"We only part to meet again." So said Guiding Light's India von Halkein to Springfield society back in late 1990 as her portrayer, Mary Kay Adams, was wrapping up a six-month run on the show. The actress lived up to her character's eloquent words by returning to the show late last year. Between her GL stints, Adams split her time between Los Angeles (where she worked on series like Everybody Loves Raymond and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and New York (doing theater and a run on ATWT as Lucinda's half-sister Neal Alcott, a role specially created for Adams by the late Douglas Marland).

After an all-too-brief romance with Ross, India was ultimately placed back where she belongs: in the midst of the Spaulding shenanigans. Recently, Adams took time out of her busy schedule to chat with TV Guide Online about being back on the show, living in the Big Apple, surfing the Net and those legendary India/Alex confrontations. — Michael J. Maloney

Were you surprised to see so many of the same people still on the show, like Jerry Ver Dorn, Grant Aleksander and Michael O'Leary (Ross, Phillip and Rick)?

Well, I wasn't going in blind because I'd turned the show on many times over the years. Once I thought about going back I watched to see who was still there and what the storylines were so no, I wasn't surprised. I was delighted to see so many people there that I had relationships with. It made going back so much easier.

I've never had the pleasure of interviewing Jerry, but I hear nothing but great things about him.

As soon as you started to say, "Jerry" I broke into a grin. I think most people do, too. I'm a sucker for him. It's so corny, but he's one of the finest nicest people I've ever met. And as an actor, he's so exceptionally good.

And even though the pairing didn't last, it was nice to see India take the high road and go to Blake and help reunite her and Ross.

I thought it was a nice gift, too. My understanding is that [the writers] never intended the romance to be a long-term thing. India was meant to be a diversion for Ross, but I did like the way they put closure to it. Going to Blake and giving it to her was fun.

The scenes between Blake and India were a throwback of sorts to the classic Alex/India scenes that viewers loved so much in the mid-'80s.

Thank you. There was a generosity underneath it all. So we got to spar and have fun. It was two strong women going at it, but underneath it all India was doing something quite nice for Blake.

What was it like when you first joined the show back in 1984 and you found out you'd be working with Beverlee McKinsey (ex-Alexandra), whom many critics feel is the best actress ever on daytime?

I was fresh in the city, right out of school. I hadn't grown up on soap operas and I wasn't familiar with them. I started watching the show after I'd been hired. I had a meeting with [then-executive producer] Gail Kobe. She asked me who I was drawn to as a viewer. I said, "That woman who plays Alex is just amazing." I also thought Kim Zimmer (Reva) was great, too. Her famous fountain scene had just recently aired. Gail told me I was going to play Alex's step-daughter. And I thought, "Great." I think I was too young to be intimidated. Beverlee was very kind and generous and easy to work with. I'd just watch her and learn. We ended up liking each other, which made our working relationship all the more wonderful.