After “Santa Barbara”: the heroes of the popular series today

The American television series “Santa Barbara” first appeared on screens in 1984 and immediately captivated viewers. The great popularity of the soap opera allowed the creators to continuously film the story of the turbulent life of Californians for several years. The last episode of “Santa Barbara” was shown on American screens in 1993, when the “Capwell family saga” was just starting in Russia.

Still from the series “Santa Barbara”

Russian viewers did not leave the screens until 2002. However, our compatriots never saw the last episode: “Santa Barbara” stopped broadcasting after episode 2040, while 2137 episodes were filmed in the American version.

The actors of “Santa Barbara” instantly became iconic. The Russians fell in love with the characters on the screen and went through all their ups and downs with them. In 2014, the cult series turned 30 years old. How the actors of the series “Santa Barbara” live now, how filming in the cult story influenced their lives - read in a series of articles on.

CC Capwell – Jed Allan (1935-2019)

Actor Jed Allan played the role of Cece

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Over the ten years of Santa Barbara, six actors played the role of the head of the Capwell family. The most recognizable in the role of CC Capwell is the American actor Jed Allan, who has Ukrainian and Belarusian roots.

Allan joined the series at the peak of its popularity, in 1986, and stayed until the last episode. During his life, he starred in more than two dozen TV series, including Beverly Hills 90210, Lassie, Columbo, and CSI: Miami. Jed Allan has repeatedly said that one of his great-grandmothers is from Odessa, and the second is from Minsk, but now the famous actor has no relatives in post-Soviet countries.

On March 9, 2020, Jed Allan passed away a few days after his 84th birthday.

Alexander Kuznetsov (1959–2019)

Although Alexander Kuznetsov played a cameo role in one of the episodes of the cult soap opera, his compatriots were proud of the actor, calling him “the star of Santa Barbara.” Since 2014, Soviet, Russian and American artists have been fighting prostate cancer using both traditional and folk methods. Alexander Kuznetsov died on June 6, 2020 in the USA; he was buried in Moscow at the Khovanskoye cemetery on the 11th.

Alexander Kuznetsov, photo: https://www.kino-teatr.ru/

Cruz Castillo – Hey Martinez (1948)

Actor Hey Martinez
Unlike most actors, Hey Martinez played the role of his character throughout the film epic “Santa Barbara”. For 10 years, viewers watched how the then relatively young actor grew up.

The Santa Barbara actor has not lost his popularity, having escaped the curse of the “one-role actor.” Hey Martinez is now in demand both on television and in big cinema. After participating in the American soap opera, Martinez starred in L.A. Law, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Curse of Chucky.

Hey Martinez lives with his wife, whom he has been married to for over 30 years. They have three children - a son and two daughters.

Eden Capwell – Marcy Walker (1961)

Actress Marcy Walker
Marcy Walker is one of the “Santa Barbara” actors who lasted almost all 10 years in the series, but were never able to realize themselves. The role of Eden Capwell became the most famous in Walker's acting life.

Marcy raised a son, the guy dreams of becoming an actor. Walker has been married 5 times and now lives with her latest, fifth husband, whom she met more than ten years ago.

Walker stopped acting in recent years and became the director of a Sunday school in a small American town.

Mason Capwell – Lane Davis (1950)

Actor Lane Davis
Lane Davis played his character for 5 years; for the last four years, the main handsome Mason Capwell was played by two other actors (Terry Lester and Gordon Thomson). Davis is the only one of the entire cast of “Santa Barbara” who does not like to remember this period in his life. Participating in the most popular series of the decade did not bring him any pleasure.

“I had to learn up to 58 pages of text per episode - the hero was very talkative! I have nothing in common with him,” said the actor.

Now the sex symbol of the 90s is the head of the traveling theater “Santa Susana”. Lane Davis is married and has two sons.

Sophia Capwell – Judith McConnell (1944)

Actress Judith McConnell

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McConnell's role as Sophia Capwell in Santa Barbara also became the most famous of her life. She was unable to break out of her role as a serial actress, never getting a role in any feature film.

Among the famous TV series in which Judith McConnell played are Melrow Place and Beverly Hills 90210. And in 2007, Judith played herself in the Russian TV series “Mothers and Daughters”.

“This is my first experience of filming with Russian actors. They are all wonderful and talented. It was easy and pleasant with them on set. I like it. It was amazing!” the actress shared after filming.

Judith was never married. In 1990, the actress resorted to the help of a surrogate mother, becoming the mother of her daughter Gwendolyn. McConnell considers Gwen his greatest victory and the love of his life.

