steves_4u asks: how are you today?
Saundra Santiago: Actually, I'm a little tired... I had a scene with "Edmund" today and for some reason the two of us were so tired, we couldn't remember our lines! But we got through it. It's just that with the cabaret, and the GL schedule, and I'm flying to L.A. for the ALMA Awards... I'm just a little beat, but I'll get through it! I'll make it! :)

gloryjade asks: congrat on you Alma nom.How does it feel to recieve such recogniction for your work?
Saundra Santiago: I am very honored, especially from this award because it's the only Latin awards of its kind. Much like the Image Awards [from the NAACP]. There are no specific awards recognizing Latins in the American industry, which is what this is. It's called the American Latino Media Awards, and I'll probably see a lot of friends there, like Edward James Olmos and Jimmy Smits, who I've known since the first Miami Vice... He got blown up in a car and that's when my character was first introduced, I go to see Sonny Crockett to see if he's OK. Little did I know I'd be saying that for five years: "Are you OK, honey? Is everything all right?" So there will be a lot of friends there and I'm really hoping to meet Ricky Martin. I'm a big fan of his, and Marc Antony, and Jennifer Lopez. I want to meet all of these extremely talented people, and I feel extremely honored. Paolo Benedeti is going to be there too! I believe he is introducing this award, this one I'm up for. He's presenting this particular award, so it'll be fun to see him in a different setting.

cantuono asks: We Mannyac love you and want to know when you going to get out of the PSY ward
Saundra Santiago: LOL. Well, I shouldn't say this, but I get out when I come back from vacation! :) The day I got back from vacation was the day that Carmen got out of the psych ward. I was on holiday, and that's how they wrote it in. But I thought the fans were really looking forward to it because my impression was that the fans really wanted her to "get hers" in some way, so that was part of Carmen's punishment, to be stuck in this mental ward. But did you notice I got out with a tan, and looked well-rested? ;) Wait -- you haven't seen me yet! But when you do, you'll see how tan and well-rested I am.

cantuono asks: Are you gong to make peace with M now that she is pregrant with your grandchild
Saundra Santiago: How do you know THAT?!?!? I just found that out today! How do you guys know this??? Oh wait -- it was introduced while I'm in the ward, huh... No one's answering me... Carmen JUST found that out. Well, we'll see about that. I'm not quite sure. I think she has mixed emotions about it, naturally. And I'll have to wait and see where the writers take that, because as you know, we actors are not in control of anything! They write it and we have to play it. I try to make suggestions but they don't listen to us much. So honestly, I don't know how Carmen is going to react to this news. I would like her to feel very happy about this for Danny's sake, but to have mixed emotions because I'm not happy about Michelle and the fact that she's ruined my life, basically! So she'll have complicated feelings about this whole grandchild thing.

dalen853 asks: Hi Saundra! My birthday's today and I heard yours is tomorrow so happy birthday! Got any presents yet?
Saundra Santiago: No!! Not one! I expect a little something tomorrow from my husband! I was trying to forget about it, but you just reminded me again! But happy birthday to you! Aries are very good people -- very fun-loving, very happy-go-lucky people. My husband is listening in so please feel free to ask him questions. :)

rome73 asks: Saundra I'll be in NY next week and wnated to know if you are going to have your cabaret show over the weekend?
Saundra Santiago: Oh, most definitely. If you're talking about the 23rd and the 24th, showtimes are at 8:15 and it's at Arci's Place. The address is 450 Park Ave. S. between 30th and 31st and the number to call there is 212-532-4370. Please, please come by! I think you'll enjoy it -- I've been getting great response and I'm really proud of it. I can guarantee you that I sing well -- it's something that I do seriously. Roger, my husband, plays percussion. We had the two princes in on Monday night -- Bradley Cole and David Andrew Macdonald were there, and that was a lot of fun. Ellen Dolan came from As the World Turns, and Richard Gere came! He's a very good friend so he came to support me. If you do come, please don't feel shy about coming up and introducing yourself to me -- I would love that. It's a very small, intimate space and I would love to meet you. I don't know how else to say to come!!! I've taken out four songs from my old act and added five new ones, so it's a whole new act, basically. It's more Latin, which is why I'm also excited about the ALMA Awards. It'll be a good shmooze!

stephaniefitz asks: Might your cabaret act be extended? There are many of us that need a little more time to make it to NY.
Saundra Santiago: At this point I can't say yes or no because it's really up to the club owner. It's not likely, because honestly, I need to take a holiday, a break. It seems like I just had one, I know, but sometimes when you get back from vacation, you need another vacation! This vacation was kind of busy, and I can't say that it will be, but I'm trying to get people in there -- there's a place called Joe's Pub at the Public Theater downtown, and I'm trying to get a date there, so it's likely I'll be booked somewhere, maybe not necessarily there. The best way to stay up to date is to look at the CBS Guiding Light site or the Soap Opera Digest Online Calendar.

