Interviews

THE TUC WATKINS INTERVIEW – ONE LIFE TO LIVE

Published

17 years ago

January 30, 2009

Michael

This week on One Life to Live, “David Vickeroshi”, will be on the receiving end of a marriage proposal by a very deceitful Dorian, as PI Rex is hot on their trail. With the “Go Red Ball” just around the corner, David’s story will take front and center stage. Will he finally come to realize he is Asa Buchanan’s son?

I chatted with the one and only Tuc Watkins, star of “One Life to Live” and the primetime series “Desperate Housewives”, about his latest Llanview Buddhist incarnation, and playing the bumbling con man. We also discussed the Daytime Emmys, and working on Wisteria Lane, playing one half of the snarkiest gay neighbors you’d ever want to meet, Bob and Lee.

One of the most talented and innovative performers ever to grace the daytime screen, Tuc’s interview is one of our favorites at “On-Air On-Soaps”.

Listen to the audio:

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MICHAEL:

Tuc, Namaste’! Namaste’!

TUC:

Oh, my goodness, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that word.

MICHAEL:

Are people coming up to you and saying, “Namaste’”?

TUC:

Every now and then I do hear it on the subway. I hear it a lot on airplanes, usually places where you can’t run away. (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

I thought your performances have been just great. Every time you come back to “One Life to Live”, it just adds so much and spruces up the show. This time you are “David Vickeroshi.” What did you think when they told you how they were bringing you back this time?

TUC:

When I first heard the acorn of the idea, Frank Valentini (executive producer, “OLTL”) called and said, “Do you want to know what you are going to be doing?” I said, “If you want to tell me.” Because the great thing about going back to play David Vickers is it really doesn’t matter what we are going to do. It’s always fun doing it, because it’s all about the means rather than the end. I said, “Sure. What’s it going to be?” He said, “You are going to come back as a Buddhist monk and you are all enlightened.” I said, “All I see is the comedy. So I assume this is going to be comedic?” He said, “Yes.” I thought it was a great idea. When you play a character on and off for fourteen years, sometimes you have to go far a field to keep things fresh. Obviously, this is not something that will stick around for a long time, this transformation. So, it’s been a lot of fun to
explore a character that you
know really well, in a way you
have not seen him before. It’s
really a fish out of water story,
so it’s been a lot of fun.

MICHAEL:

Ron Carlivati (head writer, “OLTL”) and you are brilliant together. Do you ever ad lib your lines, or are those the lines that are written by Ron and the writing team on the page?

TUC:

The great thing about Ron coming on is that is not often that a character, a writer, and an actor, all sort of get it together. Sometimes an actor does not have a handle on what the writer and director is gunning for, and not have the full grasp on something that you are very familiar with. I think Ron appreciated the same characteristics of David that I appreciated. So, we kind of turned up the volume on David. It has been great. You know, I have been through a lot of different writers on the show. I have never really noticed that much difference in the writing, but I really did notice a difference when Ron started. I remember going up to Frank’s office going, “The writing is different and I really do think it had made several strides forward,” and for the first time in a long time, I thought it was really noteworthy. So I said something out loud. Actors like to say a lot of things out loud (He laughs). ‘Namaste’’ takes on a lot of different meanings!

MICHAEL:

So what do you think the meaning of ‘Namaste’’ is?

TUC:

I was told early on the literal meaning of ‘Namaste’ was “I bow to you.” It started out as that, and then it meant “I am hot for you”, and then it also meant, “Thanks for the food.” So, it’s sort of a catch-all, in a way. ((He laughs).

MICHAEL:

Is there anytime when you are working with the incomparable Robin Strasser (Dorian), or Erika Slezak (Viki), or any of the actors on the show, when you guys just break up in laughter?

TUC:

Well, we usually get the laughing done at rehearsals in the morning. But, that is also when and where we find stuff. It’s where we tweak what’s there, or punch up a word you might not have punched up, if you had not been rehearsing it with the other actor. We get the ‘funny’ out of the way in the morning or during dress, so when we get to tape we are not wasting anyone’s time.

