Hickland Gives One Life an "Amazing" Breakdown

Catherine Hickland, who's been wowing us with Emmy-worthy work on One Life to Live, will pull out all the stops on Sept. 24. That's when her character, Lindsay, has a mental breakdown in the courtroom after pleading guilty to the murder of Spencer ( Paul Satterfield). Lindsay will then get carted off to the local nuthouse, St. Ann's, where she previously spent time after accidentally killing her ex-husband Sam.

"My room is always waiting," cracks Hickland, who wasn't laughing the day of her mad scene. "I felt sick when I left the studio because my emotions were so wrung out and my eyes were bulging out of my head. But it was the most amazing day of my acting career. This is my big Susan Hayward 'I Want to Live!' moment!" (And if you're too young to get the reference, too bad.)

Lindsay will also reveal what she had caught creepy Spencer doing when she stabbed him 10 times. FYI: Hickland, formerly wed to David Hasselhoff and All My Children star Michael E. Knight (Tad), is turning author: She has a deal with Simon & Schuster to publish her self-help tome, The 30 Day Heartbreak Buster. - Reporting by Michael Logan