Issue date: 7/9/07 Section: Urbanite

NBC has produced some amazing television in its many years of existence. Including greats like "Bewitched," "Friends," and now "Heroes." Surprisingly enough, its most interesting show is none other than the nontraditional soap opera, "Passions."

Unlike any other soap on the air, this show deals with love; magic, and horrifically dysfunctional families (which will make you appreciate your own so much more)! Every soap seems to have its own leading lady; "All My Children" has "Erica Kane," "One Life To Live" has "Victoria Lord," and "Passions" has "Sheridan Crane!" The Urbanite is privileged to introduce you to one of television's brightest stars, McKenzie Westmore, the heart and soul of Sheridan Crane.

Seemingly born a star, McKenzie has an extensive acting history. In fact she had her first paid job before she could walk as a baby on a Bold's Detergent commercial. "It [acting] was always in my blood…it's just that I always grew up around it with my dad and other actors…"

At the age of 3, she was Jake's Daughter in the hit movie, "Raging Bull." At 19 she appeared twice in Star Trek series "Insurrection" and "Voyager." She also appeared as the character, "Jessica" in "Weird Science." In 1999, she auditioned four times for Passions hoping to be cast as "Gwen Hotchkiss," a socialite desperately fighting to hold onto the man she loves, "Ethan Crane."

However, McKenzie as Gwen wasn't quite clicking for the staff so they had her audition as Sheridan Crane. The staff had her go home and come back the next day wearing a sexier dress. She was instantly cast for the part! As Sheridan Crane, she plays a star-crossed heiress who's constantly tormented by her sadistic father, Alistair Crane (John Reilly), all the while struggling to be with her soul mate, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald (Galen Gering).

Like all actors, McKenzie has some interesting differences and similarities to her character. Unlike Sheridan, McKenzie comes from a loving, close-knit family with a father who absolutely adores her. In fact she became an actress because she wanted to carry on her family name (Her father is Michael Westmore, a famous makeup artist, supervisor, and designer whose worked behind the scenes of many major films). As Sheridan Crane is her father's worst enemy, a witch is working magic to keep her from Luis, and her older brother and half-sister have tried to kill her on numerous occasions.

However, McKenzie and Sheridan are similar in that they are both kind, charitable, very intuitive, and believe in soul mates.

"My husband [Artist, "Seven" from the band "Whiskey Falls"] is absolutely my soul mate. We were destined to be together…"

Although McKenzie is an excellent actress, she admits it pales in comparison to the newfound joy of motherhood. When asked how being a mother has affected her McKenzie warmly replies, "Motherhood has changed me completely! Maddox is the light of my life. Now he's five and half months old and everything he does is so amazing to me!"

Due to maternity leave she was off Passions for three months where actress Kam Heskins brilliantly pulled off her role. Nevertheless, fans everywhere were overjoyed to welcome her back when she returned to work in early October.

Acting on a nontraditional soap isn't easy, but McKenzie is a natural.

"I love acting on Passions! It's great being different from other soaps out there…I wouldn't have it any other way!" She has appeared in hundreds of episodes of the show, and her star-crossed storyline can easily be considered the most important one on the show. She admits though that her favorite episode is when Sheridan and Luis do the tango. "I love that episode! It's when we first see Sheridan and Luis becoming a couple…it solidifies them and shows fans that they are going to be together…"

In the future McKenzie hopes to use her acting experience and Passions fame to further her career. In fact she hopes to eventually be able to crossover to regular television and do more movies.

"I would like to do something similar to Kelly Ripa. I love how she was working on All My Children as well as doing the show with Regis. That seems like it would be a really fun thing to do." Oddly enough, when asked who she would love to work with she laughs and says Jack Black. "He's so funny to me and I love movies that make me laugh!"

All and all, McKenzie is indeed a gem. Kind and talented, her beauty trickles from her exterior, ebbing deep down to her heart. She advises all aspiring actors "…to study, find a really great class and study, study, study! Take singing lessons and dancing lessons, try and be a triple threat! It's all about the class work."

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