A WORD FROM ROMA DOWNEY DELLA REESE AND JOHN DYE

ROMA DOWNEY MOMMY THERE'S THE ANGEL A SMALL GIRL EXCLAIMED AS WE PASSEED EACH OTHER IN A CROWDED MALL AWESTRUCK HER LITTLE FACE LOOKED AS THOUGH SHE TOO HAD BEEN TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF BUT SMILE AS THOSE BIG EYES FOLLOWED ME DESPERATELY HOPING I WOULD SPREAD MY WINGS OR PERFORM A MIRACLE RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MALL WHEN EVER SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS I REALIZE WHAT A RESPONAIBILITY IT IS TO PLAY MONCIA THE ANGEL WITH THE IRISH LILT ON A SHOW THAT HAS TOUCHED BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS I REMEMBER THE LETTER FROM A WOMAN WHOSE LIFE WAS CHANGE BY THE EPISDOE FEATURTING PHYLICIA RASHAD WHO PLAY AN ALCHOLIC TEARFULLY RECOCILED TO HER DAUGHTER THAT STORY HAD GIVEN THIS YOUNG WOAMAN REAL LIFE COURAGE TO CONFRONT HER OWN ALCHOLIC MOTHER THEN THERE WAS A LETTER FROM A PRISONER EMBITTERED BECAUSE HE WAS LIVING BEHIND BARS CUT OFF FROM HIS FAMILY A SHOW ABOUT FRAVTURED RELATIONSHIP WIH FATHER AND SON MOTIVATED HIM TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH HIS OWN SON ONE AFTER THE OTHER PARENTS TELL ME HOW GRATEFUL THEY ARE FOR A SERIES THAT ISN'T OBSESSED WITH SEX AND VILOENCE THEY LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND WATCHED THE SHOW WITHOUT KEEPING ONE HAND POISED OVER THE REMOTE IN CASE A OFFENSIVE SCENE POPS UP THEY SEEM PLEASE THAT SOMEONE ACTUALLY DARES TO SAY THE WORD GOD RESPECFULLY ON PRIME TIME TV ANOTHER UNECTED BENEFIT OF MY ANGELIC ROLE HAS BEEN WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH DELLA REESE WHO PLAYS TESS MY SUPERVISING ANGEL DELLA HAD SUCH A MOTHERLY TOUCH SOMETHING ESPECIALLY PRECIOUS TO ME SINCE MY MOTHER DIED WHEN I WAS ONLY TEN THE LOVE YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN BETWEEN TESS AND MONICA IS THE REAL THING I ASSURE YOU IN FACT THE INITIAL SCRIPT APPEALED TO ME BECAUSR IT PORTRAYED TWO STRONG WOMEN ANGELS IN THIS CASE WHO LIKE EACH OTHER IT WAS SUCH A CONTRAST TO OTHER ROLES I'D BEEN ASKED TO CONSIDER GIRLFRIEND LOVER WIFE SECETARY AS AN ACTRESS YOU OFTEN FEEL YOU'VE BE CAST AS DECORATIVE ELEMENT TO MAKE THE MALE LEAD LOOK GOOD IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND REALLY STRONG PARTS SINCE I REFUSED TO CONSIDER ROLE THAT REQUIRED ME TO DO NUDE SCENES WHETHER IN MOVIES OR TV THAT SEEM TO NARROWED MY CHANCE S EVEN MORE IN TOUCH BY AN ANGEL I FOUND A SCRIPT THAT FELT RIGHT A SCRIPT WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTERS LOVED AND RESPECTED EACH OTHER BUT FINDING THE SCRIPT AND LANDING THE JOB WERE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS ENTIRELY PEOPLE TELL ME MY IRISH ACCENT IS CHARMING BUT ITS TO OFTEN A LIABILITY IN THE ACTION PROFESSION THE SCRIPT WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR AN AMERICAN MONICA BUT THE PRODUCERS WANTED ME TO READ WITH MY ACCENT INSTEAD OF THE AMERICAN VOICE I HAD PERFECTED THOUGH THEY LOVED THEY WAY I READ THE PART THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD ALREADY OFFERED IT TO A MAJOR STAR AUDITIONS WERE A PRECAUTION IN CASE SHE DIDN'T ACCEPT FORTUNTATELY