It's nine Genee with Jenny Garth and Tori Spelling. Today we have the pleasure of talking with a woman, Valerie Wildman, who is an actress. She's been in tons of things. Uh probably seen her on soaps, She's been on TV all over the place. But she was also Christine Pettit in Beverly Hills nine o two on OH, who played the girlfriend of Jack McKay. Didn't we have a writer named Christine Pettitt? We did? We had a writer. Is
that why they made her character that name? Okay? I thought, my goodness, you guys, we also had a writer on the writing staff that was named Christine Pettit. And it makes perfect sense now that they named this character after her. I wonder if if our writer was really an FBI agent. Oh to cover the Vanni stages next to the porn Hub of America, writing our episodes a good story and without further ado, Valerie Wildman, Hi, without further ado, that's
so formal, Hill. We're very serious. This is yeah, this is a hard hitting podcast. I don't know if you know. I'm listening and laughing last night, So thank you all so much for having me. It's weird. I feel like I still know you, and I feel like it's not that long ago. And I know I spent more time with Jenny on the set, but towards you were always so kind and welcoming and thank you for that and we're so happy to have you. We just watched we
watched your first episode. Okay, I was wondering which one this is? Is that the Thanksgiving one in the blue dress? Yes? Yes, and the and the and the the big dairy air that's what I see? What are you talking about? Oh my god? We were saying how hot you are? Now you guys are my god, thank you so much. Um, you guys look as beautiful as ever. It blows my mind. So I'm so. I was enjoying how real you are and funny you are and and uh, just I can
see why everybody loves us so much. When I was listening to the podcast, it made me feel at home already. I was listening last night. Thank you. Sorry to interrupt, Valerie. Could you tune on your video please? It's off. We want to see you. Sorry, Okay, how's that? Sorry, I'm
in front of this. Um it probably looks like a strange thing in the background, but it's a painting, and um, it's a painting that my husband painted, my now deceased husband, who, by the way, it feels very much around and I like it not only because it's my favorite secret place in the jungle somewhere, but the clouds to me look like angels, and I, oh, my god, what a beautiful I used to be embarrassed to admit this, but I'm just gonna admit it. I'm really into angels, both human
and beyond human. And um, I even have a website called Angels among Us dot tv. But I'm hoping to turn into a podcast. So so I don't know if you guys believe in angels, Uh, we believe what you do. Maybe that'll be part of the conversation. I have no idea. Actually, that logo kind of looks like an angel with arts. I love it the I Heart Radio logo. You are kind of an angel to Jack in the show, Oh wow, that was a good segue by the bay. Yes, and you know, there's some things that you probably know or
don't know. I don't know. I'm first of all, we felt like we knew each other really well and we started and uh in that scene and in fact, I think maybe it was the DP said, wow, you guys have known each other for years, haven't you, And it wasn't that way, but um, that was a thing came to mind. One is I did not know Christine's story until driving to the set one day and Chuck Rosen called me, I know you won't mind because we talked
about this one their podcast, And um. The other thing that's interesting in addition to that show is then Josh was already Josh who plays Jack played Jack, was already on Days of our Lives, which, by the way, I noticed some of you watching when we were doing the
hotel scenes. I remember that. And then next thing, you know, I was on Days of our Lives and we were they were kind of setting us up as a couple in the beginning, and then right you were yes for eleven years and then uh, you know, we talked about that. I got all nervous now again, I was Jessie. I'm nervous around That was my jam liked sitting in the green room at the Beverly whatever hotel we were at watching Days of our Lives, and I thought that was
so funny. Later and then he and I were always talking and teasing each other that you know, he teach me that I was stalking him, you know, going from show to show. And then one day, not too much longer, he said, um, by the way, they asked me to come back on nine O two one oh, and I went, I want to go back on nine O two one oh. You know, I was teasing. I'm envious. So sure enough I was back, but he was already dead. And then your character goes on to be this huge, intricate part
of Dylan's story. I'm not amazing, And you know, I thought I just made up this whole other storyline for Christine when I started, because as you know, you know, as an actor you have to create a character, and the more specific you are, the better. And then one day, driving to the set, I get this call and it's Chuck and he goes, hi, this is Chuck Rosen and I went hi, And of course the first thing I think is what did I do wrong? Then he says, okay, First of all, um, I don't know. I wanted to
