Morgan Brittany – Live Chat

Afton (Host) – Morgan is here!

Morgan Brittany – Hi everyone

Afton (Host) – Welcome Morgan

Morgan Brittany – Hi

Afton (Host) – Now for the first question

Morgan Brittany – Great

Zoie asks – Starting in Hollywood with a big movie like Gypsy, what a start — what was that set like? I love Natalie Wood. Is it true she is your favourite actress?

Morgan Brittany – Back when I did Gypsy it was the end of the studio system.
It was a very small community.
One of the last big musicals.
It was all done at the Warner Brothers studios.
It was very different and a very different way of making movies in the 60s.
We had intense rehearsals.
Natalie Wood was very adamant about not having anyone watch her.
I could peek through a window and watch her.
I thought she was the most amazing actress I had ever seen in my life.
And to this day she is my favourite.

Ian asks – Hi Morgan — I've been a big fan for years. Will www.morganbrittany.com come online again? And will there be an opportunity to send messages via email or a message board?

Morgan Brittany – Well I don't know if I will go back online.
My husband set that up for me.
If I have projects coming up I will set it back up and people can write to me.

Seth asks – Do you have any memories of driving up to the real Southfork in Texas the first time you went there to film?

Morgan Brittany – Seth, oh yes.
The first time I went to Southfork was in 1981 and it was for the episode Barbecue 2.
I remember being in the van with Larry and the cast members.
We got on the road and we drove and drove.
There was nothing in Plano, Texas back then.
You felt you were driving to the middle of nowhere.
As we drove through the gate I saw Southfork in the distance.
But it looked so much smaller — not a great big mansion.
On television it looks enormous.
That was my first impression.
I was so excited to be there.
It was always summer and so hot at Southfork.

Sarah asks – Hi Morgan — during your time as Katherine on Dallas, did people ever have a hard time separating fantasy and reality and blame you for splitting up Bobby and Pam?

Morgan Brittany – Oh yes, many times, Sarah.
I was trying to lead a normal life off set.
I would have to get my mindset into this evil character on set.
When I left, be myself again.
About the time I was breaking up Bobby and Pam, I was shopping in the store and this lady came at me.
And smashed her basket right at mine and shouted, “You leave Bobby alone,” and she took off.
It was very shocking for me.
(laughs)

KillerKat asks – Always loved your eyes, they spoke so clearly. I remember after you shot Bobby, a brief hospital scene between you and Lucy where you gave her one of Katherine's trademark looks. Were they written into the script, or was it something you added to the character?

Morgan Brittany – Kat, originally the scriptwriters did not know what Katherine would be — a good person or bad person.
So I created the devious mind behind Katherine.
So when they saw that was working they ran with it.
Larry used to tell me, “I look into your eyes and forget my dialogue because it is like looking into the eyes of a wolf.” (laughs)
He did not mean it badly.
I used that to create her character just with a look.

Frankie asks – How did you feel about your character, Mackenzie Hart's, explosive exit on Melrose Place?

Morgan Brittany – Frankie, I knew going into Melrose that the character would not last very long.
Aaron Spelling wanted me in it as a favour to him.
I liked the character.
But at the time I was doing two or three other things.
He knew that and I did it for the moment.
:)

Karen asks – Enjoyed you and fellow Dallas cast member Timothy Patrick Murphy on Glitter. Any thoughts on why it did not last longer, and what was Timothy Patrick like? Always enjoyed him with Lucy as Mickey Trotter.

Morgan Brittany – Timothy was one of the most wonderful people I have ever met.
The reason Glitter did not work was because ABC put us in a timeslot that was opposite Magnum, a big hit on CBS, and against The Cosby Show on NBC.
Those two shows took the majority of the audience.
That was the year of the bloodbath for ABC.
They cancelled around 90% of their shows that year.
Timothy was the most giving actor.
Tracy Nelson — she played the love interest for Timothy — I had not seen Tracy since she was a 2-year-old, and it was a wonderful reunion.
The chemistry between the actors on Glitter was wonderful. We would have loved for that show to continue.

