Young And Restless fans have been thrilled to see Michael and Kevin’s hot mess mama, Gloria, back in Genoa City as of late, and Judith Chapman is always happy to slip into those swaggering shoes. “They keep calling me in for cameos,” she smiles. “Hung over, jet lagged Gloria was a lot of fun to play, and Michael and Lauren renewing their vows was a beautiful show. I was glad to be a part of that.”Chapman’s current role is in the Southern-fried play Sordid Lives, at the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs, from now until Sunday, January 28. “I play Latrelle, the gay boy’s mama,” she chuckles of the uptight, socially conscious character, who has a tizzy when her son comes out. (The role was played by Bonnie Bedelia in the big-screen adaptation which came out back in 2000, a trailer for which you can watch below.) The story centers on a family brought together following the unfortunate — and, given the circumstances, rather awkward — death of their matriarch.Chapman acknowledges that of all her soap roles, Latrelle shares more than a few of her Gloria’s traits.“She’s zany and over the top, a loving mother but a little cuckoo,” she shares. “But, Latrelle is a lot more pretentious than Gloria, and like Gloria she has a trashy side. Definitely Latrelle and Gloria are neck and neck.”More: Is Victoria about to make a huge mistake?Young & Restless viewers know that Gloria’s been hopping around the globe of late, which is something her portrayer has also been doing. (Although in the case of Chapman, she’s not getting into the kind of trouble her alter ego is!) “I’m leaving for Ireland in just under two months,” she beams. “I’m going for six weeks at least, and I have several friends in Ireland. I just came back from my safari in Africa, so I’m on a roll to travel and see the world, and that includes Antartica next December.”
But for now, Chapman is content to be back on the boards. Having known Sordid Lives playwright and filmmaker Del Shores for decades, she quips, “I did this show 20 years ago! Now I’m old enough to play Nana in the coffin.” For more info on (or tickets to) the show, click here.