The Young and the Restless favorite Victoria Rowell (ex-Drucilla Winters) is headed back to the world of soaps, but don't expect to see Drucilla climbing up from that infamous cliff anytime soon.
The Image Award-winning actress has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to film a pilot based on her two soap-behind-the-soap novels, Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva and The Young and the Ruthless: Back in the Bubbles. During a visit to Soap Central Live on August 2, Rowell said that she sees the series, titled The Rich and the Ruthless, as "Soapdish meets The Office times 30 Rock."
As with any project there are costs associated with making the dream a reality. That's why Rowell has turned to Kickstarter, a web site that allows fans to help fund projects that might otherwise never see the light of day. In return, they'll receive one-of-a-kind thank you gifts ranging from autographed books to a walk-on role on The Rich and the Ruthless. Rowell acknowledged that fans have always supported her in every part of her career, and she hopes that they will continue to do so as she embarks on this new phase.
"As you know, I first was on Young and the Restless as Drucilla Winters and then went on to Diagnosis: Murder for eight years, and the fans followed me there as well. And the fans have been a huge part of my book success, my literary success, and constantly the fans have asked me, when am I going to create my own soap opera? I mean, people were asking me that while I was on The Young and the Restless. And I said, 'Well, you know, perhaps if we don't see a spinoff show, The Winterses, maybe I'll give it a thought,'" Rowell explained. "But as you know, that never came to pass. But I was blessed with these incredible book deals, one with HarperCollins and one with Simon & Schuster. And I've been tickling the ivories, Dan, for a while around a script idea, and I have found a solution in the pilot that we're going to shoot very shortly titled The Rich and the Ruthless."
During her SCL appearance Rowell also exclusively revealed that two of her former The Young and the Restless co-stars are slated to appear in The Rich and the Ruthless.
"I wanted to excite the listeners with the knowledge that Davetta Sherwood, who played Lily on The Young and the Restless, will be joining the cast," Rowell teased. "We also have Brenda Epperson, who played Ashley on The Young and the Restless."
Rowell also promised that The Rich and the Ruthless cast would be "peppered with soap opera stars [and] also primetime stars and feature film stars."
To hear the entire Soap Central Live interview with Victoria Rowell, please click here.
For more information about the Kickstarter campaign for The Rich and the Ruthless, please click here.
