| Rick Hearst Kat- One of the first things they wanted to know was. How do you think Ric has changed from when he first started to now? RH- Um. That is a good question. I- I think there�s been a lot of change, um, in terms of, you know, he came in completely and totally about a vendetta. He came in very single minded, uh, um, very insulated by it and I think slowly but surely he started to ah, uh, wake up. Ahm, he�s not, he- he hasn�t learned to deal with all of it, you know as most people, I don�t think, really can. You know, you may be living with an issue that you�ve dealt with from childhood �til the day you die and you may never resolve. Um, and he�s- he�s definitely a work in progress at this point. But, uh, I am glad that uh, we got away from the- the panic room side of him. That- that um sort of absolute you know, um, resolve and slip into madness they had. I like him to be challenged. I, because as an actor that makes me challenged. Um, I- I like to be thrown curves, that I can get over humps, but I also, I�m looking forward to many years of the character developing and really finding out a little more in depth what that childhood was about. Just, little- little tiny ah, uh, uh, signposts for him. Either in interaction with his father that you�ve not seen, which was such an integral part of his life, and- and shaped and put a- put a stamp, uhhh, on his view of his family, of- of how to be a man and all of that. Uh, and- and searching for the way to be with- with women in general, �cause he didn�t- he didn�t have a barometer on that as well. He had a stepmother that he really, that cast him off and really didn�t want to have anything to do with him and he really didn�t want to have anything to do with her. So, um, I look forward to those kinds of character challenges, uh, moments that I can dive into. That�s where I feel like I do my best. Kat- You do, and it�s amazing to watch. RH- Thank you. Thank you. Kat- Fans are really happy with Ric and Alexis. RH- Yes. Kat- They think it�s hot, it�s interesting� RH- It is. It�s very interesting. Kat- �it�s sexy. Do you think that Alexis has contributed to some of the change in Ric? RH- I think that, these are two characters that will meet on common ground. I think they�re both very strong-willed people, uh, that- that are, that have met at a time where they�re- they�re both dealing with who and what their families expected them to be, and I think that�s what makes them so, I guess, symbiotic, in a way. Ahm, so in that respect yeah she did contribute to that. Uh, she, she doesn�t let him off the hook about things and that�s made him have to uh, uh, really look at himself a little bit more acutely. So, yes. Kat- One of the favorite relationships is between Ric and Sonny, think that�s the best (unintelligible) on the show. RH- Oh that�s a new supercouple right there, right? Kat- Exactly. RH- No, it is. Kat- Do you ever see them becoming friends? RH- I- I don�t know that you�ll ever see them, quote, becoming friends. I think they- they will always be on the periphery- the periphery of each other, uh, uh, always- always looking at each other and knowing that they�d like to take a step forward but both too proud to actually be the first one to do it. Uh, and that�s what keeps that tension alive between them, but it also keeps the attraction between them, as you know, obviously, siblings. Kat- One of my favorite things that one fan said was that she thought because Ric is so dark, and you know, has his tortured past, and Alexis comes from the Cassadines, that they could be the dark lord and lady of Port Charles� RH- They could. Kat- �and just become villains. RH- Well, I- I�m thinking, I think it�s nice if you always incorporate a lot of different levels and colors into, um, a character, uh, and definitely into relationships because it�s not all happy or all, you know, ah, uh, torture. It doesn�t have to be that way. We�re a very soph- We have a very sophisticated society now that does not uh, um, can not be fooled, and um, I think that�s probably why they find this couple especially to be very intriguing, because it has elements of a very realistic uh, uh, marriage. I mean, Nancy and I kid about it, mostly Nancy kids about it, she says �you know, we�re like a real married couple.� Um, on and off, you know, we�ll get moments where we�re like �yehyehyehyehyeh� bicker at one another too and she�ll just- we�ll just stop and look and go �oh god, I�m just glad I�m not married to you� because it�s just, we�d be doing this all the time. Ahm, but it�s, it- it does, it has a lot, it�s very, very interesting, and, ah, and very diverse. Nancy Lee Grahn Kat- We solicited some questions from the messageboard� NLG- Sure. Kat- �this year because it was a fan event and one fan wanted to know how do you keep Alexis interesting after so many years? NLG- Do I? Kat- Yeah, you do. You do. NLG- I�m kidding. Uh, I think that as people we reinvent ourselves a lot too, you know, every day is a different set of circumstances, so you just sort of adapt truthfully to the circumstances and if they�re continually changing, then you�re continually doing something different. Sometimes I�m concerned that I�m not, that I feel like I�m doing the same thing over and over again and there isn�t a change, so I get a little frustrated, so that�s why I wasn�t soliciting a compliment, I was really going �do I?