Interview Outtakes

Most of the time when I am conducting an interview with a soap star, I have more interview material than space for printing the interview. Here are some blurbs from stars that did not make it to the print version of the interview, but were too good not to publish.

Dominic Zamprogna, pictured (Dante Falconeri, “General Hospital”), on working with James Franco: He’s great. He’s just a really nice guy and he’s a really passionate guy, interesting guy. He’s able to do a lot right now cause he’s been blessed with some great things happening in his career, and he’s taking advantage of it. There are a lot of people in his situation who don’t want as much as he wants or to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. He’s grabbing life and fulfilling whatever he wants to fulfill, which is amazing. There should be more people out there doing what he is doing. I think James just realized that [being on a soap opera] was something he wanted to try, and why not? He doesn’t care what people think, otherwise he wouldn’t do half the stuff he’s doing. I think that’s the problem with a lot of actors these days. They do it for the wrong reasons, and they’re losing sight of what matters. You’re not supposed to be doing this so you can get famous; you’re supposed to be doing this because it’s a fire burning inside of you and you have a passion to do this. I can say that’s why almost everybody on this show is doing it, and that’s definitely why James wanted to be a part of it.

Jennie Garth (ex-Kelly Taylor, “90210”), on husband/actor Peter Facinelli: “My husband is such a serious guy most of the time, but he's funny. Makes me laugh, I know that. I love that part of us when we're having fun together. Whenever we come to a crossroads and we are like, “Marriage sucks and it's hard,” I can always come back to, “But you make me laugh so much.” I don't want to end that.

Luke Perry (ex-Dylan McKay, “90210”), on his aversion to Twitter: “We live in a world where people are obsessed with the cult of Twitter, where they have to jump on and tweet every damn thing that happens. And they all have followers. Think about it: This is a media-generated thing where everybody can have followers. I question people who want to have a bunch of followers, and that presumes that they themselves are, what, the leader? I’m not buying into any of that. It’s so weird that everybody wants to tweet and everything, and I’m like, why don’t you just go and do it? I can’t do that – I like to do.

James Reynolds (Abe Carver, “Days of Our Lives”), on working with armed-forces veterans: “I started working with the active duty military about 12 years ago, working with the U.S.O. and with armed forces entertainment. It kind of took me back to those years ago when I was a young Marine serving overseas, and I began to recognize that in this country we ask a very, very small percentage — we don’t even draft anymore —and so we are asking a very, very small number of people to not only protect us in those places that we need protection, but to be the leading edge of whatever our foreign policy may be at the time. I got a letter a few years ago from a young woman whose husband was serving in Afghanistan at the time — this was about seven or eight years ago — she was losing their family home while he was in Afghanistan. It made me realize that we need to draw more attention to what is going on with these young men and women that we’re asking to put their lives and bodies on line for us, and we cheer them and do all of this here, but then we forget about them when they’re not there. So it seemed like a natural fit, and I wanted to make a point to them that all Americans care about them, regardless of political point of view.

Interview: Luke Perry Gets Back in the Saddle

When “Goodnight for Justice” premiered on the Hallmark Movie Channel in January 2011, it became the network’s highest-rated film ever. “Goodnight” star, series creator and executive producer Luke Perry returns as Circuit Court Justice John Goodnight for the second part of the intended trilogy, which premieres on the Hallmark Channel Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8/7c. “Goodnight for Justice: The Measure of a Man” follows Justice Goodnight as he travels alone through the Wild West dispensing justice to towns that would otherwise stumble into chaos. On this particular journey, John finds himself facing a woman from his past, Callie Bluepoint (played by Stefanie von Pfetten), who lives in a town threatened by a murderous outlaw, Deke Spradling (Teach Grant).

Daytime Dial: When you learned that the original “Goodnight for Justice” broke records for the Hallmark Movie Channel, what were your hopes for the future of the “Goodnight” franchise?

Luke Perry: I was hoping maybe to get the chance to do another one. That’s what I was hoping. I just don’t go into it with any expectation other than I just try to make the best movie every time. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes there’s a baseball game or basketball game or something on that draws all the television audience away. There are just too many variables to worry about and that kind of stuff, so you just make the movies that you can.

DD: Because of the success of the previous film, did you feel the pressure to really deliver with “Measure of a Man”?

LP: I felt pressure to deliver a really good movie. I feel the pressure to do all I can to promote the film, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know that audiences are fickle and different things happen. You just try to make the best movie you can and control what you can, which is your part of the process.

