Susan Lucci embodied the role of Scheana Shay for SiriusXM’s Vanderpump Rules reenactment, and she’s telling Us about her acting process.
“I had the best time,” Lucci, 77, exclusively told Us Weekly at the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection Concert on Wednesday, January 31. “I think she’s very free with her emotions. It’s good, and I like that about her.”
Lucci added, “I didn’t [hold back], ’cause it was on the page. I thought, ‘OK, then.’”
Late last month, Bravo exec Andy Cohen enlisted Lucci and a slew of famous faces to reenact Scandoval during an episode of his SiriusXM radio show. Amber Tamblyn portrayed Ariana Madix, while Chrissy Teigen took on the role of Lisa Vanderpump (accent and all) and Cheyenne Jackson played Tom Sandoval. Leslie Grossman, Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman, Carson Kressley and Brad Goreski also starred, playing the respective characters of Katie Maloney, Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, Lala Kent, James Kennedy and Tom Schwartz.
In the midst of Vanderpump Rules season 10, news broke that Sandoval, 41, and Madix, 38, had split after nearly a decade together following Sandoval’s affair with Leviss, 29. The scandal, dubbed Scandoval, subsequently blew up the cast’s friend group and was captured in the season finale. Cohen’s live January 26 reading recreated the finale scene where Madix confronted Sandoval about his affair.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 premiered days later on Tuesday, January 30, and Lucci made sure to watch.
“I turned it on for the debut show the night before to try to see [Scheana],” Lucci noted to Us. “I’ve never seen the whole show [before], so I [wanted] to because I loved playing her. It was so much fun.”
During the premiere, Shay, 38, even discussed how the affair fallout affected her physical health.
Making Bravo history. After news broke of Tom Sandoval‘s split from Ariana Madix amid his affair with Raquel Leviss, fellow celebrities quickly entered the chat to offer their opinions on the drama. Below Deck star Kate Chastain took to social media on Friday, March 3, to throw shade at Leviss. “Well I guess we know who […]
“You know how many people have asked me if I’m on Ozempic lately? No, it’s called Scandoval,” Shay quipped to Kent, 33.
Shay previously told Us in October 2023 that her 15-year friendship with Sandoval “fell apart because of his actions.” She reunited with the TomTom co-owner for an upcoming season 11 scene.
“I mean, I’m glad he filmed with me,” Shay told Us. “I feel like that scene was so raw and real. … I think that that was something the show needed. Of course, you needed his conversation with Ariana, but then you needed another side of it, and I felt like I was able to provide that in that conversation with him.”
With reporting by Travis Cronin