We caught up with Patrika Darbo on the fourth hole of the golf course. No worries here. Patrika was game and so were we. Patrika’s amusing, witty, not at a lost for words and did not mince a single one. There was not a dull moment. While Patrika navigated through the golf course, we talked about moving past limits placed on you by others, soaps, The Daytime Emmy’s and the Easter Seals Disability Film Challenge.
Patrika was born in Florida. She grew up in Florida, Georgia and Wisconsin and studied in Atlanta. Her path wasn’t without societal and gender barriers placed in front of her. ” I’m of that generation where women weren’t bosses and were just going to be secretaries. My daddy always told me, ‘You need to learn to type or something. Acting is something you can’t rely on. You have to have a job.’”
She did have a job. In fact, she had a “regular” job for twenty years. She started out investigating in a credit department and worked herself up to Credit Manager. Maybe without Patrika realizing it those societal and gender barriers subconsciously crept up in her mind. Because it came to a point that she was making more money from her part-time acting than at her full-time job. Yet Patrika kept working her nine to five.
It was Patrika’s male manager, who without wanting or meaning to, did Patrika, the industry and her fans the biggest favor. It was difficult to hear what her manager told her. But then again sometimes in life, it’s moments like these that help propel us forward. “I had a man, my manager, say to me, ‘You are a woman no more than a goat. Don’t ever contradict me again.’ At which point I said bye-bye. I went to the President and I told him, ‘I can’t work with that man and you have two weeks or 20 minutes.’ I also told him, ‘If you keep following him you will be bankrupt in six months.’ He came back and said, ‘The man said he can’t work with you either. So you have twenty minutes. I’m going to miss you.’ He said good-bye. He was very sweet. They were bankrupt in four months. However, I have been working ever since. I can happily and proudly say I’m a working actor.”
Yes, she is. Aside from her work in soaps, she has done community theater, commercials, television and films. She’s pretty much done it all. Patrika shared with us that special moment every actor remembers. “I got my SAG card doing a commercial for Herfy’s Hefty Hamburgers. They are not around anymore. I’m the big girl sitting on the bench and a guy sits next to me with a bag full of Herfy’s. The bench tips up and I slide down to him.”
Our soap family knows Patrika primarily as Nancy Wesley (Days of our Lives) and Shirley Spectra (Bold and the Beautiful). Nancy was an instant hit with the Days fans. And when we say instant we mean instant. “I’ve always been overweight. But I have been very fortunate that it didn’t hold me back. I’m very blessed Fran Bascom, casting director at Days, brought me on. Tom Langan wrote the part. He didn’t know me but he wrote this part. I started working on May 31, 1998. When the show aired 4 weeks later at 1:00 pm, by 1:15 I had a three-year contract. The phones just lit up. The people were amazed. I always say I’m a size two. I just have a zero behind my two whereas other ladies have theirs in front. Everybody related to me immediately. It was so great for me.”
It took Patrika a little bit longer and a lot more perseverance to become Shirley Spectra. But if you have ever spoken to Patrika for even five minutes, you would know if she wants something she is going to make it happen. “Darlene Conley (Sally Spectra, The Bold and the Beautiful) was a darling. Us, the two redheads, would get into trouble at different soap events. I would tell Brad Bell all the time ‘Sally needs a sister. Sally needs a sister.’ Almost 15 years later I got a call that said Sally is going to have a sister. Her name is Shirley. And you are going to be the grandmother to the new Sally Spectra.”
We mentioned that Shirley’s granddaughter, Sally, was about to go toe to toe with Quinn and could probably use her right about now. “Quinn better not mess with Sally.” Laughter. “I think it would be great. I hope he brings me back. I’m on recurring. They brought me back for the Fashion Show. Then things got crazy with the new baby stories. But you know that’s how soaps are. They are cyclical. I had the greatest time. I adore Courtney Hope. I love working with everyone at Bold. Brad is a legacy within himself. So, I would love to go back in a heartbeat.”
