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The Trevor St. John Interview – In The Family and One Life to Live

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Many daytime fans have been missing the talents of the Trevor St. John from their television screens, where for an amazing eight-year run on One Life to Live he played the role of Todd Manning in a performance that broke the mold in the soap genre. As many know in his last month of the show it was revealed Trevor’s Todd was really Todd’s twin, Victor Jr., and the character was subsequently murdered.  That story is still playing out and resonating on One Life today with many repercussions ahead.

And now, as Trevor focuses on his new projects and endeavors, he is getting rave reviews in a new film from actor-writer-producer, Patrick Wang, called In The Family, which is set to debut in New York City on November 4th hopefully with national distribution to follow.  The inspiring and emotional tale of In The Family features Trevor in a role that his fans have never seen and he have never played before…that of a gay father with a life-partner, and from there the intense drama begins in a motion picture that deals with many social issues of our day.

To say Trevor is elusive, sometime reclusive, a true original, funny, bright, and one of the most powerful actors we have ever seen is just the tip of the iceberg.  On-Air On-Soaps is happy to bring you this interview where Trevor reveals his side of the story on his departure from OLTL, and his thoughts on the reveal of his alter-ego being Victor Jr. and Roger Howarth returning to the series as Todd.  Plus, he opens up about his thoughts on the amazing fans of daytime, and his
co-stars and the soap genre, and how he truly was, “The Accidental Soap Star”.
We begin on our talk with what Trevor had to say about his new motion picture!

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/IntheFamilyLLC

Trevor, your new film, In The Family just got an amazing review in Variety.  And in it, you play Cody.  And part of the set up of the film is Cody and his partner, Joey, (Patrick Wang) care for a little boy, Chip, who is Cody’s biological son.  The backdrop for the film is interestingly Tennessee … and Cody suddenly dies!  How long are you in the film, if you are “killed-off”?

TREVOR:

I am mostly in flashbacks and Patrick kind of does it non-linearly. I get killed in the first 30 minutes of the film, and then you see me in flashbacks throughout the rest of it.

MICHAEL:

How did you come into this role?   Did you know Patrick Wang previously?

TREVOR:

I did not know Patrick Wang before. My agent sent me the script and wanted to know if I was interested in it.  I thought it was a beautifully written script.  And I went in and read for Patrick and that was it.

MICHAEL:

And how was he to work with?  The film sounds amazing on so many levels!

TREVOR:

Courtesy/IntheFamilyLLC

Patrick is really one of the best actors and directors I have ever worked with, and he has got a really risk taking spirit.  He understands human nature and it is born out in his screenplay and the final product of the film.  He knows how to talk to actors.  He is patient and he knows what he wants, and he has great esthetic vision.  He is a very talented guy and he has it all.  Plus, he is a really a good actor!

MICHAEL:

It is a very important social issue of our time, having same-sex couples raising a child.  And this film even brings in another issue, when one of the partners suddenly dies and now there is one single gay parent raising a child.  Was that one of the things that drew you to the role and the movie?

TREVOR:

I think so.  I have never played a gay character before and I am always looking to do something different.  And I knew I was going to have to kiss him (laughs).  I knew that was one of the “oh-gosh-I-don’t-know-about-that” moments.  But, I thought you need to just jump in to whatever you are fearful of or reticent to do.  I always make it a rule to jump right in there and see what it is like.  So that was one of the reasons I took the role, but mostly it is story.  The other stuff is secondary to the story.

MICHAEL:

Well, from everyone I have had the privilege to speak to over the last several years at One Life, they always tell me, “Trevor was the risk-taker!”  And, that you are the one who comes in on set with a twist on something.

TREVOR:

Courtesy/IntheFamilyLLC

For sure, I like a challenge.

MICHAEL:

What will fans that have watched you on OLTL see in your performance of Cody? Clearly, he is much different than Todd/Victor Jr.!

TREVOR:

I would never even know where to begin with that. Cody in In The Family is a real good guy and he is a real good dad, except I realized when I watched the film there is a scene where I go pick up my son and I don’t make him put his seat belt on! (Laughs)  Cody is also a deep feeling person, but then so is Todd.  The difference in character is how they choose to act out on their feelings and however their feelings are manifested.  I never even considered, “Well, I want to play this guy different than Todd.” I think it’s all in the writing, and the writing is so different.  So as an actor if you get out of the way, then the character comes through.

MICHAEL:

Do you know people in your own life that are in a same-sex relationship that have raised a child?  I have met many couples over the last few years that are looking to adopt a child and raise it, and there are still a lot of struggles for same-sex couples to be chosen, or sometimes accepted in this society as “fit” parents.

TREVOR:

No, I don’t, but I have a four and half year old son now myself.  However, I feel strongly about this.  I don’t know if I would necessarily say it’s ideal to have a mother and a father, (and that would be fine), and you have a masculine and feminine type of situation going on, but I don’t think it’s necessary.  I think that is one of the least important parts for a child being raised.  A child should be raised by loving and respectful parents who are considerate of their child’s growth, and a woman or a man, or two women, or two men; neither of those has a monopoly on this or knows better than anyone else.  You can have a mother and a father raising a child and have it be the worst situation, and you can have a same-sex couple doing the same thing and have it be really wonderful.  Great parenting is not a function of your sex or your sexuality, and that is just a fact.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/IntheFamilyLLC

So it sounds to me from that we are going to need our hankies for In The Family!

TREVOR:

Yeah, you might need it.  I know there were people on the set who were crying during scenes. There is some moving stuff in it.  Patrick really allows things to happen, and you really take a ride and it’s very intimate.  He lets the actors really go.  So the audience gets really sucked in by it, so you might shed some tears.

MICHAEL:

You have done many feature films and television roles in addition to OLTL.  Would you say that this role in In The Family is one of your favorites?