ymeki23 asks: Hey Saundra I adore Carmen, and the role she plays in Manny's relationship. You are excellent in the role. Whats it like working with Paul and Joie
Saundra Santiago: I absolutely adore them. Paul, first of all, is probably my best friend at GL, I adore him, he's just a consummate actor, always committed to the scenes, and we work very well together. We have a good time as far as working on the scenes. He also came to see my show, he was one of the first ones there, and last year during the GL Fan Club he came to sing with me. And Joie is a joy to work with -- Joie's a joy! They're both great. If Joie leaves, I'll miss her. I don't know if she's leaving or not but I hear those rumors just like you do, and it would be sad, because all three of us have been through a lot together in the storyline, as much as you see Joie and I going at each other, it's so completely opposite the way we are off the set. we're just doing our jobs -- we really enjoy working with each other. She's a sweetheart. I predict she's going to be a big star, and you'll see a lot from Joie, as well as Paul. I predict he will be in a wonderful Broadway musical very soon. I'm just saying that my gut feeling is they will all move onto other great things. Paul has this great voice that he has to utilize because he's so talented. And like I say, I love him.

stephen_j_martin asks: Saundra, what do you feel is Carmen's motives behind what she does?
Saundra Santiago: I have no idea! LOL! You know, they change, given the script that day. One minute I'm feeling one way (I mean Carmen, not me)... one day she's feeling one way about one thing, and the next day they just throw you a curve, you know, in the script, and you have to adjust. So because the show is built on a bigger picture and we're part of that picture and we don't always know where the writers are going with the storyline, you're in constant adjusting mode. My biggest fear about the character is that there's not one redeeming quality with this character. I was taught in theater, and that's basically my experience as an actor, I am used to thinking in classical terms, and every character has a beginning, middle and end. But not in soap opera. So the journey of the character, you can have the same one -- it's like "Groundhog's Day" -- you think, "Didn't I just say that a week ago?" So that can be frustrating, and like I said, I would like her to be a little more flushed out. She has done a lot of terrible things and I believe that all flawed characters, like in Shakespeare and the Greek tragedies, they all have to end up paying for their sins, their crimes and misdemeanors. But I think I would like to think that out of this paying for the crimes, another character will come out: a wiser, more evolved character. And I'm praying that the writers go along this direction because I'm a versatile actress and I would like for the audience to see that, and sometimes I don't think they always see that versatility. They just see Carmen being bad. And especially when you're working with wonderful actors like Paul and Joie and David, you want to exercise your entire instrument. My body is my instrument, as an actress, and I like to flex my muscles. I just hope that we see different sides to Carmen.

NAVYGIRL_RM asks: Saundra, I just wanted to say hello and Thank you for visiting the web page Kevin and I made for you...Your the best!!!!
Saundra Santiago: Oh, that was my pleasure! Sorry I never emailed you back -- I've been very busy so I haven't spent that much time on the computer! I hope more people join up on the site; I think it's great! And also, to the Mannyacs, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all those beautiful flowers that were delivered to the set! I was on vacation when they were brought, but then the florist brought them back, and it was so overwhelming, and they were so beautiful, and I hope you don't mind that I shared them with some of my favorite people on the set. But it was a wonderful gesture and I will remember it forever and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Soon, I promise, I will write individual thank you notes! Bear with me, I'm slow! What a great thing to come back from my vacation to -- it was a wonderful surprise and I got to show off in the office!

dalen853 asks: Mr. Saundra--aren't you happy to have such a lovely wife? He better say yes!
Saundra Santiago: You know what happened? He left to go to his studio to rehearse his percussion! But yes, he's VERY lucky to have me! I'd say he's lucky to have me and I'm lucky to have him -- we're lucky to have each other! :)

khrisp_98 asks: thats true, do you wish there more awards for Latin-Americans??
Saundra Santiago: As far as awards, I'm not big on awards, I think there are too many awards right now. On the networks, I think what started out as something just as a little party years ago has turned into this overblown spectacle. You have to go there, be dressed well, it's so high-pressure. What I'm most happy about is that the Latins are finally taking an interest in each other, which is very important, because we're not good at organizing and sticking together and being a group because we're so spread out. So in that sense I would say, yes, I want more awards for Latinos. But in the other sense, I think there are too many awards, I think enough is enough, none of them are important if everyone is doing awards! But I do feel it's important for Latins in the industry to speak out and have pride and say, yes, we're here and we contribute a lot to the industry and there is so much music, acting, you name it, that we provide. That's why I'm going out there: I need to support this because I've been in the business over 20 years, I've had a lot of ups and downs, and I've played many roles, not just Latin roles, but I've had to struggle with being Latino... First of all, I consider myself a human being, but I am proud to be of Latin heritage and Latin descent, and I'm really rejoicing in it now. And it shows a lot in my cabaret because I've chosen to do a lot of Spanish songs, songs I know from my childhood that my parents played on the record player, and I'm very proud of that. So for the community and to celebrate who we are as Latinos, yes, the awards are great.

