Amy
Just wanted to say thank you for all the work you went to transcribing
those interviews for all of us. I don't read the mags and haven't gotten
to know too much about the actor behind the character. I now have a
greater appreciation for both and I think I will have a better
understanding of Luke when I'm watching him in action on GH. Luke has
continued to outrage me, but I feel like I can understand him better (even
if I completely disagree with everything he does). I'm sure there are
many of us in the group who very much appreciate your posts on these two
interviews. Many of us would have missed out, had you said "if you
wanna know, go read the magazines yourself." Thank you!!! :) :)
Tracy
Soap Opera Magazine: Nov. 19, 1996
Wedding Annicersary Exclusive: My 15 Years of Luke & Laura
A penetrating, passionate, remarkably revealing interview with GH
superstar Anthony Geary
Pictures:
1. Great shot of Tony in a green oxford shirt and jeans against a yellow
background--his eyes look phenomenal. Caption: "Anthony Geary is the
first to admit there's an edge to Luke--and to himself. 'I'm not
interested in making people comfortable,' he says. 'I always look for a
way to keep the audience on the edge.'"
2. A series of 3 small shots of L&L from the old days, Laura during the
rape scene, and the toast in Wyndhams' department store. Caption: "GH
struck gold by pairing Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis).
Although the relationship began with a rape, the two were soon toasting
true love. 'Genie and I sort of make our marks with the edgier, more
emotional material,' says Anthony Geary. 'It rings true for these
characters.'"
3. A series of 3 small shots of the Left-Handed Boy plot, the Virginia
Reel at the wedding, and L&L with Elizbeth Taylor. Caption: "The
Left-Handed Boy mystery is Anthony's favorite storyline. His memories of
the blockbuster Luke and Laura wedding: It was uncomfortably hot and the
clips have haunted every day of his life since Nov. 16, 1981. And, oh,
yes, there was the fun of meeting and working with the delightfuly
Elizabeth Taylor."
Fifteen years ago, 17 million people gathered in front of their
televisions on Nov. 16, 1981, to watch GH's Luke and Laura marry in the TV
wedding of the century. Anthony Geary (Luke) had captivated fans from his
first appearance on the show in 1978. (His performances won him the
Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy in 1982, and he's already considered a shoo-in
for another nomination this year.) When Luke was paired with Laura
(actress Genie Francis), GH struck gold. Now stroll down memory lane with
Tony Geary as he recalls some of his (and Luke's) most memorable moments.
--Anne Marie Allocca
Soap Opera Magazine: Do you have a favorite Luke and Laura adventure?
Tony Geary: The very first runaway story--The Left-Handed Boy with
Sally/Max and Hutch. It was so successful that all the other soaps--and
ours--have adapted it. How many young couples have run away since as an
advventure? It started with the fight with Scotty and Luke on the boat
and ended up with the solving of the Left-Handed Boy. It took us about
eight months, and for my money, it's never been done as well. It was
beautifully laid out.
SOM: When you flash back to Luke and Laura's wedding, what comes to mind?
TG: A really, hot uncomfortable day in Los Angeles. We were all in
morning coats, overdressed for the afternoon, for a very long day--and we
were roasting. The clips from that show have followed Genie and myself
for the rest of our lives, to the point where she cringes when she sees
them. I'm like, "Oh, God, are we going to see these again?" I'm glad
other people enjoy it, but whenever we appear anywhere, there's always the
wedding-vow clip. It was beautifully shot, but my memories are Number
One, the experience was really uncomfortable, and Number Two, the clip has
been haunting me the rest of my life.
SOM: What's your prognosis for the marriage since the revelation of
Nikolas?
TG: Before I give my prognosis, I'd say my hope is a lot more trouble
because that's been a lot more fun to play. Genie and I sort of make our
marks with the edgier, more emotional material. We do it well, and it
also rings true for these characters. What doesn't ring true for them is
a happy, contented home life. That doesn't work for us. The prognosis
itself? Dangerous, but not critical. I think it will be worked out in
the end, but I don't know if the feelings that have been stirred up from
this will ever be resolved. Just like life, you can forgive and love and
go on, but sometimes you never forget. It does affect the future, and it
should--this was a major event in their lives. I don't think we can ever
just walk on happily into the sunset again without looking over our
shoulders.
SOM: The edgier side is alsom more interesting to watch.
TG: Luke's always been about controversy. He was born in controversy,
and he's a very controversial character. I don't personally follow it,
but I've heard from several sources that the fans are in an uproar about
his behavior and his darker side. The Internet is burning up with
discussions about it. That's great. If everybody loves you, then that's
one thing, but if you've got people who feel so passionately about what
you're doing, either positively or negatively, that they actually engage
in heated discussions among themselves, that's something else. I like to
think of myself as a theater person. And I think I'm a little more
European in my approach--theater is to provoke and disturb. I'm not
interested in merely entertaining, and I'm certainly not interested in
making people comfortable. I always look for a way to keep the audience
on edge.
