Becky Herbst calls me from her car to let me know that she's going to be calling me from her home. The car ride to and from work, she tells me, is her "Becky time," where the busy mother of two can be alone in her thoughts. "I treasure that time in the car by myself," she says. But Herbst is also big on family, which includes hubby Michael Saucedo and their two children, Ethan and Ella, aged eight and five, respectively. Herbst is also grateful to have her relatives (including parents Debbie and Wayne, and sister Jennifer) close by to help out so that she and Saucedo, wed since 2001, can enjoy romantic couple moments together. "Family is everything!" she insists and feels that she and Saucedo have done a good job so far of raising their kids so far, despite the uncertain times the country is now in. "We're in a generation where parents obey children and not children obeying parents," she observes, "It's now all about what the parent can do for the child, and that's the wrong way to look at it. You can't raise your kids like that. We really try to emphasize that Mom and Dad come first and the children come second.... We've got a pretty good rein on them now, I don't foresee having any trouble. They're really good kids. Michael and I have a really good communication and our kids are really good communicators. We've got a really great community and a lot of friends and family."

Now that her children are school-aged, Herbst tells me that she always has, and continues to, keep them out of the spotlight. "It's definitely becoming more and more of a juggling act, now that they're getting older and they're understanding more. I have to be a little more careful about what things are said and it's a little more tricky when I'm out in public now...They're starting to understand what I do and it makes me very nervous!" What Herbst does, of course, is portray Elizabeth Webber on General Hospital, a role she has held since 1997, and these days, the actress is finding herself at the studio more often. She very recently taped a slew of episodes to facilitate the return of her former co-star, Jonathan Jackson (Lucky). "He was given a couple of weeks off so he could move from Washington," she notes, "So we taped like ten shows and it was crazy, crazy! But it was a lot of fun to work with him again and kind of fall back into the old pattern of what we used to do."

The return of Jackson did come as a surprise to Herbst. "I had no idea that was going on," she says candidly, of the Lucky switch. "And you know, as exciting as it is to have him (Jackson) back, it's really painful to see Greg (Vaughan) leave. He has been Lucky for the past six or seven years and he really helped Elizabeth mature as a person and as a character. I feel like Greg had such a significant role in that. It's just weird having him gone. I love Greg dearly and it's been hard not having him there." But the actress also notes that Vaughan will be adding to his family soon and being home could be seen as a blessing. "Michael was let go from the show when I got pregnant and at first it was like, 'Oh my goodness, you lost your job,' but we didn't realize that it was the best thing that could've ever happened, because my kids have been raised by their parents. He's a really good dad."

Asked how she would describe her alter-ego, Herbst says, "I think she is an amazing woman. She has been through an awful lot in the past and she has survived quite a bit. There's a lot of different layers to her right now and she's overcome a lot of tragedy in her life. But she still hasn't quite found her happiness. She doesn't exactly know what that is, so she's a little lost. She's a survivor, and she's strong and a great mother, but is a little lost emotionally in the love department." The character has been placed in several popular pairings over the years, including Lucky, Jason and currently, Nikolas. "I was just at a personal appearance and there were so many people that were enjoying the Liz and Nikolas storyline," she notes, amazed. "It surprised me because I know in the beginning, nobody liked anything new. There is such a strong and vocal fan base for the Liz and Jason fans and the Liz and Lucky fans and I knew they might be really upset but I was surprised! People like this more than I thought. It's something you never see with Elizabeth. And the bottom line is that it's really entertaining.... She really wants to be with Nikolas but loves Lucky. It's not about not loving Lucky at all. It's about emotions she can't explain or understand. And it's a great story for me!" When I suggest bringing on a new love interest for Lucky, who always seems to be the odd-man out in Liz's orbit, Herbst laughs, "Yeah, throw her for a loop for a change! Lucky has always been there for her. It would be interesting to see how she would react if someone came along that caught his interest!"

"I would love for Liz to find true happiness. She's found true love but she needs to find true happiness. But... I also hope she never finds it because it makes an interesting story! Once she's in love and living the fairy tale, there's nothing left for her to do. I hope she's always finding obstacles to overcome."

Another instance that caught Herbst by surprise was the recent quest appearance by original cast member Rachel Ames (Audrey). "I was so surprised when I got the phone call that she would be back that day!" Herbst gushes, "It was so nice to have her there. She is a really lovely woman and it was so nice to have her back." Herbst loves my suggestion of having a dual retirement party on the show for both Audrey and Ames. "Something to honor both her and her character. That would be nice!" But Liz won't be too lacking in family when her brother, Steven Lars, returns to the canvas. "It's going to be great this time! Last time was so short-lived that there was no - he was in and out, but Scott Reeves (ex-Ryan, Y&R) and I are friends so I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Over the years, we have watched Herbst grow up on screen as Elizabeth and it's time for her to reveal the secrets that keeps her looking so youthful. Her peaches and cream complexion caught the eye of the Purpose facial care line, not to mention the actress' many impromptu endorsements of the products. "My mother introduced me to it when I was fifteen years old," Herbst shares, "Here, she said, wash your face with this, put this on it, and it's just always worked for me. So when I had gone to General Hospital, people interviewed me and asked about my skin regimen, and health tips, and I always talked about Purpose because that was the one thing that I always did. Somebody from Johnson & Johnson read it and said, 'Hey. You're already advertising our product, why don't we talk to you about it?' So that's how it came about." Herbst also holds the standard beauty advice dear: "Wash your face, morning and night, use sunscreen," she smiles, "I really don't look good tan. I was never one of those kids that laid out next to the pool and baked for a long time. That wasn't me! I was never a sunbather, I always have sun block on."

Another thing that has never changed is the devotion of Herbst's fans, who bombarded me with inquiries about this interview after it was mentioned in a recent column here at Soaptown. "They're so good to me," Herbst says gratefully, "I couldn't have asked for a better group of people. They not only support the character one hundred percent but they've been so good to me and to the charity that I work with (The Smile Train) and my family. It's a really great experience being part of a soap opera."

       Photos courtesy of various internet sources. General Hospital screen captures courtesy of ABC Webpix.