Melissa Archer: Soap Operas In The Age Of Internet
Today I’m joined by Melissa Archer, who is best known for her role as Natalie Buchanan on the hit show One Life to Live. She is also a writer and producer, and describes herself as a computer nerd.
Born in Dallas, Texas, she tells me what it was like moving to L.A. at a young age and how her career got started from there.
Melissa shares with us what her life was like before she got the role on One Life to Live, and how that role shaped her life going on.
We talk about what it's like on set, how the job fully encompasses your life, and the way the internet has shaped the industry.
A down to earth, honest, and open lady, Melissa is a wonderful guest and reveals what it’s really like to be a soap opera star...
“People were concerned. You know you’re a little fish in a huge ocean, and they were worried I’d get eaten up or that I was being a little too dreamy.” - Melissa Archer
Time Stamps:
01:38 - Where Melissa is based and where she’s from.
4:47 - When Melissa first moved to L.A. and what she thought of going to school there.
09:12 - How she felt when she first started auditioning and how she found her agent.
13:38 - The different ways scouts find actors.
14:40 - Melissa’s troubles with body dysmorphia and her self criticism.
17:03 - What happened when she found out she got the role in One Life.
22:05 - How involved she is in developing the characters she plays.
24:35 - How much Melissa’s family watches the show.
28:00 - The number of episodes a year that she stars in.
29:08 - How the shooting works and the format they follow.
33:30 - How the internet has evolved over time.
36:00 - The influence of internet evolution on soap operas and the way they’re designed.
43:36 - What Quibi is and our thoughts on it.
50:15 - The difficulties that come with so many social media mediums.