Jim McMullan (1936–2019)

The role of Morgan Fenimore in Santa Barbara was remembered only by ardent fans of the series. Jim McMullan basked in the glory after the premiere of Baywatch, and later audiences saw him in the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The actor suffered from motor neurone disease, and on May 31, 2020, he died from complications of the disease.

Jim McMullan, photo: https://www.youtube.com/

Julia Wainwright-Capwell – Nancy Lee Grahn (1956)

Actress Nancy Lee Grahn
Nancy Lee Grahn has worked both in films and on television, but she gained great popularity as a soap opera actress. Nancy Lee Grahn was in the series “Santa Barbara” from the first to the last episode, becoming the most popular star of the series and receiving an Emmy in 1989 for her role as lawyer Julia Wainwright-Capwell, a feminist, a single mother and simply a loving woman.

The actress continues to act, is involved in politics and charity. In the field of charity, Gran helps cancer patients overcome their disease. Lee Gran has been married for more than 10 years, the couple have a daughter.

Five "Santa Barbara" Actors Who Became Famous

Leonardo DiCaprio (young Mason Capwell)

Few people know that 10-year-old Leo played young Mason Capwell (Cece's eldest son) in the 80s. This was not DiCaprio's first role. He appeared in front of the camera at the age of two and a half - his father took him to a popular TV show.

At a young age, Leonardo starred in more than 30 commercials and several TV series, including Santa Barbara, The New Adventures of Lassie and others. In the “big” cinema, he appeared in the “black” comedy “Nibblers”. In the early 90s, Leo left the TV series Growing Pains to star in the film This Boy's Life, which brought him his first great fame.

Robin Wright (Kelly Capwell)

The young blonde, who had experience as a model, came to the set of “Santa Barbara” at the age of 18. A little earlier, she had a tiny role in the television series “Yellow Rose.” The girl turned out to be very talented: already in 1986 she was awarded an award as a “promising young actress.” She was nominated three times for a Daytime Emmy Award for her role as Kelly. Robin lasted four years in “Santa Barbara”: at the same time, she starred in “big” movies (“Hollywood Police Squad,” “The Princess Bride”). Thanks to the series, Robin Wright arranged her personal life - she met actor Sean Penn, whom she married in 1996 (the couple divorced in 2010).

Robin is considered the most successful actress who played in Santa Barbara. She starred as Tom Hanks' love interest in Forrest Gump, played the lead role in the costume drama Moll Flanders, the drama Darling and many other films. In 2013, she was nominated for an Emmy Award and awarded a Golden Globe for her role in the television series House of Cards.

Harley Jane Kozak (Mary Duvall, Mason's lover)

The modest former nun Mary, who won Mason's heart, was one of the most popular heroines of Santa Barbara. The audience loved her so much that after Mary's death (she was crushed by a huge neon letter "C" from the name "Capwell" on the sign of the Capwell hotel) they demanded that the girl be returned to the screen. The series' ratings even dropped. The producers tried to persuade Harley to act again, but she was busy with other projects. However, three years later, Mary nevertheless returned to “Santa Barbara” - however, only for one episode and in the form of an angel.

The actress starred in more than 40 films. Her on-screen partners were young Brad Pitt (the comedy “All I Want for Christmas”), Jeff Daniels (“Arachnophobia”), Steve Martin (“Parenthood”). In 2000, after the birth of her daughter, Harley stopped acting in films and began writing detective novels about postcard designer Wally Shelley. Four of her books have now been published: one of them has been awarded a special Agatha Christie award.

Nancy Lee Grahn (Julia Wainwright Capwell)

Lawyer, feminist, single mother Julia lasted in Santa Barbara until the very end. It was only thanks to Nancy that the love story between her heroine and Mason (who, by 1993, was already played by three actors) did not fall apart. The actress joined the filming of the series in 1985. Four years later, she won an Emmy Award and then three Soap Opera Digest awards.

After “Santa Barbara”, Nancy began acting in the oldest American “soap opera” - the series “General Hospital”, in the role of lawyer Alexis Davis. The new heroine also brought fame to the actress: she has already been nominated for an Emmy four times. The series is still being filmed.

In 2005 - 2006, Nancy acted as a TV host on the SOAPnet talk show. She is successfully involved in politics and charity, helping children - victims of incest, families of alcoholics, disabled people, and cancer patients.