MICHAEL:

When you first got to work with Robin and Erika, who I think are probably two of the best actresses on the daytime canvas, did you think, “Wow. This is really great?” Did you even know who Erika and Robin were?

TUC:

Well, I first started on “OLTL’ in 1927, so I have known them for a long time. (He laughs) But seriously, I started on the show fourteen years ago, and I never watched soap operas. Some friends of mine in school would plan their course schedule around soaps, but I never quite got it. I mean, I understood that people could become addicted to them. You either get it, or you don’t. And that’s just not one of the things I got. So, when I first started on the show, I did not know who anyone was. But, I did know that they had been there for awhile. I think it’s like starting in a company. You tend to look up to someone who has been around for a number of years and respect them. You figure these people know what they are doing, so I am going to learn from them as opposed to telling them what to do. I remember one of the first days I started working on the show, I was doing a scene with Erika and I was pretending to be her brother. She said, “Can someone please give this kid some light? You can’t even see him!” That’s not something you consider when you are young and starting out. You just want to say your lines and not throw up. When I first met them both, they were the standard to learn from then, and they continue to be.

MICHAEL:

Will David finally find out this time out, that he is really Asa Buchanan’s son?

TUC:

You know, they have been teasing this story for eternity. Talk about dragging out a story! Even by soap terms, it’s taking a long time. I remember when the previous head writer was there and I went back under contract for three years starting in 2003. They told me, “We are going to reveal you are Asa Buchanan’s son.” I thought,” That’s cool, because he is the patriarch of the show, and that means I will be working a lot!” Well, I tell you now, it is going to be revealed, but it is six years later! This is 2009!

MICHAEL:

The only thing that redeems it is you and David come and go from the canvas. So it’s a setup where there are months when you are not on screen.

TUC:

I left contract in 2006, and things have worked out scheduling wise so I can go back. When you have a character like David who is a bumbling con man, it makes sense that he is not always on the canvas. It makes sense that he goes out into the world and tries to pull the wool over other people’s eyes in Bangladesh, or New Delphi, or other cities that I cannot point to on a map. So, when it finally came around, it feels like it has been taking a long time, but fortunately we have been telling other story that has been interesting. The timing is just right to tell it.

MICHAEL:

Does David attend the upcoming, “Go Red Ball”?

TUC:

David does attend the Red Ball, and I will say, something happens at the “Go Red Ball” that changes David’s life.

MICHAEL:

In a good or bad way?

TUC:

A little bit of both. (He laughs)

MICHAEL:

I see that “OLTL” has put you up for one of the two actors in the in-house voting, for the pre-nominations for Supporting Actor for the Daytime Emmys.

TUC:

Oh, I did not know that. I am thrilled!

MICHAEL:

Well, you have been my pick for many years to get an Outstanding Supporting Actor nod at the Emmys, but you never got the chance to compete for the prize. So, what are your thoughts?

TUC:

I think everyone’s an idiot! (He laughs) To tell you the truth, what I get to do on “OLTL” is so much fun, and not traditional to what daytime has carved out for itself. So I understand when they look at a bunch of tapes of people to be considered for Emmys and a nomination. I come on and cross my eyes, and fall down the stairs, and they look at it like, “Is this guy for real?” So, it’s sort of a double-edged sword. I am very lucky that I have been able to play this character that doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the people that inhabit the town of Llanview. But having said that, part of what allows me to do that prevents me from doing terribly dramatic stuff. I know you are supposed to cry on cue on daytime, and I can’t do that. So, anytime I try to play anything dramatic I tend to turn the car in a different direction. I guess it could be said I err on the side of trying to find something that is funny. That’s not always the best choice. In fact, Robin Strasser is always getting on me about that.

MICHAEL:

But, I think there have been such beautiful, nice, and at times, emotional scenes between David and Viki.