SHE PASSED ON THE ROLE AND I WAS THRILLED TO BE NEXT IN LINE STILL I HAD ONLY LANDED THE LEAD IN THE PILOT NOT A SERIES I KNEW AS WELL AS ANYONE THAT MOST PILOTS NEVER MADE IT TO PRIME TIME ONCE CBS BOUGHT THE ORGINAL PILOT THEY HIRED MARTHA WILLAMSON AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARTHA COMPLETLY REVAMPED THE SCRIPT AND RETOOLED THE SHOW'S VISION STIL ALOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T THINK WE 'D MAKE IT WE SORT OF HICCUPEED OUR WAY THROUGH THE FIRST SEASON AND THEN THE SERIES REALLY CAUGHT ON IT WAS A HIT EVEN THOUGH THE MEDIA SEEMED TO IGNORE US DELLA AND I USED TO JOKE ABOUT HOW WE WERE AVAILABLE WE WERE FOR INTERVIEWS WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE PRESS WASN'T KNOCKING ON OIR DOORS I WONDER IF SOME JOURNALISTS HADD BECOME SO CYNICAL THAT THEY FOUND THE MENTION OF GOD OFFENSIVE BUT THAT'S BEGINNIG TO CHANGE NOW THAT THERE'S SO MUCH GRASSROOTS ENTHUSAISM FOR
THE SHOW AFTER OUR FIRST YEAR JOHN DYE JOIN US PLAYING THE ROLE OF ANDREW THE ANGEL OF DEATH HIS TALENTS HAVED REALLY FILLED OUT OUR TEAM EVEN THOUGH I'M AS HUMAN AS THE NEXT PERSON I ENJOYED PLAYING THE HIGH FLYNG MONICA BECAUSE LIKE ALL OF US SHE GRAPPLES WITH REAL LIFE HEART ACHES AND DILEMMAS I ALSO FIND HER IDOSYNCARIESES ENDEARING HER PENCHANT FOR DIFFERENT KIND OF HATS FOR INSTANCE GENERATES LOT OF FAN MAUL ASKING WHERE SHE GETS THE ALLL AND PEOLPE ARE ALWAYS SENDING COFFEE TO SATISFY MONICA'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH CAFFEINE THE SHOW HAS BECOME MORE POPULAR THAN ANYONE IN THE CAST WOULD EVER HAD DREAM ANYONE BESIDES DELLA REESE THAT IS DESPITE THE ODDS SHE BELIEVED IT HAD GREAT FUTURE BUT THEN THAT'S HER STORY I LET HER TELL IT

DELLA REESE IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME A FEW YEARS AGO THAT I WOULD BE STARING IN A TELEVISON SERIES ABOUT ANGELS I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED YOU IT ISN'T THE ANGELS THAT WOULD HAVE SUPRISED ME ANYONE WHO STARTED OUT IN THE RED LIGHT DISTRIC IN DETROIT AND ENDED UP WHERE I HAVF WOULDN'T FIND IT THAT TOUGH TO BELIEVE IN ANGELS WHAT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IS THAT I WOULD HAVE BROKENMY SELFIMPOSED PROMISE NEVER TO DO ANOTHER TV SERIES A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS WORKING WITH RED FOXX ON A NEW SHOW IN THE MIDDLE OF IT HE COLLASPED IN MY ARMS AND DIED FOUR AND A HALF HOURS LATER I'LL NEVER FORGET THE SCENE IN THE HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM THE DOCTOR BROKE THE NEWS AS GENTLY AS HE COULD TO MRS FOXX WITHOUT SKIPPING A BEAT THE SHOW'S EXECUTIVES STARTED DISCUSSING HOW THEY WOULD HANDLE REWRITES AND WHO THEY WOULD GET TO PLAY THE LEAD THEIR ANXIETY ABOUT THE SHOW'S SUCESS APPARENTLY OVERSHADOWED THEIR SENSE OF COMMON DECENCY IT MUST HAVE BEEN HARD FOR MRS FOX TO ACCEPT THE CODOLENCES WHEN THEY WERE FINNALY OFFERED THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO GET BACK ON THE CONCERT CIRCUT I DINDN'T WANT TO WORK IN THAT KIND OF ATOMOSPHERE ANYMORE WHEN MY AGENT CALLED ME ABOUT TOUCH BY AN ANGEL HE DISARMED MY FEARS ABOUT DOING A TV SERIES THIS IS JUST A PILOT THAT WON'T WORK BUT THE CHECK WON'T