Fans of “The Young and the Restless” know Thad Luckinbill from the 11 years he portrayed J.T. Hellstrom. It was there that he met his wife, Amelia Heinle, who plays J.T.’s now ex-wife, Victoria Newman. But Thad has been keeping busy with other projects before, during and after his tenure on “YR”; his most recent being the Hallmark Channel original movie “Keeping Up With the Randalls,” which premieres July 16 at 9/8c. I spoke with Thad recently about the movie, as well as some other projects.
Daytime Dial: One of the things I liked about “Keeping Up With the Randalls” is that although it’s a family film, it also has some sassiness to it. What were some things for you that initially drew you to the movie and to the character of Will?
Thad Luckinbill: First off, I’ve known Kayla (Ewell, who plays Alicia) for a while, and I’ve always wanted to work with her, so that was a draw for me. Also, I like a lot of who Will is — in a big stretch of imagination it is kind of how I grew up and a little bit of my background in a way. I grew up in a small town with a lot of the focus on family, and playing sports was something I grew up with. I’m an outdoorsy guy, so all of that was just really fun, to be honest with you. When we were doing that stuff, I didn’t feel like we were working at all. There was a big, fun element to doing that, and also getting to work with Roma Downey and Marion Ross and everyone else was just a treat.
DD: Were the rest of the actors excited to play all those sports and get to mess around outside a lot, or were some a little hesitant, like Kayla’s character, Alicia?
TL: Everybody had a good time with the sports and the games. I had a blast the day we got to kayak on the lake. That kind of stuff is fun. Everybody just seemed like they were having a lot of fun doing it. It was a great cast. That whole cast got along so well. Hallmark does such a great job of getting people together and making it easy. It was just an easy shoot, and everybody got along really well and had a lot of fun together.
DD: What are some qualities that Will possesses that you both have in common?
TL: Obviously, the physical aspect. I grew up in a really loving family; my parents are still together. It’s kind of a small-knit community, so I brought a lot of that personal experience into that role because it just matched up so well. Will’s determination was something I decided to try to bring out, because I really do think he loves Alicia, and he really wants to make it work. That determination is definitely something that he and I share.
DD: I was thrilled to see you featured last season on “Nikita” on the CW. Will we see your character, Nathan, next season? It was left kind of open for his return.
TL: I think that’s yet to be determined. They were honest about it and told me that they weren’t sure exactly what to do with it, so that is why they left it open. It’s like anything, I think if the story’s right and it matches up to bring him back, then that would be great. I would love it. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I think it would be a good twist if they decided to bring him back. It was really a fun group to work with and a really cool show. I love how stylized that show is. I think that was what I was most impressed with. Not just the way they shoot, but the way it looks. It’s just a really pretty show.
DD: I remember you had a pretty long run on the sitcom “8 Simple Rules.” What was it like working with a comic genius like the late John Ritter?
TL: I know you shouldn’t say this, but that was my favorite job I ever had. Just because of John. I love sitcom work anyway, but to be able to work with that guy was pretty magical. He just had a way about him of making everybody feel good. He would come in the morning and just make everybody laugh. We’d be sitting down at the table waiting to read or start rehearsing, but he’d be talking to all the crew guys and the camera guys and the craft service guys, and making them laugh. He used his gift to make people feel good about themselves, and he was such a likable guy and so good at what he did. I’m sure when I look back at my career as I get toward the end of it, I’ll still have that at the top, because it was such a neat experience to work with him.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Interview: Keeping Up With Thad Luckinbill
Thursday, July 07, 2011
AMC and OLTL Live on Via Prospect Park
Friday, June 24, 2011
Interview: Catching Up With Joseph Lyle Taylor
Character actor Joseph Lyle Taylor has honed his acting skills in starring and guest-starring roles on many popular TV series and movies, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Contender,” “100 Centre Street,” “Law and Order,” “Dexter” and, most recently, the FX hit show “Justified.” I caught up with Joseph to discuss playing Timothy Olyphant’s nemesis, Doyle Bennett, this past season, as well as his new movie due to hit theaters in August.
Daytime Dial: Before getting the role of Doyle Bennett on “Justified,” were you already a fan of the show?