TUC:

If I can have poignant moments, but with a hump and mole with hair coming out of my face, then I am happy doing those poignant moments. They brought me on to be this cool mysterious guy in 1994. I did it for a year, and to tell you the truth, I was pretty unremarkable at it. It wasn’t until one day I woke up and realized, “David Vickers is not a cool mysterious person. He thinks he is a cool mysterious person.” And that s when the David we know today was really born, and that is when I kind of hit my stride with this character. You’ve got to figure out how to play the character among the other people you are with. And it’s not that easy. It took me a year on “OLTL” to figure out what makes David special. Luckily, when I was turning their mysterious cool character into the town buffoon, they supported it rather than say, “You don’t get it. You’re out.” So I have been pretty fortunate.

MICHAEL:

You pull double duty at times, as Bob on “Desperate Housewives”. Will you be continuing on that?

TUC:

Yes. They signed me and Kevin Rahm (Lee) to a recurring contract this year. On a show like that, it’s always going to be about those five women, as it should be. I mean, it’s called “Desperate Housewives”, but we have gotten a little more involved this year. Kevin has gotten more involved with Teri Hatcher’s (Susan) character, and I started representing Felicity Huffman’s (Lynette) kid, because they decided my character was a lawyer. As it is, it’s also a soap opera, when you boil it down. They just have better lighting and hair styling. So, one day they sent me a script and I went to the table read and head writer Marc Cherry went, “Oh, by the way, you are a lawyer now.” That involved me a bit more. They have our characters in that house between Teri Hatcher and Eva Longoria (Gabrielle), and we are sort of a new color on the canvas. A lot of story is told through us…

MICHAEL:

….they are reactionary instead of propelling story, right?

TUC:

Yes. The end game is how it affects the women on the show. It is a lot of fun to work on that show. It is the funniest set I have ever been on. That’s probably because you go to work on a neighborhood street where it’s mostly sunny, and they have really good snacks, and you just hang out. And any drama that happened on that show, happened a long time ago. And everyone in between takes are playing games and catching ‘rays’.

MICHAEL:

How is working with these powerhouse actresses?

TUC:

They are all very different. I remember Kevin and I started around the same time Dana Delaney (Katherine) started. I thought, “Oh, this poor woman has her work cut out for her because she has such strong archetypes that have been set up and established.” I thought she did an amazing job of finding something new that was also necessary. Kevin and I are in the supporting cast, but all those women on there are all fun in a different way. Eva Longoria takes nothing seriously, in the best of ways. She is always cutting up and laughing. Felicity is knowledgeable and it’s great to talk about acting with her.

MICHAEL:

You and Kevin play the gay couple on the show. Is there one thing you would like to see them involved in, if you were writing the show?

TUC:

The thing that I like about the way Marc Cherry brought that couple on was, he brought them on as a gay couple, and one of the first lines they say is, “We’re gay. We are life partners.” So there was no dancing around that, and it was not issue-oriented. I think a lot of times when they brought in gay characters, or minority characters in the 70’s or 80’s on television, black or Asians had to explain why they were there! We don’t need that anymore. I thought it was great that we got to go on… everyone knew we were gay… but that wasn’t the story. Why we went there was part of the story, and how we get involved in other peoples lives is the story. We are not this cookie-cutter, great super hero, gay couple, where everything we say is kind and friendly. We are not that couple from “American Beauty”. They were the only normal people on that street, but we are kind of mean!

MICHAEL:

Yeah, I like that they are these ‘snarky’ gay guys. It’s not the issue that they are gay; it’s just the ‘snarky’ guys that live down the street.

TUC:

I describe it as: I am Andy Griffith and Kevin is Barney Fife. Kevin says all the funny lines and I stand behind him and roll my eyes, and that’s what Andy did with Barney.

MICHAEL:

Is there a lot of Tuc in David Vickers on “OLTL”, and in Bob on “Desperate Housewives”?