TREVOR:

This is one of my favorites.  It is a departure from every thing else I have done.  And I don’t’ know if it was my favorite role, but it was my favorite experiences acting.  And it was of my best performances I feel, that is for sure.  I am really proud of it.

MICHAEL:

Now that you have experienced, playing gay, would you play a gay role again?

TREVOR:

Yeah.  Gay or not, it’s all about the script and the story.  But yeah, sure I would do almost… … well, but I do have limits… but it’s mostly about the externals, now of course they effect your psychologically and all of that.  What I am trying to say is it’s all just a character.  It has nothing to do with you.  So why not play a gay character?  Why not play a killer?  Why not play a ridiculous person?

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL:

Your fans from One Life to Live miss you terribly.  What did you think of the plot twist during the end of your run when you were revealed to be Victor Jr., and that you and Roger Howarth’s Todd, were twins?  Many in the audience of course were all hoping for many episodes of the two of you going head to head over the business, woman, children, and every issue imaginable.  Since you had made the role of Todd your own over the last eight years, when you heard Roger Howarth was coming back were you like, “What? or “How cool!”

TREVOR:

I thought, “Oh cool” and I was really excited about it and one of the reasons is I like taking the risks.  But on the soaps, and this is not a diss of the writers or the people who are making creative decisions, but they can be a little redundant sometime.  Simply because of the nature of the stories they can tell, and it’s on every single day.  So it can be a little repetitive.  So anytime I got the opportunity to do something different, I was like, “Oh great!  Completely new circumstances and completely new relationships, and I revel in it and I was really thrilled by it.  And I have been asked the question a lot of, “Did I feel possessive of Todd?”  Not even a little bit.  And, I even thought I might when I heard Roger Howarth was coming back.  I was thinking, “I am sure he will play Todd.”  But I thought it was great!

MICHAEL:

Fans were witness to some amazing scenes with you and Roger in Viki’s study at Llanfair, when Irene was with the two of you.  You could see how much the two acted like twins.  Did you feel like you would have liked to see where all of that would go?

TREVOR:

I was a little confused about why they chose to structure that plot the way they did.  Most of the time was spent on the discovery of who was who, rather than the repercussions.  And I think it was the repercussions that the people wanted to see.  I am not saying it was wrong; I just don’t why they would do it that way.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ABC

You had posted a blog informing your fans that it was soon going to be your last day at One Life and thanking them for all of their love and support. What from your perspective were the circumstances surrounding your departure from the series?

TREVOR:

The case was, I was not going to stick around if the show had not been cancelled.  I had told them back almost a year ago that I was not going to continue on and then the show got canceled.  I will just tell you this because I am sure people want to know. It has nothing to do with the quality of the show, or the circumstances, or the people there.  It was just that eight years for my personality, and this is all me not the show, that for my personality and other reasons, I was looking to do other roles and take risks, because I didn’t become an actor to do the same thing over and over again.  I mean, if I wanted to do that I would have chosen another profession.  Now some actors love it and they love to play the same part and have the security of a long running role, but that is just not my personality.  It was eight years of doing the same role and I can’t do twelve.  And that is what it would have been.  I really adore the people I worked with over there, and I miss them.  I miss them quite a bit.  I love a lot of them, too.  The only thing I want to do, as the same thing longer than 8 years, is being married. (Laughs). Everything else I can’t take.  It was not about a “grass is greener” thing either.  It was simply about something different.  A lot of people think I am thinking, “Well, Trevor wants to go on to bigger and better things.”  No, no.  Not bigger and better.  Just different.  So that’s the reason.  And then the show got canceled and I went to the powers-that-be and I said, “If it would benefit the show, I would be happy to stick around until the last episode.”  And this was before Prospect Park came into the picture and all of that.  I said, if you would like to play that story out, and would like to go another four months, I could certainly go another four months. Let the repercussions play out and if you think it would be helpful to the show, I would be happy to do it.” So my contract ended on July 31st and July 22nd was my last day.

MICHAEL:

There have been conflicting reports that OLTL had wanted you very much to stay, but it became a timing issue.  Do you think it was because they had planned the story already so far ahead that when you had informed them you would be interested in staying, that they just couldn’t go back and re-script from where they were at the time?

TREVOR:

No, from my perspective I think they could have definitely changed it.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ABC

You have been labeled “difficult” by some.  Do you think that is a fair assessment?  It seems like very creative and talented individuals at times often face this same “tag” in the industry.

TREVOR:

There is no doubt about it, because I know what I want.  And I mean, I am not a jerk about it, but the reasons the fans of the show like what I am doing is because I am willing to take those risks.  I am willing to fight for those choices and whatever.  And on a day to day basis, it can be a grind.  My dear friend, Dan Gauthier (Kevin, OLTL) told me, “Trevor, if you weren’t playing Todd, you would have been out of here so long ago.” And I said, “I know.” (Laughs) Look, this is a business, and I get where they are coming from.  Who wants someone going, “No. I don’t see it that way.  This is what I want to do,” on a day to day basis.  In life and professions most people on the day-to-day want everything to be so easy.  The irony here is that this is the reason that people are commenting and appreciating my work, I think, is because of my approach.

MICHAEL:

So did you know they were going to shoot you as Victor Jr.?

TREVOR:

I don’t think they knew what was going to be the end for my character yet, and there were so many variables.  But they did tell me a couple weeks before I taped the episodes that I was going to get shot.

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ABC

What do you think of the way he died?  I thought it was in particular very bloody!

TREVOR:

It was bloody.  It was fine, and it was really about, who did it? Who shot Victor Jr.? You come to really accept what they give you.

MICHAEL:

What was it like working with Florencia Lozano (Tea)?  TNT fans want to know!

