MARG HELGENBERGER: DO MOBSTERS MAKE THE BEST LOVERS?
In real life, Marg Helgenberger doesnât care what her boyfriend doesâŠas long as he doesnât 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 itâs obvious in the type of men sheâs chosen. Her first love was Joe Novak, a bonafide (but charming) thug. Now sheâs wild about Max Dubujak, another renegade with a shady past.
âSiobhan likes excitement, and I can understand that,â says Marg. âThatâs why sheâs a detective. She thrives on dangerous situations and, in turn, dangerous men.â
âTake Max,â she continues. âHeâs dangerous because heâs 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 doesnât immediately go after bad guys. It just happens.â
Does Marg crave the same kind of excitement in her own life?
âNo, I wouldnât like to be linked to a mobster,â she laughs. In fact, Margâs real-life beau isnât a shady character at all.
âWell, some people would beg to differ, Iâm sure,â she jokes. âBut actually, heâs nothing like Max Dubujak. Heâs much more spontaneous than Max. Heâll do anything on the spur of the moment, sometimes just to get a reaction out of somebody.â
The man in question is Erik Wiklund, a writer, who just happens to be employed by Ryanâs Hope. But, surprisingly, Marg didnât meet Erik on the show.
âErik and I met in college,â she says. âHe was a graduate student and I was an undergrad. Weâve been seeing each other for 3 years.â
Despite their different tastes in men, are Siobhan and Marg at all alike?
âIâm somewhat like her,â Marg admits, âbut I wouldnât say a lot. Siobhanâs 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.â
In person, Marg also appears to be a good deal younger than Siobhan. âPeople are always telling me that,â she says. âThey 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,â she explains, pointing to her bright red locks. âMy hair always gives me away.â
For Marg, learning to deal with fan recognition has been quite an adjustment. Living in New York has been an eye-opener, too. âIâve been here 3 years,â she says. âIt took me a while to get used to it. But once youâre here a few years, you really become attached to N.Y. Youâre doing something all the time. Back in Nebraska (Margâs native state), you just canât go to the theater or do something whenever the mood strikes. Here you can.â
Marg has grown very attached to her role on Ryanâs Hope, too. Exactly what does she like best about it?
âThe paycheck,â she quips, then giggles. âActually, I think what I like best about Siobhan is that sheâs got a good head on her shoulder. I admire that in people.â
Another fringe benefit of her soap role has been the hunk factor. Sheâs had quite a succession of handsome leading men, yet when asked to pick her favorite, she does so without any hesitation.
âDefinitely Roscoe Born,â she smiles. (Roscoe once played her husband, Joe Novak.) âWe 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 â the way he moved, his voice, his intelligence. He was pretty sure of himself.â
âThere are certain qualities that David Sederholm (Bill Hyde) and Daniel Pilon have that are very appealing, too. Davidâs very personable, very nice. I get along well with both him and Daniel. Theyâre both really even-keyed; they donât blow up that easily. Neither of them has a temper problem.â
Fans are currently enthralled with Margâs on-screen romance with Daniel Pilon. Although Marg understands the dynamics of the storyline, she doesnât necessarily buy it.
âPeople tend to like whatâs going on between Siobhan and Max,â she says. âThey like the fact that thereâs a lot of stuff brewing beneath the surface of these characters. Itâs interesting.â
âStill, itâs 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.â
Well, RHâs loyal fans would definitely give both Marg Helgenberger and Daniel Pilon an âAâ for effort â and an âA+â 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. âI guess my red hair and freckles are a real giveaway,â she confides. These days fans are anxious to know how Siobhan and Maxâs romance will turn out. But even though her boyfriend writes RH, Margâs in the dark.
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Interview Extra:
âThey Light Up My Lifeâ
Working at the Irish Arts Center is a labor of love for Marg. âI try to teach the kids to feel comfortable on stage, to relax,â she says. Sometimes a hug really helps a lot.
Ever wonder what a busy actress does on her days off? Well, Marg Helgenbergerâs idea of fun is more work â volunteer work, that is.
On free days she heads for N.Y.âs Irish Arts Center to coach a childrenâs theater group called TADA! âThe kids range in age from 6 to 16,â says Marg.
âTheyâre serious little actors and TADA! Provides them with a good educational experience.â
âI help teach them to relax and be themselves on stage. I try and make the children comfortable with the material.â
âWe do two plays a year,â she adds. âThis summer we did Laughingâs Not Easy. Around Christmas time thereâll be another play â an operetta.â
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âIâm the leader of the pack,â laughs Marg, who gladly gives up snoozing till noon â and shopping till dusk â on days off to be with her favorite stars. âTheyâre the best,â says Marg.
For ticket info, contact FLT Press Representatives in N.Y.