TUC:

I will tell you this: I am not a method actor. I studied that in school, and I think that’s how most students of acting learn about acting. That’s where you become the character and eat for breakfast what that character ate for breakfast, and you think about how that character was treated when they were a child. That didn’t work for me. I am more of a behaviorist. I am more about how a character behaves in the environment he is in. I would say most of the characters I play, especially in television; you are usually hired to play pretty close to who you are. So, I would say Bob on “Desperate Housewives” is very similar to me, because I am a neatnik in a way, and I maintain a sense of humor. But I am fairly straight laced in what I think. David, on “OLTL”, is also a side of me where I like to cut up. So, it’s two sides of a coin in many ways to me. I would have to say, that both those characters are pretty close to me without being mutually exclusive, if you know what I mean?

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Andrew Hawkes Shares Cullum’s Secret Backstory He Never Told Anyone (Exclusive)

Published

5 days ago

July 9, 2026

Michael

WSB Director Ross Cullum’s (Andrew Hawkes) reign of terror came to an end last week on the July 2 episode of ABC’s General Hospital, after WSB agent Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) shot him dead. That ended the run of Andrew Hawkes who will go down for his portrayal of one of the ruthless, bad guys in the soaps in a very long time.

Just look at a partial laundry list of his crimes: stabbing Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) brutally to his death, gaslighting Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) to where he was held captive and then was sent to mental institution in France, attempting to kill WSB Bureau Chief, Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna), by tying him to his hospital bed at Turning Woods, putting a gas mask on it and making him breathe a full tank of carbon monoxide.

How about being the person responsible for the penthouse fire targeting Sonny (Maurice Benard) that instead got Michael (then Chad Duell, now Rory Gibson) burned so badly he had to be sent away to a clinic in Germany, and then there is the matter of lying to Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) for years, that she never had Huntington’s disease, instead she was injecting herself with saline, until near the end of his life, he had put poison in the vials of her medication, and let’s not forget taking a weaponized baton and attempting to beat the life out of Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and kill him, till Cullum was stopped by shots to his back fired by Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr).

Photo: ABC

HOW CULLUM TURNED INTO A RUTHLESS MASTERMIND AND KILLER REVEALED

This week, Andrew Hawkes participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he touched on many subjects of his six-month run as Cullum. One of the more intriguing moments came when Hawkes explained in-depth for the first time what drove Cullum to become a double agent, and to become this heinous of a man. While it was never given to him by the soap opera, as an actor it is always helpful to fill in the blanks for yourself to help with your performance and the “why” a character is behaving the way they are.

Andrew explained, “This has nothing to do with the writers, or anything that anybody ever said, because we don’t get that backstory on Cullum, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. The reason why Cullum is so single-minded and ruthless is because he was on a job, did his job, which was taking out a high ranking government official in a foreign country. Then, he was turned out by the WSB, locked out of getting back to the United States, and therefore missed holding his daughter who died of leukemia because they froze everything.”

Photo: ABC

“Cullum had no health insurance, Cullum had no money, Cullum had no anything”, continued Hawkes. “What I’ve done with Cullum is he’s coming back to rip everything to shreds from the inside out. So, that was my secret. It’s much more detailed than that. Being a parent is so personal, and Cullum could not get to his child in her time of greatest need, and he couldn’t do anything because the WSB turned on him. They wouldn’t bring him from out of the cold.”

HEROES AND VILLAINS

Hawkes added, “I played it as I played it, and I am not trying to make it about these mitigating circumstances. It’s just an example of why this guy is so full of rage and violence and that was what I was trying to do as that character is as I said, destroy everything from the inside out.”

On TV, in the movies or on the stage there are usually heroes and villains to every story. Hawkes explains more on what caused Cullum’s vendetta with the world, “It’s a gasket being blown in your brain plus trauma. I heard somebody talking about what’s the difference between a hero and a villain. A hero says, ‘the world hurt me, and I don’t want to hurt anybody else.’ A villain says, ‘the world hurts me and I’m going to hurt the world.’ So, it’s a very fine distinction.”

