Landing a role on a daytime soap can introduce an actor to an audience that follows their career for decades. However, getting that opportunity is not always a straightforward process. Auditions, cancellations, and uncertainty can leave performers wondering what comes next, even after they have found a place on television.
During a recent podcast conversation, three familiar daytime faces shared some advice for aspiring actors looking to build their own careers. Their discussion included a personal example of how creating something outside an established television show can open unexpected doors.
Read on to discover which soap veterans weighed in and why they believe actors should give themselves a chance to tell their own stories.
Karla Mosley Joins Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson
Karla Mosley joined Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson on their Stone Cold and the Jackal podcast, bringing together three actors whose careers span several daytime dramas. The conversation also reunited two longtime friends. Mosley and Anderson met while studying at New York University, well before their respective soap roles brought them into viewers’ homes.
Mosley has portrayed Dani Dupree on “Beyond the Gates” since the soap debuted in February 2025. Previously, she played Christina Boudreau on “Guiding Light” from 2008 to 2009 and Maya Avant on “The Bold and the Beautiful” from 2013 to 2019.
Burton’s daytime career includes his longtime portrayal of Jason Morgan on “General Hospital,” a role he first took on in 1991. He has also played Harris Michaels on “Days of Our Lives” and Dylan McAvoy on “The Young and the Restless.” Anderson has portrayed Damian Spinelli on “GH” since 2006.
With experience across different shows and stages of their careers, the trio had plenty to draw from when discussing opportunities for actors. For Mosley, one particularly meaningful lesson came after a soap cancellation left her considering her next move.
Mosley Created an Opportunity After ‘Guiding Light’ Ended
When “Guiding Light” was canceled in 2009, Mosley and co-star Lawrence Saint-Victor faced the end of their time on the long-running soap. However, Mosley’s mother encouraged them to think beyond the roles they had just lost.
“You guys should make something else,” Mosley recalled her mother telling her.
That encouragement helped inspire Mosley and Saint-Victor to create their own five-episode web series. During the podcast conversation, Mosley also pointed to online projects such as Issa Rae’s “Awkward Black Girl” and Crystal Chappell’s “Venice” while discussing the possibilities of reaching an internet-based audience.
The project became more than an opportunity to keep working together. According to Mosley, their original web series helped lead to both actors being called in for casting opportunities with Bradley Bell on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
Their experience creating online content also found a place within the CBS soap. Mosley and Saint-Victor later wrote episodes for a web series within the “B&B” universe. Their characters were cast in that series, and viewers could watch the episodes online.
For aspiring actors, Mosley’s experience offers an example of how a self-created project can become part of a larger career. What began with encouragement from her mother gave the collaborators something of their own to share.
The Soap Veterans Encourage Actors to Keep Creating
Mosley’s story prompted Burton to share advice he regularly gives younger performers. Rather than waiting for every opportunity to come through an audition, he encouraged actors to continue making their own work.
“This is always a reminder because we talk to younger actors all the time and I get a chance to talk to them. I’m like, create your own. Always be creating,” Burton said.
Mosley added that the work should also reflect the person making it.
“Make sure it’s something that you would do whether people are watching it or not. And make sure it’s something that is your bliss, and that is authentically you,” she said.
Mosley knows what it means to watch one daytime chapter close and another begin. From the end of “Guiding Light” to the launch of “Beyond the Gates,” her career gives weight to the advice she and Burton shared: keep creating, and make something that matters to you. Aspiring actors cannot control every casting decision, but they can give themselves a place to start.
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What Advice Do These Soap Legends Have for Aspiring Actors?