MARG HELGENBERGER: DO MOBSTERS MAKE THE BEST LOVERS?
In real life, Marg Helgenberger doesn’t care what her boyfriend does…as long as he doesn’t murder her script!
Daytime TV, January 1986
By Janet Di Lauro
Love is a dangerous game for Marg (Siobhan) and Daniel Pilon (Max), but they still enjoy a party break with castmate Yasmine Bleeth (Ryan) at a recent bash (left)
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Detective Siobhan Ryan loves danger and it’s obvious in the type of men she’s chosen. Her first love was Joe Novak, a bonafide (but charming) thug. Now she’s wild about Max Dubujak, another renegade with a shady past.
“Siobhan likes excitement, and I can understand that,” says Marg. “That’s why she’s a detective. She thrives on dangerous situations and, in turn, dangerous men.”
“Take Max,” she continues. “He’s dangerous because he’s so powerful and, of course, did have mob ties once. But I think it was an unconscious feeling that made Siobhan fall for him. She doesn’t immediately go after bad guys. It just happens.”
Does Marg crave the same kind of excitement in her own life?
“No, I wouldn’t like to be linked to a mobster,” she laughs. In fact, Marg’s real-life beau isn’t a shady character at all.
“Well, some people would beg to differ, I’m sure,” she jokes. “But actually, he’s nothing like Max Dubujak. He’s much more spontaneous than Max. He’ll do anything on the spur of the moment, sometimes just to get a reaction out of somebody.”
The man in question is Erik Wiklund, a writer, who just happens to be employed by Ryan’s Hope. But, surprisingly, Marg didn’t meet Erik on the show.
“Erik and I met in college,” she says. “He was a graduate student and I was an undergrad. We’ve been seeing each other for 3 years.”
Despite their different tastes in men, are Siobhan and Marg at all alike?
“I’m somewhat like her,” Marg admits, “but I wouldn’t say a lot. Siobhan’s better at confrontations. If she has a gripe with somebody, she handles it. I tend to back away from a problem. I think things over more.”
In person, Marg also appears to be a good deal younger than Siobhan. “People are always telling me that,” she says. “They remark how much thinner I look, too. But despite all that, I still get recognized quite a bit. I think it has to do with my hair coloring,” she explains, pointing to her bright red locks. “My hair always gives me away.”
For Marg, learning to deal with fan recognition has been quite an adjustment. Living in New York has been an eye-opener, too. “I’ve been here 3 years,” she says. “It took me a while to get used to it. But once you’re here a few years, you really become attached to N.Y. You’re doing something all the time. Back in Nebraska (Marg’s native state), you just can’t go to the theater or do something whenever the mood strikes. Here you can.”
Marg has grown very attached to her role on Ryan’s Hope, too. Exactly what does she like best about it?
“The paycheck,” she quips, then giggles. “Actually, I think what I like best about Siobhan is that she’s got a good head on her shoulder. I admire that in people.”
Another fringe benefit of her soap role has been the hunk factor. She’s had quite a succession of handsome leading men, yet when asked to pick her favorite, she does so without any hesitation.
“Definitely Roscoe Born,” she smiles. (Roscoe once played her husband, Joe Novak.) “We got along really well, I was sorry to see him go. Besides being very attractive, he was very sexy. It was just everything about him – the way he moved, his voice, his intelligence. He was pretty sure of himself.”
“There are certain qualities that David Sederholm (Bill Hyde) and Daniel Pilon have that are very appealing, too. David’s very personable, very nice. I get along well with both him and Daniel. They’re both really even-keyed; they don’t blow up that easily. Neither of them has a temper problem.”
Fans are currently enthralled with Marg’s on-screen romance with Daniel Pilon. Although Marg understands the dynamics of the storyline, she doesn’t necessarily buy it.
“People tend to like what’s going on between Siobhan and Max,” she says. “They like the fact that there’s a lot of stuff brewing beneath the surface of these characters. It’s interesting.”
“Still, it’s hard for me to buy the fact that Siobhan would go out with someone like Max and fall head over heels in love with him, almost to the point where she forgets about her job. But I try and make it work. Daniel and I both do.”
Well, RH’s loyal fans would definitely give both Marg Helgenberger and Daniel Pilon an “A” for effort – and an “A+” for creating one of the hottest love stories the show has seen in years!
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In person, Marg (left) looks younger and thinner than her TV character, but fans still recognize her anyway. “I guess my red hair and freckles are a real giveaway,” she confides. These days fans are anxious to know how Siobhan and Max’s romance will turn out. But even though her boyfriend writes RH, Marg’s in the dark.
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Interview Extra:
“They Light Up My Life”
Working at the Irish Arts Center is a labor of love for Marg. “I try to teach the kids to feel comfortable on stage, to relax,” she says. Sometimes a hug really helps a lot.
Ever wonder what a busy actress does on her days off? Well, Marg Helgenberger’s idea of fun is more work – volunteer work, that is.
On free days she heads for N.Y.’s Irish Arts Center to coach a children’s theater group called TADA! “The kids range in age from 6 to 16,” says Marg.
“They’re serious little actors and TADA! Provides them with a good educational experience.”
“I help teach them to relax and be themselves on stage. I try and make the children comfortable with the material.”
“We do two plays a year,” she adds. “This summer we did Laughing’s Not Easy. Around Christmas time there’ll be another play – an operetta.”
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“I’m the leader of the pack,” laughs Marg, who gladly gives up snoozing till noon – and shopping till dusk – on days off to be with her favorite stars. “They’re the best,” says Marg.
For ticket info, contact FLT Press Representatives in N.Y.