WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
The stars of Capitol 20 years after
Part 2

Dave Daniels
(Tyler McCandless, 1982-85)

Relocating to Houston, Texas, David Mason Daniels has found a challenging new career - selling houses for a nationwide builder called Centex Homes. “It’s too weird for prime time,” David acknowledges with a chuckle, “but it’s true - and it’s just an outstanding company to be working for. I’ve done very well with them. I was the top producer in our division here recently. Not to boast - it’s more of a testament to the good people I’m associated with.” In addition he is working in charity for Houston Habitat for Humanity. Daniels and his second wife, Maria, have been married for eight years. “She had gone through a divorce as well. She has two great kids - both in high school now. I have a wonderful second family. My two boys live in California with their mom (who also remarried), We stay in touch weekly. Daniels looks back fondly at his days working on CAPITOL. “The crew and I were great friends, which also mean sabotage - practical jokes. I was required to carry a briefcase around with me for scenes. So the crew would invariably load it with about three stages weights. They wanted my arm to pop out under the weight of it during a scene. Instead, I just grabbed that thing and I didn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing them react on-camera.” Daniels still retains his theatrical agent. “My motto is, ‘Never say never.’ I’m not looking for acting work. But if a great offer came along, I wouldn’t turn it down, either.”

Kimberly Beck-Clark
(Julie Clegg, 1982-83)

These days, Beck Clark is so busy, she has to multitask; she manages to chat with us while trying on costumes for an upcoming project. ”You’ll have to excuse me, I’m in the middle of a fitting,” she chuckles. ”You’ll know it if I get stuck with one of the pins!” So, what has she been doing? For starters, she’s a mother to sons Dylan, 14. and Miles, 7, and wife to producer Jason Clark (Stuart Little and Stuart Little II). She’s also gearing up for her new sitcom TANGLED UP IN BLUE, which is slated to air on the ABC Family Channel. ”One of my best friends, Holly Goldberg Sloan, wrote it and is producing it,” she shares. ”She also did Made ln America and The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. I’m going to be playing the best friend of Rosanna Arquette’s character. [The two have been real-life friends for about 25 years.] This show is about a career woman ancl everything she has to go through.” Beck Clark has kept in touch with show-biz pal Farentino. ”Debrah’s wonderful, she’s one of my best friends,” Beck Clark gushes. ”Meeting her on CAPITOL was probably the best thing about the show. She and I just used to laugh all the time. We were there to have fun.” While on CAPITOL, Beck Clark had plenty of opportunities to relax. ”I think my favorite storyline was when they put my character in a coma,” she recalls. ”I’d just lie in bed all day while people would come to my side and cry. It was so hard to keep a straight face. But it was great; I didn't have to worry about lines or makeup, I could just sleep all day. It was literally a dream job [laughs]. ”It was fun and great to belong somewhere,” she praises. ”It was just a great experience. I was grateful for it.” 
 

Billy Warlock

Brad Lockerman
(Zed Diamond, 1983-87)

Long before he portrayed daytime’s first extraterrestrial (Casey) on GENERAL HOSPITAL, Lockerman was intrigued by the realms of other worlds. “I really enjoy the adventure that’s in them,” he says of the science-fiction/science fact genre. “There’s a whole heck of a lot of drama in everything from that mysterious Area 51, and are we being visited.” With his own production company, Lockerman has stepped behind the scenes, putting together his own project. “We‘ve acquired a couple of titles here and there, but the one that I like the best that I’ve been producing-directing his THE SEARL EFFECT,” he says. “It’s the story of this British fellow, John Searl, and his flying saucer. There is all kind of angles on this guy, and I just find it a fascinating story.” Lockerman says he enjoys being behind the scene. “It’s much more of a challenge in terms of hard work, but less in term of physical work,” he explains, adding, “As an actor, it’s a very physical application of a whole world of senses, but when you ‘re on the other side of the camera, you don’t’ have to care much in terms of your appearance, etc. The whole field of acting and entertainment is that mystery/adventure, and I just dig every aspect of it.” Lockerman got his first taste of production in an unofficial capacity when he was working on CAPITOL. “ I would spend at least one day a week downstairs with a guy we’d call the Butcher, the man who edited the show, “he recalls,” and he’d ask me which shots I liked. So I helped him cut the show. It was a huge learning experience.”

Jess Walton

Lana Wood

Ron Harper
(Baxter McCandless, 1985-87)
 

“Every soap I’m on (with the exception of ANOTHER WORLD) seems to have a short life,” chuckles Harper, who also appeared on LOVE OF LIVE (Andrew, 1977-80), ANOTHER WORLD (Taylor, 1980), LOVING (Charles, 1988) and GENERATIONS (Peter, 1990-91). “I don’t know what it is.” Happily, the actor’s career has thrived. In addition to doing plays, Harper had roles in THE WEST WING, VENOMOUS and PEARL HARBOR and is trying to break into voice-over work. He’s also busy being a dad to his 15-years-old daughter. “She’s going to be driving soon,” he cringes. “She’s also starting to hang out with guys. But these are boy friends, not boyfriends (laughs). I need to make that very clear. As for CAPITOL, Harper is thrilled that he had the opportunity to work with Constance Towers (now-Helena, GENERAL HOSPITAL). “I think she’s excellent,” he praises. “I loved working with her, and John Conboy trusted us. He was very hands-on; he’d say, ‘I’m not sure how to do this scene, but I know you two will’.” Or maybe not. The one time Harper didn’t have control of his character was when he had to operate Baxter’s motorized wheelchair. “One time, I was doing a scene with Connie, and every time I started talking, the chair would move forward into the bar! Well, we did the take two or three times and finally just gave up. They got a wheelchair that operated manually and Connie had to push me. It was a learning experience; I can only imagine how tough it is for people who really use one.” Roaming wheelchairs aside, Harper enjoyed his time on the show. “CAPITOL was a unique concept, it had good ratings, I don’t quite understand why it got cancelled. It was wonderfully cast and we did have a lot of old greats on the show. I got to be good friends with Rory Calhoun during its run. I’m glad I got the chance to work with him. I miss him. Connie, Marj Dusay, Catherine Hickland were just terrific. It was a real gem.”