Lane Davis (Mason Capwell)

The actor began his career with a role in another series, Days of Our Lives. Three years later, he was hired in Santa Barbara to play one of the central roles - Mason Capwell, who experiences two deep love stories on the screen. Mason and Julia, played by Lane Davis and Nancy Lee Grahn, went down in soap opera history as one of the brightest “super couples.”

While still filming Santa Barbara, Lane organized the Georgia Shakespeare Festival, in which he played the famous characters of the great Englishman and staged his plays himself. The actor left the series in 1989. He organized two theaters - the Santa Susana Repertory Company and the Kingsman Shakespeare guild, and is currently vice-president of the International Federation of Festival Organizations.

Lane also does not leave the screen: he starred in the films “The Third Planet from the Sun”, “Scrubs”, “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”, played Lieutenant Sommers in the joint Russian-American project “Russians in the City of Angels” directed by Rodion Nakhapetov. From 2002 to 2004, the actor met again with “Julia” in the TV series “General Hospital.”

Now Lane Davis plays and stages performances based on Shakespeare's plays, devotes a lot of time to popularizing the English playwright, and works with schoolchildren and students.

Interesting facts about Santa Barbara

In Russia, the series ran for more than ten years - from January 2, 1992 to April 17, 2002. Our viewers did not see all the episodes - only from the 217th to the 2040th.

The scriptwriters, the Dobsons, received a total of $30 million for their work.

Filming each episode cost $400,000. The actors' fees amounted to up to two thousand dollars per shooting day.

“Santa Barbara” was filmed in a studio with an area of ​​1,800 square meters, which was located 140 kilometers from the city of the same name.

43 minutes of screen time were filmed per day. Five screenwriters and the same number of directors, 150 make-up artists and costume designers were involved in the work.

During the entire filming, there were three Masons, two Teds, five CCs, four Kellys, two Jeans and several Santanas. After the departure of the “main” Mason Lane Davis from the series, the ratings dropped significantly.

Lionel Lockridge – Nicholas Coster (1933)

Actor Nicholas Coster
Before his role in the TV series Santa Barbara, Coster was a famous soap opera actor. He already had about a dozen works in popular TV series at that time. He played his character Lionel Lockridge with a break of two years. Koster left Santa Barbara in 1988 to star in the ABC series All My Children, but returned in 1990.

He was married to actress Candace Hilligoss. The couple had two children. Koster also has a child from his current marriage to a Russian girl. Nikolas Koster also succeeded in his professional activities. He has starred in a large number of TV series and feature films.

Dane Witherspoon (1957–2014)

Dane Witherspoon was remembered by viewers as Joe Perkins. The actor was legally married to his girlfriend on the set, Robin Wright (Kelly Capwell), from 1986 to 1988. On March 31, 2014, Dane Witherspoon's colleague Hey Martinez (Cruz Castillo) announced the death of the artist on his personal Facebook page and offered condolences to the relatives of the deceased.

Dane Witherspoon, photo: https://www.tvserial.it/

Kelly Capwell – Robin Wright (1966)

Actress Robin Wright
Robin Wright became, perhaps, the only one from the cast of “Santa Barbara” who gained great popularity in Hollywood and starred in many feature films. Much of the credit for this lies with Wright's star ex-husband Sean Penn, who repeatedly cast his wife in his own films. Wright and Penn have two children together.

The actress has roles in the films “Forrest Gump”, “The Guard at the Crossroads” and “The House at the End of the World”. One of Robin's last memorable and popular works is the House of Cards series.

Tad Capwell – Todd McKee (1963)

Actor Todd McKee

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Todd McKee is the least popular Santa Barbara cast member. Before reaching the last episode (he was replaced by Michael Brainard in 1990), the actor begins looking for other projects.

McKee’s next and only work was the series “The Bold and the Beautiful,” which has been shown on American television since 1990 (with interruptions).

Todd McKee and Lane Davis are best friends, their friendship began in the first episodes of filming Santa Barbara.

How did the Santa Barbara series end?

The project was completed not because the writers ran out of imagination or the story came to an end. Not even due to lack of funding. All this happened, but the audience became uninterested, the ratings fell, and many competing films of higher quality appeared. It was difficult to surprise old TV viewers with anything, and there was nothing to hook new ones. Having exhausted itself, the project closed, releasing the final episode in January 1993. What events happened in the Santa Barbara ending?

1. Sofia and Cece made peace.
2. Kelly found happiness with Connor McCabe.
3. Connor disarmed Andy right at Bj and Warren's wedding ceremony.
4. Eden died shortly before the end of the story.

We were not shown this episode in 2002.