LOVE AT FIRST BYTE - Soap Opera Digest

March 31st 1998 

Since Sunset Beach's January 6, 1997 premiere, the show has used technology, temptation and terror to further the romance of their top couple, Meg (Susan Ward) and Ben (Clive Robertson). As the characters look forward to their wedding this spring, the actors look back at what made the pairing work.
Digest:	Do you remember first meeting each other and reading for the roles? What were your first impressions?
Robertson:	Actually, I didn't audition with Susan, so I didn't meet her until we came in for a costume fitting. They paraded us out on-set -- me, Susan and Sarah [Buxton, Annie]. And Sarah was wearing as thin lingerie as you can get.
Ward:	Luckily, I wore something more Meg-like.
Robertson:	Yes, I remember. They plunked me in the middle, and I didn't know who was who. I didn't know what was going on. I just remember standing there and smiling for the camera and feeling extremely awkward. I do remember Susan was going through the same thing. I'm sure we said hello, but that's about it.
Ward:	I didn't know who he was, either. I had no idea that he'd be my love interest because I didn't know anything about my storyline.
Digest:	What were your thoughts when you learned that Ben and Meg would be the show's first big romance?
Robertson:	To be honest, they never really told us that.
Ward:	It was at a table reading when I first realized that he would be my love interest. I was excited. He's a great guy, he was always really nice to me and I was just very excited.
Robertson:	I was, as well. As far as the "supercouple" goes, it just so happens that our chemistry on-screen worked, and then they started writing for us. If we never showed any chemistry, then I don't think they would have ended up writing in this way.
Digest:	Were you able to establish an immediate rapport as actors?
Robertson:	It was quite a slow start, as actors. She did things that surprised me.
Ward:	We had to get to know each other's style.
Robertson:	She has that lovely innocence about her on-camera, which really came across. I wasn't expecting it, and I suppose I just sort of responded to it. I give her a lot of credit for it.
Digest:	You spend so much time together; so there must be funny little squabbles.
Robertson:	We never had any funny arguments [laughs].
Ward:	When you spend so much time together, there will always be disagreements.
Robertson:	I don't remember us having a fight, actually.
Digest:	How has your relationship changed in the past year?
Robertson:	We've definitely become more friendly, on- and off-set.
Ward:	I think we're definitely more comfortable with each other, and we've become closer in a lot of ways.
Robertson:	We used to keep to our-selves when we weren't actually doing a scene. In a way, it possibly helped. We didn't do it on purpose.
Ward:	We definitely have a better relationship than we did in the beginning because we just got to know each other and learned each other's boundaries and limitations.
Digest:	What happens when one of you is having a bad day?
Robertson:	When Susan's having a bad day, I steer well clear. I'm serious.
Ward:	Same with Clive. I usually don't say anything, and I just give him his space. The worst thing is being hounded by everyone. I know when I'm in a bad mood; I just like to be left alone.
Robertson:	Yes. These days, actually -- this is how friendly we've gotten -- she tells me when she's having a bad day. I noticed recently, when she's having a bad day, we can actually have quite a lot of fun with that.
Digest:	Some soap couples find it easier to stay away from each other off the set, while others are the best of friends. How about you two?
Robertson:	We went to Ohio. Joe [Susan's boyfriend] and I went to play golf, while [Clive's girlfriend] Libby and Susan went to the local inn.
Ward:	They were in a tournament, and Libby and I went to the spa and had a girls' day. We sipped tea and had a wonderful lunch on the golf course ... not their golf course, of course. We had a lot of fun.
Robertson:	That was Super Bowl Sunday, and then we all went out and watched the Super Bowl. We also had a great time at the Thanksgiving Day Parade together. I went to Thanksgiving dinner at Susan's.
Ward:	I lived in New York for a long time, and my old roommate still lived there in our old apartment, so we invited Libby and Clive. We had a big, huge dinner of lamb and wine and all kinds of goodies.
Robertson:	Then we went to this bar, and we stayed up to about 4 a.m.
Ward:	We had a great time.
Digest:	What's the funniest thing that's happened on the set during one of your scenes?
Robertson:	She hit me with a flower once, by accident, when we were on location in Kansas. She was playing around with it, swishing it back and forth, and she caught me on the nose.
Ward:	That was pretty funny.
Robertson:	Unsuspecting, actually.
Ward:	He had handed me a flower in one of the scenes, and I was just waving it around in-between scenes, and accidentally hit him in the face. That was really funny, and they have it on film.
Robertson:	It will be on my highlight reel [laughs].
Digest:	Susan -- do you ever imitate the English accent?
Ward:	Oh, yeah. I don't do very well, but I like to think it's pretty funny.
Robertson:	She's pretty awful. Apparently Joe does, as well.
Ward:	When Joe reads with me, he always tries to do Clive's accent, and it's so hilarious that I can't even concentrate.
Digest:	The line dancing in Kansas was quite a hit with the fans. Rate each other's performance.
Robertson:	She was a 10 out of 10.
Ward:	I definitely give him a 10.
Robertson:	No, I was a slow starter.
Ward:	But a strong finisher. A 10.
Digest:	Can we expect more dancing?
Robertson:	I don't know. I wouldn't mind doing some Latin American dancing. I actually learned that in drama school.
Ward:	I hope they'll put us in a big ball-room, and we'll do some ballroom dancing. That would be so much fun.
Digest:	Why do Ben and Meg love each other so much?
Robertson:	I think he offers her something fresh and innocent, and she's the antithesis of what he had with Maria.
Ward:	Ben's sincere, and he treats her like an incredible woman. She feels incredible around him: She feels loved, cherished and respected.
Digest:	Do you ever get sick of hearing the names Ben and Meg pronounced together?
Ward:	Oh, yeah.
Robertson:	Usually it's "Ben and Meg" or "Men and Beg" or "Meg and Beg" [laughs].
Ward:	I definitely do, but it's part of my life, so I've gotten used to it.
Robertson:	I'm not tired of it at all -- it's very nice.
Ward:	It is nice ... at times.
Digest:	Describe how you would script Ben and Meg's wedding.
Robertson:	Between you and me, we're pushing for a Venice wedding, there's no two ways about it.
Ward:	He's pushing for Venice; I'm definitely pushing for Bora Bora.
Robertson:	Whenever they mention the wedding, I'm like, a wedding in Venice would be nice. We stress Venice a lot because I'm not settling for any of this gondola stuff in Venice, California. We want the real thing.
Ward:	I would settle for Venice. A lavish wedding in a huge cathedral.
Robertson:	We want the real thing.
Digest:	Do Ben and Meg have a chance for happiness?
Robertson:	We live and hope.

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