Sarah Joy Brown Goes for Daytime Emmy History

Will she set a Daytime Emmy record? Sarah Joy Brown is a frontrunner in the lead actress race for her role as crazy-ass mob moll — and axe victim — Claudia Zacchara on General Hospital. She already has three Emmys as GH's original Carly, one in supporting, two as younger actress. If she wins again on June 27 (9/8c, CBS), she'll be the first to score a statue in all three performance categories. The bodacious Brown is already laying the groundwork for a 2011 nod for her current role as lovelorn Agnes Jones on The Bold and the Beautiful. Expect things to amp up June 17 when Aggie, who carries a secret torch for Nick (Jack Wagner), definitively learns what she's been suspecting for weeks — that Nick's wife Bridget (Ashley Jones) is pregnant by her loverboy Owen (Brandon Beemer). And, just one episode later, Aggie blabs the news to Nick! TV Guide Magazine spoke with Brown about the fine art of hell-raising.
TV Guide Magazine: Just a handful of soap stars have been nominated in all three acting categories — Michael E. Knight, Debbi Morgan, Beth Ehlers, Roger Howarth, Steve Burton and you — but you have the best shot yet at winning the triple crown. How's it feel?
Brown: I love it! I'm so grateful to be nominated, but who doesn't want to win? It's been nine years since my last one.
TV Guide Magazine: And if you don't take home the gold? 
Brown: I'll be contacting people to break some kneecaps.

TV Guide Magazine: Spoken like a true Zacchara!
Brown: [Laughs] I still have my connections in Port Charles.
TV Guide Magazine: Don't you love it that Claudia is still stirring up a fuss even though she's been dead half a year?
Brown: I'm kind of honored! Who knew a baseball bat to the head would be so dramatic?
TV Guide Magazine: Well, actually, it was an axe handle...
Brown: Now, the real honor would be if they brought in another Claudia. Then I will have originated two different characters on GH that were recast.
TV Guide Magazine: Uh, do you know something we don't? Is Claudia secretly alive on a tropical island somewhere?
Brown: Hey, it's GH. You never know.
TV Guide Magazine: Given your three Emmys and star status, were you surprised GH decided to kill off Claudia?  
Brown: I think the character had gone a little too far. And maybe they felt she wasn't redeemable. I'm just making this up as I go along because I really don't know their motivation in letting me go because I still had quite a lot of time left on my contract. This question has me on a slippery slope...
TV Guide Magazine: How did it feel to play such a pariah? Nobody liked Claudia. Even her father [crime lord Anthony Zacchara played by Bruce Weitz] hated her guts, and told her so.
Brown: At least her brother Johnny [Brandon Barash] liked her but even he got to the point where he was calling her a crazy bitch. Claudia definitely deserved the hell that rained down upon her. Sure, I worried about playing a pariah — I worried about the audience and I worried even more about Claudia. I didn't know where all her motivations and deep psychosis were coming from. I wasn't prepared for it to get into the realm of hurting children. And I know the audience doesn't like that! You gotta care about your character, even when she does some pretty horrific things. After a while, I wasn't sure who she was, and that made it difficult on a daily basis. And things move so quickly on the soaps these days that there was no time to talk to the writers and producers when something would come up. You just get in there and do it, and do it the best you can. Still, it was a good year and a half and I'm grateful for the opportunity. It brought me back to daytime.
TV Guide Magazine: And after you got the axe — literally and figuratively — you walked right into a role at B&B! Let's discuss. Aggie is obsessed with Nick. Is this headed toward some fatal attraction type thing? 
Brown: Oh, God no! In fact, when you say "obsessed" I cringe. I don't think Agnes is crazy and I don't think she's obsessed with Nick on any level.

TV Guide Magazine: Really? What show are you watching?  
Brown: I think she has a really healthy attraction to him. Of course, he is a married man so I guess it's not that healthy but it's human. She has been through a huge ordeal and this man stepped up and cared for her. She has respect for Nick, and I think Agnes would have let bygones be bygones if she had not found out about Bridget and Owen. It's not really an obsession as much as a deep love for someone she appreciates. She doesn't feel Bridget is good enough for Nick. Otherwise, I don't think Agnes would be making a play for him. [Suddenly realizes she just gave away a big plot point]. Which...uh...[coughs nervously]...she may or may not do in the future...  
TV Guide Magazine: Can we at least agree that Agnes Jones is the worst name ever for a soap character? She sounds like she should be out on the prairie milking something.
Brown: Hey, I find playing a character with that name a challenge! Besides, it was worse when Aggie started on B&B and was calling herself Sandy Summers. It turns out there's a porn star with that name. 
TV Guide Magazine: Seriously? 
Brown: Google "Sandy Summers" and she's the first thing that pops up. It was a nightmare!
TV Guide Magazine: Let's get back to the Emmys. Will you be sitting with the people at GH who fired you, or your new pals at B&B?
Brown: Oh, B&B definitely. But it's going to be weird because both shows are competing for best soap. If GH wins, am I a part of that? I don't know! [Laughs] I have nothing but love for my peeps at GH, so I guess I can't lose no matter which wins best show. Unless somebody else wins. In that case, I'll need to take care of a few more kneecaps. Hey, it's Vegas! We're all gonna get crazy!
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