Barbara_fan asks – You worked with Alfred Hitchcock the master of suspense. Do you have many memories of The Birds and what was he like as a director?

Morgan Brittany – Yes I do.
He was very intimidating to a child.
He was very large and stern.
He had a dry sense of humour — if you took him seriously he would take you off guard.
When the seagulls attack the children at the birthday party, I was very frightened of these birds.
The way things were done, it was all realistic.
They threw real birds at the children.
I went up to Mr Hitchcock, and he said, “Yesss.”
I said, “I am really frightened of these birds. What if they kill me?”
He said, “Don't worry my dear — it's your last scene in the picture anyway.”
(laughs)

Tatianna asks – Hello Morgan, thanks for sharing your time with us. What was it like working with Larry and did he play any of his famous stunts while doing the romantic scenes?

Morgan Brittany – Larry was amazing.
I enjoyed working with him.
It was a good thing I had a strong background as an actor — walking into a show like Dallas and all of a sudden you are thrown in with the stars.
Larry made me feel so comfortable.
He would always make you laugh, he would try to make you laugh.
It was kind of a game sometimes.
We had a couple of love scenes — he knew I was nervous about love scenes.
We never had any problems with that.
Some of the others he really joked around with during love scenes, but with me he was pretty good.
:)

Lucylover asks – Any stories from the set of The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch with Joan Collins and Donny Osmond?

Morgan Brittany – Oh my.
Doing an Aaron Spelling show you always had to look beautiful.
I always thought it was odd to do a Western with perfect hair and makeup.
Joan Collins dies during the show. Joan was on her deathbed with all the girls around her.
She has a perfect tan, perfect hair and makeup. We could not stop thinking, “This is ridiculous.”
Someone said to the makeup artist, “She is supposed to be dying.” (laughs)

bobbys_angel asks – I believe you were pregnant with your daughter when you filmed the “crash” scene with Bobby. How does your daughter feel to have also been part of that scene??

Morgan Brittany – I don't know she really thinks about that.
My children are not Dallas fans — my work is separate from who I am.
It is not something that is part of their life.
There is a separation between my work and personal life.
They are now older — my daughter is 21 and acting now.
That is funny you bring that up. I totally forgot that.

Kurt asks – In a 1984 interview you talked about being grateful to be working so many days on Dallas, and commented you often worked more than Audrey Landers and Charlene Tilton. Any fallout from the supporting cast like Landers, Tilton and Susan Howard about how your role took off and you became a leading character on the show?

Morgan Brittany – No actually — we all knew where we were in the show.
Nobody said anything about where a character was going.
They never told us at the beginning of the season. None of us really knew.
We all got along so well.
The writers always surprised us.
We would go to the makeup room in the morning and everyone would sit in the chairs and quickly flick to the last page of the script and breathe a sigh of relief we had survived the episode.
(laughs)

RealBobby asks – Hi Morgan! I have lived in Dallas all my life. When filming on location here, what kind of things did you like to do for fun in our city?

Morgan Brittany – I actually met my best friend when I was in Dallas.
We would go out to dinner — Billy Bob's, we would go there.
To restaurants down — Sonny Bryan's.
I just enjoyed being with friends in Dallas. I still go six times a year. I love Dallas so much.

Omebull asks – Hi Morgan, thanks for playing the role of Katherine so intensely. I'm curious to know, who (from the Dallas cast) did you bond with the most? Thanks.

Morgan Brittany – Omebull — let me think.
When it came to scenes, working with an actor, it was Larry and Patrick the most.
The three of us knew what each other was thinking during a scene.
I think you can see that in the show.
Although the characters were at odds with each other, we really loved working together.
I loved every scene I had with Larry.

