CATCHING UP with MIRANDA CHERYL-ANN WILSON (ex- Megan, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) — See her in the award-winning AN AMERICAN ATTORNEY IN LONDON

Soap opera fans in the United States will remember Miranda Cheryl-Ann Wilson from her roles as “Megan Hathaway” on Days of our Lives, “Sandra Mills” on Santa Barbara and “Kate Wells” on Capitol. After raising her family while living in both France and England, she has returned to acting career, having moved back to Los Angeles. Miranda shares with OutTakes Interviews about what she is currently working on as well as memories of highlights from her years in soap opera.

What projects are you currently working on that you can tell us about?

An American Attorney in London is the third film I’ve done, in the last 3 years, that has started winning awards at film festivals. In 2015, Beneath Water won 4 awards, including a Best Actress award for me, at the Queen’s World Film Festival. Incidentally, this award came 30 years after my award for ‘Best Villainess on Daytime TV’ for my role as Megan Hathaway DiMera on Days of our Lives!

In 2016, Second Skin (starring Lauren McCrostie of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children) won 6 awards on the festival circuit. I had a small but very important role as her mother in this film. Both of these two films were written, directed, and shot by an amazing young filmmaker named Charlie Manton.

More recently, in June this year I filmed a TV show for UK TV called Wallis. It’s about Wallis Simpson, whom the King of England fell in love with and abdicated the throne when the government said he was not allowed to marry a twice-divorced woman, let alone an American!!! I played Aunt Bessie, Wallis’ aunt and confidant.

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An American Attorney in London has been shown at many film festivals so far and is slated for quite a few more. How was the experience of working on this film?

The filming went very smoothly for me. The director had various set backs,. Locations weren’t available or were far too expensive. The cinematographer had a last minute family emergency so filming had to be pushed back by several weeks. One of the crew members did not do as the director asked and then didn’t show up on the day of filming so we lost many much needed filming hours. But I loved all the cast and crew and had a fantastic day myself!

16700525_1280646675360569_1713894012616050639_o — Miranda Wilson in AN AMERICAN ATTORNEY IN LONDON

UPCOMING FILM FESTIVAL DATES FOR “AN AMERICAN ATTORNEY IN LONDON”

Horror Hound Film Festival — Cincinnati, OH — March 23 – 25
North Hollywood Cinefest — North Hollywood, CA — March 27, 9:30 PM
Red Dirt Film Festival — Edmond, OK — March 28 – 31
Speechless Film Festival — Mankato, Minnesota — April 14, 4:45 PM
Milwaukee Twisted Dreams — Milwaukee, WI — April 14, 3:15 PM
Julien Dubuque Film Festival — Dubuque, IA — April 26 – 29

Do you have a preferred genre you like to work in (indie film, theater, television)?

I love acting! And each style has it’s own perks! I love working on camera. And I also really enjoy stage. I did 3 stage plays in the recent couple of years in London. I love the period of rehearsals and having the chance to go deep with a character, explore options with the director and cast members, and create a energetic feedback with the audience that inevitably influences the show, each night. I’m currently associate producer on a play that opens next year on the West End. And I’ve just finished writing the 2nd draft of a stage play with a co-writer in London.

How did you come to live in London?

My ex-husband is half French, half English. When my boys were very young, I used to daydream with a group of like-minded friends about starting a school for kids that allowed each individual to learn to the best possible level. This would require attention to brain pattern learning styles and to emotional intelligence. At a certain point, we decided that we needed to be the ones to create this opportunity. So we moved to England where most of these friends were; and I became project manager and co-founder of The Lewes New School in Lewes East Sussex.

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(Miranda at the screening of “An American Attorney in London” at the Queens World Film Festival)

How has the experience been of being involved with the Lewes New School? What has been the most rewarding aspect of this work?

I found it rewarding to create a place of learning where the child’s needs were being served. My view of the mainstream ‘educational system’ is that it functions for the needs of the establishment and the status quo. It is an indoctrination into a system that wants to preserve itself. My view on life is that the state of aliveness is a state of constant change. Therefore, change is the only guaranteed variable in our world. So, as we go through life the most important thing for us to know is simply ‘how do I learn’? How can I learn from this situation that has passed and what must I learn in order to move into the next situation. This type of thinking would certainly reduce stress levels.

And, when I look around at the complaints most people have with our world/culture/behaviour I see that most situations would be a great deal less contentious with a different educational perspective. The Emotional Intelligence work we did at the school, and that I carried on to study and coach, has shown me that every single ‘problem’ can be diminished in magnitude, with a change in perspective. And once a ‘problem’ is of a digestible magnitude, it is much less painful to deal with.