simona73 asks: Do you think Carmen is ready to be an "ABUELA" ?
Saundra Santiago: I don't know! I was asked something similar before... You know, it's bound to soften her up. Babies do that, you know, they turn people into mush. I hope that the writers take that cue. I hope they at least give me that quality, that when I see this child, maybe I'll have second thoughts about how I've treated Michelle and my son and my daughter. Maybe this child will give me a second life, a different kind of life. But you never know! Once a bad guy, always a bad guy... It would be great to see Carmen turn into mush when she sees the baby.

rome73 asks: Are we going to see you in a hot romance with Edmund?
Saundra Santiago: LOL -- I don't know! Seems like his character is vacillating back and forth from me and Beth, and I'm mad at him right now! I would love to have a hot romance, period! I can say this now because Roger has left the house. No, I mean on the show!!!! :) I would love for Carmen to have a hot romance because she's got to have some fun sometime, and it would be great to be with David. I thoroughly enjoy working with David, he's a lot of fun and a wonderful actor. He's from Juilliard and I think he's just tremendous. So, if I can help it, I think we'll have a hot romance! But you never know with these writers sometimes!

lions_fb27 asks: Hello, how do you like doing the Sopranos???
Saundra Santiago: Oh I love doing The Sopranos! Ah, first of all, it is truly a wonderful, well-written, well-conceived show. The producer David Chase is first-class, from the moment I met him I knew this show was going to be a huge success because I had this gut feeling. The first few scripts were just so excellent. It's a great show. I got to work with Edie Falco, who is such a brilliant actress. Working with someone like this, it's not working, it's like playtime! You study this craft and then you dream of these moments, when they pop up and you're working but it's not working, it's just having fun and doing what you've studied all your life... and that's what it was. They have a nice respect for me on that set even though I only visit once or twice a year, and all those guys, I've worked with them off and on through the years, most of them were on Miami Vice, so they were like, "Oh I remember you!" I didn't remember so well... :) James Gandolfini, Vincent Pastore, they all worked on Miami Vice. That's how long I've been around1 :)

kayla_047 asks: Love your new haircut! Did you decide to cut it or did they do it at the show?
Saundra Santiago: Well, this was a big scandal, because I had a hysteria one night and I had to cut my hair, I couldn't stand it anymore -- so I didn't tell anyone, I just went and did it. I went to a salon here in NY. Anyway, I said to him, "I need a new look, I need to look young, hip and sexy." And he did what he did and I trusted that he'd give me something workable. But then when I went to the set the next day, I got in BIG trouble with Paul Rauch! He didn't yell or anything, but he was really pissed off. And I was like, "Relax -- it'll grow back!" I like Paul, we get along fine, so it lasted for five minutes, and then when we shot the scenes with the new hair, then he loved it. He just had to exercise his authority -- "How could you do that without telling me?" and I went, "I know, you're right, you're right, but doesn't it look great, Paul?" Actually, I'm dying to do some, like, punk hairdo, but I think they'd go crazy if I did that. I would like some rock and roll hairdo... but I don't know how much Paul can take.

ianna_2000 asks: ms.santiago you are very convincing on guiding light...how long will you play this role and who would you like to be paired off with...edmond or someone new?
Saundra Santiago: How long... gosh, I don't know! It depends on the gods... I'll stay there as long as the storyline clicks and works and, you know, as long as they want me, although after maybe two or three years, I might be tired. I don't know how I'm going to feel three years from now. I love this job, I'm very comfortable, and I do enjoy playing Carmen at times. I have to tell you, she's a hard role to play because she's not a happy woman, so in those intense scenes with my kids, when everyone is yelling at me and calling me names, it can get a little depressing. But as long as they keep fleshing Carmen out, I'll stay with it. And as far as who I would like to be paired up with, well, there are so many delicious men on that show, you know? As I said before, I thoroughly enjoy working with David, so I'm fine being his lovah -- but Anthony Addabbo (Jim) was pitching a storyline to them where he goes bad and hooks up with Carmen because he said he "wouldn't mind sharing some spit with Carmen!" :) Those were his exact words! Now if my husband heard that... Originally, when I didn't have any lover on the show, I wanted them to get A Martinez. But he's already taken, unfortunately for us. And if there's anyone that I had a wonderful chemistry working with, it was A. What a dream, a gem of a man, and a wonderful actor. I always thought, "Oh I'd love to work with A Martinez again." So I'm open, you know?

