Bolt of Lightening

Thanks to my mother, when I was a kid, I often joined her to watch Another World when I got home after school.  I watched on and off  for several years, up until 1991, the day that Anne Heche left the show.  Heche was a powerhouse in her double role as Twins Marley and Vicky and energized every scene was in.  She was impossible to ignore. I'm not sure it's possible to truly appreciate her talent if you didn't see her in action during her four years in Bay City.

I didn't really follow her roles after she left the show, I saw a few of her projects, but nothing compared to the magic she created in Daytime.  It was sad to read so much hate on-line after her accident. So many people have lost the ability to see grey.  It's black or white or good or bad, not the murky grey so many of us live in. It is possible to feel for the home owner, and for Heche and her family.  It's not only possible, if human..  Heche struggled with mental illness most of her life, and although not an excuse by any means, it does help understand the pain which she lived in and lived with.

I remember seeing an interview back in the early 90's about her relationship with actor Richard Burgi. I still remember thinking and there was something worrisome about how she appeared.  Mental illness and addiction go hand in hand.  One cannot have a mind out of control without trying desperately to slow it down, if even for a moment.

Too many outlets are spotlighting her time with Ellen DeGeneres, it's click bate which only diminishes her incredible talent. I'd like to think it was because was a positive bi relationship, but I think it has more to do with pushing a more negative narrative. Heche also had relationships with many others, including dating Steve Martin. Regardless of her relationships, and her struggles, on daytime TV, Heche was like a bolt of lightening,.  One not seen before and one  unlikely to be seen again. R.I.P Ms. Heche, and thoughts go to your two sons and loved ones.