Y&R's Judith Chapman on Gloria's big new career: "It's about time!" [INTERVIEW]

As The Young and the Restless' Gloria Fisher takes control of her life with a new career at Jabot, Judith Chapman is taking control of the stage in a powerful new play -- and both journeys take the kind of guts that most people merely dream of.

There are a lot of similarities between The Young and the Restless' Judith Chapman and her Genoa City alter ego, Go-Get-'Em Gloria -- one being that they fearlessly go after exactly what they want, naysayers be damned! The other is that they're both approaching the time in their careers at which some members of society start to whisper, "Mmm, do you think you're maybe a little too old for that?" Y&R viewers recently watched Gloria shut down any and all ideas that her age would prohibit her from being a kick-ass president at Lauren's company, and as can be seen from her current list of projects, Chapman is just as bold as Gloria when it comes to forging ahead and making this time in her career the strongest and most fulfilling yet.

The talented actress will soon be seen playing Nancy Reagan in the upcoming Will Smith film King Richard, which tells the story of how tennis players Venus and Serena Williams rose to greatness; she is embarking on a new chapter as Y&R's Gloria, who is finally being given the chance to grab some power in Genoa City; and she will soon be performing in a special run of Anne Nelson's 9/11 play The Guys, which the actress spearheaded as a way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and honor the first responders who took part in that tragic day. In short, she is one busy woman -- and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I do have some wonderful projects going on this fall, and I am very pleased," Chapman tells Soap Central. "People have said, 'You know, you're kind of at the end of your career,' and I say, 'Come on! I've got a soap opera, I've got a feature film coming out, I'm doing these plays where I'm acting and directing'... I say I'm approaching the Maggie Smith phase of my career."

The most imminent project Chapman has is The Guys, which will be running at the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday, September 11, and Sunday, September 12. The play tells the story of a New York Fire Department captain named Nick (played by Michael Pacas), who enlists an editor named Joan (Chapman) to write the eulogies of eight of his men who died in the collapse of the World Trade Center.

"I did this show about 12 or 13 years ago and I was just so moved by it," the actress shares. "People said, 'Is it sad? Am I going to cry?' And I said, 'Yes, you may have a tear of sorrow, but also some tears of joy, because it is a beautiful, uplifting story of these men who truly were the first responders.' And in honor of the 20th anniversary, and now the end of this ongoing war, I said, 'We must do it again.'"

Chapman had the idea to invite active police officers, firefighters, and military to attend the show for free, and she hopes to donate some of the proceeds that the show receives from ticket holders to help the firefighters who are currently battling the blazes across Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

"At last count, I think there were 13,000 firefighters fighting blazes in Northern California, and it's just devastating," she says, trying to hold back her emotions. "I am going to cry, because these guys just keep pushing. They're extraordinary."

In addition to honoring servicemen, Chapman hopes that the upcoming performances of The Guys brings the community together the way Americans came together in the aftermath of 9/11.

"We in the United States are so fractured as a nation, and I wanted to do this play... as a way to say, 'Remember when we were united as one?' And to try and capture that feeling again and remind everybody, 'Come on people. Let's get it back together.' I feel strongly about that," she says.

Though Chapman has been busy rehearsing for The Guys, she hasn't let Y&R's Gloria take a backseat. In fact, she is happier than ever to be playing the character because Gloria is on the verge of getting everything she has ever wanted now that she is in charge at JCV.

"When I read the script, I went, 'Well, it's about time!'" Chapman says with a laugh about Gloria's new career opportunity. "All Gloria has ever wanted in all of her time in Genoa City has been to get a little respect, get a little power, and hopefully have her sons finally be proud of her instead of making fun of her all the time. She also loves that she's working with Lauren [Tracey E. Bregman] again, her daughter-in-law, and she wants to create another dynasty. Gloria has high hopes for all of this!"

Of course, knowing what we know of Gloria and her past as a schemer, there is always the chance that Lauren is playing with fire by allowing her mother-in-law to run JCV.

"There is always that trepidation, like, 'Oh, my God,' [about hiring Gloria], but maybe this time Gloria won't screw up and she will make everybody proud," Chapman muses, adding that her beloved alter ego does always manage to land on her feet in any situation. "Gloria is a train wreck most of the time, and no matter what mishaps or whatever it is she's up to, that train is always heading straight to a mountain, full speed ahead -- and the magic is that the mountain always parts, and she's able to sail on through!"

Chapman believes that Gloria's ability to survive anything is due in part to her self-confidence and her bold attitude when it comes to going after what she wants. For example, who else in Genoa City but Gloria would waltz up to Lauren and basically demand that she hire her?

"I love it. I really admire her chutzpah, and I think in some ways, she has made me a braver person," the actress shares of Gloria's no-nonsense demeanor. "To have the you-know-what to go forward and go after what you want -- for Gloria, it's a job, and for me, doing this play, The Guys -- it's having the guts to go after your dreams, and I think that's a lesson for everybody, because so many people go, 'Oh, God. They don't want me.' Well, how do you know unless you stand up for yourself? Nobody is going to stand up for you, and Gloria has learned through many hard knocks that she's gotta do it herself. She has become more confident and more brave; she's street savvy, and I love that about her."

One of the recent on-screen moments that really stood out to fans was when Lauren implied that Gloria was perhaps a little too old for a position at a fashion-forward company -- a notion that Gloria immediately shot down with the threat of hiring a lawyer for age discrimination. Chapman reports that she loved playing those scenes, as well as the scenes that she shared with Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra) in which Gloria pumped Sally for information about tapping into the mindset of young people, and Sally retorted that it helps to be young.

"I said to Courtney, 'Just go for it. Go for it! Don't insult me. Just say, 'It's good to be young!' And let me react on that,'" the actress recalls of filming that day. "Courtney and I have only done a few scenes together, but she knows her stuff. She shows up prepared, and we've had some spunky interactions. The few times that we've worked together, I've really liked it."

While Chapman takes Gloria into the next phase of her career, the actress is approaching her own rather impressive phase with a guest-starring role as Nancy Reagan in the Will Smith film King Richard, which is set for theatrical release on Friday, November 19.

"Two years ago, I was playing drunk and drugged out Tallulah Bankhead, and now I'm 'Just say no' Nancy Reagan! The life of a working actor -- I love it!" Chapman enthuses of her role as the former First Lady.

She reports that even though it is gratifying to bring a real-life figure to life, it's also quite challenging.

"I've done it several times -- there was another one-woman show that I spearheaded about Vivien Leigh called Vivien -- and I like doing the research and finding the voice and finding the movements and how these real-life characters lived," she says. "It's a little daunting, but great fun. I hope they don't cut me out of the film! I don't think they will, but it was great fun. Great fun."

As for the future, Chapman has no plans to slow down and is taking a very Gloria-based attitude about her career. "Somebody said something to me that I'll always remember," she shares. "They said, 'Did you know Sarah Bernhardt played Juliet when she was 60 years old and she only had one leg?' That's a true story! So, anything is possible."

What do you think about our interview with Judith Chapman? How do you feel about Gloria taking the reins at Jabot? What are your thoughts on Chapman spearheading special performances of the 9/11 play The Guys? How do you feel about the way Gloria and Chapman have responded to comments about their age in relation to their careers? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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