TREVOR:

I love Florencia, man; she is a bit of a risk-taker herself.  And working with me can be challenging because I will let myself go.  I have always thought that the mark of a really professional actress is to be able to say, “Yeah. You can go wherever you want as long as I don’t get hurt and I know when my line is coming.  Do whatever you wish.”  And that is what I tell all the actors I work with.  You can do whatever you want. You can yell, cry, scream, whatever you want, as long as I don’t get physically hurt and I pretty much know when I am supposed to talk and then you can do anything you want.”  I think that creates a situation that is fun for the fans, because if you don’t know what is going to happen, then the fans don’t either, and they are going to be on board with you.  Florencia is willing to go there and is willing to allow that because she is a pro.

MICHAEL:

By the way, it looks like coming up, and from online rumors, that Tea thinks she might be pregnant with Victor Jr’s child!

TREVOR:

Oh, no kidding?  Wow, I wonder why they would do that? (Laughs)

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ABC

How about your other leading lady, Kassie DePaiva (Blair)?

TREVOR:

Kassie is great!  I will tell you she is one of the lucky people.  She is such an interesting person.  So she does not have to try very hard, and when she doesn’t try very hard she is really brilliant.  I mean really brilliant!  She has all the talent.

MICHAEL:

And how was it working with Roger Howarth (Todd)?

TREVOR:

I like Roger, I really like Roger.  He is a sweetheart of a guy to talk to and have around. He is very open and a little bit like Florencia … willing to turn things on their head. Roger is a very talented guy.

MICHAEL:

What was your favorite Todd moment?  I loved the ending when you played Victor Jr. so in denial over what transpired, that you were saying you were Todd and wanting to take the family to Hawaii!   I say “Emmy” great choices!   But also what sticks in my head is the death by lethal injection execution scenes.  What are you most proud of?

TREVOR:

I do remember the whole Hawaii thing and trying to convince them I was Todd.  I think that was right near the end after the reveal I was Victor Jr.  I also liked the lethal injection.  But there were some moments on One Life to Live that I thought were really lovely, that weren’t very dramatic, and I don’t mean it was underplayed or something.  I just mean that it was not all that noteworthy because it wasn’t as intense as the execution scenes or something like that.  It’s one of those moments that happen when probably the directors or anybody noticed it, and it went right over their heads, and that is the stuff that I really love.  As far as the story; the execution story was a lot of fun, and this Victor story at the end was a lot of fun because it was so different.  It had a real beginning, middle and end.  You can hold on to that and sink your teeth into something like that.

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL:

The emotional scars that your character Victor Jr. must have suffered from the brain-washing, and the face altering, and what his mother had done to him, and finding out he is not Todd, was all so horrific! I mean, the guy would then have had to become really fractured about it.

TREVOR:

I know!  That is what I thought.  It would have been nice to get the information out of who I am and then see what happens.

MICHAEL:

Would you even entertain going back with One Life to Live when it goes online via Prospect Park?

TREVOR:

I would think about it. (Laughs) You never say never to something like this, but it would really depend on the circumstances, and all the variables.  That is what all the NFL quarterbacks say when they retire! (Laughs)  But as I said, it was never about the quality of the show or anything like that, it was just needing to do something different.  So with Prospect Park, it would really depend on the level of obligation.

MICHAEL:

Is it weird not being there at One Life?

TREVOR:

Courtesy/ABC

No, its not.  But I do miss my friends who I laughed a lot with on the set.  I laughed with Michael Easton (John) a ton, and we were ridiculous on the set!  We would laugh with Florencia, and Kassie, and Kristen Alderson (Starr) and everybody.  I mean, anybody who happened to be on the set when I was there.  I had a hard time taking it seriously. And again, I don’t mean that because it’s ridiculous, I mean because you can’t.  If you want to be any good, you can’t take everything so seriously.  The more seriously you take it, the worse your performance gets.  So I kept loose by being silly.

MICHAEL:

Were you surprised One Life got canceled by ABC?

TREVOR:

No, but there were so many good people who depended on it and really needed and wanted it to be there, and family men and women who thrive there.  So hopefully the Prospect Park deal will keep them afloat.

MICHAEL:

What would you want to say to your One Life to Live fans that miss you terribly?

TREVOR:

I will tell you this, man.  I was always so impressed by them, and so appreciative.  I felt a great deal of affection for them and I hope that they will continue to follow what I am doing and I hope they will continue to support One Life to Live.  And I want to say to them it would really be a great gesture to me if they can continue to watch the show even if I am not on it, because of the people who I care about, who are still trying to make a living there, and who are trying to make their way there.  So it would be great favor to me if they would continue watching the show.  And also, to check me out and see what I am doing, and go see In The Family.  But, I would like to say that I can’t thank them enough and I hope they are proud of who they are, because I was always impressed by them.  I think they are always, always smarter than the industry gives them credit for… much more on the ball!  I would go into these fans events, and they would come up with these things and I would go, “Man, you’re right!  That is very interesting!”  They are just a lot more savvy, perceptive, and intelligent, than they were given credit for. 

MICHAEL:

Courtesy/ABC

Todd was so complex and tortured.  Were you able to just go slough it off when you would leave the studio to go home to your wife at the end of the day?  Or, did it stay with you and he was difficult to shake?

TREVOR:

I would slough it off because I am not the kind of guy who stays in character.  That doesn’t work for me.  It was easy, because I never really associated myself with Todd, but it was personal when they yelled “action” and it wouldn’t have been any good if it wasn’t personal, but it wasn’t my identity.  There are a lot of folks who wrap up their identity in their character in this business, and I never did.

MICHAEL:

What do you want to do with your career now?  Where are you kind of at with it?

TREVOR:

Just to be in projects where there is interesting writing and be a part of interesting material.  Now I need to make a living, of course, but that is secondary, too.  Obviously it’s secondary, because if I just wanted to make a living I would have just stayed on the soap.  It’s more interesting to me to be exploring different things than to be comfortable.  Unfortunately, that is my personality and sometimes I wish I would be the guy who wants the Manhattan apartment and the second home upstate and just be interested in having my weekends off and my nights free, but I just can’t.  I had it for eight years and now I want to do something else.

