Crystal Chappell

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SOAP STAR STATS

Crystal Chappell (Olivia, GL)

Vital Statistics

THE 411

Born the only girl and middle child to Don and Priscilla, Crystal Chappell had a semi-nomadic lifestyle growing up. Her family moved constantly, constructing houses wherever they went (the family often slept in the abodes before they were finished and sold). Shy and overweight, Chappell has confessed that she was often an outsider growing up.

Instead of walking home one day her junior year in high school, she decided to audition for a school production of Dark Of The Moon; she landed the lead role. At the University of Maryland, she snagged the lead role in Beauty And The Beast, a part the department allowed her to play only if she enrolled in school as a drama major. She did and after graduating with a degree in theater, Chappell relocated to New York in the late '80s. At the time, she tried to maintain a long-distance relationship with her then-husband, Scott Fanjoy, whom she had married in 1986, but they soon decided to move together to the West Coast.

Eight months after moving to L.A., at the age of 25, Chappell landed a role on DAYS OF OUR LIVES as Carly. Her popularity skyrocketed and she found herself gracing many Soap Opera Digest covers. After separating from Fanjoy, Chappell began dating then co-star Michael Sabatino (ex-Lawrence, DAYS). They left the show together in August 1993 and since that departure, they have appeared on a combined total of six different soaps.

Chappell gave GL fans a scare in 2005 when she considered not resigning her contract, since Olivia's story had been cut significantly after the "death" of Phillip. She decided to resign after all, then tried to get out of her contrcat when she was offered the front-burner role of Paige on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. GL refused to let her out of the contract. Chappell claimed to have no hard feelings.

With the family editions of sons Jacob Walker (born 2000) and Dylan Michael (born 2003), Chappell and Sabatino reside in suburban New Jersey.

ET CETERA

Five Random Facts
— Worked her way through the University of South Carolina as an aerobics instructor.
— Was inspired by the book Sanford Meisner on Acting. She wrote to the author, and in turn, he invited her and a few other students to his home in the West Indies for intensive acting training.
— Before transferring to the University of Maryland, majored in Computer Science at the University of South Carolina, where she also studied journalism.
— Performed at the Kennedy Center while still in college.
— First soap role was as a day player on ALL MY CHILDREN in 1989.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Other Soap Roles
ONE LIFE TO LIVE (Maggie, 1995-97)
DAYS OF OUR LIVES (Carly, 1990-93)
SANTA BARBARA (Jane, 1990)
TV Roles
POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY (Jessica, 1998)
DIAGNOSIS MURDER (Eve Laurie, 1994)
Film Roles
Lady In Waiting (Elizabeth Henley, 1994)
Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter (Samantha, 1994)

LOOK WHO'S TALKING

"I liked soaps. I liked to watch them. I watched Erica Kane go through all those husbands!"— Soap Opera Weekly, 8/19/80

"The first time I saw Michael, he was dressed as Lawrence Alamain and sitting in the makeup room at DAYS. I extended my hand to shake his, and he stood up and kissed mine."— Digest, 2/20/96

"For a long time, I really didn't think I had the talent to do anything. I didn't think I could take care of myself. I didn't think I was pretty. Everyone was telling me how pretty I [was], but I certainly didn't feel that way, and I was angry with everyone for telling me things that I didn't believe. I lived my life like that for a long time."— Soap Opera Digest, 10/24/00

"Because my life isn't a soap opera — thank goodness — I've been able to grow from my experiences and learn from my mistakes."— www.crystal-chappell.com (2007)

OFFICIAL WEB SITE

www.crystal-chappell.com

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