tell you. No one else knows, but Christine is an FBI agent. Almost dropped off slide right like nobody saw that coming. No, And I was like what And then he said, and UM, I know there's an explosion today. Jack may or may not be dead. And then I really wanted to drive off the slide of the road. But this is so I tell I learned all this stuff and about who Christine really was. I had a whole other storyline going on. So anyway, I thought that
might be some interesting background for both of you. You joke that you were nervous when you when you had were you did you know about the show before you came onto it or how? I didn't know about the show, mainly from my step kids, who were like my kids. But it wasn't until I was on and then I came home and suddenly I was treated like the queen of she But did I know just what a big deal it really was. I'm glad I didn't, because that
would have made me more nervous. And everybody was just so down to earth, and as you know that the studios were very down to earth, and it actually made me feel really welcome, and of course Luke was very welcoming too, and I I remember the scenes where we were together, Jim and and Luke and Josh, Jack and Um and you guys just made it so comfortable. Sometimes as a guest star and you don't know whether you're recurring yet or not, it's like being feels like you're
the new kid in the class. You know what I mean, and you don't know every buddy, and everybody does know. And on top of it all, I had to figure out how to balance that spoon on my nose and that Oh my gosh, I've forgotten all about that that I remember that I remember. But back to the first episode, I guess so I'm chattering away you guys take over. Did you have to bring in your own wardrobe? Um? I did not bring in I did bring in wardrobe, but for that show, I didn't wear my own wardrobe.
I don't believe got it. I think by the third season they didn't make people do that anymore. We didn't notice when we interviewed people that guests starred from the first two seasons that they would bring in their own stuff. I probably was asked to, but that I remember thinking, I don't remember owning that blue dress. That really dress looks so good on you color. Oh my god. Guys, I don't know about you, but are you critical of yourselves when you were on camera. Were you critical back
then on and off? Yeah, but now it's like we watched this show and we're both I can't like, look at that body. Look at how we looked back then. You know, we're so appreciate young. I wasn't young, but even back then I was. You know, I looked back and I go, I had hair and my skin was Louie, you know what you were glowing? Yeah, you guys, thank you. You look the same, by the way, always our harshest critics, so like, you guys look more beautiful than ever, and
that's really impossible. What's happening now with you? Like are you You said you're working a podcast about angels, but are you still taking at what? You know? I was acting quite a bit and then my husband who I mentioned, got very seriously ill, so sorry, thank you, and I stopped to take care of him and to spend time with him before he died, and to help him transition. And it has taken a while till I've been ready to come back, and I am ready to come back.
I um. I did a few things like Lifetime series. What I ended up focusing on was a lot of humanitarian work. You know, before I was a working actor, even though I always when I was younger was acting in theater and went to Northwestern and won awards and thinks my my love was international medical relief work. So I actually was doing disaster relief work around the world.
I don't know if you read that. And when I um ended up on Days of our Lives, there was I I was actually going for my doctorate, which I've just gone back to, and um, the the work that I was doing was actually in domestic violence, and my character on Days of Our Lives was a survivor of
domestic violence and her children was abused. So I ended up being asked to be a spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and I spoke out on children's issues at press conferences and then lobbied various congressmen and officials as well with these groups. And so when that happened, I felt like my life finally congealed. You and I know you guys have felt this too. When you're when you're somewhat known on television or film, you have more
of a platform to make a difference. And that made really happy. And that's one thing that actually I miss. UM. I've been working with young people around the world. Um there's a group called Young Emerging Visionaries that I helped to facilitate groups with them and help them have an environment where they can incubate their dreams and manifest them.
And what I'm finding that my calling that I love so much, in addition to the acting, is helping people, especially young people, realize their magnificence and power to make a difference, and that there is truly an epidemic that's not spoken about right now of depression and anxiety and suicidality.
