{"id":136924,"date":"2026-06-18T10:04:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136924"},"modified":"2026-06-18T10:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:08:32","slug":"1980s-tv-shows-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-robin-mattson-gina-capwell-in-santa-barbara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136924","title":{"rendered":"1980s TV Shows:  A Trip Down Memory Lane with\u2026 Robin Mattson (Gina Capwell in \u201cSanta Barbara\u201d)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1545664804358300\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1545664804358300\" data-ad-slot=\"8616314829\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136924\" rel=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=136924\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-136925 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Robin-Mattson-300x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Robin-Mattson-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Robin-Mattson-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Robin-Mattson-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Robin-Mattson-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Robin-Mattson.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSanta Barbara\u201d was a soap opera that aired on NBC from 1984 to 1993. It ran for nine seasons and 2,137 episodes. The show revolved around the wealthy Capwell family in Santa Barbara. It was shown in 40 countries around the world and won 24 Daytime Emmy Awards and 18 Soap Opera Digest Awards. Robin Mattson played Gina Capwell from 1985 to 1993. The role earned her a Soap Opera Digest Award for both Best Comedienne and Best Villain in a Daytime Drama.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: &#8220;Santa Barbara&#8221;: What was the show about?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>What all soaps are about is good and evil, but Santa Barbara had a lot of comedic flair, which really set it apart from the rest.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How did you get the part as Gina Capwell?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>They initially reached out to me for the role, but at the time I was working on a different show, \u201cRyan&#8217;s Hope\u201d. They ended up hiring a different actress for the role, but it ultimately didn\u2019t work out the way they had hoped. That\u2019s when they reached out to my manager again and asked me to take over the role.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: What did you like about the character and how did you make it your own?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I loved working with Justin Deas, who played Keith Timmons, because it really helped me develop my own version of Gina. Gina was funny, and I hadn\u2019t done a lot of comedic work prior to \u201cSanta Barbara\u201d, so it gave me the opportunity to expand my range as an actress. My work with Justin earned me Soap Opera Digest Award for both Best Comedienne and Best Villain in a Daytime Drama.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How did a week on the set looked like from getting the script to filming?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Going on set after replacing another actor was a bit stressful. The scripts were always challenging, and so was the work. Many times there was an enormous amount of dialogue to learn, so it definitely kept me on my toes.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Where was the show filmed?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The show was filmed in Hollywood in an old-school studio setup, which really added to the atmosphere of working on a classic soap opera.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: What was it like working Judith McConnell and Lane Davies?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Both of them were extremely professional and very good at what they did. They were always prepared and were wonderful scene partners when it came to rehearsing lines.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Are you still in touch with actors from the show?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve recently seen Vincent Irizarry and A. Martinez. They both look fantastic. It was really nice sharing old memories together again.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Do you have a favorite episode?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>One of my favorite episodes was when Gina left C.C. Capwell. He told her to leave with nothing, and she even shed her clothes on the way out. It was such a powerful scene. It really showed Gina\u2019s strength and resilience \u2014 qualities I sometimes relate to myself.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Looking back now would you have played Gina differently?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Honestly, I wouldn\u2019t change a thing about Gina. The writers created her with such a wide range of emotions, from tragedy to comedy, and that\u2019s what made her such a compelling character to play.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How do you explain that the show is still so beloved even after 40+ years?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I think the show is still popular because, from the very beginning, the Dobsons had such a keen eye for developing characters. The depth and complexity they gave those characters truly stood the test of time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #808000;\"><a style=\"color: #808000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.authorhouse.com\/en\/bookstore\/bookdetails\/232300-BOXING-INTERVIEWS-OF-A-LIFETIME\">Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By &#8220;Bad&#8221; Brad Berkwitt<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wpforms-container wpforms-container-full\" id=\"wpforms-126533\"><form id=\"wpforms-form-126533\" class=\"wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form\" data-formid=\"126533\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" action=\"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F136924\" data-token=\"a9c78ecfebb246b031541939daea6728\" data-token-time=\"1782422825\"><noscript class=\"wpforms-error-noscript\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.<\/noscript><div class=\"wpforms-field-container\">\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4-container\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-type=\"text\"\n\t\t\tdata-field-id=\"4\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" >or Name Email<\/label>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_4\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][4]\" >\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-name\" data-field-id=\"1\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\">Name <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><div class=\"wpforms-field-row wpforms-field-medium\"><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-first wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-first wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][first]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">First<\/label><\/div><div class=\"wpforms-field-row-block wpforms-one-half\"><input type=\"text\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-name-last wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][1][last]\" required><label for=\"wpforms-126533-field_1-last\" class=\"wpforms-field-sublabel after\">Last<\/label><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-email\" data-field-id=\"2\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\">Email <span class=\"wpforms-required-label\">*<\/span><\/label><input type=\"email\" id=\"wpforms-126533-field_2\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required\" name=\"wpforms[fields][2]\" spellcheck=\"false\" required><\/div><div id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3-container\" class=\"wpforms-field wpforms-field-textarea\" data-field-id=\"3\"><label class=\"wpforms-field-label\" for=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\">Comment or Message<\/label><textarea id=\"wpforms-126533-field_3\" class=\"wpforms-field-medium\" name=\"wpforms[fields][3]\" ><\/textarea><\/div><script>\n\t\t\t\t( function() {\n\t\t\t\t\tconst style = document.createElement( 'style' );\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '#wpforms-126533-field_4-container { position: absolute !important; 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It ran for nine seasons and 2,137 episodes. The show revolved around the wealthy Capwell family in Santa Barbara. It was shown in 40 countries around the world and won 24 Daytime Emmy Awards and 18 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136925,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":15,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35042],"tags":[35396],"class_list":["post-136924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1980s-tv-shows-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with","tag-1980s-tv-shows-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-robin-mattson-gina-capwell-in-santa-barbara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136924"}],"version-history":[{"count":-3,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136924\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/136925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}