Joseph Lyle Taylor: I was a huge fan of “Justified.” I thought it was just fantastic the first season. I couldn’t believe they were doing it. I thought it was just great. I’m a real fan of Tim’s (Olyphant) from “Deadwood.”
DD: What’s great about being on a series on a cable network like FX is you explore more areas that you might not be able to on network television.
JLT: Oh yeah; it’s really fantastic. The network shows have gotten so, how do you say this? Systematically, they’re so formulaic. It’s really hard to get on a network show. Everybody looks like gods, they’re all so beautiful. So, thank God for cable. Otherwise, what would we do?
You get into cable shows like those on TNT, AMC and FX, and you say: “Oh, I see. These guys are like me.” And there are definitely some really great cable shows on. “Breaking Bad” is just really a phenomenal show, and Bryan Cranston is really excellent. I really like “Breaking Bad,” “Justified” and “Mad Men.”
DD: How did this opportunity on “Justified” come about for you?
JLT: The audition process was pretty interesting. Cami Patton, the casting director, and my agents were really trying to get me in. They were casting both the characters, Dickie and Doyle. You never really get much opportunity to play these kinds of characters, these Southern bad guys. I’m originally from Texas, and throughout my career I’ve spent a lot of time and money getting rid of my accent. When you get to jump back into that, not only the accent, but there’s a certain feeling and attitude that these Southern tough guys have that’s just a lot of fun.
When I was reading the breakdown for it, I was very excited to go in. I actually read for Dickie, which Jeremy Davies plays. I got a really good response, and they called and were like: “Listen, we love him, but Jeremy Davies is going to play that role. We wonder if Joseph would come back for Doyle.” And I’m like, “Yeah I’ll come back for Doyle.”
DD: What do you like about playing Doyle?
JLT: By the time I got to episode three, I had sort of figured out Doyle was really cool. He wasn’t a loud screaming bad guy. He was just very quiet. He would observe and then do whatever business he had to do. He’s sort of quiet, funny and efficient — just get the job done.
If you watch the first episode of season two, where I go in with Jeremy and we put Chris Mulkey’s leg in that bear trap, you can see I’m sort of playing him as a tough guy, but by the time I got to the third episode, I realized he’s not quite like that. He’s much more of a quiet guy, behind the scenes. He’s sort of the Dick Cheney of the Bennett family.
JLT: It’s really a heartfelt movie about this kid who’s trying to find himself, played by Lucas Black. The character’s Texan, and I play his father. The movie goes back and forth, and so my character ages like 15 years throughout the movie, which is really interesting to do. I had never really done anything that aged me as much. The movie is such a pretty script.
The movie itself is really pretty too. They got a lot of rain in west Texas. We shot just west of Austin up in the hill country, which is a really beautiful part of Texas, and we had a rainy winter, so everything was really, really green and lush. Of course, we spent a lot of time on the golf course. The story line is that I really ride my kid hard in golf and make him practice and this and that. And then he gets his first real shot at a pro tour, and I end up giving him some bad advice, and he ends up not winning the tournament.
He takes off, and that is where he meets Robert Duvall’s character, Johnny Crawford, out in Utopia. He learns lessons on life, and it’s really quite touching.
DD: Do we get to see you on the golf course?
JLT: No, I don’t get to really golf. I get to hit the ball with Lucas. Getting cast in this movie came down to my swing. If my swing was good enough to pass the PGA tour guys who are like, “Well, if your swing’s not good enough then it’s going to look weird.” So, I had to go out to Griffin Park, set up my video camera, video my golf swing and send it in. I guess it passed muster.
DD: It must be nice for you as an actor to be able to work in all kinds of acting genres: TV, film, stage.
JLT: I do like to mix it up. I really enjoy all three of them.
DD: Plus, you got to work with the late, great Sidney Lumet on “100 Centre Street.” As a director, what was he like to work with and to learn from?
JLT: It was amazing to work with him. I trailed him on a lot of episodes that I wasn’t in, because I’m interested in directing too, and I had a great opportunity to watch him work, and see how you break down scripts and how he set up his shots. The one thing he said to me that really hit home was, “Joe, darling, shoot what you like.” And it’s like, of course. Shoot what I like, because we all have the experience of life. You’ve experienced things, I’ve experienced things, and all those things speak to our art, to what we do.