And I was thinking about it last night, and I was thinking, you know, that is one of the things that I really loved about Beverly Hills and Minor two one O because it really did address the issues that they were going through back then that young people are going through now too. We don't we didn't have the the ecological crises and the pandemic, but the angst was there and all the issues problems and issues of rape
were even brought up. And I am social anxiety and I don't know how many people realize that how seriously those issues were taken on the show. And so I still honored to have been a part of it. For
that too. Yeah, it was great to be able to be a part of that, like to tackle such serious things, especially back then when young people weren't um sort of used as as a a voice for that for that, you know, So the show was kind of breaking ground and that, and it was always it always felt good to do stuff like I think that for me just really started me to think bigger about how you can help more people and spread the message more and use
your platform for good. Like you're saying it was radical, I think it was really a radical thing back then, and I think that's why I caught on so much too, on top of you all being so wonderful. Um, it struck a chord, It struck a nerve and it still does obviously it still stands up. No, and you guys are funny and that doesn't hurt. And all the love stories and the triangles that you were talking about, and
I loved hearing that the other he diden. But you know that I want to know more about there the angels among us or like what is your I mean, do you see angels like when you have superpowers? Tell I need to know more? All right? I can you all see angels? There? You go, this is here's my question that I wanted to put out, all right, So when I first but when the idea first came to me, because I don't think I thought it the idea. I
was working with a lot of young people. I would secretly, um, not intentionally secretly, but just low key, no makeup, you know, and jeans, you know, hair tucked back, and a hat or whatever. And I worked a lot of times in watts and I'd sit in talking circles. I was trained to do that, where I would listen from the heart and teach them to listen from the heart without judgment, so we could create a safe place where people could
talk from the heart. And then I realized that I had to go even more more anonymously because people were scared of bullying. And so a lot of times we would come up with questions together and people would write on a card with the same kind of pencil and put it in a basket and we passed it around and people would have written their answers. And that's when I realized more and more how much depression, anxiety, and
suicidality there was. But I noticed that people were always looking at their phones or their laptops even back then, and they were looking at all the darkness and the bad news. But as I went out in the war old even in Watts, right around the corner was the nice you know, pizza guy or the homeless person that would say the most inspiring things. It would make me wonder are you not? Are you more than human? And so I thought, well, why don't we shine a light
on that? And what if I encourage people to use their iPhones um to shine a light on those things? And pretty soon I got so many stories and stories about the angels and the City of Angels, and then I realized they were all over the world. But people when I told people the name of angels among us, almost everyone wanted to whisper to me because they were embarrassed and they wanted to keep it anonymous of an experience they had with someone or something that they thought
might have been an angel beyond human angel. And I too have had those experiences, and I was embarrassed, and I didn't want people to think of me as a crazy angel lady. But I have decided, as you can see, to come out and base it. Yes, come out of the angel closet and allow people to talk about it if they want or even if they wonder, even if they're not sure. And the Internet, um sorry. I had a flashback of remember George Bush used to go but Internet. Sorry.
On the Internet, At the Internet, you can be more anonymous. So I wanted to give it both both that both platforms, the Internet or not. So people started turning in stories, and then I realized children wanted to draw drawings, and some people wanted to dance, and some people wanted to do whatever they could to uplift. So I said, okay, let's call ourselves a reporters, Angel reporters, and everyone can
send something in. In the meanwhile, I was wandering around the streets with my iPhone and sitting down with homeless people, talking to the person and the dry cleaner. That lifted people's spirits. Because I didn't want it to be about I have this great nonprofit, not that I wanted to exclude that, but it's really in the moments between people. I realized that we can make a difference. It's that moment of kindness that the camera's not capturing between people.
