By Seli Goves, Contributor
Tracey Ross says she likes the character she plays in 'Passions' as Dr. Eve Russell.
TRACEY ROSS makes it clear: "I like Eve Russell," she says. "I think she's a caring woman who believes in her calling as a doctor. I also believe she's a loving, concerned mother of two daughters, Whitney and Simone (Brook Kerr and Chrystee Pharris), and in spite of everything her sister Liz (played by Amelia Marshall) has tried to do, she wants to keep her marriage to T.C. (Rodney Van Johnson) from collapsing."
Ah, yes. All that is true. But what about Dr. Eve Russell's relationship with Julian Crane (Ben Masters)? They were lovers once. They could easily become lovers again, if one were to judge by the way the air temperature climbs when they're close to each other.
"Agreed," Ross says. "But as much as she loved Julian -- and still does -- she's committed to her marriage and to her family, and Julian knows that."
Ross also feels that Eve's situation highlights the fact that no good comes from selling out one's principles to manipulative people such as Julian's father, Alistair Crane, and Ivy Crane (Kim Johnston Ulrich), Julian's former wife.
ALISTAIR
"Alistair didn't want Eve for Julian," Ross says. "So he manipulated Julian to break with her. And rather than stand up to him and say that he would marry Eve, no matter what, Julian gave in. And Eve also allowed herself to be bought off by Alistair."
Eve also agreed to aid and abet Ivy's plot to break up Sam and Grace (James Hyde and Dana Sparks) rather than allow Ivy to reveal the truth about Julian and Eve's past. However, Ross notes that Eve has regretted giving in to Ivy's blackmail, "But in her defence, she feared what Ivy's revelations would do to her family."
As this is being written, Julian has been searching for his and Eve's son whom she believed for years had died at birth.
"It's been a heartbreaking situation for Julian and Eve," Ross says. "And now Julian has learned that his father knows where their son is and is taunting him with this knowledge."
There's been speculation that their missing child is Chad (Charles Divins).
"Is that a statement, or are you asking me a question?" Ross laughed. "But seriously, I don't really know. I've been told that his identity will be revealed at some point, but they keep the actors in the dark about story lines almost as long as they do the fans."
Brooklyn-born Tracey Ross, who was the first US$100,000 winner of a Star Search spokesmodel award, has compiled a long list of acting credits that include the feature film Mayflower Madam and guest roles on Baywatch Nights, The Gregory Hines Show and at least two other soaps, All My Children and Ryan's Hope. Asked if she would encourage her 11-year-old son, Bryce, to go into show business, she says: "I would encourage him to do whatever he feels he'd like to do. Especially if he showed a real talent (for it).
"Yes, it is a tough business," the multiple Image Award winner says. "It's where you're more likely to find rejection than in anything else you do. But I think trying to protect him from the frustrations and the rejections (of show business) by discouraging him is wrong. He has the right to see where his talent and his determination can take him."
Finally, when asked what she most likes about playing Dr. Eve Russell -- a woman who can do so much good, and yet also cause so much harm -- Tracey Ross says, "I like her precisely for the fact that she is neither all good nor all bad, that she has strengths and weaknesses. In short, I like her because she's a human being, flaws and all."