Sidney was amazing, and he was a real sweetheart and genius. I was just so fortunate to be able to spend two years working with him. It’s something that I thought that really mattered. I would have loved to have hung out with him all the time. He was a real mentor and a real inspiration. Look at his movies — his movies are so amazing: “Network,” “The Verdict,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “The Hill.” He’s got like 40 movies, and they are amazing. “12 Angry Men” was his first feature. Can you believe that? That’s all shot in one room. There are no locations. There’s no crane shot. There’s no CGI. It’s just fascinating to watch.
I wish we would have gone five years like they were planning (with “100 Centre Street”), but I’m so grateful that he cast me in that show. It was an amazing experience.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Divas of Daytime
The Divas, Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, AMC), Kassie DePaiva (Blair, OLTL), and Kathy Brier (ex-Marcie, OLTL) will be performing a special concert on Sunday, August 14 at 7:00 pm at the famous Triad located at 158 W. 72nd Street , New York. Join three of your favorite daytime actresses for a very special concert during One Life To Live's Fan Club Weekend. Meet and greet with photo opportunity immediately to follow concert.
Tickets are $55.00, with a 2 drink minimum in Orchestra and $45.00, with a 2 drink minimum in the Mezzanine, if purchased in advance. (Tickets will be $65.00, with a 2 drink minimum in Orchestra and $55.00, with a 2 drink minimum in the Mezzanine, if purchased the night of the concert). Don’t let this special concert pass you by.
Order your tickets now!
http://www.kassiedepaiva.com/divanyc11.html
Friday, June 10, 2011
Interview (GH): Brianna Brown, Happy to Bring the Crazy
When Brianna Brown’s character on “General Hospital,” Lisa Niles, first came to Port Charles back in January of last year, she seemed like a normal girl. An ex-girlfriend of Patrick Drake, she got a job at the hospital with Patrick and Robin, but soon, she let her crazy flag fly. I spoke with Brianna about playing Lisa, and she gave me a peek into what dastardly deeds Lisa has planned for the folks of Port Charles.
Daytime Dial: When you first got the role of Lisa, did you know she was going to turn out to be pretty wacko, or did she kind of evolve that way?
Brianna Brown: I was waiting for the craziness to happen, because when the role was first pitched to me, they told me that it was going to be a “Fatal Attraction”-type story line. So, I was waiting for the craziness to begin.
DD: When it comes to playing Lisa, it would be real easy to bring out the crazy, all the time. How do you bring out the humanity in Lisa as well?
BB: I try really hard to make logical sense of why she does what she does. I try to rationalize her behavior. Even though I find it ridiculous and completely uncalled for, I try to figure out, as an actor, what could make me really upset. If I didn’t have any morals, how I would take it to the next four levels? So, I try to find something to really motivate why she’s doing what she’s doing, so it’s not just the idea that this person is just crazy.
DD: What do you like best about playing her?
BB: I like that every week I have no idea what I’m going to be doing next. I love how she jumps in front of cars and then accuses other people of hitting her. She’s blamed everyone else for everything. And that she can go from completely frightening and in a state of rage to “I’m completely fine and it’s you,” which is fun and challenging as an actress to be able to play.
DD: What have been some of your favorite scenes that you’ve filmed?
BB: Well, jumping in front of the car was really fun, because it was just so absurd. And I would have to say when I had Robin trapped in the cabin and she was drugged — before she fell into the well. It’s so much fun getting to play with Kimberly McCullough and Jason Thompson anyway, and all the scenes are really fun. The scenes happening right now are among my favorites as well.
DD: Speaking of what’s coming up for the viewers, the hospital is on lockdown, and you are holding people hostage. What can you tell me about that?
BB: It’s gonna be good! Those have been some of my favorite scenes that I’ve shot so far. I haven’t seen the final edits yet, but I really think viewers are going to be on the edge of their seats.
DD: When you are filming heavy scenes like that, do you all crack jokes to break the tension between takes?
BB: With these scenes coming up, we were all a little bit more focused, because there’s a lot going on. After the fact, definitely. One of the days after shooting, Kimberley, Kristen and I all went out and got a drink. We’re like: “Oh, that was heavy. We should go have a drink together.”