Ewing asks – You were so bitchy to Cliff and Pam, I loved it as I did not like those characters too much. It was good to have someone stand up to them. Was that fun?

Morgan Brittany – Ewings — I enjoyed that.
I never had more fun than when I was antagonising Cliff Barnes.
It was so much fun.
Ken enjoyed it as well.
We laughed about those scenes.

DallasDame asks – Barbara Bel Geddes was my favourite actress on the show. I know you didn't have too many scenes together but what are your memories of working alongside her!!

Morgan Brittany – Barbara was an amazing professional.
She reminded me of great actresses I worked with in the past.
She was a great performer.
She knew every line down to the letter.
She was amazing.
I learned a great deal from watching her work.
I wish I had more scenes with her.
The times I did work with her were wonderful learning experiences for me.

Luke asks – Was it just me, or did the Tundra Torque sound sort of sexual...(laughs)

Morgan Brittany – LOL.
Yes it did as a matter of fact.
Patrick mentioned that on numerous occasions. That is funny. (laughs)

Carol_UK asks – I read you were involved in a terrible car incident last year. I wanted to wish you well and see how you were doing now?

Morgan Brittany – I live on a country road.
A car was speeding around the corner and hit a boulder in front of my house and crashed into my driveway.
It killed two people.
I called emergency services, I ran down to see if I could help, but I could see no way.
But for me, no problem — I was not involved.

Maggie asks – Was there ever any tension on the set. Susan Howard was very unhappy how she was treated after Phil Capice was let go. Do you think the lack of Phil Capice damaged Dallas as some suggest it became very male orientated and the show was better when they worked together?

Morgan Brittany – I heard that from the women in the cast.
My character was very strong-willed.
There were times as a woman she was treated badly, but it was well deserved.
I do think the show ran smoothly when Capice and Katzman worked together.
80 to 87 were the strongest seasons.
After that time things started going off in different directions — they lost writers.
Things changed. The dream sequence happened. It got a little distracted.
I don't know what happened.
But the show worked at its best when Phil and Leonard were in control.

JP asks – Hi Morgan, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. I am just curious about your role on Dallas after Pam's car accident in the show. Were you involved in other projects at the time or did they ask you to come back for a larger role the following season. I have always felt like there was a lack of closure with Katherine's amazing character and btw you have the most beautiful eyes

Morgan Brittany – We discussed that.
They did not know what to do with Katherine's character.
They thought she might show up again later on.
They did not want that closure of her dying.
They did not like killing off Bobby so they didn't want to close another character.
So you don't know if she was involved with the death of Pamela.
So I left the show not knowing if one day she would show up again.

Jean_OBrien asks – In a previous interview you suggested someone on the set was difficult to work with. Are you able to say who that was and why. I have been thinking about it for 5 years (yes I need to get out more probably)

Morgan Brittany – Someday I will write a book and at that time I will name names — but right now I can't do that. (laughs)

IloveDallas asks – Hi Morgan, loved you as Katherine. If you could pick an actress to play Katherine in the Dallas movie, who would you pick and why? Thanks!

Morgan Brittany – I would pick Angelina Jolie.
I think she has the quality that shows vulnerability and strength.
That is the quality they need to find for another Katherine Wentworth.
My husband spoke to John Travolta and he was in the midst of approving the cast, and he was not happy who they were bringing up as cast members.
Right now it is on hold.
John really wants to do it — but be true to the show and the fans.
The characters are so strong in everyone's minds.
John has the quality to do it.
They will have to look far and wide to find a Bobby, Pam etc.
It will be very difficult.

Rose asks – LOVED you as Katherine, but were there any cast members you wish you had more scenes with? Who did you hang out with filming in Dallas?

Morgan Brittany – Rose — I would love to have worked with Howard Keel.
I had a crush on Howard since I was 14 years old.
He and I would sit on the set and remember the old MGM Hollywood musicals.
The sound stage was the same one he worked on doing the great Hollywood musicals.
I loved those moments.
He was just the most amazing and talented person. He would sing on set — this loud booming voice.
It would take your breath away.
Also working with Barbara more and Linda Gray.
Linda Gray and I had hardly any scenes together.
She was a lovely, lovely lady.

