Soap Opera Digest Online. Dated: September 1998
SUNSET BEACH's Randy Spelling takes some time to answer fan questions
SODhost: Sunset Beach's Randy Spelling (Sean) has joined us. Welcome, Randy!
RANDY SPELLING: Hey everybody! Thanks for loggin' on!
Hannah_18_99: Do you like the way your storylines have been going lately???
RANDY SPELLING: Yeah. I'm getting a chance to have a love interest... a love story.
MaEgAn_C: Did the whole "Shockwave" thing scare you?
RANDY SPELLING: Did it scare me? No. Actually it was incredibly fun to tape.
MHSC_Sean: Is there any chance of an Emily/Sean/Leo triangle?
RANDY SPELLING: Most definitely :-)
SuBe_Fan: If Sean could be with any one woman in Sunset Beach, who would you want it to be?
RANDY SPELLING: I think it would be interesting if I was with Annie... I think because she's always plotting and I'm Gregory's son.. it would be pretty amusing.
Dtr613: Is Sarah Buxton anything like Annie?
RANDY SPELLING: No, she's really sweet in real life, not that Annie's not sweet, but you know...
MHSC_Sean: Most important Question: Where is Spike?
RANDY SPELLING: LOL... Spike is a guest star, he comes on every once in a while. I don't think he's contracted :)
LilJax383: Do you have a girlfriend? If you don't what do you look for in a girl? Love, Jessica
RANDY SPELLING: No I don't have a girlfriend. I look for honesty and realness. Also someone who'll inspire me. Doesn't everyone?
M_Keegan: What can we do to keep Sunset Beach from being canceled?
RANDY SPELLING: Write a lot of letters and keep watching!
Silver_Screen: Congratulations on moving into 10th place!!! We know there is nothing but up to go!! Keep it up!
RANDY SPELLING: Thank you very much!
ChrisJCH: Randy what do you think of other actors your own age in Hollywood??
RANDY SPELLING: To tell you the truth, I don't really know that many actors my age.
SPUTNIK_001: HOW OLD ARE YOU?
RANDY SPELLING: 19 until October 9th.
M_Keegan: Do you ever go online?
RANDY SPELLING: No.
Levan1982: What kind of music do u listen?
RANDY SPELLING: Hip Hop... but I like all kinds except country. I like WuTang, Black Star, The Fugees, Organized Confusion, The Roots...
Dtr613: The earthquake/tsunami was AWESOME! Was it fun to shoot?
RANDY SPELLING: It was really, really, really fun. It was almost like filming a little movie.
kitten294: Was the water cold during the shooting?
RANDY SPELLING: No, actually it was warm. It was like a Jacuzzi.
MaEgAn_C: What is your biggest fear?
RANDY SPELLING: I don't let a lot of people know this but... spiders.
M_Keegan: Will you be doing a lovemaking scene with Emily in the near future?
RANDY SPELLING: God I hope so! LOL
CapricornGal26: Randy: What was your best birthday and why?
RANDY SPELLING: Hmmm.. my best birthday... Let me think about this one... I don't know, my parents really made it a habit to really make my birthday special. One year I had it at the Magic Castle when I was little. That was cool.
Lowri_Mai: Hi Randy I'm here with my two younger sisters, randy do you like to be fashionable or do you prefer to stick to your own individual style?
RANDY SPELLING: I stick to my own individual style. It's somewhat fashionable, but yeah, I'm definitely on my own individual style.
ChrisJCH: Do you ever want to move out of California?
RANDY SPELLING: You know what, for what I want to do in terms of the entertainment business, between TV, movies and music, this is the optimum place to be. But I would love to have a second home -- I'm sure everyone would -- to have a second getaway place, preferably somewhere tropical -- Maui or something.
ChrisJCH: I heard you write music. What type of music are you most interested in?
RANDY SPELLING: Hip Hop mainly. But I also write songs and poems every once in a while.
Silver_Screen: Do you still find time with your work schedule to jam with the band?
RANDY SPELLING: Oh, of course!
GhettoSupastarMya15: What were you like in high school? :)
RANDY SPELLING: Well, the early part of high school, junior high, I was a nerd :) I wasn't nerdy, I was just very non-fashionable. I had my hair parted to the side, I had braces.. :) And then in high school, I was just having fun with my friends, finding myself.
SmileyGrrl14: Hi, Randy! I watch Sunset Beach every day! I have two questions: Are Sean and Emily going to get more serious? And, can you shed any light on the cancellation crisis of an NBC soap opera? Thanks, and keep up the great work!