What I can tell you is that this hospital lockdown/hostage story line is going to be really good. I mean, it’s always been really good, but I’m especially excited about these scenes. It will be fun to see what happens after, too.
DD: Were you nervous about the fans lashing out at you because of your character’s attempts at breaking up one of the show’s favorite supercouples?
BB: I was warned right away that it was a major relationship that my character would be breaking up. And I was forewarned: “People are going to hate you. Don’t read the message boards, and grow really thick skin.” So I make it a point of never reading the message boards. I just don’t do that to myself. And I’ve had to fend off some Twitter people who were very upset and defensive of their couple, which I understand — and, I was forewarned.
I think 99 percent of the fans will differentiate between me and my character, but there are those that do take it to the next level, or they just want to be nasty for nasty’s sake. But I’m glad that they’re affected and not indifferent. That would be worse — that they were indifferent to my character. It means the writing and what I’m doing are believable enough for certain people. So, I’ll take it as a compliment.
DD: After everything that Lisa puts the other characters through, especially Robin and Patrick, do you try to take them out for drinks to make up for her?
BB: (Laughs) No, but I have bought coffee. I have bribed them with, “I’m sane — with coffee!” But they know I’m sane, and all three of us have hung out outside of work. Anytime I’ve had to be especially nasty to Kimberly, we always make sure to give each other a hug afterward. It’s funny, because when people come on set tours, and they see that she and I are talking, their eyes kind of bug out. They’re like, “Oh my gosh, they don’t hate each other.”
DD: Lisa briefly dated Dr. Steve Webber and had a chance to turn her life around and to be good. Were you sad for Lisa that she is so far gone that she couldn’t make the right choice?
BB: Yeah, I think it’s — I would hope — an exaggeration of a lot of people who are stuck in unhealthy relationships and stuck in the past and obsessing over someone who doesn’t want to be with them. We go a level or four beyond that. It is sad to see that, but I try to see the truth that there are people who would go back to the guy who is abusive. Or they’ll sabotage a good relationship. So that was my justification of why she’s continually doing it. I loved working with Scott Reeves, so I was like: “Oh no! We’re not going to be playing together all the time.” And Brandon Barash, that’s been really fun getting to know him, with his character blackmailing me and all the scenes we’ve been able to play together.
DD: Those scenes with Lisa and Johnny are so much fun to watch. How is Brandon to work with?
BB: The two of us are just such musical-theater dorks anyway, because it’s in our background. We goof around a lot and talk in weird voices, and all of a sudden we’re looking at each other, and he’s a mobster and I’m psycho. It’s just really funny, to go from being really dorky theater kids to being “our characters.”
DD: Aside from “General Hospital,” you’ve got quite a few feature-film credits on your resume. Any plans to return to that genre?
BB: I love “General Hospital,” and I love doing TV. I’ve done a lot of prime-time TV and films prior to working on “General Hospital.” I’m sure at some point I will go back to doing more film and prime-time television. I love a good film. Just like I love a good story line. And whenever I get to act and do great work, whatever the genre, it’s just such a rush and a blessing as an actor.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Interview: Brigid Brannagh Has A Crush on You
Brigid Brannagh took a break from being an Army wife and developed a crush on Sean Patrick Flanery in the Hallmark original movie “A Crush on You,” which premieres June 11 at 9/8c. Brigid plays Charley, an overworked single mom who soon develops a flirtatious email exchange with a “secret admirer.” This admirer (Flanery), as it turns out, meant for the email to reach Charley’s co-worker, Chloe, who herself is a slightly vacuous yet gorgeous man-eater. I spoke with Brigid recently about the experience of playing someone other than her “Army Wives” character, Pamela.
Daytime Dial: What was it about this movie and the role of Charley that made you want to be a part of it?
Brigid Brannagh: One of the things that I really liked about it is that she’s really sort of forgotten herself; she’s in the background of her own life in a way. It actually happens to a lot of women, a lot of mothers, I should say. I also liked that there was the opportunity to kind of be really natural, messy. I think it’s one of the things I’m willing to do that a lot of people aren’t. I like playing people who are a little undone and honest. I have a harder time with people who are so together it’s impossible. In fact, I don’t even know how to play them.
