Soaps In Depth - April 3, 2001


THE AWFUL TRUTH


Through Arianna's startling storyline, Opal Anchel has shed light on a disturbing issue.


Violence against women isn't new - not in daytime, primetime, or unfortunately, in real life. But the twist on the tragedy that PORT CHARLES' Arianna endured was definitely thought-provoking. Not only was she raped, but in her (as-yet-unnamed) country, rape is considered to be the woman's fault. Her punishment? Being murdered by her own family in order to restore their honor. "I'm so proud to be giving voice to something that could teach people that not only does this exist, it's so horrifically wrong!" offers Arianna's portrayer, Opal Anchel. "I hate that there are certain things in the world that people are in denial about simply because it's not part of their lives - you should know, whether it's because you can help if you can or if it's just to appreciate what you do have."


FACING FACTS


Having immigrated from Israel at the age of 15, Anchel herself was raised with an awareness of the problem, although fortunately, it wasn't part of her own experience. "Honor killings are not part of Israeli culture at all, but it was part of our neighbors'," she offers. "To think that there are places in the world where it wouldn't even cross a woman's mind to fight back because she's not even aware that she has the right to…that's just scary!"


GETTING REAL


Even the process of portraying Arianna's rape experience was daunting for Anchel. First having conferred with a rape counselor from the Los Angeles Commission on Assault against woman, the daytime newcomer went into the scenes terrified. "It's not something anybody wants to discover…what it would feel like, how it torments you, and what kind of scarring you would endure," she says, adding, "It's going to cut at me, but that's the challenge in doing what I do." Challenges are something that Anchel, who's much spunkier and more confident than her timid character, enjoys. Along with her family, she started a new life in America, then rose to success as a Ford model before trying her hand at acting. So when it came time to get a grasp on a character who's personality was so unlike her own, she knew she could do that, too. "Arianna's such a woman in the things that she's had to overcome and experience," she observes, "but in other ways, she still has so much purity to her that it's almost naiveté."


FALLING HARD


Anchel says that it was from that place of naiveté that Arianna developed feelings for Ian, the man who nobly married her to prevent her deportation and certain death. "She views him as such an idol and a protector and a healer," she explains. "I don't think she's able, through her experience of life, to see who he is as a man with the faults and quirks that we all come to know about the people we're in relationships with." As much as Anchel is excited about the growth that this storyline will provide her as an actress, she's also anticipating what it will do for her character. "My wish for Arianna is to grow, find herself, and become a passionate, free woman," she confides. "I picture her as this little shell with a tiny little peanut inside - I just want her to develop and fill it with experiences and passion."


Kelli M. Larson





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