The soap operas are a demanding proving ground for starlets of note who hope to become actresses of acclaim. Back in the mid 1980s, an ambitious dreamer with creamy brown skin, thick candied lips, eyes that filled with flashes of passion, hunger, cunning, and kindness appeared as out of nowhere as Diana Douglas on the ABC hyper-drama Ryan's Hope and established herself as the most-promising African American lady thespian ever to grace that show. Not for nothing had Tracey Ross been named Star Search's first $100,000 Model Spokesperson. The Ross promise was fulfilled to a degree beyond Ryan's wildest hope during Tracey's flesh-flashing frenzy in Small Time (1998), an orgy of skin that incorporated Hershey-tipped breasts, a brief burst of bush, and buns wafting through the air as their owner is held aloft for a standup humping.