Soap Alum Crystal Hunt Talks Her Soap Beginnings and Creating Her Own Comedy Series! Read More Here ---->>>>
We recently had the pleasure of chatting with soap alum Crystal Hunt about her career and latest passion project, a comedy series titled Mood Swings!
Crystal was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida where she competed in pageants and auditioned for commercials for fun. Her career jump-started when she was cast as the troubled teen Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light in the middle of her senior year. “And the rest is sort of history,” she shared. After a few years - and a Daytime Emmy nomination - on the soap, she would find her way to the role of Stacy Morasco on One Life to Live. “I definitely covered playing the crazy bad girl on both shows.”
She looks back fondly on her soap opera days and is thankful for the experience she was able to garner at such a young age. “It’s the world’s best, most thorough, rigorous, paid acting class. It’s unbelievable training. Anything you do from here on out is easy and you know exactly how to tackle it.” Starting in the entertainment business at seventeen must have been daunting but the supportive atmosphere created by her fellow cast members made things easier. “The one thing that I can say about both shows overall is that because you spend so much time there it really does become like a family. I think that I was just so blessed to have established my career in this creative family-style atmosphere.”
While she loves her dramatic roots, Crystal is always looking for ways to “stretch her wings’ when it comes to her craft. And as a lover of comedy, she grew tired of feeling pigeonholed with the same types of roles she was considered for. “If it’s not there, sometimes you have to create it,” she expressed. So, she sat down and started to write her own comedy series. Mood Swings follows the stories of “four generations of women and an eight-year-old, who are thrown together by circumstances, live under one roof and struggle to help each other survive in the City of Angels.”
Drawing inspiration from some of her favorite shows, I Love Lucy and The Golden Girls, she thought about how she could add her own personal twist to the format. Thinking about her own family full of strong, beautiful women from all generations, she decided that she wanted to show the limitless fun that could be had. “I just know with all of the different family gatherings and girls trips just how much fun and endless story there is when you put a bunch of estrogen or lack-there-of in a place to cohabitate.”
Getting the opportunity to share the experience of doing something out of the norm with her friends was another highlight. “I always wanted to do something where I could go through my contacts on my phone and call up my friends that I know are unbelievably strong versatile actors and had not been given the opportunity to play this kind of role before.” Little did she know that an award-winning actress was vying for the same opportunity! Crystal recalled how she received a call from Dyan Cannon’s manager inquiring about a role that had been written for Donna Mills. Crystal was of course flattered that such an acclaimed actress wanted to be part of her project and made the offer of writing her as a character in the show’s second season - if they were picked up.
However, a week before production began on Mood Swings she received a call from Dyan herself pitching her an idea that she couldn’t pass up. “How on Earth are you going to say no to that,” she laughed. She ended up reworking a whole episode to welcome her into the series.
However, a week before production began on Mood Swings she received a call from Dyan herself pitching her an idea that she couldn’t pass up. “How on Earth are you going to say no to that,” she laughed. She ended up reworking a whole episode to welcome her into the series.
Crystal thrived off of the challenge of being the creator, writer, and star of her own series. “There’s no point in wearing all the hats if you can’t do them all effectively and efficiently. Not only was that challenging it was the most rewarding. And it was the most accomplished feeling because I made it through it.”
And it certainly seems like the hard work put into the show is getting recognized. The Television Academy recently asked them to be part of their For Your Consideration campaign. The chance that her show could even be considered for an Emmy nomination was never even on her radar. When we asked what it would mean to have something she created to be honored in that way she told us “I don’t even know how to describe that. I might just faint. And I’m not that girl.”
While things are up in the air with the entertainment world at the moment, Crystal is hopeful for a second season of Mood Swings. And she already has some big plans - and guest stars - in mind! “I think it’d be fabulous to get some of these amazing iconic women from all different eras that stand out and have lasted the test of time.” Actresses who have fought their way through the business like Morgan Fairchild, Betty White, and Joan Collins, who played her Aunt Alex on Guiding Light. “I’m a big advocate for women never doubting themselves and diving headfirst into anything they’ve ever wanted to do. I’ve always surrounded myself with strong women. I was raised by one. And I think the more you show that it’s a way of showing other women that they can do it as well.”
Having spent more than half her life in the spotlight, she is grateful for all her fans and supporters who have stayed along for the ride. And as fans, we wanted to know if she would ever make her way back to daytime. “I don’t think anybody would say never,” she said. The driving force for her return would be a character that she could really sink your teeth into - and one that is different from the ones she played before.
We would love to see her back! Thank you, Crystal, for the wonderful chat! Congratulations on the success of Mood Swings! We cannot wait to see where your career takes you next.
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