for Peyton Place
Health and Medicine
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's groundbreaking AIDS storyline
Pop Culture
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler," and learning that an audience can accept a villainous character that they "love to hate"
Ruth Warrick on All My Children's casting and staying true to her character "Phoebe Tyler"
Ruth Warrick on what she's learned from her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler"
Technological Innovation
Ruth Warrick on participating in an early experimental television test
Ruth Warrick on starring in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents and her thoughts on the advent of videotape
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
War
Ruth Warrick on World War II
World War II
Ruth Warrick on World War II
Professions
Actress
Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
Ruth Warrick on developing her All My Children character "Phoebe Tyler," and learning that an audience can accept a villainous character that they "love to hate"
Performers
Ruth Warrick on acting in live television
Genres
Daytime/Primetime Serials
Ruth Warrick on acting on Guiding Light
Ruth Warrick on her stint on As the World Turns
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" on Peyton Place
Ruth Warrick on playing "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on playing "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on playing "Phoebe Tyler" on All My Children
Ruth Warrick on working with Agnes Nixon on All My Children
People
Fred Astaire
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Fred Astaire
Carol Burnett
Ruth Warrick on Carol Burnett's appearance on All My Children
Ted Corday
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Ted Corday
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Ted Corday
Jackie Gleason
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Jackie Gleason
Eileen Herlie
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Eileen Herlie
Susan Lucci
Ruth Warrick on the power of television and Susan Lucci winning her Emmy
Agnes Nixon
Ruth Warrick on working with Agnes Nixon on All My Children
Pat O'Brien
Ruth Warrick on various people she's worked with in her career - Pat O'Brien
Ryan O'Neal
Ruth Warrick on playing "Hannah Cord" opposite Ryan O'Neal on Peyton Place
Irna Phillips
Ruth Warrick on Guiding Light creator Irna Phillips
Orson Welles
Ruth Warrick on acting in the feature film "Citizen Kane"
Ruth Warrick on the controversy surrounding the release of the film "Citizen Kane"
Ruth Warrick on meeting Orson Welles and being cast in the feature film "Citizen Kane"
Ruth Warrick on acting in Orson Welles' feature film "Citizen Kane"