VIDEO: Victoria Rowell Exposes Racial Disparity, Prejudice and Drama on ‘Young & The Restless’
Filed under: Television, Video
Victoria Rowell is on a crusade to expose what really goes down behind the scenes of daytime televisions top-rated soap opera ‘The Young and the Restless.’
And it’s not the thinly-veiled, campy drama that she touches upon with her latest tome, ‘Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva,’ either.
Backstage at Steve Harvey’s 8th Annual Hoodie Awards in Las Vegas, the 11-time NAACP Image Award winner talked exclusively to Blackvoices.com about the discrimination she suffered while on the set of the CBS serial.
From white actresses running around with an “afro wig” and spitting in her face on set, to wardrobe staffers making the black actors keep the tags on their clothes so they can return them, Rowell tells it all.
The Portland, Maine broke down her mission to stop, what she refers to as, “soap opera apartheid.”
Watch the provocative video interview below.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
Victoria Rowell is more than just your average soap opera actress; A true renaissance woman, she has written two books, starred in television shows including ‘The Ghost Whisperer,’ ‘All of Us’ and ‘Noah’s Arc’ and appeared in a number of movies, including ‘Home of the Brave,’ ‘Eve’s Bayou,’ ‘Motives’ and ‘Barb Wire.’ She’s also a staunch advocate for foster care, and women’s issues.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
Her full name is Victoria “Vicki” Lynn Rowell. She was born in Portland, Maine, on May 10, 1959.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
When she was 8, Rowell began ballet lessons. She received a Ford Foundation scholarship to study at the Cambridge School of Ballet.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
When Rowell was just 16 days old, she, along with her two sisters, Sheree and Lori, was surrendered to child services after her schizophrenic mother left her and her siblings unsupervised.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
During the 1980s, Rowell became an in-demand runway and catalog model. She began to take acting lessons and earned featured roles on television shows such as ‘The Cosby Show.’
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
In 1990, Rowell was cast as a hood-rat-turned-fashion model Drucilla Barber on the long-running CBS soap opera ‘The Young and the Restless.’
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
Rowell’s first marriage was to Tom Fahey in 1989. A daughter named Maya is a product of their union, which ended in divorce the following year.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
On ‘The Young and the Restless,’ Rowell’s character fell in love and married Neil Winters, who is played by veteran soap actor Kristoff St. John.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
The trajectory of Drucilla Barber and Neil Winters is quite interesting. Before the two became lovebirds, they schemed and plotted to break up the relationship between her physician sister Olivia and her detective boyfriend Nathan.
Victoria Rowell : Through The Years
During the early-1990s, Rowell had a long-term romantic relationship with world-renowned jazz luminary Wynton Marsalis. A son, Jasper, is the product of their union.
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