MICHAEL:

So, what was your take away from playing Todd on OLTL and Cody from In The Family?   I am not necessarily saying “life lessons”, just something in your professional growth or personal experience, perhaps.

TREVOR:

Courtesy/ABC

Good question. I will tell you what I learned and it is more of an artistic thing than a life lesson.  It is writing is everything.  I mean, it is everything and it was just that I was able to get out of the way of what was and not try to be interesting.  I never tried to be interesting.  It was about if I just got out of the way and let the writing be what it was. And after eight years I just realized it’s embedded in me and ingrained in me that, that is the case.

MICHAEL:

Did you like OLTL’s head scribe, Ron Carlivati’s writing? He gave you some amazing stories to play!

TREVOR:

You know, I never played Todd to be a bad guy.  I never played him to be a good guy.  I never played him any particular way. And the fans would say to me, “I love what is happening with the character and how did you do this?”  And I would say, “I am not doing any of this. This is all Ron Carlivati.  If you like what I am doing it is because of the writing.”  Now I am not taking it away from myself.  It is true that it takes a lot of courage and skill to just let go and not try to manipulate or be interesting, and so I give myself credit for that, but I have to give more credits to the writers because they are the ones creating the interest, not the acting.  It is a great kind of relief that I don’t have to do anything.  It’s not up to me, and it’s not my responsibility of whether or not the scene or the episode, or the story is interesting. It is the writers. 

MICHAEL:

And do you feel the same way about the movie, In the Family?

TREVOR:

Absolutely, because that is what I learned from OLTL, that is, there is nothing I can do. If I didn’t think a scene was interesting and I tried to make it interesting, the less interesting it got.  I treated the whole 8 years as experimental and it is a fact now, like it was a theory of mine that became law – that it is a writer’s job to make the scenes interesting, not the actors.  And therefore, I would like to tell Hollywood and everyone else to make writers more “lauded” and more powerful and given more credit and more money and everything they want, because they are everything!

MICHAEL:

You are like the “Accidental Soap Star”.  You probably had no idea where this would all take you, or where you wanted it to take you.   You signed on to a role eight years ago and it just took off probably more than you could have imagined.

TREVOR:

Courtesy/ABC

I think that is absolutely right and it’s a bit of paradox, because the less I tried to be interesting, the more interesting it became.  So what I took from that and what I learned from In The Family and that is when you are with a really great director who really understands acting, they really let you go.  They might say, “Let’s try this. This might be interesting.”  But they would never say, “Nah, nah, not it. That’s not going to work.”  Yes, they have more time on movie set, but Patrick saw a lot of guys for the role of Cody and he chose me.  So, what you do if you are a good director is go, “I have to trust my choice.  I decided to hire this guy, and so let’s let him go and do his thing, and let’s help him.” 

MICHAEL:

Trevor, do you feel you’ll ever do another soap?

TREVOR:

Again, it would depend on the nature of the obligation.  It’s all about the obligation.

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Thanks for the article.

Great stuff. Good luck Trevor in all you do. I hope you do go to PP. I miss seeing you on my TV.

hey trevor

In the Family? TREVOR:or MICHAEL: when will it be coming out on tv and is there a chance victor could still be alive on oltl

michael thank you for this awesome interview with trevor!
the way he thinks & the route he has taken makes alot of sense…….

i truly miss trevor on oltl!

I miss Trevor and keep wishing to the soap diva that he’ll return to OLTL before it ‘s finale!

Michael,

This was a wonderful interview you conducted with Trevor. 🙂 I’m looking forward to seeing his movie! 🙂

Michael, Thanks you, I’ve missed Trevor, Todd, Victor Jr. so much, I’ve felt like he was really departed, now he seems so alive again and there is hope that I will see him again.

HELLO TREVOR LOVE U ON ONE LIFE TO LIVE I FELL BAD U LEFT HOLE MY HEART MY SISTERS TSJ FAN CLUB LOVE U COME BACK ONE LIFE TO LIVE AS TODD OR VICTOR U SEXY GUY LET U KNOW MISS U LOVE U GOOD LUCK EVERYTHING U DO IN LIFE WE HOPE U CHECK FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK WE THINK U LIKE IT HOLD NOTHING BUT LOVE IN OUR HEARTS FOR U 🙂 <3 erica EMAIL ME BACK

Trevor,
I wish you well no matter what you do! You are an amazing actor and are terribly missed by your OLTL fan base……Would love to see you back on the show OLTL has not been the same since you left……Your fans will always back you no matter weather you come back to OLTL or not! HUGS FROM YOUR FANS!

A great article. Wish you all luck and maybe one day you’ll be back on the soap.

Thankyou Michael ,I miss TREVOR so much no matter who he is on the show , TREVOR is why I became a fan.and I Iove him with FLO, I HOPE PP gives him what ever he wants to return ,

Thank you, thank you, thank you Michael! From the bottom of my Trevor/Victor loving heart. This interview just reminds me of how sorely I miss Trevor on OLTL. There is still so much to explore between the Brothers Grimm with the sweetest confection being T&V and baby makes 3. Seriously, Trevor I wish you all the best and I know you will be successful in whatever you choose to do. If you do decide to grace PP with your gifted presence on OLTL 2.0…your fans are waiting with open arms 🙂

Miss you Trevor on OLTL. Good luck and success in all your endeavors.
I think you are an amazing talent, and I definitively will be watching for you in film.

My dear friend, Dan Gauthier (Kevin, OLTL) told me, “Trevor, if you weren’t playing Todd, you would have been out of here so long ago.” And I said, “I know.” (Laughs)
Yep, I agree

So when do we get to view this movie?? What did I miss??

I loved Roger as Todd, but then when Trevor took over, loved him too – and I’ll always pay attention to what he’s doing and where he goes……….I wish him well.

