When you see Jaime Dudney, you realize the old adage is true: the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. The tree happens to be country music legend Barbara Mandrell who is Jaime's mom. If the Kennedy's are America's royal family, The Mandrells are the equivalent in show business. Jaime marks a new generation of entertainers. Her grandparents Irby and Mary were musically inclined, her mother Barbara is a country superstar, and her aunts Louise and Irlene both sing and own theaters in Tennessee were they perform. Jaime promises music is not her forte. She is, however, a remarkable actress who can be seen regularly on the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns. Her acting career began at age 4 when she played her aunt Irlene in the NBC variety series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, a role she revised in 1997 in the TV movie Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story. Jaime has only begun to know what fame is, and she has a lot of it coming her way, too. She was nominated for the Favorite Newcomer category at the 15th Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards, and has been featured in Parade, People Magazine, and The Howard Stern Show, and has done guest appearances on Diagnosis Murder and Days of Our Lives. She lives in New York City with her beautiful Persian cat Isabella. When asked about the difference between her hometown of Whites Creek, Tennessee and the Big Apple, she comments, "The only grass I see in the city is in parks." Jaime Nicole Dudney is a rising star with a prominent future ahead of her and a history of entertainment excellence behind her.

KT: How many pets do you have?
JND: Just my cat Isabella.

KT: Growing up, was taking care of the pets your responsibility?
JND: It was supposed to be, but my mom ended up doing it. She gets up an hour early every morning to feed the animals.

KT: Favorite types of animal?
JND: All kinds, especially cats though.

KT: As a single person living alone, is it hard to take care of an animal while trying to balance a successful acting career and a social life?
JND: Yes it is. My filming times are sometimes awkward, and Isabella gets a little temperamental when I am late.

KT: Do you spoil your Isabella?
JND: Yes, she is like my little person, so she gets her toys and things to make her feel special.

KT: Can you see yourself working on soaps or television for a long time or would you rather get into film or music?
JND: Well, I would love to get into doing movies eventually, but I will be on the show for a few years. Music is out; I don't have the voice for it.

KT: Whom do you most admire?
JND: My mom is amazing. She is just so talented. She works so hard too to be a good mom, a good singer, and a good actress. I admire how she was able to leave her musical career and devote herself to acting.

KT: When did your interest in acting begin?
JND: When I was very young, I played my aunt Irlene in a movie about my mom's life. I started doing some commercials, and I moved to California to get a career started and then I read for As the World Turns, and next thing I knew I was moving to New York. In fact, when I was moving, my Isabella got out and somehow ended up at an animal shelter, and when they called the number on her tag, my phone in LA had already been disconnected and when I called the shelter the lady that I spoke to said that Isabella was adopted and gave me the number of the man who adopted Isabella. When I called the man who had her and explained what happened, he refused to give her back to me and I asked him why would he want to separate us and that she belonged with me. He told me to get over it, and that I was not going to get her. I had to hire an attorney and take him to court to get my Isabella back. She was gone for a month or so. It was hard.

KT: Do you feel being described as "Barbara Mandrell's daughter" puts pressure on you as a celebrity? Do you mind?
JND: I don't think so because I will always be Barbara Mandrell's daughter and I am proud to be her daughter and I am proud of her. She is so supportive. She went with me to the Soap Opera Digest Awards and is always worrying about me.

KT: What have you learned from your pets?
JND: I have learned to take it easy and to be patient.

KT: Psychologists believe that some people take on their pets' characteristics or vice-versa. Do you see that with Isabella?
JND: People might think I am crazy but I do. Isabella and I are a lot alike. She is very much a girl, and delicate and feminine, and so am I. She knows when I am under the weather and she's there for me.

-Kareem Tabsch is a freelance writer who specializes in celebrity interviews. He has interviewed celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope, Joan Rivers, Julio Iglesias, Barbara Mandrell and others. He writes frequently on animal related issues as well as on the entertainment industry.