NBC.com

Brook Kerr (Whitney Russell)

"Whitney has become the first Harmony citizen to get pulled into the mystery of Passions Vendetta. We whipped up a few questions for Brook Kerr, who plays possibly the most guilt-ridden character on daytime.

Are you excited about starting up this new story?
Oh, yeah, I’m definitely excited. I think that Whitney has been a victim of her circumstances for so long that giving her some purpose – a goal – right now is good for her. She’s been beaten down by what’s happened with Chad. She’s had no real hope, but now there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. She’s being led to believe this will be her penance, that her journey will release her from the guilt and shame. Her soul and Chad’s soul will be saved!

Do you, Brook, think Whitney should trust the monk?
That’s hard to say. Obviously at this point, Whitney thinks the monk is God, or if not God, then God’s messenger doing his work. She’s going into this just on blind faith. However, I don’t think she should ignore her own instincts or her own spirit. Because the real God would never lead her down the wrong road. She needs to trust herself and her instincts.

So Whitney’s flogging herself and talking to “God”... is she just a little insane?
I don’t think insane is the word. She has tunnel-vision. Everything her heart and her spirit are telling her is the opposite of what she should be doing. It’s very conflicting. Her heart is telling her how much she loves Chad, but she can’t be with him. The guilt just overwhelms her and that’s all she can think about.

Over the years, Whitney has gone from tennis star to singer to nun. What’s the most fun to play?
The singing is really fun – except when I’m sad. ‘Cause it can get really depressing! But the music aspect was fun because it coincided with her falling in love with Chad. Her experiencing love for the first time was really fun to play.

Are you tired of wearing the habit?
In a way, I like it because then I don’t have to do my hair. (Laughs) But in another sense, I feel so... not sexy, you know? Whitney has bags under her eyes all the time now and no make-up... I don’t want to look in the mirror anymore! Without the cute clothes, I don’t get to feel sassy!

Whitney’s goal in all of this is to find redemption for her sin of loving her half-brother. Do you think she’ll find peace with her situation with Chad?
I think it would be great if she did. I think she can still care for Chad without having desire for him. If she can stop blaming herself for everything, then she can move on. She has to turn the love she has for Chad into something more acceptable. She has to learn how to care for him as a man she once loved and as the father of her child. It’d also be great for her to be a mother to her child. It’s really difficult for me to justify that without making Whitney seem selfish and caught up in her own little world. I’d like for her to be a mother to her child and maybe even find someone else to share her life with.