McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan)

Mac is back! This past summer, McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) took a maternity leave from "Passions" to give birth to her first child, Maddox. Now the popular actress has returned to the set and can be seen on-air starting Monday, October 23. To welcome her back, we had "Passions" Fan Club members send in questions for the new mom. Keep reading to catch up with McKenzie and find out what lies ahead for Sheridan.

McKenzie, I am sooooo glad you are back! Maddox was worth you being off though. He is such a handsome little guy! My question is, what is the best thing about being back at "Passions"? We are just thankful to have you and the real Sheridan back! Thanks!!!
Mandi Kinninger
Arcanum, Ohio (pictured)

The best thing about being back at "Passions" is the cast and the crew. I missed everyone so much. That was probably the hardest thing about being away. It's like a little family here, and it felt like a little piece of me was torn away. So it's good to be back with my "family." My life is whole again.

Welcome back, Mac! Your fans are so happy to have you back on-screen. What did you miss the most about "Passions" while you were away?
Danielle Schultz
Newburg, Wisconsin

Aside from the cast and crew, I definitely missed getting to play Sheridan. She's such a fun character. I love what James Reilly has created, and I especially love what I'm portraying right now.

Hey McKenzie, I hope you had an awesome time spending time with your new family. My question for you is this: Did you watch the show while you were away and did it feel weird seeing someone else playing a role you have played from the start?
Lily G.
McAllen, Texas

I watched the show three times while I was away. I tried to catch up here and there. I ended up having to get prepped by our acting coach because she keeps up with all the storylines. We had a two hour conversation to completely fill me in on my story. It was a little weird to see someone else playing Sheridan, but Kam (Heskin) did such an amazing job.

Dear McKenzie, I have missed you so much. I can't wait until we have our SHUIS back together. Yes, I know it isn't going to happen soon. But I can dream, can't I? Just how is little Maddox? Are you able to bring him to work with you? If you aren't able to bring him to work with you, how are you surviving being away from him during the daytime?
Pauline Spencer
Seattle, Washington

Maddox is doing so great and getting so big. He's actually in the 90 percentile for his height, so he's a big boy! I'm not able to bring him to work. I can once in a while, but not often. The days when work goes a little long can be very difficult. It's hard to be away from him. As soon as I wrap, I'm outta there so fast! (Laughs) If it's an early enough day, one of the things I love to do is get home, put him in a little buggy and take him for a walk down to Starbucks. Everybody at the Starbucks loves him.

How do you like being a mother? What amazes you about your son?
Linda (ILovePassions2)
Johnson, NY

I love being a mother. It's a whole new world, and it's a welcome change because Maddox makes it all worth it. Everything about him amazes me. Yesterday, (husband) Seven was screaming from the other room, "Mac! Mac! Come here, come here!" And I kinda heard it, but we swore Maddox said "apple" twice. He's only 4 and a half months old! He's rolling around and his teeth are coming in... to see these things happen and to know you helped create this little being is just mind-blowing and incredible. I love waking up in the morning and hearing his little coos and his little cries for his bottle. I went in this morning and he just looked up at me and he smiled... his smile just brightens my life.

Congratulations on the birth of your son! If you could play anyone other than Sheridan on "Passions," who would you play? How long does it usually take you to memorize an episode's amount of lines?
Carly S
Canada

I don't know, I love playing Sheridan! I'm loving my character even more now because there's so much fun stuff to play. All the characters are great, but I can't imagine being anyone other than Sheridan. It's weird because I originally auditioned for Gwen. The thought of playing Gwen now is weird to me because I can't see anybody but Liza playing her. She's so good at it. As far as memorizing lines, it just depends. Sometimes if it's minimal dialogue, it only takes 20 minutes. However, it generally takes me an hour to memorize. For some reason, it helps to get on the elliptical machine and put my script in front of me. There's something about the oxygen flowing and getting the blood pumping that helps my memorization skills.

Hi McKenzie... Welcome back! What was your favorite Sheridan storyline? Thanks!
Amelia Ferguson
Scranton, PA

There have been so many... I loved the very first tango. I loved all the stuff of Luis and Sheridan running around in Paris together. One of my other favorites storylines was Luis and Sheridan on the island where they found the buried treasure. Luis got hurt and then we played the past life of the pirates.

What are you hoping to achieve with your character now that you are back?
Melissa Sommer
Holtsville, NY (pictured)

I'm hoping to achieve a new Sheridan. She's going to have a new outlook. It's a Sheridan we've never seen before. I love the upcoming stuff I get to play, and I think the fans will like it, too.