Being in the midst of Daytime Emmy season, our discussion ventured to last year’s controversy, especially on the heels of the news that the Daytime Emmy’s weren’t releasing submission reels this year. It has been reported this decision was made in response to the controversy that ended in Patrika’s Emmy being revoked last year. As we all recall, according to the Daytime Emmy’s there was a submission error regarding Patrika’s nomination for The Guest Performer in a Digital Daytime Drama Series Category. Consequently, The Daytime Emmy’s revoked Patrika’s award.
Patrika did not mince a word regarding last year’s controversy and what has transpired since. “They are the ones that made the mistake. They haven’t been anything but rude to me. They made the error and wanted to take my Emmy back. And I said ‘if you are taking mine back then why aren’t you taking the other errors back’ and everyone got mad at me. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t submit it myself. I didn’t approve it. I just got the Emmy and they are not getting it back. Why are they being rude to me or my publicist? I don’t know. It’s unacceptable.”
From just our chat with her, Patrika does not seem like the person who would let a little (or big) controversy slow her down. She won’t. She’s a woman who loves what she does. And she does it because she loves acting not because she has to. “If I wanted to stop and not do another thing, I could. It’s not going to happen though because I love working.” We can tell. She stays busy. “They have asked me to be on The Bay again, which could bring a conflict if they wanted me to return to Bold since CBS doesn’t like you working any other soap.” She’s also just finished the first season of the web series titled, You Did What? She worked on that project with John Lawson.
Additionally, she worked with John Lawson on The Annual Easter Seals Disability Film Challenge. Patrika had to take a minute when she started talking about her work on the film. It was an emotional experience for her. “I’m going to try not to cry. The gentleman who directed it and asked me to do it is John Lawson. He has no arms. He had a terrible electrical accident and it messed his arms up. He works with people who have a disability and with disability shows. He promotes diversity; whether it be a disability, gender or race. And like John, Easter Seals promotes that you should reflect what you see in the world. It was such a wonderful event and such a fun thing to do. I have never done anything like it. John has done this before and won several awards. He’s awesome.
I was also working Jamie Brewer (America’s Horror Story) and Micah Fowler (Speechless) who plays my son. I have never worked with someone with a disability in that aspect. When Micah was delivering a line because of his disability it was difficult and took some time for him to get the words out. It was different for me because of the timing. John said ‘I’m going to be editing and cutting just stay there and respond as you would any other time.’ It was a learning experience for me. Working with Micah, I learned so much. Jamie, with Down Syndrome, is one of the brightest bulbs on the chandelier I’m telling you. It was just an amazing experience.”
You must see the finished product. We have watched it a few times. It’s funny! Check it out here.
Patrika mentioned more than a few times how lucky and grateful she is for the career she has. She also pointed out that, “I have worked very hard for it.” One of the ways she shows her gratitude is by paying it forward. She is investing her time helping to cultivate and develop the next generation of actors. “I have a lot of kids that I mentor. I want to make sure I take care of the young and the up and coming people. They have it a lot tougher. For instance, when I was starting out when I went to an audition, there were five people auditioning. Now when you go in, there are fifty persons. And the newcomers (that aren’t famous) are making much less than we did. It’s a lot tougher for kids now.”
The advice Patrika gives the kids she mentors are words of wisdom we could all benefit from. “I tell the kids I mentor keep busy and stay involved in your industry. Surround yourself with positive people and not negative people. Treat people the way you want to be treated and the next thing you know you will have another job and then soon somebody refers you for another job.” Great advice.
In closing, Patrika asked us to specifically mention something very close to her heart. “Please keep the Arts in schools. Every kid is not a jock. It’s a safe place for kids and can help there be a lot less bullying. Please keep the Arts in schools.”
Yes! Such an important message, Patrika!
Thanks so much for the chat!
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