All My Children goes hi-def

DAN KROLL: This is a pleasure because -- if you can believe this -- I was looking through my notes and the last time I had a chance to sit down and chat with you was... seven or eight years ago

REBECCA BUDIG: Oh my God, really?

DAN KROLL: Yeah. It was one of your Emmy nominations. We were chatting it up along the Red Carpet outside of Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.

REBECCA BUDIG: Okay, then we have a lot to catch up on.

DAN KROLL: It's great to see you back on All My Children, but what have you been up to since leaving the show last year?

REBECCA BUDIG: Oh, you know. A little of this and a little of that. I did CSI... I've just been working here and there. And living life ... enjoying that. Taking classes.

DAN KROLL: At the time, did you think anywhere in the back of your mind, "Hey, I think I wanna go back to All My Children?"

REBECCA BUDIG: No. I kinda felt like I was going to move on and move forward. But daytime is really one of the only places where you can kind of stretch as an actor. You can do so many different things -- and it's really fun and I missed it.

DAN KROLL: I guess the show moving to L.A. made it a lot easier.

REBECCA BUDIG: It did for sure. I would always be willing to move back to New York because, you know, New York is my home.

DAN KROLL: You were not in New York when they announced that All My Children was moving, so how did you first hear about the big move?

REBECCA BUDIG: I was not, I was at home. I got a call from somebody that found out about it. And I started emailing everybody -- Is it true? Is it true? I just couldn't believe it. And it just turns out that it was.

DAN KROLL: It was definitely a surprise.

REBECCA BUDIG: Yeah, I don't think anyone would ever have imagined that it would do it. There are a lot of pluses, it's ABC putting faith in the show and giving it a good shot to stay on the air. I think it says a lot. Hopefully, with AMC going HD and getting bigger studio space... I think it will reinvigorate the show for sure.

DAN KROLL: Certainly with Guiding Light going off the air -- a show of course that you have a history with -- a lot of soap fans are scared.

REBECCA BUDIG: I was sad to see Guiding Light go, because it had such history. I do think it's astounding that these shows have lasted as long as they have. You know in this business, many shows don't stay on the air very long. So it's a miracle that we've been on as long as we have. So I just try to look at it that way. Change happens. Evolution happens. There is nothing you can do to stop that. You just have to go along with it.

DAN KROLL: That may be easier said than done for a lot of the fans who are... upset and confused about why some of their favorite stars are not making the move to L.A. Some have even said that they may even stop watching.

REBECCA BUDIG: Wow. I think it's unfortunate that people might stop watching because the show is moving. I know that some actors weren't able to make the move because they have families. It wasn't necessarily the show's decision to not have these actors be a part of the move. At the end of the day, I hope we keep those fans, because they are the reason that we are doing this. They are the reason that the show is moving -- to keep it on the air. If they don't watch, then we won't be on the air anymore.

DAN KROLL: As I am sure you know, the Internet can have a bad rap -- I like to think that soapcentral.com does its part to keep things fair and balanced. But because things get told second-hand or end up being passed along in a whisper-down-the-lane format, I wanted to give you a chance to talk about your last return to All My Children. It didn't last as long as maybe some of your fans would have wanted.

REBECCA BUDIG: You know, the truth is my home is in California. My dog is there. My husband is there. It's difficult to have a marriage where two people are living in two different places and I don't know if many of the fans have that kind of existence. It's rather difficult. It's expensive to move your entire life... Also, to me, it's about the character. I love Greenlee. I've always loved Greenlee. And the year that I was there, it really wasn't the Greenlee that I knew. And for me as an actor, it's not as fun to play if I am ... it just was someone that I didn't recognize anymore. So, to me, it made sense to go and work on my marriage and have my life than to stay on a show where the character wasn't what it used to be and wasn't really a character anymore.

DAN KROLL: What was so different?

REBECCA BUDIG: She lost her edge -- but hopefully she'll be getting a lot more of that back. There are just certain characters that are defined. Agnes Nixon told me, "I definitely see Greenlee as someone who gets in her own way." If you can have one statement about someone -- she gets in her own way. And I agree. I have to have my life outside of the show, too, so I had to come back to L.A.

DAN KROLL: Speaking of that edge -- and I really don't want to ruin your reputation here -- but I remember reading somewhere that Rebecca Budig would prefer to stay at home, maybe knit...

REBECCA BUDIG: Oh that's a fair statement. I'm a homebody for sure. And I do have my knitting right here. I'm knitting a sweater for a friend of mine. Although, I do love fashion like Greenlee does. I love shoes. I have an obsession with shoes.

DAN KROLL: Obsession, huh? Are we talking a dozen pairs... hundreds?

REBECCA BUDIG: It's ... let's just say it's ridiculous. It's really not right -- and I never make New Year's Resolutions, but I'll tell you my New Year's Resolution is to not shop for shoes or clothes for at least three or four months into the New Year.

DAN KROLL: Really?

REBECCA BUDIG: That's my goal. I have enough! I have everything I need.

DAN KROLL: What about doing the old swap out? You know, in order to buy something new, you have to donate one or two items to Goodwill?

REBECCA BUDIG: Well... I do that, though. Here's the thing. I just don't want to spend money on clothes or shoes.

DAN KROLL: Being a homebody, you've had some very memorable scenes where Greenlee has been anything but a homebody. Lots of yelling and fighting... throwing people into the pool... Anyone can see that you'll soon be sparring with the Erica Kane.

