That said, these DAYS, most soap fans would most likely identify the actress as the social-climbing schemer married to Craig Wesley. It's admittedly a far cry from Darbo's first job as a credit manager in her early LA days. "When [Casting Director] Fran Bascom asked me if I would do a soap, I said yes, thinking that I was going to come on and say, 'How do you want that hamburger cooked?' or 'Did you want some peanuts to go with it?'" Darbo laughs. "Little did I know, I joke about it now, but somewhere in the back of my head, I kept expecting someone to come down and say, 'Oh, my God, you're not who we thought you were. Thank you for coming.'"

In spite of the first-day jitters, Darbo is relishing her role as the thorn in Mike Horton's side, deliciously plotting his downfall along with her hubby, Craig, played by Kevin Spiritas. "Kevin is just a doll, the best. I mean, I couldn't have asked for a better leading man, " she raves. "The first day, I was not used to the way scenes end just on a look. I said, 'Aren't I supposed to say something?' So he has helped me with that and with lighting and shadows and some technical stuff that I hadn't done since I was on STEP BY STEP."

Rubbing elbows with Spiritas has also made for some fun girl talk for Darbo and her pals. "Women stop me on the streets and in grocery stores and ask me about Kevin," she smiles. "I have friends who called the other day asking, 'Who's that husband? Can we see him if we ever come out there?' And I said, 'Oh, sure, he's a great kisser." My friend said, 'He is? I was afraid to ask that.'"

Darbo, meanwhile, isn't the least bit afraid to admit she doesn't look like the typical starlet, especially in the size two town of Salem. "You know, Kristian Alfonso [Hope] - who is just absolutely breathtaking - walked by, and my thigh was bigger than her waist," she sighs. "And Renee [Jones], who plays Lexie, is just a size zero. I told Renee, 'I need you to have coffee and some cream. I need some cream in that coffee. Maybe a couple of bags of sugar.'" While she's quick with the witty, carefree comments about her size, Darbo realizes that she's making a serious impact on the audience. "I've never thought of myself as someone who was carrying a flag or banner," explains the actress. "But the fan mail is incredible from women and young teenage girls who say, 'I wanted to be thin, thin, thin. How wonderful to turn on the TV and feel like there's a place for me.' It's astounding. I've had fan mail, but never like this. I didn't realize how the fans are with daytime television."

Darbo admits that her weight has played a significant role throughout her career, which prompted her to try virtually every fad diet and weight program over the years. "I've been on diets. I fasted three times," she says. "When I first got [to LA], I was going to have my mouth sewn shut, but how the hell was I going to act with my mouth sewn shut?" So, a determined Darbo pursued her dream, and now has a long list of credits on her impressive resume. But it wasn't always easy to nab those A-list assignments. "If there's a product to be sold, I sell the B product," she shrugs.

Well, with some exception. In fact, it's with enormous pride that Darbo mentions her association with the Tetley Tea company. "It was against type," she recalls. "First of all, I was big. Usually I would never sell the tea because they don't want any overweight people associated with their product. I was a wonderful thing. But those advertisers took a big risk and it paid off for them."

Comfortable at last with her appearance, Darbo doesn't feel pressured to look a certain way anymore to get a job. "This is who I am, and whether I'm thin or I'm heavy, I'm still a good actress," she says. "If you put a bag over me and didn't know who I was and just had a talking bag, I'd be a pretty good talking bag. So there's no pressure from anyone [to lose weight]. The only pressure would come from myself and we all go through those things."

Meanwhile, Darbo's career isn't the only source of her great satisfaction and pride. She and her husband Rolf are thriving, too. The duo met during a production of Anything Goes at the Burbank Little Theater. Rolf was the stage manager; Darbo was in the chorus. "We got married on-stage," she recalls. "He had designed the set for Barefoot in the Park and so we got married with the curtain down. The judge came in and we gave out programs, which were called To Tie The Knot, starring me as the bride and Rolf as the groom. The original story conceived by our parents and the cast of characters were the ushers and the people taking care of the food. Afterward, we raised the curtain and had a reception on-stage in this little apartment set. It was great; we had a good time." Years later, the duo is still going strong. "He's darling," she grins. "It's the best."

So is life in Salem. "It's great to be evil," she says. "It's a nice opportunity for me to be offered this kind of role. Normally, I'm the ditzy neighbor or the ditzy mother or the ditzy friend of the put-upon character. Now I get to be the put-upon character. And I'm having a very good time.

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