Back in 2000, Nancy St. Alban became the fresh face of GL's lovable (albeit rebellious) Michelle Bauer, who continued to heat things up in Springfield during her steamy, tangled relationship with bad-boy hubby/mobster Danny Santos (Paul Anthony Stewart). From a murder conviction to embezzlement to amnesia, Michelle's sensational storylines were fan favorites, so when St. Alban was fired from the show in 2005, many were outraged at the loss of yet another Michelle — a role that hasn't been recast or reprised since. Digest briefly chatted with St. Alban recently to find out what she's been up to, which former GL castmates she keeps in touch with and if she thinks Michelle will ever return to Springfield again.

Soap Opera Digest: Michelle was such a beloved GL character. What are some of your favorite memories from working on the show?
Nancy St. Alban: I have so many memories. Ones that pop up are those love scenes I had to do with Daniel Cosgrove [ex-Bill]. When he and Michelle were hooking up and he kept turning into Danny, I had to switch from having him on top of me to having Paul Anthony Stewart on top of me! It was a great day! I remember with Yvonna Kopacz [Wright, Mel], we were doing the Bauer barbecue scene and we were just laughing hysterically. We could not stop laughing because basically she had to say something really ridiculous. I don't remember now what it was. We literally had 10 takes and this was close to midnight where everyone wanted to go home, but she and I just could not stop laughing! Anytime she'd get to that line, we'd burst out. I'd just look at her and I'd start cracking up. She was a lot of fun to work with. Another one of my great memories was working with Saundra Santiago [ex-Carmen] and we had to do this scene where she and I were fighting on a cliff, but she fell off the cliff and was holding on to a branch. This has to be my best memory, actually. GUIDING LIGHT didn't build the set we needed for her to do it right, so she was literally on her knees on the floor, holding on to a branch trying to look as if she was hanging in mid-air! She was so angry [laughs]! She was like, 'I cannot believe I have to do this! This is ridiculous! They can't build a set for me?' It was just amazing.

Digest: Are you still in contact with anyone from the show?
St. Alban: Yeah! You know, some of my dearest friends have come from GUIDING LIGHT. I'm really very close with Saundra Santiago, and Paul Anthony Stewart and I are really, really good friends. We see each other quite often. George Alvarez [ex-Ray] is also a good friend of mine who I see a lot and Yvonna is a good friend.

Digest: Do you watch the show now?
St. Alban: I really don't, to be honest with you. I haven't been able to follow it. I've been pretty busy running around and doing my things.

Digest: And what is that?
St. Alban: I've been raising two little babies! I have a 3-year-old [Francesca] and a 1-and-a-half-year-old [Lucie], so that takes up a lot of time. I'm actively doing some acting work and auditioning and that kind of stuff.

Digest: Anything in particular that you're looking for?
St. Alban: I'm just doing a lot of TV stuff. Not really soaps, but pilots and things are what I'm concentrating on.

Digest: So you've got your hands full then.
St. Alban: Absolutely. I have to run into the city almost every day for an appointment or audition and running back to take care of them and that whole thing. I decided to have kids young because I was on the show, so I'm being tortured because of it!

Digest: Do you think Michelle will ever return to Springfield?
St. Alban: I really do hope that GUIDING LIGHT one day hires an actress to come back as Michelle because I think Michelle's a really important character they should have. She's a really huge part of their history. I hope that one day they find an actress they want for that.

Digest: So where do you think Danny and Michelle are now?
St. Alban: I don't know where they are [laughs]!