Eyes On The Prize

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Sarah Joy Brown (Julia) is always looking for her next challenge

Having performed for five years as General Hospital’s Carly, Sarah Joy Brown was well aware of daytime’s rigorous schedule when she accepted a limited run on As The World Turns as Julia Larrabee. But having spent the last few years doing primetime and film, getting back into the groove proved quite a challenge. “It was so difficult for me,” she admits. “It’s really, really a different world altogether.”

But what really threw the West Coast native for a loop was the change in time zones. “It didn’t go well,” Brown says with a smile. “I couldn’t get used to waking up at 3a.m. Los Angeles time. Michael Park (Jack) was the biggest asset I could’ve possibly had,” she adds. “He immediately welcomed me with open arms and showed me the ropes. He helped make the transition easier than it would have been otherwise.”

A Powerful Subject

It didn’t hurt that Brown was thrilled by the juicy material she was given almost from day one on the set. “I think that it was perfect writing for me and my particularities,” she says. “Because I know something of domestic abuse…And I’ll just leave it at that.”

Julia’s history of domestic violence at the hands of ex-husband Les was a topic that the actress was eager to shine light on. “I was compelled to do it because I felt like this happens, and I’m gonna really do it,” she declares. “I think of the many, many women, like Laci Peterson, who’ve been through this and who didn’t survive it. And I feel horrible for them.”

Paying The Price

Of course, the emotional content of the storyline also took a toll on the Emmy winner. “I’m a dangerously sensitive person,” Brown confesses. “I’m not equipped for it, because I don’t have any armor. I’m an actor, so I’ve shed it all away. I feel things intensely.”

Still, the actress is careful not to let her emotions overwhelm her. “I’ve learned in life to let it come in, let it affect me, but then somehow go, ‘Okay, you can’t live there,’” she explains. “Because if you do, you’ll be in a mental hospital.”

“I sometimes do bring it home,” Brown continues. “When your whole day is spent physically actually crying, that can’t not physically affect you. But it doesn’t mentally affect me so much.”

Staying Hungry

Following her six-month run on ATWT, Brown is planning to head back home to the West Coast. “I would like to live in New York,” she admits. “I would never go back to LA if I didn’t have to, but unfortunately, there’s not enough work in New York City. Well, there’s Broadway, which I would really love to do,” she allows. “But there’s not a lot of bread and butter, like guest appearances and whatever.” The actress chuckles and adds ruefully: “Not that you make any bread…but they keep you busy while you’re waiting for that next thing.”

However, Brown’s next thing won’t include daytime. “At the place that I’m at in my life right now, I’m really itching to learn and grow and get better and better,” she says. “When you’re doing the same character for five years at a time, you’re not growing in the same way that you are if you have to try to do 12 different things and have to be out there trying to get a job.”

“I don’t like having to sing for my supper so much,” Brown adds, “but I like that it keeps me sharp. You don’t get complacent, because if you do, you don’t work. So if you’re not at the top of your game, you’re not getting hired. Unless you’re a gorgeous supermodel, and that’s not me!”

The actress also admits that it can also be tough when blockbuster stars like Halle Berry and Julia Roberts take parts in smaller films. “If you can get these $12 million actors to do these little independent films, where am I?” Brown says, still determined to make her mark. “So you just wait and you try and you hope that one day you become Jennifer Connelly, who kicked around for 15 years before she got Requiem For A Dream. So I’m looking for my Requiem!”

FYI

Birthday: February 18
Just The Facts: When she was first hired, Brown had no idea what to expect. “All I was told was I was a nurse, and I could potentially be [Jack's psychotic ex-wife] Julia,” Brown reveals. “They wouldn’t tell me…Maybe they didn’t want me to spill the beans or something!”
The Cure: In order to pump herself back up after an exhausting day at the set, the actress likes to go to the gym or listen to music. “Linkin Park,” she reports with a chuckle. “Really hardcore stuff.”
Coast To Coast: “The vibe in New York and the vibe in LA are so totally different,” Brown muses. “Hollywood is very corrupt. And in New York, there’s so little Hollywood, and you have a more diverse population.”