At the moment, we teach kids that learning is difficult, and narrow, and limited to only a few right answers. I wanted to give a love of learning. So that rather than failure, they would see each ending as a new beginning. And the hopelessness that many feel when a job, or relationship ends, could be more rapidly transformed into an opportunity for creating another life story.

The love of learning creates a love of life.

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Many soap opera fans fondly recall your work on Days of our Lives and Santa Barbara. First of all, what did you enjoy about playing the character of “Megan Hathaway” on DAYS? Did you have a favorite storyline?

Megan was my first professional acting job. So, I was terrified!!! And Shelly Curtis was instrumental in helping me get through the initial weeks of taping. Peter Reckell was also a gem to work with and a big help in my calming down and getting the work in. And, of course, Joe Mascolo was really like a father to me. Once I started working with Joe, it all became second nature. I think the storylines were all just fantastic. And you can’t beat the fight scene with “Larry Welch” followed by electrocution for a stand out death!

How was the experience of attending the DAYS OF OUR LIVES 50th Anniversary Gala?

I was thrilled to be invited. I was so very touched by all of the fans and by the warm reception from my fellow cast members of yore. It was precious seeing Joe again, and I’m so glad I had that chance before he passed.

12195764_10153661659037822_5507977292247748954_n — Miranda Wilson (Megan), Leann Hunley (Anna) and Philece Sampler (Renee) all adoring the late Joseph Mascolo (Stefano) at the DAYS OF OUR LIVES 50th Anniversary Gala.

Speaking of Joe Mascolo (Stefano, Days of our Lives), so many of the DAYS audience still miss him. Any stories of working with him you would like to share?

He was so easy going about everything. He used to say to me, just relax, just be yourself, that’s all they really want to see. The writing will do the rest.

VOTE IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE CHARACTER OF “MEGAN” BACK ON “DAYS OF OUR LIVES” IN THIS SOAPHUB POLL — So far Megan Hathaway Dimera is winning!

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https://soaphub.com/days-of-our-lives/wild-days-spec-stefanos-dead-daughter-return-power/

How was your experience working on the soap opera CAPITOL as “Kate Wells”?

I was immediately embraced into the ‘Capitol’ family! I became close, very quickly, with Christine Kellogg and Jess Walton, whom I’m still in touch with. I had a wonderful time working with Marj Dusay and Richard Egan, whom I believe was one of this world’s truly great human beings! And when I did a stage play, ’The Rivals’, while I was on ‘Capitol’, a handful of my cast mates came all the way out and saw me in it. Now that’s support! Plus, I had amazing storylines, which were loads of fun to play. Killing my sister, accidentally! Being haunted by her ghost! Tearing apart one of DC’s most powerful family’s! I could spend my days doing that, every day!

12118962_10156209392670437_6705823710827405009_n — with A Martinez (Cruz), SANTA BARBARA

And on SANTA BARBARA as “Sandra Mills”?

Santa Barbara was my favorite of the three soaps I did, although I really enjoyed all of them for different reasons. By the time I started playing Sandra, I was on my own path of exploration about spirituality, healing, meditation, etc. So I loved the fact that I was able to speak with a real psychic who actually helped the police on criminal cases. And then translate that to the screen. Plus, working with A Martinez is still one of my all time best working memories. I learned everyday working with him.

I was far more mature as an actress and more grounded as a person, so it was just a lot more fun! Plus, as a psychic, we were always looking for interesting ways to portray the action of ‘seeing a vision’, which was occurring in my head. And the directors were often very creative with how they filmed it. I remember one day when Sandra saw a very frightening and emotional vision, the director said to me just before we started filming, “I’m just going to have all three camera’s following you through that whole part, and you just take it where ever you need to. I’ll catch you.” That was a brilliant collaboration! I’m completely on board with psychic, extrasensory, cross time/space barrier communication. I totally buy into the quantum physics concept of everything being connected and we’re more space than we are stuff, etc. So it was a blast!

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Would you consider returning to soap opera should the opportunity arise?

Sure!

What advice would you give aspiring actors?

Believe in yourself. Learn who you are. Always keep your goal in mind regardless of how bumpy, bendy, curvy the journey becomes in order for you to reach it.

Love! Light! Laughter!

Hug your friends and family, everyday, if possible!

Watch Miranda Cheryl-Ann Wilson’s 2017 showreel here!