Those PASSIONS alumni keep popping up! Hot on the heels of DAYS nabbing Galen Gering (ex-Luis) and Eric Martsolf (ex- Ethan) to play Rafael and Brady, respectively, Salem's time-slot competitor, AMC, has hired McKenzie West- more (ex-Sheridan) to fill the recurring role of Dr. Sinclair, a psychiatrist who treats Melissa Claire Egan's Annie when she is committed to Oak Haven.
"This all came about because I was doing my thing in L.A., some guest spots here and there — I did DEXTER and something on [SURVIVING] SUBURBIA with Bob Saget — but things were starting to wind down in Hollywood:' Westmore reports. "The holidays were coming and my husband I were going to be on the East Coast. I had crossed paths with [talent manager] Michael Bruno, and he had asked me, 'Would you think about doing an East Coast soap?' I hadn't thought about it, but since we were going to be back here for the holidays, I thought, 'You know what? Let's see what's going on work-wise out there. Why not? There's room for change in my life.' "
As if on cue, she continues, "This job came up! And I jumped at it. ALL MY CHILDREN is an amazing show, it's ABC and it's an amazing opportunity. I thought, 'I'm gonna be out here anyhow!' It was an awesome thing, a chance to make it a working vacation!" After her tape "went to [EP] Julie [Hanan Carruthers] and [Casting Director] Judy [Blye Wilson] and then on to Chuck [Pratt, head writer], I found out on a Friday that I got the job, got on the plane on Sunday and was at the set on Monday?"
Her first day, she raves, "was unbelievable. Everybody was so incredibly nice. I can't say enough good things about Julie Carruthers, who was so warm and welcoming, and Judy is amazing. I had met her years ago, actually, when I was practically a baby. Well, not really, it was right before PASSIONS, actually. But I had met her way back when, when I auditioned for a role on ALL MY CHILDREN" — she can't remember which one — "and we remembered each other, of course, and years later, we met again and it was like no time had passed."
She's looking forward to her first stint on a somewhat less fantastical soap than PASSIONS. "No witches or demons this time around," she grins, "but I will be with Annie [laughs]!" And even though her primary job will be taking care of Annie, might there be some love in the doctor's life? "There could be a good chance," Westmore winks.