SOM: How do you think Luke justifies his feelings toward Nikolas?
TG: I don't think Luke justifies any of his feelings--he just has them.
Everybody knows the Luke and Laura romance began with a violent
event--with a rape. Perhaps not a typical rape, but she was taken by
force. That's an issue that's never really been resolved in Luke's mind.
And the thought of another man having his wife by force and then her
conceiving a child of that rape or that misuse of her body, this pushes
all of his unresolved problems. I think he sees Nikolas as a product of
rape. It's going to be really difficult for him to ever see Nikolas as
anything else. He has to believe Laura was taken; he can't believe she
was a willing participant in making this child. People have asked me a
couple of times, "Don't you think that's inconsistent?" But when you have
unresolved issues, you don't want them right in your face. Nikolas is a
threat on many levels. Luke's an extremist and an emotionally volatile
man, and at the bottom of all of it is his protection of his family. It's
not really about the kid so much, it's about the family. At this stage,
Luke is not able to see Nikolas as Laura's son, he only sees Nikolas as a
Cassadine. That's how I understand his behavior, but I'd never try to
justify it. He's planted drugs on the kid, he's doing some extreme things
which I'm loving. This is a guy who'll do anything to protect what he
perceives as a threat to his own. That tracks right back to his
childhood, so there's no inconsistency whatsoever as far as I'm concerned.
I'm not interested in a hero. The people with the chinks in their armor
are more interesting to the audience. This is an opportunity to show some
vulnerability and some madness because it's all in there. It's all in
him.
SOM: Even though Nikolas saved Lulu's life, Luke still doesn't accept
him.
TG: Not at this point. The way Luke looks at it, the kid was a match.
He didn't choose to be a match. That's the luck of the draw. Just
because it was him doesn't mean that we have to bow down to him. It could
have been anybody. And secondly--even more importantly--somewhere in the
back of Luke's psyche, Lulu is now contaminated with Cassadine blood. I
don't think he would ever be able to embrace his daughter the way he does
his son. He's an unforgiving man. I have planted the seed way back in
the deepest edges of Luke's psyche that Lulu is not a pure Spencer
anymore. They've not written that, but I have planted those seeds. If we
continue to play this character long enough for Lulu to become a young
woman, there's some real interesting stuff there if a writer ever wants to
let those seeds bloom. This is the kind of thing I've always done with
this character. I belive he's a living person. The one great thing an
actor can do in daytime is give a character history. And when you give
them history the audience can tap into, that's gold. Way back when Laura
was taken away by the Cassadines, the seeds of hatred and murder were
planted in Luke's heart. We're now getting some blossoms as a result of
that history. And perhaps one day we'll be able to deal with the fact
that Luke has problems with Lulu. At this point, she's just a baby, and
he adores her, but I've planted the seeds. Lucky's my first born and the
only pure-blood Spencer.
SOM: Have you ever told the writers, "Luke wouldn't do this?"
TG: Have I ever? I say that all the time, particularly when we get new
writers. These are very difficult characters. I don't want them
simplistic, I don't want them homogenized--we've experienced that. That
doesn't work. I think it's part of my job to question and to say he
wouldn't do this when he wouldn't. I've found through the years that
people respect it. If you've been playing a character for 18 years or 20
years as Genie has--and we've had 25 different writers or more--there's
only one consistent element, and that is the actor playing the part. It's
unethical not to fight and say he wouldn't do that. If you don't you're
not taking the character seriously. And if you don't take the character
seriously, the audience isn't going to. You have to be true to yourself
and you have to fight for the truth. Otherwise, there's no hope for this
character. Characters aren't viable for years and years on soaps by being
inconsistent.
SOM: Do you have any regrets about Luke?
TG: Not so far. I wish he'd been written differently at times. Without
slamming any writers--I don't want to do that--when we came back, it was
with a terrific story right out of the Luke and Laura hope chest. Then I
think we spent a year being some people I didn't know. I regret that
year, but I don't think we had anything to do with it. As for me, I'm
content with him. As long as we push the envelope and continue to keep
the character on the edge and keep the audience a little uncomfortable,
I'm a happy guy.
SOM: The writers dug into Luke and Laura's history by bringing in the
Cassadines. Would you like to see a new enemy come onto the canvas?
