Y&R's Dana Sparks Talks Her Return To Daytime, Passions, and More! (EXCLUSIVE)

Y&R's Dana Sparks Talks Her Return To Daytime, Passions, and More! Check it out here --->>

 

Soap Opera News had the opportunity to chat with Passions alum Dana Sparks about her return to soaps with her new role of Dr. Lena Cavett on The Young and the Restless. 

Soap opera fans last saw Dana Sparks in 2007 when she exited the now-defunct Passions. With only a handful of credits to her resume since we wanted to know what led the actress to make her long-awaited return. “Y&R is an iconic show and it’s a no-brainer to accept this role with gratitude. Also, I’m a bit of an efficiency geek and with more than 12,000 episodes behind them, this show runs like a Swiss clock. It’s very fun for me.”

Last week fans were excited to see Sparks take on the role of Chelsea’s specialist, Dr. Lena Cavett. And we hope to see a lot of her throughout the storyline. “[She] comes in the first day with a good deal of information. It was exciting to jump right in,” she shared with us. “I think fans are all pulling for Chelsea to make a full recovery. But I would love for it to take a while. I’d be very happy with a long run on the show. I've learned that the writers know where to go with these stories. I leave it to the pros.” 

 

Dana shared that any nervousness was left at the door thanks to the kindness of The Young and the Restless cast. “The first morning I saw Kate Linder and Michelle Stafford in the hallway and they just greeted me with such warmth. It just made any first-day jitters dissipate. But I haven’t met many of the other cast yet. I hope to work with them.”

The world of daytime dramas is constantly changing, especially in the 14 years since Sparks was last in the game. “Oh no, it’s not really 14 years, really?! It’s not all that different. There are obvious precautions in place now but it was like jumping back on a horse. It’s three cameras and moves very fast. Passions had a lot of special effects and storylines, like the prom boat where all the cast was included. Those days went on forever. We often shot way into the night and then came back at 6:30 in the morning.”

 

Speaking of Passions, Dana became a fan-favorite on the soap thanks to her performance as twins Grace Bennett and Faith Standish. “Playing twins was only difficult because I had to be there a long time. But I was really fortunate in that casting asked me if I had anyone that was a good double for me. My dear friend Jennifer Brown got to be my double and we just laughed every day. And the battle of Faith and Tabitha was one of the most memorable days ever. I’d love to work with Juliette Mills again, she’s the ultimate pro.”

 

It’s been almost 13 years since Passions ended and the show is still popular among viewers thanks to clips and episodes online. The series was certainly in its own world and we asked Dana why she thought the show is still so beloved. “Passions’ character development and storylines were groundbreaking in a lot of ways. Clearly, we had major creative talent with Jim Riley and Lisa De Cazotte and so many others. I think a big part of it was that all the cast came on together and we were all for one and one for all and I think that came across.” 

Thank you, Dana!