I know I said I wouldn't be posting here for a while, but I'm just going to sneak in for a minute. After all, it's not every day that Cassandra Collins arrives on the scene!
And what an entrance (and impression) Lara Parker makes as Cassandra! I vaguely remember finding her entrance thrilling in my childhood viewing -- though I was too little to realize (until another kid pointed it out) that this scary new lady was really Angelique.
Maybe that isn't as unobservant as it might sound, because what I notice now are some subtle changes that Lara Parker gives Cassandra, differentiating her ever so slightly from Angelique.
Many of us have highly praised Nancy Barrett's versatility in creating a host of different characters during the course of the show, but I think we may have somewhat overlooked Ms. Parker's abilities in this respect. Her role as an actress on the series was more limited than Ms. Barrett's since the only character she played besides Angelique (and Angelique alter-egos) was the heroine (Catherine) in 1941 PT. If her Cassandra is any indication, Ms. Parker had more potential for creating different characters than she was able to realize on the show.
Specifically, I'm thinking of her mannerisms as Cassandra. Cassandra seems to have an even more single-mindedly evil streak than Angelique, if that's possible. There's an intensity about her that surpasses Angelique, a conniving manner that ripples barely beneath the surface at every moment. Her movements are catlike. In her scene with Elizabeth, she seemed like a tigress eyeing her prey and barely restraining herself from pouncing.
LP's feline mannerisms remind me of another actress I admire, Ann-Margret, who has subtly mimicked feline movement in her mannerisms in several of her more predatory roles (and I'm not talking about "Kitten With a Whip")!.
Even Joan Bennett seemed unnerved playing under LP's relentless focus, as the veteran actress fumbled repeatedly for lines.
Grrrrrrr ... Or should that be "Meow"?