Excellent, balanced, and insightful interview–great questions, great structure, great subject. Thanks Michael AND Trevor!

Great article! I was sad to see Trevor leave OLTL but after reading this understand why! I think Trevor is great and will try to keep up with what he’s doing. I def would be interested in seeing him in other acting roles. I know he was great as Todd/Victor Jr. and am sure he would give his 100% in any role he choice to play! After reading this I would understand why he wouldn’t return to OLTL~not that I wouldn’t like to see him return. Lots of luck to Trevor.
Thanks to Michael and Trevor for the interview.

Thanks so much for sharing this interview. I absolutely loved you as Todd these last 8 yrs and was more than mildly upset when you left. You are definitely a unique type of actor and my fave baby-faced cutie bad boy! I’ve been one of the strongest believers that you are not dead and will be back! They’ve brought back Gigi; they can bring back you! I do wish you all the best in your future projects (I’ll be looking for you), but hope to see you back on OLTL as well. I just hate that it was cancelled. Its always been the best in my book. May you have “Two Lives to Live”!! <3<3<3

Thanks for the informative interview! It was even more in-depth than previous ones, so that was interesting.. I hope to see TSJ & Michael Easton act together again someday (& man, how I would LOVE to get ahold of all those OLTL outtakes! LOL they always acted so hilarious together.. sigh) but in the meantime, this movie will have to do ;P

xoxoxo

Great interview. Trevor is so cool and this makes me like him even more.

It’s the writers fault that Todd seemed like a robot for 6 of the 8 years.

Really? No it’s not.

Michael, thank you for this very thoughtful & gracious interview. I have always loved TSJ straightforward honesty, candor & sincerity in his interviews & this one did not disappoint. Again, he has shown what a true class act he is for not only asking his fans to continue to support him & his endeavors, but OLTL as well. My friends & family truly miss his energy & magnetic presence on OLTL & will continue to support both. Best of luck & much love & success to TSJ.

Great article; very thorough interview. Appreciate getting the facts out there. Stilll hope to see him back as Todd, with the ability to leave as other actors on the show have done to pursue other projects. That would be a win-win.

Thank you, Michael! Thank you, Trevor! Deep, deep. Spectacular. Questions and answers. Trevor St John is soooo real about life and pretend life. Here is an actor who has “his head on straight”. I’m not surprised to learn he is not materialistic; I love and admire that about him! It’s not about the money; it’s about the challenge. I write. So, thank you, Trevor, for appreciating writers! You can’t create stuff out of air; the oomph! has to be there. Oh, what you can do, Mr St John, with the written word when it is prime choice! Your fans cannot get enough of you! Come back. Somehow. Somewhere.

Trevor is amazing,and will have a fabulous career.Here’s the thing…I no longer enjoy OLTL.I am still watching,because Trevor asked,but my heart isn’t in it.Never have i been so captivated by a character,or by an actor,as i am with Todd/Victor and TSJ.Someone suggested that PP offer a “Tony Geary”package to Trevor,freedom in his schedule to pursue other projects,to spend time with his family,etc.I know i’m being selfish,but i want my man back!!!!

Thanks for a great interview. TSJ is absolutely right about one thing: viewers did indeed want to see more of the repercussions after the identity reveal. OLTL made a huge mistake letting him go before its ABC finale in January when so much more story could have been told. What a waste! Besides that, TSJ and Florencia Lozano were fabulous together. In fact, Victor Jr and Tea were the best couple on the show. Instead, we now have the story of the Ford brothers making a music video. Big effing deal!

What’s happening on OLTL right now is so disappointing because the show was in such great shape last year. Unfortunately, it’s made some major blunders in 2011: turning Marty into a psycho, dragging out Liam’s paternity reveal WAY too long, pairing Jessica with Ford, Gigi (supposedly) dying on her wedding day, Dorian’s underwhelming departure, and of course killing off Victor Jr. Sadly, it now seems like OLTL is going to leave ABC with a whimper instead of a bang.

I strongly agree with all the comments of Mary Stevens and fanmale: I don’t enjoy OLTL as much without TSJ. The competitive repercussions between Victor and Todd would have carried OLTL to new heights. Victor and Tea together were the best. I can understand TSJ wanting to do something different after eight years, but OLTL suffers in his absence. If he could negotiate a contract allowing for outside work, it would make such a difference to OLTL to have Victor back. I wish TSJ the best. Thank you for the interview.

Great intervview Michael! The only thing that would have made it better was to have it be on video! He’s my fave! You did a great job! There aren’t very many interviews out there with Trevor…thanks! Try and get him again sometime!

Michael, I applaud you for conducting such a frank, inspiring and thought-provoking interview with one of the most talented yet still underrated actors in the business. Trevor St. John is a gifted person who can easily find a balance of joy and love in his current life, and not focus on external factors such as “I’ll be happy once I’m rich and have this”… He is constantly thirsting and evolving for change and challenge within himself. His ability to express appreciation to all those who around him is most endearing. This is evident in his sincere words and continuous actions in his positive affirmation for the writers, actors, staff and his fans of OLTL. It is most admirable for him to encourage OLTL viewers to continue to watch the show. Trevor has touched us with his professional manner of class, integrity and uniqueness. Whatever awaits him, he finds satisfaction in the challenging journey from wherever he may be, always to remain a well-rounded human being. Trevor, the best is yet to come for you!

Thank you for a great interview. I think Trevor St John is a wonderful actor. I have enjoyed watching him on OLTL and in his movies. I thought The art of getting over it was fabulous. I went to a few of his fan club events and he is a true gentleman. He is truely missed on OLTL. I cannot wait to see him in his new movie. I wish him all the best in his endevors.