simona73 asks: saundra are you aware of the fan base you have here in ITALY?
Saundra Santiago: No!!!! Ciao! No I'm not, but I have a funny story about this. When the producers of The Sopranos were scouting locations in Italy, they were in someone's house in this big villa, and this family had a huge television, and the producers were walking around, also the cameramen, and they checked out the TV, but who was on the tube but Carmen Santos, speaking in perfect Italian! They were laughing because I worked on the set a week later and it just blew their minds that they saw me in Naples in someone's villa! So I'm thrilled by this -- I've been to Italy three or four times, I love Italy, I love Italians, my husband is half-Italian, so I feel Italian, most of the time! I'm glad I have fans in Italy and maybe someday I'll be able to visit with you! Italy is the most beautiful place on the planet.

Karmstr112 asks: When did you work with A?
Saundra Santiago: In 1992, I believe, or 1993, we did a musical in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum called "Bandido." He played the male lead, and I was opposite him as the female lead, and we had these very intense love scenes that we had to play night after night after night... Poor me! And we had to sing together and dance together... It was wonderful, so much fun. I was married at the time, and A is happily married -- he's the most wonderful husband and extremely dedicated to his family and his wife so our friendship has always been purely platonic, but these are the wonderful friendships you gain when you work with someone like tihs, and I always remember the chemistry we had. It doesn't always happen, but it happened for us. He's a wonderful singer, too. He can SING! He sings, he writes...

stephen_j_martin asks: Do you think you could ever lure A Martinez away from the east coast and GH to come to GL as the "dead" Papa Santos?
Saundra Santiago: You know, as much as I wish for that, I don't think so. He's too dedicated to his family to leave L.A. That's the kind of man he is, he just knows what's important in life and no job can take that away from him. His children and his wife come first. Unless his kids were already grown up, but I don't think anytime soon, unfortunately for us...

begonia75 asks: Did you get a chance to see Joie Lenz's (michelle) cabaret show?
Saundra Santiago: No, I didn't, and shame on me, because as I say, I've been so busy putting together my own show and they just work me to death on GL, and most of the time I come home and I'm fried, but it's still going on, so the next time I promised her that I will see it, because I know she has a great voice because she sings at the studio all the time and I know she has a lovely voice from that. So I will see her, eventually!

kevin_16_2001 asks: Saundra - I think your work is fabulous...I was happy to make the webpage for you, and glad that you signed the message board....are you planning on being in movies, or are you happy right where you are?
Saundra Santiago: I would love to do movies, but I'll tell you, I was just offered a nice role in an independent feature called "Life: An Independent Manual," and I begged Paul Rauch to let me do it, but unfortunately, there were two days that conflicted with the soap's schedule and the movie's, and Paul would just not let me go to do this. Usually he's been very good about letting me go and do other projects, but they just could not work around these two dates, so this past week I had to turn down this movie role. It's upsetting, but I'll get over it. Where there's one, there's more. My interest in work is across the boards. I'm dying to do another play, another show on Broadway. But with this one movie, Paul just couldn't move around the schedule, so that's that. I'm sort of tied up with Guiding Light!

ymeki23 asks: Saundra are you happy with the direction TPTB are taking with the Santos family?
Saundra Santiago: For the most part I think they do a good job. I know the pressure they're under writing -wise, to get it out there every day. I honestly don't know what's going to happen in the next few months, so I'm curious to see in which direction they go. But I can tell you one thing: they hired a really fine actor to play another mob role, a character named Carlos who's supposed to be one of the other heads of the families, in addition to Bernardo. They hired this really great actor named Joe... I can't remember his last name, but on the Sopranos, he played Tony Soprano's father in the flashbacks of Tony's father and mother, when they were young. That's the actor they just hired. I know this actor; he's so wonderful. So if that's an indication that at least our story is going to continue, I'm happy with that. I don't think they would have hired such a wonderful actor as this if they didn't have plans for the future. Paul needs good actors to work with because he's so good, Paul Anthony Stewart, so we were really happy. I think Paul Rauch does a great job hiring actors for GL.

memyandi75 asks: What's is Carmen gonna do when she get's out the Psych ward?
Saundra Santiago: Hmmm... Well, if I tell you, then you won't watch! Then you'll already know!