DD: Last we saw John Goodnight, he had a lady friend, Kate Ramsey, who isn’t in this movie. I assume the traveling required of him for his job makes maintaining relationships pretty difficult.

LP: Yeah, it’s just the nature of the position — you have to travel. She wasn’t in a position to go with him, and he’s got to keep traveling. But it would be great for him to get back to her eventually.

DD: When we first see John, there is definite evidence being on the road is wearing on him: His hair is shaggier; his clothes are a bit shabby …

LP: I’m glad you liked that and noticed that, because those are the kind of things — believe it or not — that you have to fight for. People were like: “No, clean up. Look good in the clothes.” I said: “Wait a minute, guys. He’s out there weeks at a time; it’s just not going to happen. You gotta look rough.” And I do look rough.

DD: Since there are few ties to the original film aside from some explained back story, “Measure of a Man” really can be viewed as a stand-alone movie as well as part of a series. Was that your intention?

LP: I hadn’t thought about that. That’s a very interesting point that you make. One of the things that I had discussed was that with each movie and the nature of the franchise is that each one is going to be a different story. He’s going to be in a different place, always traveling, so within the telling of the actual story, you don’t have to cover [what he’s been doing between movies]. The next movie that you will see is the one where it all comes full circle. I feel like we really hit our stride completely. “Measure of a Man” is the perfect segue between the two. It all ramps up, and by the third one we just all go in gangbusters.

DD: I also have to tell you that from the opening frames of the movie, the musical score really caught my attention — it’s just beautiful.

LP: I’m glad you mentioned that, and I would really like to take the time to talk about Graeme Coleman, our composer. He’s just such a talented guy. I told him: “Graeme, go for it. Give me that big Western stuff.” I want the music to be as much a character in this movie as anything else, because in all my favorite ones it is. And he doesn’t shy away from it. He steps right up to it. People who love traditional Westerners are looking for a good score. I’m very proud of Graeme’s work.

DD: You have a lot of scenes with Cameron Bright (of “The Twilight Saga”), who plays Will. Did you spend a lot of time together off set to build up camaraderie and chemistry?

LP: Oh, yeah. We had dinner together almost every night. I spent a lot of time with Cameron, and he was cool because he came in and put some time in — as much as he could — before the movie, getting to learn stuff he didn’t know how to do. If you don’t know how to ride a horse, don’t say you do. He didn’t do that. He was really honest about what he could do, but he was also really honest about being willing to learn, and he had a good capacity for it, so it was cool.

As we were shooting, I’d think, “Let’s just see how much of this we can get shot today, and Cameron was really great. He stayed in that saddle a lot longer than a lot of other people would. He hung in there, and we climbed him up there in those mountains, and he was great.

DD: Cameron plays Alec in the phenomenally successful “Twilight Saga,” which has a screaming-fan contingent wherever the stars seem to go. You’ve had to deal with your share of screaming teens; did you give him any advice?

LP: (Laughs) I wouldn’t know anything about that sort of thing.

DD: This time around, John has really found his niche and is in his element. What does he enjoy about his job and his life?

LP: Anytime you have to kill someone, even in the name of the law, it is no small feat. It’s not something this character does lightly. I think it’s really rewarding for him because you can see how the law can really be the great leveler in protecting the weakest among us, and that’s what it’s supposed to do. What I think is interesting about him also is he’s an active participant in this world by traveling through for his job.

DD: You mentioned a third “Goodnight” film. Can you give me any details?

LP: Well, we shot the third one. We started shooting it the day after we finished the second one. The third one is, it’s not as heavy a story. I said they can’t all live in a super highly dramatic state. Sometimes this guy is just out there, and there is still some justice that needs to be weeded out, but it doesn’t always come down to a life-or-death thing, and it doesn’t always come down to something intensely personal for him. Some of my favorite Westerns were a little bit lighter in tone, and there’s some good run and jump in the next one.

DD: Is the third film the end of the John Goodnight saga, or can we expect a new chapter?

LP: We are actively negotiating the future for this character, because so far it’s something that has worked out well for everybody. I like making them, and they do very well for the channel, so if that continues, then we will continue.

DD: You could be like Tom Selleck with his “Jesse Stone” movies …

LP: Aw, man — compare me to Tom Selleck. Yeah, I wish. He’s so great. I’d love to do a Western with him.

Interview: Catching Up With Luke Perry

For 10 years, Luke Perry was best known for his portrayal of troubled rich kid Dylan McKay on the seminal nighttime drama “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Since the show ended in 2000, Luke has steadily been shedding any layers of Dylan that might still be associated with him, taking on roles in the gritty prison drama “Oz,” the family-oriented sitcom “What I Like About You” and even making fun of an exaggerated version of himself in “Family Guy” and “FCU: Fact Checkers Unit.”