RANDY SPELLING: First thanks for watching. I think our relationship is slowly moving in a more serious direction. I don't know anything about the show being canceled, but I hope it doesn't.
rvsistops: Did kids resent you when you were growing up, having such a famous and powerful father??
RANDY SPELLING: I think there was a little bit of jealousy and a little bit of just not understanding, you know?
Dtr613: Does Tori watch Sunset Beach? Does she love it as much as we all do?
RANDY SPELLING: When she can she does watch Sunset Beach, and when she does, she does love it. But she doesn't as much because of her work schedule.
Topaz2_97: Is Sean supposed to have a job currently? How does he get money? Do his parents still give it to him?
RANDY SPELLING: I don't know?!
Sea_breeze_sb: didn't you work w/Susan Ward [now Meg on Sunset Beach] on Malibu Shores?? Do you to have a good friendship??
RANDY SPELLING: Yeah, I did work with her on Malibu Shores. Susan and I have a really great friendship.
bjgib: Randy, will you be in any of the B.H. 90210 episodes as Steve's brother anymore?
RANDY SPELLING: Well actually they asked me to do one this year, they're just trying to work it out with Sunset Beach.
Josie_and_Randy_4_Ever: If You were abducted by Aliens they wanted to erase every memory you had except one, what would it be and why?
RANDY SPELLING: Wow... One memory... That's such a hard question. I can't even fathom... there's not just one! I have so many great memories. That's the one thing you have as a person, is great memories. [It's not] about money or anything.
MHSC_Sean: If you had to compare Sean to a fruit what fruit would he be?
RANDY SPELLING: LOL! I'm gonna pick a cantaloupe, because I think on the surface Sean has definitely developed into a strong character. He's hard on the outside, but deep down on the inside he's very soft, he has a lot of emotion for people that he likes.
ChrisJCH: Your sign is Libra that means loyal and fair do you think that describes your personality at all?
RANDY SPELLING: Yeah, I actually fifty percent follow the guidelines for Libra. I am balanced and I do have deep insights but some of the other stuff I don't really follow.
One_August: Do you have any pets?
RANDY SPELLING: Me personally? No... but my family, well my dad, does: there's five dogs, two birds and a lot of fish :) Boy does he love those fish -- and dogs -- they definitely take precedence over me. :)
BriggySmallz: Has Tori ever considered guest appearances on Sunset Beach?
RANDY SPELLING: No. I don't think so.
Magic567: What's your favorite food??
RANDY SPELLING: I love sushi. I could eat it twice a day
__talktomenow__: Okay, I'm sorry to do this to you, but I gotta ask, BOXERS OR BRIEFS?
RANDY SPELLING: Boxers.
timdaa: Will Sean ever find out about Trey actually being his brother instead of his nephew?
RANDY SPELLING: I think he might. I'm not sure, but I think it would put an interesting spin on things.
MAGZ__CELINE: What sports do you play ?
RANDY SPELLING: I love most sports. I love volleyball, basketball and I've played tennis for years.
Kaylie_Love: Do you like being in the family business of acting? Are you going to follow your father and go into directing?
RANDY SPELLING: Well, my father actually is a producer and I would definitely love to follow in my father's footsteps. They're big footsteps to follow in, but not bad ones :)
maddie02: Do you plan to stay in acting or do you see yourself doing something else in the future?
RANDY SPELLING: Right now I want to jump into directing and producing because I love to create. but I think it's imperative and necessary to have some sort of knowledge of what it's like to be in front of the camera.
Brian_Luver_1217: What kinds of movies do you like?
RANDY SPELLING: I like good movies :) I enjoy and am entertained by action movies, comedy moves, but I really love emotional movies. Just something that touches your soul, you know? If I can walk away from a movie theater with something in my heart, that's great.
Live_4_SB: Did you see Titanic?
RANDY SPELLING: Yes, I did. That movie -- first of all, I felt like I was on the boat! I felt like I was going with it.. I really get into movies when I watch them.. After that -- that night, I was ruined by that movie! My heart hurt.. I was pacing around not knowing what to do!
Lestatrulz: Have you seen Saving Private Ryan?
RANDY SPELLING: No I haven't. I really want to go see it.
archangeltori: What's your favorite movie?
RANDY SPELLING: Wow. My favorite movie. Its hard for me to pick a favorite, but I know in the last few years there have been a couple... Titanic and City of Angels... and Good Will Hunting.
NotRoebuck: RANDY I'm playing MADAME CARMEN here. I envision "Best Younger Male Actor" in your future. What do you think about that?