glfanforever_2000 asks: Hi Saundra! Congratulations on all your many accomplishments....I wonder, will you be at the fan gathering in Oct? And will you be performing anywhere in the city during that weekend?
Saundra Santiago: I most definitely will be involved in some of the gathering, I don't know what that will involve yet. And if Tim Frendak from the fan club wants to put something together again with the other singers from show -- like Kim Zimmer, Paul Anthony, David Andrew, it's a shame if all of us do not perform during this period, so the fans get to see this treat. So hopefully, yes, I will be performing. I'll try my best!

dalen853 asks: Truth--don't you hate that fur wrap thing they put Carmen in so often?
Saundra Santiago: I am sick of this. I am sick of it. Honestly, yes. The hair gets in my mouth. I feel like this ancient woman, you know, this Upper East Side madam walking in with this fur thing around my neck. I think it's been retired!

simona73 asks: Saundra, is Carmen a difficult role to play? Don't you ever feel exhausted after some fights with Danny/Paul and Michelle/Joiee/J
Saundra Santiago: Always, always exhausted. It's such an aggressive role, I'm always fighting with people and getting screamed at and being called names and being humiliated, it can wear and tear at you, yes. I come home most of the time with my makeup on and my husband comes over to kiss me and I say, "No, I don't want you to kiss Carmen!" I need to shed the character because it is so exhausting. And everybody, everybody is on Carmen's case all the time! Of course, she creates all the drama around her, but it is hard to play sometimes. I'm like the Springfield punching bag. That's what I call myself, "the Springfield whipping boy." Everybody lashes out their anxieties and psyches at Carmen Santos. Not that people should feel sorry for Carmen -- but as far as the actor playing the part, it can be exhausting and depressing, and some of those actors on the set, and I'm not going to name names, but sometimes I feel like they think I am Carmen Santos, and they treat me like that, and I'm like, "Hey, I'm somebody else!"

jiji_six asks: Is it true that you're the tallest women in the cast?
Saundra Santiago: Hmmm... Yeah, I could be that. Tammy Blanchard is pretty tall, but it's probably between Tammy and I. She's very tall and slender, Tammy. I think I appear taller than I really am. But it's funny, they do always put me with the tallest men. Hunt was REAL tall, Hunt Block.

andreah18 asks: Hola! como esta? :) I was wondering, out of all the wonderful cast at GL, who would you like to work with that you haven't had the chance to work with yet?
Saundra Santiago: Ooh, this is a tricky question, because if I leave someone out, they're going to get mad at me! Well, I absolutely love working with Tammy, so I guess I have to say someone I haven't worked with at all... I'd love to work with Kim Zimmer, I think we'd be great together, but I don't know how they could work that in... I'd love to work with Bradley Cole, but I think it's so far out of the realm that I don't even go there! I don't think Carmen is allowed to go near him! Although I would love to work with bradley, he's such a joy as a human being, such a sweet guy. And such a good actor. But I don't think they'd let Carmen get her hands on the prince. And Laura would scratch my eyes out! She'd tear my eyes out!

cantuono asks: Where would you like Carmen to go from here
Saundra Santiago: Ah, I think I've been saying this for a whole year: I would like Carmen to slow down and contemplate her life, and how it's gotten to where it's gotten and to maybe try to fix things in her life, to get back on some kind of track where we could see at least one redeeming quality in this character, because like I said before, I think what's important in a characterization is that it should be well fleshed out, and the character should go on a journey -- they start here and end up there -- and there's a reason to why they act the way they act. I would love for them to show flashbacks of Carmen as a young girl, a young woman, before she got into the business, in her more innocent stage, to show the audience that characters are flawed because of a reason, because there are certain events that happen in their life that affect them forever. I would like them to investigate this history, and if it means going back in time, that'd be great. If it means taking a different road, I wouldn't mind taking a different road for the character. I don't want her to be boring, though. I think Carmen is too energetic and too feisty for her to become completely at peace with everything. I think then the character would just die. But it would be interesting to see them take this character in a whole different direction. So we'll see. We'll see. I don't know who's in charge of this -- I have my suspicions -- but we'll see.

SODhost: Thank you Saundra for your time chatting with us tonight! And thank you all for chatting with Saundra!
Saundra Santiago: Thank you all and good night! Thank you for sharing your time with me and I'll continue to do the best I can as Carmen Santos. I can't promise anything because I'm not in charge but I will continue to entertain as best I can, because I love acting, it's my life, and I am glad you enjoy the show, and keep tuning in!

SODhost: Good night everyone!

Niki_Oct asks: Thank you Saundra & SOD.