Photo: ABC

MEETING JOHN OLIVER AND HIS PERFORMANCE AS Z

In addition, Andrew spoke on his last day of shooting and getting to meet guest star, John Oliver and how impressed he was with his performances, even though he, personally, didn’t get to share any spoken screen-time with the late night Emmy-nominated talk show host.

“I did meet him and talk to him, and when I was down on the ground (after Cullum was shot) I was going, ‘Wow, I’m done.’ I don’t have to sweat anything more today. But he came through, and I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and he was so cool and so prepared. I think he’s amazing. I was like, if you never knew this actor and watched him on GH, he’s just fascination to watch. He’s just so committed. I get the biggest kick out of it, and I hope they keep bringing him back.”

Photo ABC

FINDING OUT CASSIUS HAD LIVED

Hawkes admitted, “I thought Z was only in for one episode/day, but then I found out all the other stuff from watching the show that he had scenes with Carly (Laura Wright) and and then Cassius (Ryan Paevey). I didn’t even know that Cassius wasn’t dead. Of course, Ryan and I had talked a lot and it was the end of his contract and he was leaving the show, but I didn’t know that Cassius had lived through it.”

“As for John Oliver, it’s not easy walking in there with all these incredible professionals being like, “we’ve done it for a long time.” I mean, luckily he has his own show and it’s him talking for 30 minutes. He put in the work. The first behavior, you really see of him is him walking. And then, the way he just pulls out his gun and casually caps the guy on the ground who’s going try to shoot him was just the coolest. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him, but he was gracious and kind and cool, and you couldn’t ask for a better scene partner.

In case you missed our conversation with Andrew Hawkes on the Michael Fairman Channel, you can check it out below.

Now, let us know, what did you think of the incredible backstory that Andrew creating for himself to rationalize and play all the scenes and nefarious activities of WSB Director, Ross Cullum? What did you think of his final moments on GH in the shootout with Josslyn and Cassius shortly before Z arrived? Let us know via the comment section below.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)

Published

1 month ago

June 14, 2026

Michael

On General Hospital, the current PCPD commissioner Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) has been lied to, and kept in the dark, by those he thought he could trust which includes his ex-wife Lulu (Alexa Havins), his own son, Rocco (Finn Carr) and a man he considers a good friend and police partner, “Nathan” West, only Dante doesn’t know that “Nathan” is a fraud, and really his twin brother, Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey)!

The only person, who seems to be a good friend and reliable is ‘General Hospital’ head nurse Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). For months, GH viewers are witnessing key moments when Dante and Elizabeth are there for each other. In fact, she helped Dante realize it was Rocco who shot Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) and was willing to help him cover up the crime so his son does not go to prison. Problem is, Rocco took off with Britt Westbourne (Kelly Theibaud) and as of now Dante has no idea where they are.

In a new and exclusive interview out this weekend on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Dominic Zamprogna chats about the potential pairing of Dante and Elizabeth and the opportunity to work with beloved longtime GH favorite, Rebecca Herbst, and if he thinks when all is said and done, Dante will wind up back with Lulu. Here’s some excerpts from the conversation below.

Courtesy/ABC

ELIZABETH HAS PROVEN HERSELF TRUSTWORTHY TO DANTE

Speaking on how Dante feels currently about Elizabeth, Zamprogna explained, “At this point, Elizabeth is the only person, he can trust. She’s the only one who’s essentially told Dante what’s what. But. there’s also this connection for sure beyond that, right? That’s something that we’ve tried to play. We don’t know what the end game is, honestly, as actors, I don’t know what the end game is. You have to assume that every time you’re in a scene with anybody, you’re chemistry testing, and you want to do right by the characters.”

Although Dante’s primary romances have been with Lulu and the late Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco), a paring of Dante and Liz has never been approached by the series until now.