How we can really uplift the planet and everyone can do it. It's even a smile to someone that looks downtrodden. And so that's what I wanted to bring up. And I wanted people to feel empowered and realized they are making ripples when we do those things that seemed so tiny. And when all is said and done, I've been by so many deathbeds in the last several years. I'm finding that those are the things that matter, the moments between
people or the moment between people and angels. Um. So I wanted to, you know, open it up to people. Wanted to say, you know, there was this time where I was in the hospital and there was a light and I felt the blessing or I almost die or someone who I heard an encouraging voice, you know, or the light blinks, or I want to give people space for that too. So UM. In answer, that was a
very long, long, roundabout way of saying. UM. For me, what I hear is, UM, the lights blink a lot, and I hear in my meditations I meditate a lot is not to be afraid, sorry, I'm getting emotional, and not to be afraid to let people know that we are here, we be angels, and that it's very important. And that the other thing that I'm learning. I'm like a beginning student and just listening and meditating. Listening is that often, unless it's life or death, the angels want
you to ask for their help. Otherwise they feel that they are intervening. And uh, it's not really up to them to tell you what to do with your life. But if you ask for help, they'll even help you find your keys, so you know, yea, the simple things, yes, exactly so. So now, so do you guys believe in angels and how do you have experiences? We're to believers, that's for sure. I don't know Tori is an angel on earth. I've said that about her before. She just
around you both. Definitely not that I have a special gift, but it's obvious and and co I have a quick compession and non sequitur. I'm I was on a plane with you, and I was feeling so shy that I didn't introduce myself. She's not going to know who I am or Christine. We didn't even work together, and I was so touched by how kind you were with the people around you who are said hello, and um, I just I wish you had said high. I know, I wish likes my chance, but I just thought she really
is an angel among us. You were so kind and to everybody, and I for sure about you. Well, it's interesting you bring up a plane because I have a huge fear of flying. Um, I'm terrified. And that's one thing I always do when I'm on a plane before it takes off, is I always pray to my angels to be there. I look out both sides my angels and say, you know, please protect this plane white lighted. Yeah, it works. I do the same thing with my girls, like I just I visualize them just being guided and
protected by angels. And every time, like you know, when you send your kids off to do something and you're actually pretty nervous about it, and like you don't want them to see how nervous you are. I've said many times, don't worry. You're there are angels watching over you. You're going to be fine. And it makes them feel better and makes me feel better exactly. And you know, you cut onto something because my doctorate is about travel and
adolists and trauma. And one of the things I've learned is even as parents or stepparents are just adults and young people's lives, they're already so nervous that it really helps them and we at least present as calm. We can tell each other and freak out with each other, but for the children's sake, it's really important to UH to create that calm for them and that feeling of calm.
And it seems like you guys both have experienced both sides of that too, So definitely like angels on either side of me on my screen right now, where your angels. I remember having so much fun with you on set. You were talking and I just ever you are just cookie and fun and like but super deep and interesting at the same time. You're just a great mix of a lady. You're good human being and it's really really nice to catch up at you. Thank you for knowing that.
And I know I play so many serious people. I thought the same thing about you, and there was such a light around you in a presence that you know, it was just such a delight to be around. And even in the brief moments that I've met you, Tori, I felt the same way. And thanks for recognizing the cookie side, because I really had to play that side and I love to being cookie. I think it's really Yeah, You're so funny. I want to hang out with you. I want to have some do it game anytime, in
person or not in person, whatever. So I thank you so much. I know it inappropriate, but I really do love you all. And um, I just feel um that you're a blessing to the planet, and the brief times that we spend together, including this conversation, has been a blessing too. Thank you, Lly, right back at you, ye be well, you're too love. Thanks for thinking of me. It was like a blessing from the angels out of the blue. Okay, I don't know how to click out,
so I'm gonna leave. Oh my gosh, she's so delightful, right, Oh my god, what a beautiful human. Yes, we had a lot of fun just because I was younger, you know, and and she was she was probably in her thirties, sin, I don't know when she was on the show, and we did have It was usually scenes with just Dylan and Jack and then Kelly and Christine, and so she and I would be together a lot, and just the two of us because the boys, those two boys were
off doing their thing. They were very close and so we would spend a lot of time together just hanging out waiting for you know, set up to be ready and everything, and she was just like I remember just feeling so um at peace around her, And that was unusual for me at that time in my life, you know, because it's that young age one you're you don't know what's happening, you don't know what you're doing, and she always just made me feel like everything's going to be okay. I love that, mm hmm