In 2008, he starred in “A Gunfighter’s Pledge,” an original movie for the Hallmark Channel, which just so happened to be his favorite genre of film: a Western. Luke is back in the saddle in another Western for Hallmark; this time playing circuit judge John Goodnight in “Goodnight for Justice,” which premieres Saturday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. and re-airs all throughout the weekend (check local listings for times). I caught up with Luke recently, and he told me all about his latest endeavor with the Hallmark Channel.

Daytime Dial: Judge John Goodnight is a character that you created, although you didn’t write the movie. What was the process of Judge Goodnight becoming the central character in the movie?

Luke Perry: I was reading a lot about Andrew Jackson. Before he was the president of our country, he was a circuit judge. I found the time that he was a circuit judge in the Carolina hill country in Tennessee to be really interesting, and this whole idea of traveling from place to place as judge, jury and sometimes executioner. I thought, “That’s an interesting character.” I developed the story. I wrote three or four pages of what I thought the story would be. Then I met Neal and Tippi Dobrofsky, who are a husband-and-wife writing team that Ira (Pincus), the other producer, put me in touch with. And they fashioned a screenplay out of the story.

DD: Was it Hallmark’s idea to get Jason Priestley involved, or had you been wanting to work with him again?

LP: I like working with Jason a lot. There is a company involved in making this movie called Entertainment One. They work here in the United States, but they are based in Canada. So, if you are in business with them, you have to do your stuff in Canada, which means you have to have a Canadian director. And when they said Canadian, I thought, “I’ve got one of those.” That was easy enough, and it was the right way to go because he’s a smart director. It was great working with him on this. We got to prep the picture together and do the casting and all that stuff. We’ve had years and years of practice together, and it was just easy.


DD: Speaking of casting ... I felt the casting was superb. Everyone did a great job, whether they had a minor role or a major role.

LP: That’s nice of you to say, because we read with every single actor. I was told that most producers and directors don’t do that. We read with every single person that came into the room — every boy, girl, man, woman, child. It was fun for me. I mean, it was hard and made for long days, but it was so nice to hear you say that. It really is, because a lot of times those actors think, “Oh, Luke’s in the movie and it’s directed by Jason, and that is all anybody is going to notice or hear or talk about.” And to hear you make an observation like that, that makes me feel good.

DD: In this movie you get to work with horses, which you have told me you love to do.

LP: Yes, I prefer them over people.

DD: And you didn’t have to shave, so that was a bonus.

LP: Yeah, you just comb your face and get out there.

DD: How long did it take you to shoot the film?

LP: Fifteen days. We had exactly 15 days to do it, and that’s a crazy-fast schedule. That’s very much tribute to Jason and the crew, and how hard everybody was working.

DD: What are some things that you hope that the audience takes away from this movie?

LP: You hope that everybody has a sense of right and wrong. Sometimes I look at the stupid stuff that goes on in the world and I’m not so sure that everybody has a sense of right and wrong. You sort of want to give everybody the hope that if something bad happens to them, somebody somewhere is going to try to make it right in the right way. The law should not be about finding loopholes for guys like Bernie Madoff to steal billions of dollars, the guys at Enron, stuff like that. It’s the lawyers who allow a lot of that to take place. When you strip away all of that and you get down to the basics, it’s always about somebody trying to do the right thing. That’s always a great place to tell a story from.

DD: I love in the very beginning when your character, John Goodnight, says, “Every man is ordinary until he does an extraordinary thing.” It’s simple, but it’s profound.

LP: The best things in life are simple. I’ve always been a fan of the simple things. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be that simple, right there, just a thought that sticks in your mind. You’ve got to do something extraordinary at some point in your life.

DD: With you and your career, I like that you pick roles that are right for you. You seem to be a bit choosier than other actors. That way we get to see you in these good roles that are sometimes a bit obscure.

LP: The trick is you really have to keep trying different things and taking chances. When you get so precious about your work, or the perceptions of your work, you die creatively. As an actor you’d be dead in the water.

DD: What’s next for you?

LP: Well, what to do … I don’t know. I’ve got two more of these circuit-judge stories I’d really like to tell that I hope Hallmark will be willing to do. We are talking about that again next week, actually. But I’m definitely going to be getting back to work, I know that. I haven’t been doing much the past two or three years, and I feel good and rested and ready to go.