Pamela asks – I read in an interview that you thought Pamela was the strongest female character. Can I ask why you think that as many see the females as being rather weak. Patrick Duffy described Pamela as being “cut off at the knees”.

Morgan Brittany – Well you can look at it one way — the strength Pamela had was to stand up for what she thought was right.
She was the tough female, but underneath she had that strength.
Sue Ellen always fell — drink, affairs.
Pamela held her head high.
She would confront it in a strong and moral way.
Next please.

Xander asks – Do you ever Google yourself, or check out Dallas message boards?

Morgan Brittany – Xander, I did that a while back. Not in a long time.
I am afraid of what I might read.
There are people who don't like me very much.
(laughs)

i_love_abby asks – I enjoyed you in The Twilight Zone. How many of those did you do and what was it like meeting Rod Serling?

Morgan Brittany – It was great.
I did 3 episodes.
2 in 30-minute format, and 1 in 60-minute format.
Rod would sit on the set in a tall director's chair and chain-smoke all day and watch.
If he did not say anything you knew you were doing OK.
He was very quiet and intense.
I enjoyed that show because it was story and character driven — no special effects or stunts.
Even today people can watch the shows and be riveted by what they see.

Alex asks – Was there a change in the feeling, the atmosphere on the set from when Katherine first left and when you returned to mow down Bobby?

Morgan Brittany – I am trying to remember.
The first time I left I was working on Glitter, I was working on both shows at the same time.
Everyone on set knew I was leaving.
Everyone was prepared for that.
When I came back was a shock to me.
I remember the call from Leonard and he asked me to come back but I said, “I'm dead.”
It was an odd thing.
None of us knew what direction the show would go into.
When I died I thought I had died.
There was a different atmosphere — people were more distracted.
Not that tightly knit feeling.
After the accident sequence, it was distorted after I came back. People had come and gone.
Donna had taken over from Barbara.
It was all very strange.
Very different.
Donna was wonderful but she was not Barbara.

JR3 asks – Any Priscilla Pointer stories?

Morgan Brittany – She played my mother.
She was a very elegant, softly spoken woman.
We did not work all that long together.
She died in a plane crash so I could come to Dallas.
Priscilla Presley I loved working with.
She was a hoot.
She would take no nonsense.
She was the opposite of what people thought she would be.
She was portrayed as this shy little thing — she came in and did her job, very confident, everyone was amazed.
She jumped right in with both feet.
We had some difficult scenes to do together — she impressed everyone.
The fun we had being bitchy towards each other.

Mat asks – You have a beautiful family, I saw photos of you all at a premiere. Your son looks so much like you, do you think he will follow in your acting footsteps?

Morgan Brittany – My son? No, not a chance. (laughs)
He is a stuntman right now.
He just worked on Transformers.
He is going in an opposite direction from acting — my daughter is the actress.
Time for two more questions.

Daisy asks – Describe Tilton, Principal, Kercheval and Steve Kanaly in one word each

Morgan Brittany – Let me think.
Steve — Sexy.
Ken — Baffling.
Charlene — Bubbly.
Victoria — Mysterious.
(laughs)
Next please.

Dallas asks – Trapped on a desert island, who would you take: Tilton, Landers or Principal?

Morgan Brittany – Audrey in a heartbeat.
Audrey and I are similar in personality, so she is the easiest one I would get along with.

Question From – She could sing to you

Hostess – Any last words Morgan?

Morgan Brittany – I could sing back to her.
I am very grateful that Dallas is still popular, and this wonderful way you all keep the show alive.
It will forever be there.
If it were not for you fans, we might all disappear, but you keep us alive.
It is wonderful.
Bye everyone.