I never understood why Trevor didn’t win an Emmy for the lethal injection death scene. Would have loved to see more funny stuff between him and Roger. Enjoying the banter between Tina and Todd, and Victor Jr. in the mix could be quite entertaining.

hey do you know amc are come back soon i what to know ok

Thank you Michael for all you do! This is my first time replying back to a soap anything! I feel I can speak for a lot of everyday people like me, I live for my soaps 🙂 I tell my husband it is my escape from everyday life, my me time!! I truly love actors such as Trevor, and the entire cast of OLTL. I find myself cheering, disliking, loving, crying etc., in every story line. I’ve been a fan since I was 10 years old. I remember watching Ryan’s Hope with my grandmother who just celebrated her 100th birthday!!!! (and still watches Y&R) I will continue to support the soap as Trevor asked of us. I will also support him, and all of the other soap actors that go on to bless us with their talents of making us show emotions that we should not be ashamed to do. I miss AMC, words cant explain how much OLTL means to me. So I hope and pray that they come back to us in a special way, via internet or whatever. Thank you again Micheal for allowing us to show our love and truly mean it.!!!!!!

I miss seeing you. I wish you well. One Life To Live, is not the same without you. They Made a stupid decision.

THANK YOU FOR THIS INTERVIEW WITH TREVOR. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HIM. OF COURSE, I WISH HIM THE VERY BEST BUTTTTTTTTTTTT! I WANT HIM BACK WITH TEA . I HAVE WATCHED SOAPS FOR 40+ YEARS AND VICTOR JR AND TEA ARE MY FAVORITE COUPLE OF ALL TIME. WHEN HE WAS KILLED ON OLTL, THE SCENES WITH TEA BROKE MY HEART. I CRIED FOR DAYS AND I TRULY LOVE AND MISS HIS CHARACTER. TALK TO THOSE IN POWER AND PLEASE LET VICTOR AND TEA LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. THAT WOULD MAKE THIS OLD LADY SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY.

Good interview. Michael, between this and the Genie Francis interview, I think these are two of the best interviews you have done (well, of yours that I have read!)

Trevor St. John is a brilliant actor and one of the best daytime has ever seen. OLTL misses his presence dearly. “The Tale of Two Todds” was riveting but flat-lined once Victor Jr. was killed. That was by far the show’s best storyline. All of the current s/ls are terrible. Not one good one but the show has a strong cast and often very strong daily dialogue.

Best of luck to Trevor.

i like roger the best

i just think that roger is alittle bit moe easy going

You are sharing this information in the comment section of an interview with Trevor St. John because? You can like who you like without being an instigator. That is truly unnecessary.

Thank you Michael Fairman! You are my favorite interviewer in the soap industry. Trevor you are amazing as always and I will you and your family all the best! You always have my support!

At the end of One Life to Live the character of Victor was handcuffed to a bed on the last episode that I watched. Therefore Todd did not kill him according to that…I don’t understand why Todd (now on General Hospital) is still saying he killed his brother when he’s not dead..
Anyone got an answer for this one?

Didn’t I see a quick scene at the very end ofmOLTL that you were not really dead but a captive held up,in a room some where?

Interviews

The Young and the Restless’ Michael Damian On Christine/Danny/Phyllis: “It’s a Fun Triangle Story That They’re Having Us Do, Because It’s Very Retro”

This week on The Young and the Restless, while Danny (Michael Damian) and Christine (Lauralee Bell) hit the sheets, and Phyllis (Michele Stafford) sets off an alarm as payback (literally!), the top-rated CBS soap opera continues to weave the tale of these three characters decades later, finding themselves in very familiar territory with each other.

We know that Christine and Phyllis are basically, mortal enemies, while Danny, who has been the man in the middle, has had a past with both women. However, it is Christine who has been, for all intent and purposes the love of his life.  But, will Phyllis’ machinations make it near to impossible for Danny and Christine to be together? Stay tuned.

Last week, Michael and his real-life wife, Janeen Damian visited the Michael Fairman Channel promoting their #1 streaming film on Netflix, Irish Wish starring Lindsay Lohan. The film was produced by the Damians, while Janeen directed it and co-wrote the romantic story. Michael is featured on the Irish Wish soundtrack performing his track, Wild Irish Heart.

Photo: Netflix

During the conversation, Michael shared what it has been like revisiting the Christine/Danny/Phyllis triangle years later. Damian addressed the fans on the livestream, who inquired. “It’s a fun triangle story that they’re having us do, because it’s very retro. And I think it’s fun to bring that nostalgia, retro thing back.”

Photo: JPI

Recalling a tender moment between Danny on the piano alone with Christine (during the standalone episode which honored Lauralee Bell’s 40th anniversary with Y&R), Michael expressed, “I think what they’re doing is so smart, and they’re reconnecting a lot of the fans to a lot of the story. I mean, we’re talking years and years of story.”

Photo: JPI

The longtime Y&R fan favorite, added, “I’m really glad they did the thing on the piano because people have been asking, ‘Why are you not doing any music? Why are you not singing? Where’s your band?’ You know what I mean? Janeen is asking the same thing, ‘Why aren’t you singing something on the show?’ The last time I sang on the show was when we thought Phyllis was dead. So, you know, that didn’t count. (Laughs)

One of the funniest moment in the revisiting of the triangle occurred when Phyllis and Christine were arguing over Danny, and he was right there in the room with them. The two women got so engrossed in their fight, they forgot he was there, and thus he walked out of the room.

Photo: JPI

Michael revealed, he liked that scene too! “They’re fighting. They’re arguing and Danny’s like, ‘Listen, I’m over here. Please stop it.” And then they don’t stop,” Damian recalled. “And so Danny just grabs his coat, picks up his sheet music, because he was working on a song. He goes to the door. In the scene, I even look back to see if they are even noticing me leave, and then I just left. That one was pretty funny. I’ll be honest. I was laughing out in the hallway when I left. I was thinking, ‘Should I slam the door? But then if I slam the door, they still have dialogue.’ They’re still talking and they would’ve turned, and then it would’ve ruined it. So, I just gently closed the door and left.