DD: Charley really is the “everywoman” — in her professional life and her personal life.
BB: I really like the everywoman roles, because there are just so many roles that have nothing to do with what women really are. Most women, a big part of their lives is being a daughter, a wife, a girlfriend, a best friend and a mother, and I think that women tend to associate ourselves by the people we surround ourselves with. Our work ethic, our loyalty and all that are intertwined.
DD: What was it like to work with Sean Patrick Flanery?
BB: He is a joker, very playful. I can be kind of nerdy; I don’t want to mess up. I’ve done this for 25 years, and still, my heart will palpitate if I am not sure that I really have a handle on what I am shooting or that I might mess up. I’m so super focused, and I can get a little OCD like that. But not Sean. He’s more casual in terms of like, let’s just work a little with this line; let’s make it work. He’s joking around, and I’m like: “OK, time to go. What are you doing?”
You’d be amazed at how much people try to make me laugh and it’s not going to happen. I’m terrible. I’m never on a gag reel, because I’ll joke before and I’ll joke after. The money’s being spent. I’m one of nine Irish kids, so I have that work ethic. I’m not wasting a dime.
DD: You also got to work with Michael Clarke Duncan …
BB: Oh, he was a lovely man. What a delightful human being. Literally, he is. He is a very grateful, sweet, bright human being.
DD: What message do you hope viewers take away after watching this movie?
BB: I hope that people realize that yeah, I count too. I can have things; I can have joy, and I can remember that I’m special. I hope it just kind of nudges people a little bit, especially women, to realize that there’s a lot more there. And it’s literally right there in front of you.
Monday, May 23, 2011
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.
Jennie Garth (on deciding to compete on “Dancing with the Stars”): I had like a moment of insanity when I said yes to that. I didn’t realize, sometimes you get yourself into things and you are like, “What have I done?” And that was definitely one of those things for me, but once you are in, you can’t get out. I just had to keep moving forward. I had to keep going. It was go-time, and I had to go. It ended up going well — much better than I thought — but every moment, every turn, was unknown to me. I was in unknown territory. But it was fun, and it was exhilarating. It was challenging, and it was kind of freeing in that I really feel that I could do anything.
Jaime Pressly (on doing a wrap-up or reunion show for “My Name Is Earl”): I would be game to go back to that set and work with those people any day, any time. And I think everybody else that was a part of the show would say the same thing. It was the greatest job I’ve ever had and the greatest group of people that you could ever ask to work with. They all hold a very dear place in my heart, and I miss them all terribly.
Erin Karpluk (on similarities between her and her character on “Being Erica”): I like that when life gets her down or she stumbles in life, she is able to pick herself up, dust herself off and keep going. So that is something that I have learned personally from her. I've heard from friends and family that there are certain quirks and mannerisms that are my own that come out in the character. Usually any kind of awkward moments she is having is probably pretty authentically Erin, because I find that I can be awkward in life, and I’m not afraid to make mistakes. That is something of me that I bring to the character. And then on a dramatic level, anything to do with family is something that I can just draw upon from real life. The one thing that Erin and Erica both are is we are very committed and empathetic toward our loved ones. My family and my friends mean more to me than anything. I feel very lucky to have that connection in my own personal life, so I can draw upon that in my acting experiences. The fact that I work with such wonderful cast members, it just makes it so easy for us to have that connection. It’s like a real family I have now when I go back to Toronto to shoot. It’s really lovely to go back to those actors and create those connections.
Ross Thomas (on working with Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid on “Soul Surfer”): It was a bit surreal, to be honest. They both are icons in their own right and a pleasure to work with. Helen is an avid surfer — surfing is what really brought us together. Dennis is interested in learning and getting good. At first, he played golf on his days off, but we got him hooked, and he became a surf junkie. I think that really carried over into our performances, that sense of family.