� Um, I really identify with the audience. I�m very well aware of them when I�m acting, when I�m doing stuff. I�m very, I- I feel very connected to them, so I think what are they- what would they like to see? Am I boring them? Are they seeing the same thing over and over again? I just, I try to look at it from a fresh perspective, and thinking, what can I do to make it interesting for them? So� Kat- Some of the fans had some concerns when Alexis was going through kind of her dark period with the baby. Were you concerned at all about that? NLG- Well, yes. I mean, I was very anxious for that to be over. Um, I think it was, uh, it went on to long and it was, uh, it was overkill, it was redundant, and it was also one-sided. And um, I think that she was right, uh, I think that she was wrong, and I think that, um, that- that it didn�t pan out in a way that was fair. Uh, and I think that you can�t make Sonny right all the time. You know, everybody�s gotta be right and everybody�s gotta be wrong, so, I mean, so, you know, I- that�s a part of my show here that I won�t look- I- I mean that I can easily let go and stay in the past. And I, you know, I think just sort of, moving on is the best way to look at that. Kat- Speaking of moving on, there has been a tremendous positive response to Alexis and Ric. NLG- Oh good, oh good. I think- I like that. I�m enjoying that. Kat- Do you think it�s her best relationship? NLG- Potentially. So far. I mean, you know, what are we basing it on? She�s had, you know, a big, you know, she has a history of, you know, setting dysfunction to new heights. Um, I think that they�re well-matched, and I think that Rick�s, you know, gives as good as he gets and vice versa, and he, um, I think it looks like a more real relationship that people can identify with, which is what I like doing, so that�s what I�m loo- and I think when I worked with Maurice it was like that, but, um, not since then, so. Kat- But it was different because Alexis was more uncertain, it seemed. NLG- Well I mean, but I think we- we go after men that aren�t gonna reciprocate what we want and you get crushes on people you shouldn�t, and you know, you- you find yourself infatuated with the bad guy. I mean there is, hello, I can�t, I don�t know a woman who hasn�t, you know, maybe done that once, so I think that was identifiable, but I also think, as a bat- as a match, playing on the same field couple, it could be really interesting and I�m hoping that they explore that. Kat- One fan has something really interesting I thought, where she said, um, if you could see Alexis and Ric becoming the new dark lord and lady of Port Charles, with uh, with Alexis� Cassadine past� NLG- Whoa. Kat- �and Ric being� NLG- I don�t know, I just, I want them to sort of become the Mr. and Mrs., the- the, um, middle America Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I mean, obviously we�re not the sexy young gods. I�m not, I�m not comparing us to Brad and Angelina by any means, but that love each other, but competitive, and, um, hot for each other, but competitive, and you know, that�s a good dynamic. Or the �Adam�s Rib-by� sort of thing, you know, just sort of keep that going. Kat- Oh yes, definitely. NLG- Yeah. That- that- that conflict spices up their life, it doesn�t degrade it, it just, it kind of spices it up. I think that�s a good way to go, and also keep them real, in terms of what real relationships real people go through, real parents go through. That�d be kind of cool. Kat- What do you like or dislike most about Alexis? NLG- I like the fact that she is self-determined. I like the fact that she has, um, a view of the world that is not simplistic, it�s complex and I think that she strives to find her way through it. What I don�t like is that, um- I don�t like acting like a harpy. I don�t like acting like- I mean I think there�s times in life when you feel desperate, and I think there�s times when you�re neurotic, and I think when they take that too far, it�s unattractive. Even for me to play it, and it�s unattractive to watch. So, if I had, you know, the, uh, you know if I could channel into the writers who don�t have time to just pay attention to my character, I would, you know, I would have� Kat- Damn them. NLG- Yeah. I would, I would have, you know, them channeling, you know, just a little bit of everything, keeping her cool, keeping her not, you know, picking- picking and choosing the times where she- In other words, keeping her smooth and steady and have her, you know, not be able to cook, and be neurotic in relationships, and be, you know, have a messy purse or something, but don�t make her, don�t make her a moron. Kat- Or a caricature. NLG- You know what I�m saying? Just calling it like it is. |
| Rick Hearst and Nancy Lee Grahn SoapNet Video Interviews GHFCW- 2005 |
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