“To me, it’s interesting because they’ve never really explored anything between Dante and Elizabeth before. So, it’s all kind of new,” shared Dominic. “That’s the most exciting part of any relationship, the new stuff, before you jump into the domesticated stuff. That’s maybe where Ric (Rick Hearst) and Elizabeth are. They’re kind of more in this domesticated thing, or experiencing that, whereas Dante and Elizabeth truly are kind of needing each other at this moment.”

As Dominic explains it, Dante has found himself needing Elizabeth as his sounding board, since everyone else betrayed him. “Dante definitely needs Elizabeth and has reached out to her. She’s been honest, and provided him with things that he needed (to help cover up that his son, Rocco shot Cullum), explains the five-time Daytime Emmy nominee. “There’s also the other stuff that he’s finding out about her that he didn’t know. Like when she’s in the office with him and she’s talking about her past and the trauma that she’s been through (referring to Elizabeth’s rape).”

Courtesy/ABC

COULD THERE BE A DANTE/ELIZABETH/RIC TRIANGLE AHEAD?

Dominic continued with high praise for his co-star, “It’s interesting for me to play, because I don’t know that story of Elizabeth as an actor, because it was before I got to the show. So, it’s two characters finding out more about each other who’ve been in each other’s orbit for 17 years. (As to the potential pairing), I’m happy to hear people are digging it because I dig it. Rebecca is phenomenal, and she plays a legacy character, and to me, one of the best actors on the show.”

With Lulu seemingly falling for “Nathan” and then currently breaking it off, Zamprogna and GH fans are awaiting to see what happens when Lulu finds out that “Nathan” is Cassius, while also finding out if Ric Lansing could be the true spoiler in any potential Liz and Dante budding romance.

“I don’t know what the long game is. I literally have no clue,” shared Zamprogna. “I currently don’t believe that there’s a Dante/Lulu happening. It feels like if they did go down the road of Dante and Ric fighting for Elizabeth, I think that would be interesting to have two guys fighting over her as opposed to two women fighting over Ric and Dante.”

Courtesy/ABC

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR DANTE/ELIZABETH ROMANCE

GH fans will recall the recent scenes where Elizabeth was dressed for her date with Ric, but stopped by Dante’s office at the PCPD first. Dante remarked, in so many words, how beautiful she looked.

Zamprogna hoped that viewers caught it, explaining, “Those are real little moments that I’m always happy or captured. It’s two people who don’t have a romantic relationship, but, planting those little seeds of her coming in and him seeing her out of her scrubs for the first time and being like, ‘Oh my, God You look amazing.” And then as the scene ends, they’re kind of wrapped up in things, and then he is like, ‘I could keep talking to you forever,’ but she has a date to get to with Ric.”

You can check out the full conversation with Dominic Zamprogna now on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now, let us know, after checking out Dominic’s thoughts on a potential Dante and Elizabeth pairing? Are you hoping the GH writers put them together, or do you want Liz with Ric? And, do you think the end game will still be Dante and Lulu as the exes still have to come together to find their son, Rocco, who is on the run with Britt? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Brandon Claybon Talks Inclusion, The Crossover, While the Fate of Martin Richardson Hangs in the Balance

Published

1 month ago

June 13, 2026

Michael

On Friday’s June 12 episode of Beyond the Gates, after it appeared Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) survived being trapped under a tree after a tornado ripped through Fairmont Crest, viewers were left with a frightening cliffhanger when Martin got up and tries to walk, but only took two steps before he collapsed right in front of his husband, Smitty (Mike Manning)!

Previously, Martin had directed Shonda to use all the money donated from his campaign fundraiser for tornado relief efforts. Nicole (Daphnée Duplaix), Ted (Keith D. Robinson) and Smitty advised Martin that he needed to go to the hospital to get check out for any internal injuries or brain trauma. However, when Martin found out his sister Kat (Colby Nixon) was missing he began to panic. Martin says he just wants to go home and get some rest, even as his husband told him he should get checked out. Now, viewers will need to wait till the Monday, June 15 episode to see the upshot.