Jane Seymour (on her children in the biz): My son, Johnny, one of the twins, is becoming a rock star. He is about to be signed by a major label. He’s writing this amazing music. He’s extraordinary. He’s the lead singer and the lead guitarist. I’m just in awe of his talent. Then my oldest son, Sean Flynn, he’s 25, he does the most extraordinary photographic art. Collectors have already been buying his stuff. He was studying to be a filmmaker and all of a sudden, the next thing I know, he’s doing this really unique, extraordinary photographic art. One of my daughters, Katherine Flynn, is an actress. She also writes great comedy. She ended up staring opposite me in a movie called “Perfectly Prudence” for the Hallmark Channel just recently. She was fantastic in it. She played my daughter. Of course, it wasn’t much of a stretch. But it was fun, because she had a lot of scenes with Joe Lando who, of course, was my “Dr. Quinn” co-star.
Heather Locklear (on flexing her comedy chops on “Saturday Night Live” in the ’90s): That was my favorite! That was my most favorite thing I’ve done where you could see that I’m funny. I had such a great time doing it. And that “Melrose Place” take-off was so funny. So perfectly perfect. I have a meeting coming up for something soon, something funny, so we’ll see.
Sharon Case (on Sharon’s lack of support from the men in her life): I think Sharon didn’t feel like she really did have a lot of support. She really felt like the town wasn’t quite behind her. Jack is “supportive,” but he has his own motives, and Nick was trying to get custody of her child, and Adam — though he is her only real, true support — he was off trying to find evidence to help her. But Sharon didn’t feel that she had an army of friends supporting her by any stretch of the imagination. She doesn’t trust Jack. When they were married, Jack was a liar, and besides, he’s back with crazy Phyllis, so why would she trust anything that he is doing? That lowers him on the totem pole in her mind. She knows he has ulterior motives, as well as Phyllis. When those two were insisting on “helping Sharon,” Sharon wasn’t even interested in that. I guess she was more humoring them by letting them think they were “helping.”
Mark Pellegrino (on the variety of the roles he’s played): Well, I’m glad that it is happening that way. Some folks would like to say that I’ve played bad guys. I think if I play the bad guy, I try to — I can never look at myself as a bad guy. I always try to bring out the good and the moral and the right that the person is going for, so hopefully any variety that I’m able to bring to a role just happens because I’m trying to find the human thing and not act in an archetypal way.
Eric Winter (on possibly working with wife, actress Roselyn Sanchez): You know, I don’t know. If the right project ever came up, and it made sense, then sure. I mean, we’re not completely against it, but it’s one of those things that a lot of couples — sometimes you keep it separate, but if the right opportunity presents itself, then who knows?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
New Head-Writing Team at Days
Mr. Corday released this statement: "McPherson and Thomas will bring Days of our Lives back to its core values by telling exciting stories with a fresh and contemporary approach including beloved characters."
Monday, May 16, 2011
Interview (YR): Sharon Case, Full-Fledged Leading Lady
In the almost 17 years that Sharon Case has portrayed Sharon Newman on “The Young and the Restless,” her character has seen it all. From numerous romances, catfights, a death (and another supposed death) of a child, almost plummeting to her death from a cliff, and her attempt to save Skye, who eventually fell into a volcano, Sharon Case has finally made the ultimate “leading lady rite of passage”: On the run and falsely accused of murder, Sharon Newman is now presumed dead.
Daytime Dial: As you know, Sharon has been through the wringer, but now you have withstood the test of the true measure of soap-opera leading-lady standing: You are truly a leading lady when you’ve been wrongly presumed dead at least once!
Sharon Case: You’re right! You know you have to come back from the dead at least once. I think there is something to that. Most of the leading ladies have done that. I’m a full-fledged leading lady — now I’ve done it all!
DD: In true soap-opera fashion, it seems that every time we talk, many monumental events have happened to Sharon in the meantime. You must have the most fun job in the world.
SC: I shoot so many fun scenes, but what I’m shooting now is really different and fun. The volcano was different and fun. I’ve always got some really different, cool, fun story line. And we have these great sets: The hurricane set was amazing. And New Orleans was amazing and a great story line. I’ve had so many fun ones that it’s hard to pick which was my favorite. I think that all the story lines are terrific. They just seem to get better and better all the time. I used to say my favorite scene was with Nikki when we were in the sewer with the rats. I loved working with Melody (Thomas Scott), and it still is one of my favorite scenes, but I shot that scene not too long ago last year with Michelle Stafford where Sharon and Phyllis get in a chocolate fountain fight, and that is just like my favorite scene of all time now. It’s not every day you get to do something like that. I always have something exciting to do.
