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An interview with Christina B. Lind and Sarah Glendening of “All My Children”

All My Children‘s les/bi fans are a passionate lot, especially when Bianca is the subject. Many of us have followed our beloved Binx for years, through love and loss and too much heartbreak. Our one wish, when we learned that AMC had been cancelled, was that Bianca would find happiness.

If Christina Bennett Lind (Bianca) and Sarah Glendening (Marissa) get their way, that’s exactly what will happen. The actresses are Minx fans themselves — and very proud of the storyline.

AfterEllen.com caught up with Christina and Sarah between takes earlier this week, to find out more about the people behind the story and their thoughts on Bianca and Marissa.

AfterEllen.com: Thanks so much for spending your break with us! Did you film any scenes together today?

Christina Bennett Lind: Not yet — but we do have some this afternoon.

AE: Do you sense the show winding down?

Sarah Glendening: A little bit. We’re just back from hiatus and I think there’s a sense that we are wrapping up a lot of the stories.

CBL: And there’s a lot of talk about the web series and what will happen next.

AE: Can you tell us whether you’ll be part of the web version?

CBL: To tell the truth, we don’t know a lot about it. Things are still up in the air.

SG: There’s a lot of story left to tell, so I hope it can continue.

AE: Were you fans of All My Children before working on the show?

CBL: I watched it some in college, but I wasn’t invested in it. I had a lot of catching up to do.

SG: I watched it in middle school. [both laugh] I did follow the story when Bianca and Reese got together. I thought it was so cool. I never expected to be Bianca’s rebound girlfriend! [Laughs]

AE: Sarah, you worked on As the World Turns — is the atmosphere at AMC different?

SG: Oh, yes, it’s very different. All My Children has such a great energy; everyone is very positive. And they are committed to staying positive.

AE: Is that harder in light of the show’s cancellation?

CBL: Everybody is very invested in the show, from Susan Lucci to the person who gets coffee for us. Everyone is aware of the sense of history of AMC and is determined to end in a way that brings honor to the show.

AE: The parade of past cast members must feel a little surreal.

CBL: Yes, it’s a little sad. But we don’t really have the same experience with them.

SG: Everyone is saying, “Oh, we missed you!” and we’re saying, “Nice to meet you.” (Laughter)

AE: You two have such a natural chemistry; did you know each other before AMC?

CBL: No, we didn’t. We’re both from a theatre background, though, so we have a lot of mutual friends.

SG: I came to the show in November and – Christina doesn’t know this – after being around her for a little bit, I thought, “I like her; we’re going to be friends.” We liked each other right away. We were talking about that at the Christmas party and said, “You know, we should have a love story.”

CBL: I thought that was a great idea!

AE: Wait, so the Marissa/Bianca relationship was your idea?

SG: Well, I think it had been percolating, even though we really didn’t know it. But that’s the great thing about working on a soap. The producers, writers and actors work closely with each other and all of us can influence the story.

AE: AfterEllen.com Binx fans sure knew it — probably before the writers!

SG: I know! I don’t know how they knew!

AE: Lesbian gaydar works even on fictional characters.

SG: I guess so!

AE: You know, we notice every little thing between Marissa and Bianca. Like when JR confronted them and Bianca started to pull her hand away but Marissa hung on. Are those kind of moments written?

SG: That one was. The writers wanted to make a point with that.

CBL: Right. It showed Bianca’s hesitancy in light of her past broken hearts — and relationships with straight women. [Laughs] Bianca has a strong sense of self-protection that I understand because of my own life experiences. You’re never quite sure when to trust. It’s challenging to know how quickly to give your heart away.

SG: We do really play well together, though, which shows in what we do.

CBL: Yes, we have learned how to respond to each other. Sarah will do something and I go with it.

AE: Are we going to get a happy ending for Minx?

CBL: Things are going to develop more slowly now. I mean, Marissa moved really quickly once she realized her feelings for Bianca. The transition was fast and Marissa was incredibly brave. It was exciting to watch. But now they need time to explore and build a real relationship.

SG: We’re very optimistic about it.

CBL: And some big things are coming up that I can’t tell you about. We’re excited about it.

AE: JR has been making comments about Marissa not being AJ’s real mom. Is a custody battle coming?

SG: Sure. The show’s called All My Children after all. [Laughs] When Reese and Bianca divorced, the subject came up of Reese not being the biological mom, so I expect it will come up again. Of course, that shouldn’t even enter the equation. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.

AE: I saw some pictures of you two at the See Jane Run event — what’s the story there?

CBL: I had planned to do that sort of under the radar. I was going to just hide under a cap. [Laughs] But we ended up having a great time.

SG: It was Christina’s first half-marathon. My contribution was, “Go, Christina!”

AE: What about those “Legalize Gay” t-shirts?

CBL: That was a spontaneous decision. My gay roommate suggested we wear them and I was so glad we did. Now we don’t need to wear them in New York! [Laughs]

Sarah and I are great friends — it’s fun to be able to have a relationship outside the show. [Pause] I mean we’re not involved romantically

AE: Much to the disappointment of Minx fans! Do you plan to advocate for gay and lesbian causes even after your roles are over?

CBL: Yes, it’s very much who I am. I think it’s important to use celebrity as an opportunity to advocate for important causes. I’ve been involved in helping battered women — I had a very emotional response to that storyline in the show.

AE: You’re also involved in AMC fan week this weekend.

CBL: I am both excited and terrified.

SG: I participated in events like this when I was on ATWT. It’s kind of overwhelming. But it’s also a lot of fun.

AE: One of our readers (hat tip, BarbB) wants to know if you’ve sensed a difference with the shift of writers and the return of Agnes Nixon in the middle of Minx’s storyline?

SG: There’s a sense that they are on board to wrap up the stories. They’re getting tighter.

CBL: Agnes is such a strong part of AMC that it seemed important for her to come back and help the community close this chapter. The writing definitely is tighter.

AE: Any closing words for AfterEllen.com Minx fans?

CBL: Oh, yes — thank you so much for supporting us and being such a passionate fan base.

SG: What she said. Ditto.

CBL: I’m coming up with a way to thank the public. I’ll put it on Twitter.

I can’t wait. Christina also promised to get Sarah on Twitter so she can share the Minx love. Meanwhile, you can follow @ChristinaBLind to find out what she’s up to. All My Children airs daily on ABC Daytime. (Update: CBL came through! Follow Sarah at @sarahglendening.)

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