Interview: 2008 — The Year in Review

Just like in the world of soaps, a lot can happen in a year in the life of a soap-opera actor. Let’s take a look back at some of the things that stood out in 2008:

Luke Perry (pictured, ex-Dylan, Beverly Hills, 90210): “There are certain things I wanna do before I’m done. I want to run on top of a train. If the script says I get to run on top of a train, I’ll do it. I accepted a role a while back — my manager didn’t want me to because it wasn’t that good — but the script called for running on top of a train. I didn’t care, I wanted to do it, so I took the role. The movie ended up falling through, though, which I guess was good.”

Andrea Evans (Tina, One Life to Live): “So much has changed since I’ve been gone. I am excited to find out where Tina has been all this time. She is such a glamorous, over-the-top character — I really have fun playing her. Tina is someone that so many people can identify with. I love her spirit. She is such an underdog. She tries so hard, and yet she almost always screws it up.”

Antonio Sabato Jr. (Jagger, General Hospital: Night Shift): “Working with the cast, old and new, has been wonderful. It’s great seeing Kimberly (McCullough) again and working with her. I remember working with her when she was 16, and now she’s 30. I also worked with a director I used to work with — it’s like family. It really is like coming home.”

Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe, Days of Our Lives): “She was always very likable, but she was a damsel in distress. And she is human. No one stays the same their whole life. I love the sassy Chloe. And I especially love all the catfights with Nicole. A lot of people are happy for me as Nadia the actress, because I get to play new sides to Chloe.”

Sharon Case (Sharon, The Young and the Restless): “I’m glad there are those who feel that way (want Nick and Sharon back together). If there weren’t, then they wouldn’t care so much about the current story line. The conflict wouldn’t be there, and no one would want to watch. I also think this is something that we all can relate to: being with one person that you love and longing to be with another who you’ve loved longer and who really is your soul mate. It’s a tragic love story.”

Texas Battle (Marcus, The Bold and the Beautiful): “You always hear the cliché about soaps and how it’s not real, and how the acting is not real. Well, I have to say that the people I’ve met are the nicest, kindest people, and they really know their stuff. This is the same hard work that people put into other TV and film projects. If you’re good, you’re good. Period. And these people are good.”

Tristan Rogers (Robert, GH: NS): “Night Shift is a different version of General Hospital, no question about that. It gets back, in some respects, more to the roots of the show. I wasn’t around when the show first started, but it would certainly seem to touch on a lot of those themes of when the show first originated. It has a great entertainment value. Fans basically get to see another version of the show. We get to see a lot more of the medical side; we don’t go outside the world of the hospital. While we are in the same building, it definitely is different.”

Lesli Kay (Felicia, B&B): “Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester) is the best. She is my momma. I spend every holiday with her. She took me under her wing and there was mutual respect right off the bat. I love Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan) too. She’s my best friend here. As far as the rest of the cast, they are the most caring, loving, supportive people I’ve ever met. I’m very lucky to be on B&B.”

Luke Perry Is Just a Small-Town Boy

In the past decade, Luke Perry has transformed himself from a teen heartthrob to a versatile and well-rounded actor. Luke stars in this month’s Hallmark Channel original movie, “A Gunfighter’s Pledge,” part of Hallmark’s “Big Summer of Heroes” month.

Luke has been a man in command of his career, and perhaps even a bit outspoken, since he first auditioned for “Beverly Hills, 90210.” He originally read for the role of spoiled-brat rich kid Steve Sanders (a part that eventually went to Ian Ziering). “I went in for the audition and was like, ‘Look, I know I’m not right for this role, and you know I’m not right for this role.’ They were very cool, you know. I just couldn’t see myself as Steve. We ended up just having a really good talk.”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Since leaving “90210,” Luke has accepted an eclectic mix of television and movie roles. Not surprisingly, he is very practical when deciding what type of role to take on next.

“I consider what I have going on in my life during that time. Have I done that type of role yet? Do I like the character? Or maybe there’s an actor I want to work with.” Luke explains.

“There are certain things I wanna do before I’m done. I want to run on top of a train. If the script says I get to run on top of a train, I’ll do it. I accepted a role a while back — my manager didn’t want me to because it wasn’t that good — but the script called for running on top of a train. I didn’t care, I wanted to do it, so I took the role. The movie ended up falling through, though, which I guess was good.”

Growing up in Mansfield, Ohio, taught Luke small-town values and principles. “I only recently started to think about how long I’ve been doing this. I never want to be in something I don’t believe in. Just keep it simple. I try to separate the two — I’m a guy from Ohio, but I live here (in California).”

