FOCUS ON...SARAH BROWN

Soap Opera Weekly--- August 21, 2001

Sarah Brown's experience portraying an impulsive woman came in handy when she filmed the role of Emma Shepard, a reporter investigating the paranormal, for a three-episode arc on NBC's Mysterious Ways, beginning Aug. 17.

"Emma acts in a spontaneous manner that may not be her best judgment. She opens her mouth wide enough to get both feet in," Brown reveals. "I tried different things to shake it up and make her more adventurous. There's one particular scene where I kick in a door and have this Charlie's Angels moment."

While investigating her story, Emma becomes romantically involved with the show's lead character, Declan Dunn, played by Adrian Pasdar. "Declan and Emma put their brains together to solve the mystery. The love story finally comes to fruition in the third episode to make viewers invest in their relationship," Brown explains.

"Adrian made it so easy for me to feel comfortable," Brown adds. "Everyone was gracious and respectful. They gave me a standing ovation when I first arrived on the set. It's a hard thing to walk on a show where you've got established lead characters."

The pace of prime time was a factor that Brown had to adjust to quickly. "I'm used to going a million miles a minute," Brown jokes. "There's a lot more downtime (in prime time) to work on the material. I'm glad I did soaps as long as I did; it makes this stuff a lot easier."

Brown promises that viewers will see "flashes of Carly" in Emma. "You can't play somebody for five years and not expect to see it seep into your personality. What I created on General Hospital came from who I am as a woman. There are parts of me that refuse to lay down to anybody."

Mysterious Ways airs Fridays on NBC. PAX will begin airing episodes from the beginning Tuesday, Sept. 11. Check local listings. [Webmaster's Note: See the News Page on this site for information on the airdate changes for Mysterious Ways]

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