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Guiding Light's Laura Wright
Balancing a Career and Kids with a Crazy Schedule That Works By Belinda Clarke
When Laura Wright got pregnant, so did Cassie Layne Winslow, the character she plays on the CBS soap Guiding Light. In fact, with both of her pregnancies, she was able to work right up until her due date. "We used strategically-placed pillows to cover me up on the show," she says. "And of course they brought in the camera quite a bit." Off screen, she's mom to Lauren, who's 3 1/2, and John, 17 months. And despite a crazy schedule, Wright manages to balance quality time with her kids and a full-time acting career.
By 8 a.m. she's out the door, leaving her husband to get the kids dressed and take her daughter to school. "I usually have to sneak out of the house in the morning, or they'll scream for me," Wright says.
As soon as Wright finishes the morning rehearsal, she's on the phone with the live-in nanny to check in on the kids. "I am one of those annoying moms who calls 30 times a day," she says. At first, Wright says she felt guilty about bringing on a full-time nanny to help with the kids. Now she realizes that the extra help allows her to relax more, which is better for everyone. "I always thought, 'my mother raised three kids without help,' but back then raising children was more of a group effort involving grandparents and aunts and uncles," Wright says. "It was actually my husband's idea, and it has been so great for all of us. Even if we all are running errands together, it's helpful just to have an extra pair of arms."