Official Beyond the Gates spoilers for June 15 share, “In the wake of the tornado, Shanice, Ashley and Jacob rush into action when someone collapses. Meanwhile, emergency surgery is required to save a life. Nicole’s update worries Samantha and Tyrell.” But is the surgery for Eva (Ambyr Michelle) who was rushed to the hospital or Martin?

Courtesy/CBS

MEETING THEE VICTOR NEWMAN

With such a pivotal week of story, Michael Fairman TV caught up with Brandon Claybon earlier this week during a roundtable press junket at A Toast for Black Excellence event in Los Angeles, promoting the major crossover event on Beyond the Gates which featured six cast members from The Young and the Restless, who also got caught up in the twister, but not the mighty Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). He somehow escaped and made it back to Genoa City in one piece.

Claybon shared his excitement of initially meeting Eric Braeden, because in the Black community, they have a long-history of watching the soap, and love Victor! “I think I just had to pinch myself because I was shaking hands with Victor Newman (on-screen), that means so much too many people spiritually,” expressed Brandon. “For people in my community, Victor Newman is everything and to have the Y&R cast in Atlanta and at our studios.”

While viewers wait to find out the fate of Martin Richardson, Claybon recalled the shooting of the Tornado storyline. “These episodes were a lot of hard work. We’re talking about 12 to 15 hour days, and you have to think about all of the actors supporting each other, it’s tremendous. Everything that we went through that viewers we’ll see sooner or later was so well worth it!”

Courtesy/CBS

PRIDE MONTH REPRESENTATION

In a very important illustration of inclusion, it was key in the story to note that Genoa City titans, Victor Newman and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), were backing Martin Richardson’s political campaign. Martin is married to Smitty in an interracial romance, and the two men are raising two black teenagers, which is a first on daytime television for a nucleus of a family. This story point is not lost on Claybon.

“Martin needs money (it was a fundraiser), so it was amazing that both Victor Newman and Jack Abbott were financially helping him with his campaign. This is is Pride month, you know, and for the first interracial gay couple on daytime TV, people are coming up to me to all the time, saying, “I see myself in your character and relationship,” and that’s what it means, representation, and that’s what we’re here for. It’s something that I’ve prepared for and I do know the responsibility it holds. Martin loves Smitty dearly, and Martin loves his family, and family is everything now.”

Previously, Michael Fairman TV spoke with Beyond the Gates series creator, head writer and executive producer, Michele Val Jean, where she named the racism storyline involving Martin killing a white bigot to protect himself and his grandfather, Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis), one of her favorite storylines in the young soap’s history.”It’s absolutely remarkable. She didn’t tell me this. I didn’t know, but it means a lot coming from her,” expressed Brandon. “Michele’s been doing this a long time, and especially for her to have her own show, she thought it would never happen. The words, “a legacy.” I think about it all the time, especially because the show has the power to change attitudes.”

Photo: CBS

WILL BEYOND THE GATES SCORE BIG AT UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS?

Coming up next month, the nominations are expected to be announced for the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. This would mark the first year that Beyond the Gates is eligible for the competition for its season 1. Will they triumph?

Claybon had this perspective, “I am looking forward to having a moment to celebrate with the cast, and with each other. That’s the most important thing. Recognition is fun, but at the same time, it’s not why we do this. I’m an actor, but my passion in life is to encourage, uplift, entertain and inspire. I don’t want to think about that when acting. Let (awards) come if they may, but if they don’t, I’ll still be OK.”

You can check out a moment from Friday’s Beyond the Gates below, where Martin is seemingly “OK” and Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway) finds out Victor got out of Fairmont Crest just in time!

Now let us know, what do you think will be the fate of Martin Richardson? Will he have sustained a life-altering brain injury or be OK? What did you think of the final episode of the crossover? Do you enjoy the portrayal of the same-sex relationship between Martin and Smitty and sees its importance, as we are in the middle of Pride Month? Weigh-in via the comment section.