RANDY SPELLING: I think I love you! :)
Kat_Zone: Do you ever forget your lines?
RANDY SPELLING: Once in a while. I'm pretty good though...
__talktomenow__: If you could choose a new storyline for Sean what would you like him to do?
RANDY SPELLING: I would like for him to go off the deep end... something really in depth... maybe go insane. Something, something crazy.
sweetheart_6208: What is your favorite episode of Sunset Beach?
RANDY SPELLING: I can't pick one episode. Coming up on August 28 at 8pm... :) I loved the Terror Island stuff and the ship stuff.
_yllwRose: Where is your favorite vacationing spot?
RANDY SPELLING: Maui.
Isa329: Do you plan to go to college?
RANDY SPELLING: I don't think so. Not because I'm against education. I would love to get more, but I don't have that much time.
casey103: What is a day in your life like? How long are you filming during the day?
RANDY SPELLING: It depends, sometimes it's a couple of hours -- 6 or 7. Once in awhile 14 to 15
CapricornGal26: Randy! Who are your role models?
RANDY SPELLING: One of them is my father. I have role models, I have so many different role models, because there are so many people that I respect and would like to be like them.
at_the_sunset: Did you enjoy shooting Shockwave more or Terror Island?
RANDY SPELLING: I think Shockwave. It just reminded me of a movie. Everything that went into it, the lighting, the sets, it was just incredible.
CapricornGal26: Hi Randy! What do you like to do in your spare time?
RANDY SPELLING: Music. And read. I read a book about a year and a half ago that was one of the best books -- Many Lives, Many Masters. It's really good book
harley_babe_1200: Do you plan to get married and have children?
RANDY SPELLING: I would like to get married. Yeah, I plan to get married and have children. I just have to find that special person.
Me2_22: How do you like working with Emily?
RANDY SPELLING: I really like working with her. Of all the love interests I've played against, she's the best. We have good chemistry, which is good :)
timdaa: Hi! First off you play Sean really well, I enjoy the Sean/Emily storyline, and second, what is in the future for Sean and Emily?
RANDY SPELLING: Thank you very much. I think their relationship is going to manifest itself, like there are a lot of things that they're gonna go through on the way.
casey103: If you could meet any one person, alive or dead, who would it be?
RANDY SPELLING: This is gonna be a weird answer but I'm gonna answer it truthfully, but I'd have to say Jesus and not just from a religious standpoint, but he's just an amazing being and what he came to do on Earth.
Scoops1st: Are Sean and you a lot alike, or are you two totally different people?
RANDY SPELLING: I think we're two totally different people, except they're starting to have Sean do music on the show. It's similar but not the same.
Ananda_KITTY: Are you good friends with any of your costars?
RANDY SPELLING: Yeah, it's not like we all hang out every night, but I'm friends with mostly everyone. Everyone is very professional and very nice.
SuBe_Fan: What profession would you like to see Sean go into on the show?
RANDY SPELLING: I don't know. I would like to see him in a profession that something his dad would hate. Maybe something against his father, maybe a business situation where Sean was calling the shots. Somewhere where he could get back at his dad in a non-childish way.
at_the_sunset: What is your favorite TV show other than Sunset Beach?
RANDY SPELLING: I have a few actually. I like 90210 and Melrose. I really like Dawson's Creek. And I saw a show the other night, one of my Dad's shows that I never even knew about called Any Day Now. It's on the Lifetime channel. 90210 and Melrose and Dawson's are very entertaining and realistic to a certain extent and people can relate to them, but Any Day Now you can really relate to them. It's about racism and how things used to be in the south... they were doing flashbacks to the 60s and now. It was something that just touches you... shows you that things aren't that different and they are different. It was really good.
Lu82098: Hey Randy! You're a great actor and the show is kicking but. What's it like working with the fabulous Lesley-Anne Down?
RANDY SPELLING: Thank you. She's incredible to work with, definitely one of my favorite people to work with. It's funny, the first day I was on the show, she came up to me and I was a little intimidated... cause she's Lesley Anne Down! And she told me three dirty jokes! In her English accent! She's so funny! And that broke the ice right there. She's really one of the most incredible women I've ever met.
Isa329: If you had a glass would you consider it half full or half empty?:)
RANDY SPELLING: Oh, definitely half full. I'm a positive thinker.
KnC4ever: Do you plan on ever doing a movie?
RANDY SPELLING: Oh yes. Yes.
__talktomenow__: What do you think of Eddie Cibrian's band, 3DEEP?
RANDY SPELLING: I think it's cool. I'm glad that he's getting to do something that he really likes.