Photo: JPI

During the livestream, Damian teased he has some upcoming scenes with longtime Y&R co-star Beth Maitland (Traci), “I just worked with Beth Maitland actually the other day, and that was really fun. I can’t wait for people to see that show.”

Check out the the Michael Fairman Channel chat with Michael and Janeen Damian below.

Now, let us know, are you rooting for Danny and Christine? Do you think Phyllis will continue to be a disruptor in this relationship and somehow worm her way back into Dannys good graces? Share your thoughts in the comment section. But first check out this sneak peek for this week’s Y&R featuring the trio.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Star Blake Berris Chats On the Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein Mystery, Working with His New Co-Stars, and the Last Christmas Episode with Bill Hayes

On Days of our Lives, the return of Blake Berris is making for some very intriguing drama, with the audience guessing just which way the story will go.

When Berris arrived back on Days of our Lives, after previously playing Nick Fallon, he was taking on the new role of Everett Lynch, who has a past with Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu). Only, as it has been revealed, the past he had with Jada was under the name “Bobby Stein,” who from what we can tell was far from a nice guy.

Blake visited the Michael Fairman Channel for a livestream interview this week, where fans in the live chat were weighing-on what could be the truth about the guy – is he a split personality suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder? Did the accident that cost him a year of his life in a coma, never happen? Recently, someone set fire to the beloved Horton house. Fans are suspecting it would have been “Bobby” who is working for Clyde Weston (James Read). Others believe that Everett/Bobby could actually be Clyde’s son. With upcoming therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) about to start, things are about to get more juicy in Salem.

Photo: JPI

Here are just a few excerpts from our conversation with Blake on a myriad of Everett/Bobby subjects. Make sure to check out the full interview for more.

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character on the canvas. Didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So, we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

What has it been like working with Abigail Klein?

BLAKE: I think she is extraordinary. We start off sort of frosty, or she’s frosty with me, like she doesn’t want to let me in. And then, for a while things are going really well. I just could not adore Abigail more. She’s such a good actor. I could always rely on her to bring me back into a scene and be there in this emotionally, supportive way.

Photo: JPI

Everett and Chad seemed to be becoming friend-ish, when all went awry when at the PCPD interrogation room, Everett let him know about Elia and Bobby Stein, and Chad let him have it for worming his way back in to Stephanie’s life.

BLAKE: Billy would call us the ‘disgusting brothers’ and that’s a reference from Succession, because all of a sudden they’re just so chummy with each other. It’s like all of a sudden we just had this like ‘Bernstein and Woodward’, sort of dynamic duo. I think that Everett really started to think of Chad as a friend and feels sort of disappointed, and he feels, “Oh, it’s that easy? I just needed to have some other identity and now you’re a fair-weather friend?”‘

Photo: JPI

In recent scenes, Jada sees Bobby Stein for the first time, and we see you and Elia Cantu share scenes with each other for the first time. What is it like working with Elia?

BLAKE: She’s fire, man. She comes in hot and she tells you the way it’s going to be. I think early on, we were trying to suss each other out and the more we worked together, the more comfortable you get with somebody. I think actors do this sometimes with each other; if there’s spice on screen, you like to keep some of what you have on-screen in your (real-life) interactions because it helps … it helps the work.  Eventually, we just sort of wore each other down and we’re like, ‘I actually totally get you, and you’re great.'”

Did you know that they were going to make Everett Lynch a Jewish character? This is only the second time in the history of the show that they have even had a Jewish character and didn’t they reveal this at the Horton family Christmas episode?

BLAKE: No, they never asked me. I am half-Jewish on my dad’s side. There was never like, ‘You’re Jewish, right? We can call you Jewish on the show?’ At the Horton Christmas, “They made a real point of it, yeah.”

And now the new ‘character’ is “Bobby Stein” …

BLAKE: “Right, and that suggests more Jewish, and then Lynch must be coming from somewhere else, maybe the mother. I was so curious because I think the show has been historically, I’m gonna say, Catholic more than like Wasps. With the Bradys there’s this sort of Irish influence, and then the DiMeras, that’s Italian. So we’ve got Catholics sort of on both sides that are dominant. Now I, “represent”.

Photo: JPI

You were on set and in the annual Horton Christmas episode which sadly marked the last for Days of our Lives legendary Bill Hayes, who passed away in January of this year.  What do you recall of that tape day?

BLAKE: It was the Christmas episode when we were watching Susan (Julie) and Bill, say ‘Merry Christmas.’  And there was something about it that just felt like it could be the last time. I mean, it wrecked us all on set. Bill gets so choked up and there was something really profound about the moment. They kiss each other as they have so many times before on the show. It was just beautiful. It felt beautiful to be there for that last Christmas. He’s just such an icon. Every time I’d see him, he was so with it … he knew my name, he knew his lines. What an incredible, incredible man.

Photo: JPI

Fans will get to see Everett in therapy sessions with Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)? Would you say she is helping the guy?

BLAKE: Deidre’s always making jokes about Marlena, ‘She’s the worst therapist in the world’ (Laughs) I remember in the first therapy session, we almost couldn’t get through the scenes because it’s just so clear that Everett has a litany of very profound psychological issues that he is going to have to work through. He’ll keep coming back. This guy’s gonna pay the bills!

Photo: JPI

Viewers are waiting to see how they mystery of Everett Lynch/Bobby Stein plays out. What can you say as a tease for what’s to come?

BLAKE: As far as a tease, I would say, you have all these characters sort of, trying to wake up the ‘sleeping giant’ in a way. I think it’s safe to say that like if you poke a bear, the bear might wake up.

Watch the livestream chat with Blake in full below.

Now let us know, what do you think is going with Everett/Bobby? What has happened to him in his past? Share your theories in the comment section below, and make sure to catch Days of our Lives next week on Peacock for more to his story.