DD: Now that Sharon is presumed dead, she has time to prove her innocence, but what is she going through emotionally?
SC: She’s had to change her whole life. She abandoned her family, but she’s really in a place where she feels she also has no choice. Going back to Genoa City means being in prison for the rest of her life, and she’s not going to be with her children if she’s in prison the rest of her life. She felt that this is what’s best. Being out of prison, she can do a lot of things: find evidence, and at least she’s not locked behind bars. I can’t say what she’s going to do because you have to wait and see, but she has a lot of options now and decisions to make now that she has this new freedom.
DD: Veteran feature-film actor Sean Patrick Flanery has joined the cast as Sam Gibson, a veterinarian in New Mexico who takes Sharon in, not knowing who she really is. What can you tell me about Sam and about working with Sean Patrick?
SC: Sean is an amazing professional. He just jumped right into this role. Most people who haven’t worked on a soap can be a little bit disoriented their first day or their first week, because there’s a lot to learn. He did about 40 pages his first day, something like 17 scenes, and he did it perfectly. He did a great job. He’s amazing. His character, Sam, is somebody who Sharon meets along the way since her escape. But I really can’t tell you anything else other than he’s here and he’s doing a fantastic job.
DD: What was your response, and that of your fellow actors, when you heard the news of the cancellation of “AMC” and “OLTL”?
SC: I got a lot of emails from my friends and co-stars, and even actors from other daytime shows. Everybody was just reeling from the news. I guess when the Proctor & Gamble shows (“Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns”) went off the air, it kind of just looked like, well, P&G just doesn’t want to have a production company anymore and own a soap opera, which makes sense. But these shows, these were really a shock. It just seems like it is something that should not happen. “All My Children” should not be off the air. And that is my opinion. That’s a lot of people’s opinion. I was watching “The View” the other day — they had Mrs. Michelle Obama on — and they were saying the same thing, that this was just wrong. I hope it doesn’t continue. It hurts all of the other remaining shows, because it makes the genre smaller.
DD: It’s also scary because the shows they are replacing them with aren’t other dramas, but talk shows and reality shows.
SC: Right. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that networks were creating more soaps and putting them on the air. I remember they created “Port Charles” and then “Passions,” and the genre was growing. A lot of people have been saying this for a long time, that networks are putting on a little bit too much reality TV, talk-show TV, cooking shows, dance shows — it just becomes all that, all the time.
There is not a single person who I’ve ever met who is happy with that, as far as the audience goes. So, it’s bizarre to me that you could ask literally anyone you walk by on the street if they are happy with the programming of all those shows, and they will tell you: “God, no. I hate the talk shows,” or something like that. You like to have one talk show, but you don’t want them to all be talk shows. And you might want to watch one reality show, but most people have been saying for the past five or six years that they are tired of reality shows. They want TV to go back to their dramas and sitcoms. What happened to the days of real dramas and real sitcoms?
DD: On to a happier topic: Your line of jewelry, Pomp, has been kicking butt and taking names over at QVC.com. Any plans for a new line?
SC: Yeah, it’s so exciting. We are pretty much sold out. We got all five stars on pretty much everything. Those are kind of unheard of statistics. We did really well. Now we have to decide what we’re going to do and what the future line will look like, but we haven’t actually made a decision exactly where we are going to sell the line. We’re putting our heads together on that. It was really a fun experience to do the show on QVC, and they were wonderful to work with. Doing live television was exhilarating. We are definitely going to keep it going, but we haven’t decided on the details yet. There have been a lot of retailers interested in our line, and our line sold out. Suddenly we’ve been presented with a lot of options. It’s a really good problem to have.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Interview: Catching Up With Patrick Fabian
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| (Photo by Josh Madson) |
Daytime Dial: You have such a wide and varied resume of characters that you’ve played. A lot of actors are probably envious of the fact that you are not pigeonholed into any one type of character. How has that given you freedom as an actor?