REBECCA BUDIG: I'm so excited. You know, Susan and I have a lot of fun with that. She gives it back to me -- and I love that. I think there's a real chemistry that we have. I don't know -- and I could be wrong. The characters are so alike. I think Greenlee wants to be Erica, but she would never admit that. She wants her life and I think that's what drives her crazy about Erica. Now, the fact that she's got her man is over the top.

DAN KROLL: It's definitely an interesting dynamic. She's the mother of your best friend and now she's got your man. All My Children just recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. If you had to put together Greenlee's highlights reel, what scenes would we be seeing?

REBECCA BUDIG: Oh, wow. I would start with when Greenlee and Ryan were in a hotel room together and they first slept together. She cried because someone really seemed to see her and love her for her -- and actually like her. I loved that moment and then she became obsessed with him, of course.

Then, when she met Leo... I loved that whole storyline. I loved getting caught in the wine cellar together. She wanted to get out because she wanted to get to Ryan... and then they kissed and there was that chemistry. I love that they took the time to develop that friendship that turned into love.

I loved when she threw Laura off the yacht. That was one of the most fun scenes I've ever done. [Screaming] He's miiiiine! That was the Libidozone storyline.

I generally liked a lot of stuff that I did with the Fusion girls. Creating Fusion, that was always a lot of fun... I had so much fun with Teri, and Amelia and Alicia. That was a really wonderful magical period in all of our lives. We were all single... it was a really magical time. Things change...

Of course there's also getting married to Ryan and the fight with Alicia in the pool. That was definitely fun.

DAN KROLL: So Valentine's Day is here, and you have been dubbed an expert of kissology... due to...

REBECCA BUDIG: [Laughs] My experience?

DAN KROLL: [Laughs] Sure! Now this won't be controversial -- so I won't be asking who's been the best kisser

REBECCA BUDIG: You'd better not because I don't kiss and tell!

DAN KROLL: Well there went my idea for the title of the interview -- Rebecca Budig kisses and tells...

REBECCA BUDIG: On to Plan B [laughs]

DAN KROLL: You've had the good fortune to have a lot of great eye candy on the other end of your kisses... Leo

REBECCA BUDIG: Ohhh, Leo

DAN KROLL: Aidan...

REBECCA BUDIG: Ohh, Aidan...

DAN KROLL: Ryan...

REBECCA BUDIG: Cameron, Ohh!

DAN KROLL: Let's start with Josh being about eight-times taller than you

REBECCA BUDIG: Yeah, he was really, really tall.

DAN KROLL: So let's get to kissing tip number one: How do you have the perfect kiss with someone who is so much taller than you?

REBECCA BUDIG: Well, Josh was really good because he would spread his feet out so that he wasn't as tall, but you can always step on their feet. I did that sometimes. I'd just get on his feet. It always looks better when you're looking up. ... But in terms of tips -- soft lips. Definitely have lip balm. A little lipliner to keep the color in your lips. But definitely fresh breath. I'm an oral hygiene person myself so I was erally happy when I discovered these Colgate Wisp things.

DAN KROLL: Yes. Those are amazing.

REBECCA BUDIG: Do you use them?

DAN KROLL: Oh, I do -- here's the story. There was another company that used to have these things that you'd put on your finger like a sock or oven mitt.

REBECCA BUDIG: Yeah -- you had to put your finger in your mouth. That was horrible.

DAN KROLL: It was kind of creepy to me. You have a shoe obsession, and I have this obsession with not wanting to be "mouth grimy."

REBECCA BUDIG: Are you kidding me? [Laughs] I went to the drugstore last year. They just came out in April, but I feel like I've been using them for longer than that. I was in the drugstore... I meander. I can look at products all day. I do. My sister and I went to Paris and we lived in the drugstores. People were like, "What are these girls doing?" Anyway, I got these Wisps -- and even though I brush my teeth in the morning, I want to brush them again after I have my coffee. I use it and it's amazing. You don't have to carry a big old toothbrush or tube of toothpaste. You just use it and just throw it away.

DAN KROLL: And they're safe to take on the airplane.

REBECCA BUDIG: That's the thing. When I eat on a plane... there's something about a plane that gives you the worst breath in the world. I use them at work before I have to kiss someone.

DAN KROLL: So which of the flavors is your favorite?

REBECCA BUDIG: There's cinnamon, spearmint, and peppermint. I like the mints. I'm not much of a cinnamon girl. I used to chew on Big Red as a kid and it burned my tongue and I couldn't feel my tongue for days.

DAN KROLL: What?! Wow...

REBECCA BUDIG: So... I stay away from anything cinnamon. And I can't chew gum because it hurts my jaw and the flavor wears out so quickly that your breath goes back to being the way that it was before you started chewing the gum. Those strips are the same way. Once it dissolves, it's right back to where you were. But with these Wisps, it's like you brushed your teeth.

DAN KROLL: It gets into all the nooks and crannies. You know, along with lipbalm, I have some in my car, there are some in the pockets of probably all of my jackets, they're in my office...

REBECCA BUDIG: You're so funny. You're just like me.

DAN KROLL: Okay, so I think I just got Rebecca Budig to kiss and tell -- so maybe I can still use that interview title after all.

REBECCA BUDIG: That's sneaky. [Laughs]

DAN KROLL: Hey, you learn how to trick people into revealing information when you...

BOTH: watch soaps.

(both laugh)