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Interviews

Y&R’s Melody Thomas Scott Talks on 45 Years as Nikki Newman, the Keys to Playing Drunk, And Those Genoa City Relationships

February is ‘Nikki Newman Month’ in soapland as the The Young and the Restless iconic Melody Thomas Scott celebrates her 45th anniversary in her leading role.

My how time flies! Nikki has had numerous marriages, and some to the same man, battled her addiction to alcohol too many times to count (and we loved it all), and faced so much heartache in the process.

Currently, on all-new episodes of the top-rated CBS daytime drama series, Nikki can’t quite get a grip as Jordan (Colleen Zenk) is out there and in the middle of her next master plot to make Nikki suffer, all the while Nikki is drinking again. Thanks to the heinous plot concocted by Jordan and Claire (Hayley Erin) that revealed itself last November.

Photo: JPI

In a special conversation for You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Melody shared her thoughts on a myriad of subjects including: her current story, those long tape days at Victor and Nikki’s weddings, why she plays drunk better than anyone on television, plus we take a mini-deep dive into Nikki’s past.

Y&R fans were stunned when the powers-that-be had Nikki kidnapped and then hooked her up to an IV of booze. Just how much did Melody know of the story going in? She elaborated, “I knew Nikki would be terrorized. That’s all that I knew. I thought that sounded like great fun. I didn’t know for a little bit that she was going to fall off the wagon in the process of it. And then when I heard how it would happen, I was thrilled to bits. I did kind of want to have a little leader (or crawl) down at the bottom of the screen saying, ‘Hey, people don’t put an IV with vodka in your arm because that will kill you.’ But, poetic license, I suppose.”

Photo: JPI

Melody also weighed-in on if she thinks Nikki will stop drinking anytime soon, expressing, “She just can’t get out of this. Then of course, Jordan’s not letting her out very easily. Just when Nikki thinks she is mentally strong enough to never take another drink, well, of course she does, because something else happens. I think it’s also a learning point for people who are watching the show who may have an addiction problem. Now, I could be wrong, but I think it’d be highly unusual for somebody to be just mentally strong to be able to stop.”

If you wondered if Melody enjoys playing a drunk Nikki, look no more, “I do. That’s simply for selfish reasons,” she shared. “That’s for my enjoyment. I take great pleasure in it. It’s fun for me, and just the process of pretending to be drunk. I love the end result. I try not to do too much because there’s nothing worse when an actor is overplaying drunk. So you have to kind of keep it a little bit underneath (the surface). However, sometimes because of Jordan, Nikki does get much sloppier than I normally would play it.”

Photo: JPI

In recent episodes, it seems that Jack (Peter Bergman) and Nikki are gravitating more to each other, as both are drawn together through their shared experiences with addiction. Victor (Eric Braeden) is not happy that his arch-nemesis is helping Nikki try to stay sober. Could Melody see Jack and Nikki becoming romantic again? “I love Peter. I mean, Peter was my second favorite husband on Y&R. It would be wonderful, but I don’t know if the fans would go for that,” she explained. “They’re so invested in Niktor that I think they would really be upset about that unless Victor did something really crummy, then I could buy that.”

Photo: JPI

One of the more ‘out there’ stories during Melody’s 45-year run, was when Nikki was paired with Crazy Edward, and he took her home to meet his mother … who was in an urn! You would think maybe Melody didn’t like the story .. but think again! “Bill Bell (co-creator, Y&R) was writing the show in those days, and Bill kept that information pretty tight. I don’t remember us knowing even a week in advance. Maybe, we would get our scripts, three or four days in advance and that was it. You knew nothing about future story, but I loved the story,” she raved. “It was almost Hitchcockian, shall we say. The actor who played Crazy Edward, Paul Tulley was so magnificent and such a sweetheart. We loved working with each other so much, but man, when that red light came on the camera, he scared the you-know-what out of me. He was absolutely terrifying. But then, the minute the scene was over, we’re fooling around and laughing and everything. He was so good. So good!”

Photo: JPI

According to Melody, the pairing of Victor and Nikki was not something she, nor Eric Braeden, initially thought would made sense: “I was a little terrified when I heard that he and I would be doing scenes. I thought, ‘What, what?’ He also wondered, ‘What am I going to be doing working with that young kid, that snotty kid?’ We had no idea what Bill Bell saw. He had a vision with us and somehow knew that we would have chemistry. It didn’t take Bill long to show us in the scripts why he put us together. Then, we started to see it. Although, it was hard to imagine at first, certainly we knew it worked by the time Nikki had baby number one during the ‘Who’s the father?’ storyline. Nikki and Victor weren’t even married yet. So, we did figure it out pretty early on.”

Photo: JPI

From her early years as Nikki Reed, Melody reflected back on some major story points in her character’s history, relating, “I actually did like her in the very beginning when she was just a little brat living with her sister and her father, who of course ended up trying to rape her…  and she had hit him over the head with a lamp … and he died. I did not care for the stripping storyline at all. Only because I knew that I didn’t have the natural dancing ability. I wasn’t fluid enough to really look good up there stripping. I know they hired wonderful choreographers and everything for me, but I just didn’t feel worthy of being up there … I guess is what it was. Of course, now I look back on it and I think, ‘Oh, I guess it wasn’t too bad.’ Later, there was a strip she did in the Colonnade Room. At the time, she was married to Jack. Victor’s sitting there with some other woman and she’s drunk. I saw that scene recently, and I thought it was great. I didn’t at the time, but looking back, I thought, ‘Wow, that was good.'”

Photo: CBS

Watch the full 45th anniversary conversation with Melody below.

Now let us know, are you enjoying Nikki being back on the bottle? Would you want to see Jack and Nikki try their relationship one more time? What has been your favorite storyline of Melody’s over the last 45 years on Y&R.  Let us know in the comment section.

 

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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