BOUNCE WITH THAT I DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO GO AHEAD ND ACCEPT THE JOB BUT SOME PEOPLE AT CBS WERE MORE INTERESTED IN THE SHOW THAN EITHER OF US HAD SUSPECTED ONCE THE PILOT WAS SHOT THAT BROUGHT MARTHA WILLAMSON A NEW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER TO RESCUE IT I REMEMBER MEETING WITH MARTHA ROMA AND SOME TELEVISON EXECUTIVES AROUND THE TABLE TO DISCUSS THE FATE OF THE SERIES SUDDENLY MARTHA STOOD UP AND SAID I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS SHOW IS GOING TO BE ABOUT GOD AND WE'RE GOING TO SAY THE WORD GOD O WANT TO KNOW IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT I'VE BEEN A PREACHER FOR NINE YEARS AND SINGING GOSPE;L SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD SO I DIDN'T MIND CHIMING IN YES MARTHA GOD'S ALL RIGHT WITH ME HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME SUDDENLY I HAD A BETTER FEELING ABOUT THE SERIES IT WASN'T GOING TO BE THIS HEARTLESS CORPORATE THING AFTER ALL LATER THAT DAY I SPENT SOME TIME PRAYING ABOUT THINGS I SENSE GOD SAYING DO THIS FOR ME AND YOU CAN RETIRE AFTERWARDS FROM THEN ON I FELT SURE THE SHOW WOULD LAST ANOTHER TEN YEARS BY WHICH TIME I WULD BE SEVENTY FIVE YEARS OLD I'M NOT SAYING I'LL RETIRE THEN BUT HAVING A LITTLE MORE FREEDOM TO DO WHAT I WOULD LIKE WOULD BE NICE I TOLD GOD I'D BE HAPPY TO STICK WITH THE SERIES FOR HOWEVER LONG HE INTENDED MEANWHILE ALL THOSE TELEVISON EXECUTIVES WERE DELIEBRATING ABOUT WHETHER TO INVEST IN IT I DIDN'T WORRY BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY HEARD IT FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN I WAS SURE THE SHOW WOULD GO ON THE NETWORK BOUGHT SIX EPISODES AND EVERYBODY WAS NERVOUS WHETHER WE WOULD MAKE IT BECAUSE I HAD THE INSIDE TRACK I KEPT ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO HANG IN THERE ASSURING THEM WE WOULD LAST TEN YEARS TO EVERYONE'S RELIEF THE SHOW REALLY TOOK OFF BEING PART OF TOUCH BY AN ANGEL HAS BEEN SPECIAL FOR SO MANY REASONS PEOPLE STOP ME IN AIRPORTS AND SUERMARKETS TO TELL ME HOW GLAD THEY ARE FOR SOMETHIING THAT OFFERS THEM SPIRITUAL FOOD MANY OF THEM TELL ME IT'S A SHOW THAT THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN WATCH TOGETHER I AM GRATEFUL THAT MARTHA WILLAMSON IS AN EXTREMELY GOOD WRITER AND THAT THE CREW IS SO FANTASTIC TO WORK WITH AND AS FOR ROMA SHE AND I JUST HIT OFF IMMEADIIATELY WE NEVER HAD TO WORK ON OUR RELATONSHIP FIGURING OUT WHAT MAKES EACH OTHER TICK WHAT WE LIKE AND DISLIIKE THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN US HAS BEEN GREAT THE CAMERA SAYS ITS ALL TESS AND ROMA ARE TWO ANGELS WHO LIKE NOTHING BETTER THAN TEAMING UO ON ALL KINDS OF CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENTS NOT LONG AGO WHILE WAITING FOR MY HUSBAND I WAS APROACH BY A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL SHE HAD BEEN LOOKING ME OVER FROM THE DISTANCE WHISPERING TO HER YOUNGER SISTER FINALLY SHE SAID YOU'RE TESS AREN'T YOU YES BABY I REPLIED I'M TESS I KNEW THAT LITTLE ONE MIGHT NEVER RECOOGNIZE THE NAME DELLA REESE BUT I WAS SURE SHE WOULD ALWAYS WOULD REMEMBER HER ENCOUNTERED WITH AN ANGEL NAMED TESS AND YOU KNOW I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY

JOHN DYE NOT LONG AGO ROMA DOWNEY AND I ATTENDED A FUNERAL IN SALT LAKE CITY TOGETHER YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD THE GASPS FROM THOSE IN ATTENDANCE IT MUST HAVE SEEM BIZARRE TO SPOT THE ANGEL OF DEATH SITTING QUIETLY THROUGH A MEMORIAL SERVICE ACTULLY I LIKE THE ROLE BECAUSE DEATH ISN'T SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT MUCH IN AMERICA AS A NATION WE FIND IT DIFFICULT TO MOURN OR GRIEVE LABELING TEARS OF SIGN OF WEAKNESS BECAUSE OF THAT ANDREW IS A RATHER LOUD CHARACTER HELPING US FACE SOMETHING WE WOULD RATHER IGNORE BE HE DOES IT SO POSTIVLY ASSURING US DEATH IS NOT THE END OF EVERYTHING BUT RATHER THE BEGINING OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE I'LL NEVER FORGET THE MAN THAT APPROACHED ME AFTER A LONG DAY ON SET THANK YOU HE SAID ON BEHALF OF MY CHILDREN BECAUSE OF YOU AND THE WAY YOU PLAY THIS ROLE THEY AREN'T AFRAID OF DEATH ANYMORE I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE TAUGHT THEM AS CLEARLY AS YOU DID HOW COULD YOU NOT BE GLAD TO BE APART OF A SHOW THAT ENGENDERS THIS KIND OF RESPONSE FROM THE MOMENT I STEPPED ONTO THE SET I KNEW SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL WAS HAPPENING THOUGH OUR SUCESS HAS SUPRISED A LOT OF PEOPLE I DON'T THINK IT A COINDECIDENCE MY MOM ALWAYS SAY THAT COINDECIDENCE IS WHEN GOD REMAINS ANONYMOUS THOUGH I DON'T LIKE THE TERM FAMILY VALUES BECAUSE IT'S TOO LOADED I DO THINK PEOPLE APPRECIATE A SHOW THAT CONVEYS CLEAR VALUES ONES THAT ALL OF US TO SHARE ALL OF US INSTEAD OF DIVIDING TOUCHED CHOSES TO UNITE I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT I ALSO THINK THE APPROACHING MILLENIUM HAS BEEN A FACTOR IN THE SHOW'S SUCESS PEOPLE NEED HOPE THEY NEED TO FIND WAYS TO DRAW CLOSER TO THOSE THEY LOVE THEY NEED SOMETHING TO TAKE AWAY THEIR FEARS THE SHOW DOES THAT WE ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE OVER FEAR THE SHOW RECONGNIZES THAT PEOPLE THINK WE ASK THEM TO CONSIDER BUT DID I EVER ENVISSION THE SUCCESS WE HAVE ENJOYED THOUGH I EXPECTED THE SHOW TO DO WELL I AM SUPRISED AS ANYONE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED ONLY A HANDFUL OF THE HUNDREDS OF PILOTS THAT ARE CREATED EVER MAKE ON THE AIR OF THOSE PROBALLY FIVE PERCENT LAST A FULL YEAR AN EVEN SMALLER PERCENTAGE BREAK THE TOP TEN HOW COULD I NOT BE SUPRISED TODAY I FOUND OUT WE HAD OUR HIGHEST RATINGS EVER THE WORLD SERIES ER AND TOUCHED THIS IS GREAT GOOD COMPANY EXCEPT THE BRAVES LOST HOWEVER LONG IT LASTS I'M GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF A SHOW THAT MY OWN CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH AND ENJOY I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO PORTRAY DEATH AS AS PROMISING BEGINNING RATHER THAN A DREADFUL ENDING ANF GLAD TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THE DEEP QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE ASKING AS WE FACE THE MILLENIUM IT'S VERY EXCITING IT'S ALSO EXCITING THAT ANDREW IS GETTING TO DO CASE WORK BRIDGING LIFE AND DEATH PRETTY POWERFUL STUFF IM NOT JUST LUCKY I'M BLESSED



PS TOUCH BY AN ANGEL WAS ON FOR NINE YEARS