Lauren Koslow (DAYS) - Michael Fairman On-Air On

DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Lauren Koslow happily admits there~
aman out there for who she would
trek cross country to see any time
auren Koslow has
graced television
screens as Kate
on Days Of Our
Lives for 11 years, but
there are many more strings
to her bow. She's a costume
and clothes designer, eco
warrior and a huge fan of
one man who appeals to
her quest for uniqueness.
L
There are a lot of stuffed
toys in your dressing room;
are they from your fans?
"(Yes). Some of them
have some glasses and
leopard hats; very Kate-like.
I have the best fans in
the world. I love David
Bowie, and my fans know
that, so I also have lots
of David Bowie things."
Yes, I too know you're
a huge Bowie fan ...
"My daughter and I flew
to New York recently for
a David Bowie concert.
He was doing a benefit.
I worked here at Days on
a Wednesday, and then
we flew back from New
York on the red eye. It was
absolutely the best. He's
a fabulous artist, totally
original and kind of out there.
That appeals to me. He's
really hot and my daughter
and I share this. Actually,
she got me into Bowie.
I don't know why I passed
over him back in the days
when I was a teenager."
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Do any of your
co-stars share your
Bowie appreciation?
"James (Scott, who
plays EJ) understands
my Bowie (fascination).
He told me he dressed
up once as Ziggy Stardust!
James has a great sense
of humour and is charming,
and a Brit; the accent
does it for me!"
It's a shame your character
doesn't have a fling with
EJ! She's currently involved
with Dr Daniel (Shawn
Christian) what are Kate's
feelings for him?
"I have no idea. I am
confused! It's hard to play
this. I go with it day to day.
Shawn and I are always
seeking to find some kind
of truth in what we're doing
and when you don't know
what's going on, you have
to flesh things out. We're
always coming up with stuff.
We didn't know if our sleep­
ing together was one time or
mUltiple times, when we did
this, so we play around with
scenes to justify it for us."
Did writers switch
it around to show
that Kate and Daniel
hit the sheets?
"We worked backwards
from it. When we're doing
all these scenes in the
hospital when Chelsea
(Rachel Melvin) is having
her operations, we didn't
know about that plot point.
Then we filmed a flashback
to show them in the pub.
It's very challenging."
So now Kate is
sleeping with her
granddaughter's man!
"Yes, it's my daughter's
daughter. I am the grand­
mother. We kind of started
this Chelsea-Kate relation­
ship when she was an adult.
I have to say it's been chal­
lenging for me with all of
this. For Kate, a lot of her
actions over the years have
been to protect or control
her children, or do what's
right for the family, or further
the power of the family
and all of it. With Chelsea,
it's relatively new. It's
difficult when you don't
have as much invested."
What's it like working
with Shawn?
"Great! He absolutely
dives into these scripts, and
rolls up his sleeves until we
film it. Shawn is the most
gracious. He's hugely hot,
and sweet. The character
of Daniel was flirting with
everybody, but Kate is very
controlled and always keeps
things in check. Daniel is
really out of control; he really
likes risky things. Kate is
extraordinarily attracted to
that because she wants a
little of that in her own life."
Interview
If you were to write
a story for Kate,
what would it involve?
'" think that Kate has a
great void in her life. I've
been playing this charac­
ter for 11 years and you
get very attached. I feel
there is a whole side of
her life that is so incom­
plete. I would like her to
have some kind of love
interest - she would have
a volatile romance - and
I would love to get back
to exploring the power
of this character and
her eccentricities."
How is your organic
farm coming along?
"This is our second
year producing and
selling. We sell to
organic food markets
and farmer's markets.
and are moving into our
own market stand. It's
lot of work. The food
business is really
strange; it's almost worse
than showbusiness'" .
Do you live a 'green'
lifestyle?
"It has always been
that way for me and
my family, and now
it's politically correct.
It's (about) being aware
of your environment,
so for us, the growing
of vegetables was a
no-brainer. We had this
beautiful fertile land and
we said we wanted to
grow it. Together we're
doing very well, and it's
a full-time gig for Nick."
Are you still designing
clothes?
"I did make clothes and
I did start out in costume
design, and I've decided
to do it again. Recently.
I started sewing and
designing. Some of the
fashion that has been
around recently is so
deconstructed, so
I go, 'What the heck!'"
How do you like to
dress?
"I like edgy clothing.
The last time I was taken
by a garment, it was a
tuxedo in a scene in the
film, La Vie en Rose.
It was a period tuxedo."
You always seem to
wear lots of jewellery.
"It all depends on my
mood. Also, the other
thing is, you have to
change it up. For a while.
Kate was all about
pieces. I had to end
that look because more
and more people
had that on. I prefer
to stand apart."
Are you involved
with the costume
designing for Kate?
""m in on the clothes
that are chosen for me
to wear on Days and,
as Kate, I always had
a point of view. I love
men's trouser suits,
and I would wear ties
all the time if I could!"
What are your
thoughts on the state
of the soap genre,
and the possibility of
Days being cancelled?
"I really believe we
will be on the air.
Ratings are down
both on daytime and
nighttime, but I think
there is something for
everyone. People still
want to see these stories,
but they do need to
be contemporised
- MICHAEL FAIRMAN
IN HOLLYWOOD
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