KnC4ever: What kind of movie would you want to do?
RANDY SPELLING: I don't know. I'd like to do a lot of different movies.
CapricornGal26: Randy: What is your best attribute and your worst attribute? (not that you have a worst) :)
RANDY SPELLING: I think my best attribute. I hate saying "my best" cause it sounds cocky, but if I'd have to say I'd say my mind, the way I think. My worst is... well, I can't pick right now.
solarwind15: What is the weirdest thing you've ever gotten from a fan?
RANDY SPELLING: Panties. Big lace velvet panties.
dovepeace: Randy: How many letters do you get in a week?
RANDY SPELLING: Oh you know what, I don't really know, maybe 50 or 60. What happens is, I don't get them all in a bundle. I get them sporadically.. four one day and 28 the next.
COOLGAL_98_99: Has acting gotten in the way of dating?
RANDY SPELLING: No.
SuBe_Fan: Which actor or actress on Sunset Beach is your closest friend in real life?
RANDY SPELLING: Actually, I'm really good friends with Cristi [Ellen Harris, Emily] and Kam [Heskin, Caitlin] .. I knew Cristi before the show. I'll hang out every once in while with Dax [Griffin, Tim] and Nick [Kiriazis, Antonio].
LilJax383: What is your favorite color? jess:)
RANDY SPELLING: Purple.
mighty_power7: What did you have for breakfast?
RANDY SPELLING: Nothing.
Roxie_15: Do you like to travel?
RANDY SPELLING: I love to travel. I love to see other culture. I like to see different skies and sunsets. I went to Idaho fly fishing and I've never seen that many stars! The constellations! It was so cool. You don't get that in LA. I've been to Maui and seen stars, but that was amazing.
Beatnik9: Do you consider yourself a romantic?
RANDY SPELLING: Yeah I do. But I have to be with the right person.
casey103: Who would you consider the most influential person in your life and why?
RANDY SPELLING: My family and friends. Just for different aspects, the affects they have on my morals etc... all that stuff.
SODhost: Thanks, Randy! And thank you all for joining us!
RANDY SPELLING: Good night, thank you for all your questions! I will see you later!
By: Jeffrey Epstein. Soap Opera Digest Magazine. Dated: June 22, 1999
They've got fame and fortune, but Aaron and Randy Spelling know that's not what matters most [Almost]
"Where's my son?" a pipe-smoking Aaron Spelling cracks as he paces the thick carpet in his spacious office, which boasts everything from tropical fish to a custom-made pinball machine. The mega-producer of such shows as DYNASTY, BEVERLY HILLS 90210 , CHARMED and oh, yeah, SUNSET BEACH passes a table covered with framed photos of wife Candy and daughter Tori (Donna, 90210) just as his son, Randy (Sean, BEACH), strides in, announcing, "I'm not late!" He's right - he's precisely on time. After father and son exchange warm greetings, they sit down with Digest to get up-close and personal.
Digest: Aaron, were you happy to have a boy after having a girl?
Aaron Spelling: You know, there's nothing like having a girl and a boy. It's like the royal family. We were thrilled.
Digest: How did sister Tori deal with the new baby?
Aaron: (laughs) At first, she was very attentive. It was like having a nurse around. And then they grew up. I can't tell you how many times she tried to kill him.
Randy Spelling: We had a lot of fights. Normal kid stuff, like I wanted to watch TOM AND JERRY, and she wanted to watch the news. I wanted to hang around with her, and she was a teenager, so she didn't want to have her little brother around.
Aaron: The great thing is, they're now each other's best friend. They have dinners together. They go clubbing together. My wife and I keep looking and saying, "It finally happened."
Digest: (to Randy) What's your first vivid memory of your family?
Randy: I used to love to play guessing games with my family. We would sit at the kitchen table. They would put 10 objects on the table, and they would make me go upstairs. They would touch one of them and I would have to come down and guess which one it was. Aaron: We stopped playing it. He was freaking us out. Nine out of ten times, he'd guess exactly what we'd touched. We were going {he hums THE TWILIGHT ZONE theme]. We hadn't done CHARMED yet, you know. It was amazing. Then I used to ask him to pick a racehorse, and he was always wrong.
Digest: You should ask him which pilots will be successful.
Aaron: I showed him every pilot. I loved to get his and Tori's opinions. They're the audience we're appealing to. They've been very helpful in casting. Like on The Mod Squad movie, it was Randy who told me about Omar Epps.
Digest: Would you consider following in your dad's footsteps?
