ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 7, 1996 TAG: 9611070016
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: TUNE IN TOMORROW
SOURCE: NANCY M. REICHARDT
Look for a special guest star when the popular ``Alien Nation'' saga continues on Fox on Nov. 12. In the new two-hour made-for-TV movie titled ``Alien Nation: The Enemy Within,'' Joe Lando (Jake Harrison on ``One Life to Live'' and Macauley West on ``Guiding Light'') plays alien newcomer Rick Shaw, whose attraction to a co-worker coincides with her suspicions that her husband is losing interest in her.
``I liked the concept,'' says Lando, who taped his segment while also filming his scenes as Byron Sully on the Saturday night CBS series, ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.'' ``When they offered me this, I though `How many times in my career will I ever be able to play something like this?' This is yet another thing I hadn't done. I looked at it as another experience.''
For the role, the actor endured hours of having makeup applied to help transform him into the alien Shaw.
``There's no hair. There's no body. There's nothing but the center of my face, my eyes and my voice,'' says Lando, who had his hair flattened and pieces pre-fitted to his face and head. ``Basically it's what the shape of what my head would be if I had a shaved head just a little bit larger.
``I have a lot of respect for the guys who do this day in and day our or did for the series,'' he adds. ``Because it's not easy. It's long and sometimes it's a little painful. And it can get to you after a while. You can feel kind of claustrophobic having this on your head.''
The disguise, in fact, nearly fooled two of the actor's visitors on the ``Alien Nation'' set.
``My fiancee [Lando recently became engaged] and my sister came to the set and they were walking around looking for me,'' the actor recalls. ``There were quite a few of us skinheads there milling around between set ups and they said they would never have recognized me other than they saw me walking away. I have this bow-legged original way of walking.''
And back on the set of ``Dr. Quinn,'' Lando is excited because ``We celebrated our 100th episode back before the summer break,'' he says, ``and it was quite a big deal here. And there was a milestone to get to a hundred episodes. It looks to be 130 something by the end of this season. I think it can hit the 200 mark. The show has those kind of legs to carry itself that long.''
Short takes
JUDITH LIGHT, FORMERLY Karen Wolek on ``One Life to Live,'' stars in ``A Step Toward Tomorrow,'' airing Sunday on CBS. Light plays Anna Lynne, a divorced mother of two who contends with the paralysis of her younger son as a result of a diving accident. Determined to ensure her son a future as promising as it was prior to the accident, Anna moves her family and searches for specialized medical treatment.
``This is a movie about letting go of your secrets and moving on,'' says Light. ``I think there was such a connection and intimacy and caring that in a sense she is their lifeline and they are her lifeline.
``When you're a mother and your child doesn't walk, you want them to walk yesterday,'' she adds. ``So was she hoping for that? Of course. Whenever anything like that happens to you, you are forced to come up to another level.''
Anna's perseverance is rewarded when she meets a specialist in spinal cord injuries (Tom Irwin), who determines that her son is a candidate for a pioneering procedure.
``And now she's going to be with someone who is going to be supporting her in a way about this whole process that she would not have known before,'' says Light. ``This doctor is very supportive and very helpful.''
Also supportive and an inspiration to the actress was actor Christopher Reeve (Ben Harper on ``Love of Life''), who makes a special appearance in the movie as a patient who enlightens Anna with his insight and words of encouragement.
``Christopher and I knew each other a bit before,'' says Light. ``Craig Anderson, our executive producer, who had worked with Christopher, felt very strongly that he wanted Christopher to be in this. This is Christopher's first acting job since the accident.
``It was special for all of us,'' she continues. ``I know it was important for him. I know it was really one of the highlights of my life and my career. Because I wanted to work with Christopher before. He's spectacular.''
Send your questions about soap operas to Nancy M. Reichardt, ``Tune in Tomorrow,'' in care of The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. Questions cannot be answered personally, but those of general interest will be answered in future columns.
- United Feature Syndicate
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Joe Lando will make a guest appearance on the Fox movieby CNB``Alien Nation: The Enemy Within.''