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Laura Wright plays sexy vixen
Carly Corinthos Jacks on ABC’s "General Hospital." A veteran soap opera actress,
she got her start in 1991 on the now defunct show "Loving." From there,
Laura went on to play Cassie Layne Winslow on "Guiding Light." She left
the show in November 2005 and joined the cast of
General Hospital where she remains
today.
As a Daytime Emmy nominated actress, Wright has
managed to juggle a successful acting career with being a wife and
mother. A key ingredient to her success is an emphasis on healthy eating
and an active lifestyle.
Wright sat down with Lifestyle Magazine to discuss
the balance she has found between career, motherhood and overall good
health.
LM: What
are the positive and negative aspects to being in the spotlight?
LW: The fact that I work and am away from the kids is a bummer, but I
have the best job, so there are not too many negatives. The pros are
unlimited! I have a great, fun job that allows me a great lifestyle. I
get time with my family and as a soap opera actress, you are recognized
minimally – so there is no paparazzi following you.
LM: Do
you have an active workout schedule?
LW: I do
whatever life allows me time to do. I don’t work with a trainer, though
I have had success in the past with one. I love pilates and right now I
have been taking a 45 minute class nearby. I also run. I used to hate
running outside. Now I enjoy running through my neighborhood in Santa Monica. I run about two and a half to three
miles.
LM: As a
celebrity, do you feel a responsibility to maintain a certain image?
LW: I
don’t feel that way as a celebrity. But, as the character of Carly, a
sexy vixen, a strong and independent woman, she is a focal point of the
show and it is my job to maintain her look in a certain way.
LM: Was
it particularly difficult to step into a role that was previously played
by three other women?
LW: Yes,
it was hard in the sense that you want to bring your own flavor to the
role, but not disrespect what the other actresses brought to the table.
It is hard to mesh the two.
LM: It
is known that the camera adds ten pounds. How do you combat that?
LW: That
doesn’t affect me as much as when my husband turns on the widescreen TV.
(laughs) At work, they are very happy with the way I look. If anyone
hears me talking about going on a diet, they want to kill me! I don’t
need anyone to put pressure on me because I put it on myself. I think
that just goes with the business of being on TV.
LM: Do
you only feel the pressure because you are in front of a large audience
each day?
LW: I
think it’s not just the TV business, but life in general. I am learning
that with kids and a husband – you have to have a balance. I know I will
be strict (with dieting) after a vacation just to feel better and
lighter, but I can’t maintain it all the time, because it isn’t healthy
mentally or physically.
LM: What
is your diet like?
LW: I
eat healthy and have a pretty strict and specific diet. I have egg
whites for breakfast and a salad with chicken for lunch, snacks like
protein shakes and white fish for dinner. If am being really strict, I
will cut out all sugar except for Splenda or fruit sugar.
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LM: What
do you do before attending a red carpet event to ensure you can squeeze
into that dress?
LW:
I know what I need to eat to lose weight, but inevitably – two
nights before, I will go out and have a few glasses of wine and there
goes the strict dieting. But it’s just clean eating. If you stick to egg
whites, veggies, and white fish and cut sodium intake – the weight will
melt off of you.
LM: As
women, most of us would love to be able to change something on our
bodies. Is there anything you would want to change about your body?
LW: My
upper thigh and lower butt area! I would change it if I could wiggle my
nose and it would be gone.
LM:
Childhood obesity is a huge problem in the United States. As a mother of two children, what actions do you take
to ensure your children grow up accustomed to a healthy lifestyle?
LW: My
kids are active. My son, John, who is six years old, skateboards and my
daughter, Lauren, who is eight years old, is a rail. She is tall, lanky
and lean. She scooters and runs outside. We don’t sit around. There is
no laying around in front of the TV. You are an example to your kids. If
you sit on the couch and eat crap, then so will your children. I can
guarantee that at least Lauren will eat healthy.
LM:
After having two children, how did you get back into shape?
LW: The
first time, I wasn’t healthy. I took Metabolife and it was awful. Yes, I
got skinny as a rail but I wasn’t eating. With my son, I gained 35
pounds and it came off easy. I tried Weight Watchers. It’s great for
anyone who wants to lose five or 55 pounds. It’s just such a great way to regulate
calories. I did it for a year and now I know what foods have high
calories. I know everything from apples to egg whites, all the way to
macaroni and cheese. And I know how much to eat. You should be able to
have those foods, just not a ton of it! It is all about portion control.
LM: And
how do you stay motivated when you fall off
the diet bandwagon?
LW: Be
proud of how you look and your family will benefit. I slip all the time,
life happens, you just have to pick and choose when to slip up.
LM: How
do you juggle your career with a family?
LW: I
think it is important that you give the same love and nurturing to
yourself as you would your kids. A part of this is eating healthy and
taking the time to exercise. If you want to fix it (your body) you have to make it
happen. I am not insensitive to the fact that it is hard, I struggle
with finding time to fit exercise in and not taking it away from the
kids. I get guilty from working mother syndrome – but I know if I go a
few weeks without exercise, I am not a happy person. If am not happy,
then I am not a good person to my kids.
LM: What
advice do you have for other mother’s looking to get into shape?
LW: You
have to do it for yourself. It’s a responsibility to ourselves to be
healthy. There are clothes I want to wear and I have to be able to feel
light. I want to be able to play with my kids and I am the only one who
can make that happen.
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