Interview AMC: Aiden Turner Talks Guns, Thailand and Soggy Lettuce

Back in 2002, Aiden Turner received the highest compliment an actor on a soap opera can get: The powers that be at All My Children created a role specifically for him. For the past six years, Aiden has portrayed Aidan Devane, Pine Valley’s resident private investigator.

No one was more stunned – or thankful – when Aiden was cast as Aidan. He explains: “At the time I had just recently arrived from England. I was only here for four months, got an agent and went over to see Judy Wilson. They didn’t give me the first role that I auditioned for, but they got me back to do a screen test and wanted to create a role for me. It was a great compliment.”

Aiden has nothing but praise for Judy, herself an award-winning casting director who is credited with casting some of the most memorable roles in daytime. “I owe Judy everything,” Aidan says. “She has a great eye for talent – not that I was too talented back then. She saw me and saw something in me. And I’m glad she did, because it’s been a great six years.”

In these six years, Aiden has been like a kid in a candy store. Playing such a skilled character like Aidan has been fun and challenging.

“I like the fact that he is highly trained in aikido and martial arts, and he’s weapon trained. I love that he’s got a military background. I really respect what our troops in England and what American troops are doing today in the world and fighting the war against terror, and to know that my character is a part of that makes me feel good.

“Plus, I’ve always loved war movies, like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket,” Aiden continues. “I get to act out that I am a special spy – or 008, they call me – and I get to play with guns at work. For instance, the other week, I got to play with a MAC-10. They sent me to gun training for it for an hour and a half. I shot it about four times, and I offed 30 rounds each time; it’s a powerful machine gun. I got to use it on set, with blanks, of course.

“That’s my character and I love that. I think it’s cool, and it makes me feel tough. When I get home, I feel like soggy lettuce compared with Aidan Devane.”

Before landing his role on AMC, Aiden did quite a bit of traveling as a model, which he absolutely loved. “Thailand was one of the first places I went on my around-the-world trip. I really love Thailand – it just looks like paradise to me, with the palm trees coming out over the beach and all the little huts. Thai food is amazing.

“I also went to Bali, Indonesia, which was really nice. That, and the fact that everything was about 10 times cheaper than it was in England, so you didn’t have to worry about money. But Australia is my favorite place. If I could live anywhere and still work, if I could just pick up and move to Sydney and work, I’d be the happiest man on Earth.”