It’s a reunion that fans have been waiting for! “Half & Half” stars, Telma Hopkins and Valarie Pettiford are set to come together on the “Young and The Restless.”
According to reports, Hopkins will reprise her role as private eye Denise Tolliver and she will join forces with Pettiford’s character Amy Lewis as they search for Lewis’ son, Damien. In a recent interview, the two spoke on what it’s like to work with each other again.
This is the first time in 20 years that they worked together. Hopkins and Pettiford couldn’t believe that so much time had passed. “We’ve known each other for 20 years. It doesn’t feel like it,” Hopkins said. She continued, “And I love working with her; she’s my baby. Well, I was a fan before we ever had the chance [to work together]. I always said, “Valarie is so nice at auditions,” because, you know, we can act it up at auditions. Valarie and I would always greet each other, we were always kind to each other. You know, sometimes actors try to make each other uncomfortable, like, [you] put the script in your purse because, “I know every word.” But she was always just a sweetheart and she didn’t know it, but I was a fan of hers already.”
Pettiford added, “And she didn’t know that I was a fan of hers already. Oh, my God. I mean, I’m in awe every time I look at her! I’m still in awe after all this time.”
As the interview continued, Telma Hopkins spoke about how she ended up on the daytime soap opera for the second time. “I have no idea. I got a phone call. “Can you come on?” This was an unexpected pleasure for me,” she said. “I asked as soon as I got the phone call. “Who am I working with? Is it with Bryton [James, Devon, who she worked with the last time around and who played her son on Family Matters]?” “No, it’s with Valarie.” [Makes a shocked face.] “I’ll do it!” But I can’t do it that week because I’m in Africa! So luckily, they rescheduled and here we are. I was all excited because she was on the show and then they called me to come on the show and [when they told me I’d be working with her] I was like [rubs hands together in anticipation].
Pettiford shared the same sentiment about working with her former co-star again when asked about what does this reunion mean for the both of them. “Heaven, heaven, complete heaven,” she said. “When you work with the best of the best, you just say the lines. All I had to do was look in her eyes and feel at home and it really feels [like] home. And even though we are playing two totally different characters, you know the foundation is there. It was so great because I didn’t feel any hint at all of the [previous] characters — we were playing two totally different women and I love that. It was a dream come true for me.”
Telma Hopkins and Valarie Pettiford will return to the show on Dec.19 and 27.