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Ashley Bashioum reflects upon the changes in Mac's life
By: Karre Jacobs
Oh, what a difference a couple of years can make! When the audience of The
Young & The Restless first met Mac Browning, she was wary and
uncommunicative...a real loner. But since then, thanks to boyfriend Billy
Abbott and grandmother Katherine Chancellor Sterling, she has blossomed into
a young woman with the world at her feet. "Mac is so much more open these
days," marvels her portrayer, Ashley Bashioum. "She can tell people how she
feels, and she no longer has those crushing social fears. She's more
comfortable with herself."
Billy & Mac's Uncertain Future
Of course, Mac still spends a good bit of time looking over her
shoulder---mostly, to make sure that archrival Brittany isn't trying to stab
her in the back. "Mac hates her---really hates her," Bashioum asserts. "She
knows that Brittany will do anything to stay on top, to win. She is such a
ladder climber, and she isn't going to give up on Billy just because he and
Mac are happy."
For a matter, neither will J.T. give up on Mac. Curiouser still, she may not
want him to back off. "She really got to know him, and sees this whole other
side of him," Bashioum admits. "She enjoys his company, and feels very close
to him."
The actress also enjoys a strong bond with both of her leading men, David Tom
(Billy) and Thad Luckinbill (J.T.). "Thad and I get along really well," she
relates. "If it turned out that suddenly Mac has stronger feelings for J.T.,
even though I obviously love David, that would be fun and just fine."
Mac's Secrets Revealed!
In addition to the love quadrangle, Bashioum hints that the secrets from
Mac's past that her mother's reappearance will expose are bound to have an
effect on the audience. "I think a lot of kids will relate to what happened
to her."
The audience also will see a change in Mac when it comes to her other
nemesis, Jill. "Mac isn't scared of her anymore," Bashioum notes. "Jill can't
hurt her. She has no doubts about Billy's feelings for her---and his feelings
for Brittany---so she's feeling like Jill isn't much of a threat now."
Looking Back
As Bashioum reviews her two-and-a-half-year stint at Y&R, she doesn't regret
the sacrifices that she made in moving from Minnesota to settle in Hollywood.
"Yeah, I miss my dad, who visits on the weekends, my friends and our house,"
she acknowledges. "But I love L.A. I really feel that this is my home."
It's not just the career opportunities or the weather or even the beaches
that keep her happy out West, either. "I have a really huge sense memory, and
I love the smell of L.A," she explains. "During my first pilot season, I
noticed that the city smells a certain way. At the time, it was the pollen in
the air. And at this little Cuban bakery in Glendale, I still remember the
aroma of their bread."
FYI
Y&R debut: February 1999.
Birthday: December 30.
A nice place to visit: "My favorite place on earth is Bora Bora," Bashioum
exclaims. "The scenery is unbelievable, there aren't any sharks in the water,
and the food rocks!"
At home: "We just bought a house here (in L.A.), with a pool and stables,"
says the relative newcomer to the West Coast. "I'm jazzed, cause I use to
ride. Christopher Douglas (ex-Sean) says he'll help me find a horse."
Her 10-year plan: "I still want to go to medical school," the actress
reveals. "I hope to become an ER physician."
Family ties: "My brother, Josh had a walk-on on Y&R, as Doug. He played a
Glow House fan."
Acting class: "I love Edward Norton's acting. He seems so natural. I have to
rent Primal Fear---I can't believe I still haven't seen it."
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