Randy: Definitely. My favorite thing when I was young was to go to his studio, and we would eat lunch together. I would sit in on some of the casting or some of the rough-cuts. I loved watching everyone work and seeing what everyone had to say. I would definitely go into producing or writing.
Digest: What was Randy like growing up?
Aaron: We were frightened about Randy. When Randy was born, he was 4 1/2 pounds.
Randy: No, no, no - 2 1/2 pounds.
Aaron: You went down to 2 1/2 pounds. We couldn't get him our of the hospital. His mother used to spend every day there. I would stop by to see him on the way to the studio and home from the studio. It was really scary. But even in those days, he was a fighter. We thought we might lose him. It's the saddest memory we have. The day we brought Randy home was like Christmas, the Fourth of July and selling 50 pilots rolled into one. It was the happiest day of our lives.
Digest: You're one of the most prominent families in the country, yet you remain down-to-earth. How does that happen?
Aaron: First of all, I thank you for saying that. If we hear one thing over and over and over, it's that people are stunned by how we're just what we are. None of this crap about growing up with a big house and growing up with money. They're real kids.
Randy: I mean, we've had a very glamorous life, but at the same time, we grew up very grounded. I wouldn't have to clean the house, bit I wouldn't get a $200-a-week allowance.
Digest: What was your dad's reaction when you said you wanted to become an actor?
Randy: Every time we would go to one of his business functions, people would ask me, "So, you going to be an actor?" I was like, "No, no. I don't want to do it." And then we went on a trip to Las Vegas for about five days, and I said something to him about it. It was because I did a movie with my friends about two months before. I started thinking, "I really want to try this." I finally got the courage to go up to him at dinner, and I said "Dad, I think I want to try to work with an acting coach." He said, "Okay, when we get back to town, I'll get you one." Sure enough, right when we got back to town, I started working with someone.
Aaron: I brought home a script - and he doesn't like to read scripts - but he read this one and on his own called the casting director and said he wanted to read for a part. That's how he got the role on MALIBU SHORES [as Flipper].
Digest: Is there something that you guys do, just the two of you?
Aaron: Yeah, we knock Mom and Tori - I'm kidding.
Randy: Ever since I was born, we've had a beach house in Malibu, so we would fish. That's one thing that I still love doing with him.
Aaron: Me, too. We don't talk to anybody. And people are nice enough to ignore us,. He goes without a shirt. My bod won't call for it.
Digest: Why did you build such a big house?
Aaron: It was m y wife's dream. I loved the house we were in. I think Randy and Tori did, too. We only moved, like, four blocks away on the same street. It was really her dream. We bought the house; we tore down the house. It was Bing Crosby's house, and here I'm saying to myself, "God will never forgive me. We're tearing down Bing Crosby's house." But there were two reasons we tore it down: There was a swimming pool downstairs with nothing around it, and [Tori and Randy] were kids. They could go down there, and we'd never hear from them. And there were trap doors in the house. There was a big shoe closet, and when you moved a show, the door opened. It was freaky. We just couldn't live in that house.
Digest: Did you know how many rooms there were going to be?
Aaron: Are you kidding? She never told me anything. Then one day, she said, "Stop by on your way home from the studio. I want to show you something." I walked in this house, and my last surprise was a two-lane bowling alley. I said "Why a bowling alley?" She said, "Your mother told me you used to set pins in Dallas before they had automatic pinsetters." It made Candy decide to put in the bowling alley. My friends come to the house and they expect it to look like a museum or something. Candy has put different colors in every room. It's a very warm house.
Randy: My friends love it.
Aaron: I've gotten to where I love it now. I didn't at first, I must be very honest with you. I like it when people see the house. But we have a rule: We never allow any cameramen in the house because that's glorifying your home.
Digest: What's the most important lesson that you've taught Randy?
Aaron: To love. Not just his mother and me. I have never seen friends adore anybody as they do my son. His friends call my wife Ma and me, Dad. He's taught me more than I've taught him.
Randy: No, that's not true. He is probably the most generous person I've ever known in this world. I've adapted to that and his sensitivity , If he knows that he's hurt your feelings, he can't take it. My dad's a teddy bear. I remember once he spanked me, and I could see in his eyes that it was just killing him. He has the biggest heart in the world, and it's taught me a lot. Aaron: [One] instance I can never forget. Randy's not a little kid anymore. I guess when he was 18 years old, I said, "I'll see you later, little guy." One of his buddies said, "Hey, he's not little anymore." And Randy said something I'll never forget: "Dad, I'll always be your little guy." How do you top that?