Luke tries to get back to Ohio whenever he can, especially to cheer on his beloved Cleveland Browns. “I took my son to a game last year. It was so great. Did you see me? I led my section in a verse of ‘Hang On Sloopy.’ We played the (Baltimore) Ravens, and we kicked their ass! It was great to be there with my son and to explain to him: ‘Now here we have the Ravens, and we hate the Ravens. Oh, and let me tell you a little about Art Modell …’”

However, when asked to choose between the state’s two major-league baseball teams, the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds, Luke is torn. “I’m split between the Tribe and the Reds. I always cheer for both of them.”

The same goes for competing amusement parks, Cedar Point and Kings Island. “I haven’t been to either since I was a kid, but with Cedar Point you had the Corkscrew. I remember waiting in line for hours for that one! And with Kings Island, remember when Evel Knievel jumped over all those buses? I’ll never forget that.”

One reason why Luke likes working with the Hallmark Channel so much is the because of the type of family-friendly programming that it brings to American homes. “A lot of TV nowadays is really kind of gruesome. It’s nice to be able to just watch a movie on TV with your family. At no point in time as a parent do you have to worry about leaving the room with your kid alone (watching ‘A Gunfighter’s Pledge’). That’s what I like so much about Hallmark: Their programming is interesting and intelligent, but not pandering.”

Luke Perry's Pledge

Since leaving his famous ZIP code almost a decade ago, Luke Perry has taken on a number of against-type roles. He has played a prison inmate named Rev. Jeremiah Cloutier on Oz, a lotto winner on Windfall, Brad from The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway, and even an animated version of himself on The Family Guy.

“Gotta keep changing it up,” Luke tells me.

Luke changes it up once again this month for the Hallmark Channel original movie A Gunfighter’s Pledge, premiering at 8 p.m. Saturday. However, Luke makes sure I understand that his character, Matt Austin, is NOT a gunfighter.

“When we were making the movie, it was called The Pledge. They added on the ‘gunfighter.’ Matt is just a guy who got stuck being a sheriff. He wanted to be a farmer,” Luke explains. “But then bad stuff happens.”

That “bad stuff” is his wife and child are killed by an escaped outlaw, Tate, wanting revenge on Matt for killing his brother, who was also an outlaw. When Matt catches up with Tate, a bar shootout results in the death of an innocent bystander. Matt promises the dying man that he will return his body to his sister and help her in any way that he can.

“This is a movie about doing the right thing and keeping your word.

The guy does it just because he said he would. It was interesting for me to discover this man’s motivation – is it vengeance or justice?”

So, what sets this movie apart from many of the other shoot-’em-up Westerns you see nowadays?

“This is just a simple story told really well. That’s what makes a good Western.”

As Luke describes A Gunfighter’s Pledge, it reminds me of Once Upon a Time in the West, and I ask him if he has seen that. “About 20 times,” Luke replies. “That movie defines the genre: It’s a Western, it’s a morality tale, it’s good versus evil.”

Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the actress who plays Amaya, Jaclyn DeSantis, also co-starred with Luke on the NBC series Windfall. He tells me: “It was great getting to work with Jaclyn. We didn’t get to work together in Windfall, but we got to hang out. I liked her and thought she was great, so I was excited to get this chance to work with her on-screen.”

This also isn’t the first time that Luke has saddled up for Hallmark.

“I did a Western for them a few years back (Johnson County War) and wanted to do it again. It was great; I would just wake up, comb my face and go to work. We shot in beautiful places, and I got to be on a horse all day. And we shot close to my house, so that was a plus.”

Shooting the movie was quick and challenging, but Luke isn’t complaining. “I hate it when actors bitch about that,” he says. “We shot this in 15 or 18 days, which is really fast. It’s a lot of stuff — you're working with horses, explosives, dialogue, so the actors had to be on the ball.”

Check back next week when Luke discusses running on top of trains, the Cleveland Browns and the need for more family-friendly movies.

Gimme Your Questions for Luke Perry

Luke Perry is currently promoting his new movie, a Hallmark Channel original movie called A Gunfighter's Pledge. He plays a sheriff of a small town whose wife and child are killed. He goes to seek revenge and accidentally kills an innocent man in the process. It's a story of his self-discovery and redemption.

I will be interviewing him tomorrow at 12:30 EST, so if you have any questions you'd like me to ask him, gimme a holler at daytimedial(at)gmail.com. I will definitely be asking him if we'll be seeing him as Dylan in the new 90210, so submit any other question aside from that.