Patrick Fabian: It’s funny — being the typical actor, I’m like, “Oh, I want somebody else’s resume.” You’re never happy with what you’ve got; you’re always complaining in some respects. I’ve been really fortunate, and I have played a variety of things, and I have been on a lot of cool shows. When I say “cool shows,” it’s not necessarily the most popular. Yes, I’ve been on “Friends” and I’ve been on “Will & Grace,” and those are grade-A caliber shows. But I’ve also been on stuff like “Xena” and “Burn Notice,” which have their pocket of fans, and man, they are fun to be on. I just got offered a job on “Hot in Cleveland” to play half of a pair of Siamese twins. That’s the sort of job you just don’t say no to, because how often does that come around?
DD: You got a lot of notice for your role of Ted Price on “Big Love.” Tell me about that experience.
PF: I always joke that I was playing a “real” Mormon: He loves money first and Jesus second. I don’t think that has disparaged the Mormon faith by any stretch of the imagination, but I think my character was very much a guy about business above all, and he was using his religion as just another tool to get what he wanted financially. The best thing about that was working with Bill Paxton and Jeanne Tripplehorn. They were my main scene partners. They are just consummate pros. They bring their A game to everything, and it was a real treat to go on set and see people who, frankly, could probably put it in coast, but they chose not to.
That was a real lesson to me as an actor, that you never sit on your morals and rest on them. You are always trying get the best out of whatever it is you’re doing, and it was really fun to work with them. I want to be Bill Paxton when I grow up.
I know it’s funny with me being in that series, sort of a religious bent, but I played Reverend Cotton Marcus in “The Last Exorcism” last year, and I was doing religion again (with “Big Love”). A lot of people ask me if I choose my roles according to my religious views, and I tell them, “No, I actually choose them according to who’s offering me my next job!”
DD: For squeamish folks, like myself, who shy away from horror movies because we are wimps, what would you tell us to convince us to give “The Last Exorcism” a try?
PF: (Laughs) I’ll tell you a few things. One, I wouldn’t classify it as a horror movie straight up, because I think that gives the impression of a body count — a lot of blood and arrows in the eyes. I can tell you it was rated PG-13 for a reason. Not because it wasn’t creepy, not because it didn’t get into your spine, but it’s not a graphic gore fest. We like to call it a smart thriller with a horrific ending.
DD: How was the filming experience?
PF: This was a low-budget film. It was roughly $2 million for the budget. We shot on a shoestring for four weeks down in New Orleans. I’d never been to New Orleans. It was really fun, but in terms of creep factor, it was creepy, because the woman I was working with, Ashley Bell (who plays the possessed girl, Nell), is so good at playing both sides of her character’s coin: the sweet and innocent Nell and then the possessed girl. I can be as good as I want as the priest in the “Exorcism,” but if you don’t believe the possessed girl in an exorcism film, then you don’t have a film. And we do have a film, because she’s so good. I promise you, if you watch with the lights on, you will be OK. It won’t keep you up at night. And I think it’s a much smarter film than people give it credit for.
DD: How wonderful was it for you that the movie ended up being such a hit, and you won awards for your performance at a few major film festivals?
PF: Totally unexpected. The movie grossed, I think, like $70 million worldwide, and it had such a strong opening here in America, like a $20 million opening weekend. I got to fly over to London for the premier, and I got to fly to Toronto for the premier. So, after 20 years of kicking around as an actor, it was nice to play movie star for a couple of weeks. In Toronto I got the Best Actor Award in the After Dark Festival. The film got nominated for a Spirit Award and a People’s Choice Award. I won the Best Actor Award at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.
DD: You have so much experience in all different acting genres — is there one you prefer, or do you enjoy mixing it up and keeping yourself on your toes?
PF: I’m kind of like a sled dog in that I’m really happy with where I am at the moment. So, if I’m doing a play, like I was doing last year, it was great, and I do love the theater, very much so. It’s how I was trained, and I really feel at home there. But I also feel at home when we have four-camera sitcoms. I like being on location with films, so I’ve been blessed with a varying degree of work in my career that I haven’t had time to really get burned out on any one genre, which has been nice. Although I used to say, “I’d love nothing more than to run a hundred episodes of something.” But honestly, I don’t know. I wouldn’t know that until I actually did that. What I know is what I know, and that’s being able to pick up and adjust to whatever the situation requires.
