Heather Webber
is, in spite of her devious nature, one of the more popular GH
characters. And Robin Mattson the beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed actress who
brings Heather to life on screen is very much loved by GH fans.
Though Robin, in real life, is very different from Heather, she admits to
certain similarities. "There is a devilish or wild side to me," says
Robin, "that is exaggerated and much darker when it's brought out in
Heather. But I'm a very outgoing, adventurous, kind of wild
person."Robin joined the GH cast in 1981, but she was by no means
new to the acting world. "I've been in the business since I was seven
years old," she says. "I started out doing TV commercials and then I
did a movie, Namu, The Killer Whale, for Ivan Tors. Then I did a lot of
episodic television like The Farmer's Daughter, The John Forsythe Show,
Flipper and Gentle Ben."
Robin wasn't new to the soap world,
either. Before landing the role of Heather Webber, she won much daytime TV
acclaim with her portrayal of Hope Bauer on The Guiding Light. Still,
the Los Angeles-born and bred actress did not find the switch to GH
an easy transition to make. "I was really terrified when I first came on
the show," Robin says. "It was all kind of frightening to me. I was
intimidated by the demands of an hour-long format and by the success of the
show. But the way I feel now is totally different from the way I felt when I
first came to work on GH. Now I have a lot of fun. I feel loose and I joke
around with the crew a lot. I hang out in the prop room and have a good time
and it's much more comfortable for me." Robin was married in 1978 to Ray
Manzella, who's now involved in the packaging and development of film
projects for various studios. He's also hard at work helping to promote
Robin's career. "He works with me very closely," says Robin, "and
he goes with me on appearances and works as my publicist and manager. He's
very supportive and helpful."
Ray recently accompanied Robin to
Chicago, where she went to work on a membership drive for the National
Mental Health Association. "Isn't that a great dichotomy?" Robin
laughs. "Heather working for the Mental Health Association! It's a
perfect contradiction. "
It's no contradiction for Robin,
however, whose concern for other people runs deep. "I'm really interested
in the Association," she says, "and I think it's very important, a
worthy cause. It's such a misunderstood, confusing disease and it hits so
many people. I'm glad to help in any way I can."
