Television
Leading Ladies Gold Standard, Women On The Edge
By Tommy Garrett
Sep 13, 2009 - 2:51:46 PM
HOLLYWOOD—This week’s Leading Ladies Gold Standard goes
to Eileen Davidson who portrays Ashley Abbott Newman on “The Young and the
Restless,” and Lesley Anne Down who is Jackie Marone on “The Bold and the
Beautiful.” Both characters came to realizations that will change their lives
forever. Ashley realizes that it was Nikki Newman who she ran over with her car
on a recent rainy night and Jackie learned that not only was her outing by
Stephanie as a former prostitute still on the web, but also that Whip Jones,
her company’s PR guy knows about it.
Lesley Anne Down Courtesy: Gilles Toucas, Bell Phillip TV Prod.
Eileen Davidson has been pouring her heart and soul into the role of Ashley for
months now. Just as Ashley’s about to get back on her feet emotionally a new
revelation occurs. This latest one may do the damsel in distress more harm than
all the other secrets before. Ashley realized last week that she had in fact
hit Nikki late one night she was out driving in the rain. Ashley’s
stepson Adam had earlier convinced her that it was probably Sabrina that she hit
with her car, but she soon was convinced by her husband Victor that Sabrina was
dead long ago. In one chilling scene Ashley remembered Nikki standing on the
side of the road and her headlights were on Nikki's face.
The twisted mind of Ashley is something very few actresses could play. Eileen
Davidson is enjoying the twists and turns and so are the viewers. When Ashley
realized what she’d done she was torn over the idea of telling Victor and the
authorities and whether she was hallucinating it all. Davidson played the role
with the full emotional impact of the character learning that she’d hit a human
being and left her on the side of the road and also worried about the wellbeing
of her unborn child. The unborn child died months ago and Ashley’s been unaware
of that as well.
Eileen Davidson Courtesy: Gilles Toucas, Bell Phillip TV Prod.
How is it that Davidson’s able to play the scenes as if Ashley doesn’t
remember anything but fans know from her reactions that what she’s done
will cause absolute destruction to the mind of a once brilliant chemist and CEO.
Davidson deserves to be a recipient of next year’s daytime Emmy for Lead
Actress in a Drama because of these very conflicting and difficult scenes that
she plays with aplomb.
Then there is Lesley Anne Down, who has been previously
named by People magazine as one of the most beautiful women in the world. She’s
also one of the most fascinating and talented women in daytime television.
Down’s character Jackie is never boring. Jackie’s past is ripe with scandal and
her marriage is crumbling every day. What will husband Owen do when he finds
out that Jackie’s past life is that of a hooker who was trying to raise her
only son the only way she knew how at the time? Two years ago Stephanie exposed
Jackie's past as a prostitute at the end of the Forrester Cruise Line
fashion show in front of the media, here's a scene from that episode of “B&B” YouTube - BATB January 5th
2007 Part 2. Will Owen be willing to forget this or will he be
devastated and angry that everyone including his enemy Whip knew about this and
all kept it from him?
Jackie didn’t know where to turn this week, especially after agreeing to fire
Whip and then finding out that he knew about her past and that it was possibly
a scandal waiting to ignite. Jackie didn’t know where to turn except to her son
Nick, whom she’s extremely close to. Nick advised his mom to keep the family
secret to herself. Fans know that the ticking time bomb Bradley Bell has in his
imagination is about to explode all over “B&B” with Owen finding the
revelation shocking and humiliating. He would especially think the fact that Jackie
kept it from him is unforgivable.
Lesley Anne Down and Eileen Davidson are two actresses we
can’t take our eyes off of. Not just because they are so beautiful, but also
because they are so talented.