TG: Sure. The history of the characers is where the richnes lies. You
can bring new characters in, but it's always best to bring them in through
the history of the character. Bob Guza, who was here briefly to lay this
story out for us with Stefan Cassadine, was a dialogue writer way back
during that first runaway story. He always got the characters because he
was there as they were being created. He was able to say, hey, you guys
have really been wasted here, so we're going to dip into the history. I
think he came up with gold. I'm real happy with any time they can keep
the history of the characters alive. I really think the audience is far
more interested because that connects to their own history. At the same
time, you've got to keep moving forward. There are plenty of stories yet
to play with new villains. One of my favorite villains ever on GH was
Faison. Anders Hove, a Danish actor, was just a wonderful actor. He made
Faison a fascinating and very dark villain--the kind of villain audiences
love. He was very attractive and very sexy. I'd love to see that
character pop up again. When you deal with Luke and Laura, you need to
take a broader brush stroke because there's room for it. It's soap opera,
not soap pen pals. Look at your queen bitches of daytime--it's all about
taking characters that are really sort of out there. The Lukes and the
Lauras, the Erica Kanes--every show has them. You've got to crank them up
a couple of notches so you get something other than infidelities to deal
with. Otherwise, every show is the same. I'm all for new villains as
long as they fit the franchise.
SOM: The reaction was epic when Luke raped Laura. Would you do that
scene today?
TG: Yes, I would. Why not? I'm not into politically correct. When it
comes to the theatre, as I told you, I think it should be disturbing. I
know the network would never do it today, but of course I would.
SOM: The show later termed it a seduction.
TG: They backpedaled like crazy. They never expected the audience to
respond to Luke's side of it like they did. It annoys me that people
portray this as if we outraged the audience. We didn't do that. We did a
rape, and the audience fell in love with Luke. That wasn't our fault.
Nobody was trying to denigrate women or put one over on anybody--that's
rewriting history. The audience responded to Luke and his pain. Gloria
(Monty, GH's executive producer at the time) wasn't afraid of that. She
was a woman who believed--she didn't go to focus groups--she believed in
"I'll lead the audience, not follow them." That's the way I feel, too.
When you start following the audience, the tail is wagging the dog. You
bet I'd do it again--in a flash. It's a great dramatic moment. But I
don't think anybody else has got the courage to do it again.
SOM: Should Luke tell Lucky about the rape?
TG: I don't think it's relevant to Lucky. The rape has nothing to do
with him. His parents love and adore each other now. It's none of his
business, and I don't believe people need to tell everybody everything.
But I think if it came up, Luke would try to be honest. Luke has always
kept a close eye on Lucky because Luke sees a lot of himself in
Lucky--probably to the point where it's not even healthy sometimes. He's
identified and merged with Lucky over this Nikolas situation to the point
where it's just a little bit sick--and I've done that on purpose. He
looks for himself in Lucky, the good and the bad. Luke knows there's a
lot of bad things about him, and those are the things he's on the lookout
with Lucky about. He was on watch about Lucky's gambling. It didn't
concern him as long as Lucky wasn't getting himself in a dangerous
situation. If he saw Lucky obsessing about a young woman, Luke might keep
a close eye on him, only because of his own past.
SOM: Does Jonathan Jackson (Lucky) help you with your performance?
TG: He never lies. He's one of the truest actors I've ever worked with.
He doesn't push for results. He's so open and there--he's not shy with me
or afraid of me. He's a total peer, and when we work, he's utterly my
son. He has absorbed Genie and me. If you watch him, he's got a lot of
her emotional turns, and he's picked up my rhythm. He moves like me.
I've seen him in other things, and he doesn't do that. This is a choice
he's made as Lucky. This is not just a kid who's worked with us so much
that he's now like us. He just did a movie on Showtime--Prisoner of
Zenda, Inc.--where he played two characters and neither one was Lucky. I
worried for a while that he was absorbing so much of the two of us that he
was losing his own identity. But he isn't, and I'm pleased to see that.
But as Lucky, he's utterly our child. I really feel like, "God, if I had
a son, I'd want him to be just like Jonathan." He's the perfect
physicalization of Luke and Laura's love. He's a beautiful little guy,
and he's a great actor who has a wonderful heart. He's intelligent.
SOM: You make a script your own with improv. Has another actor ever
surprised you?
TG: Sure. Tristan Rogers used to do it all the time. Kin Shriner used
to do it. All the actors that I work with. Everybody knows that as far
as I'm concerned, they have the freedom to fire right back. Improvisation
is often born out of not wanting to stop the scene even though somebody is
lost. Sometimes that works really well because you're totally spontaneous
and in the moment. It's not a matter of just getting out there and having
fun and ad-libbing all over the place, it's a matter of knowing who you
are and what you want and keeping on track. It's much more disciplined
than people realize. I don't even like the word ad-libbing because it
sounds like you're playing. Life is an improvisation, it's not an ad-lib.
SOM: What comes to mind when I name some of your co-stars--first, Kin
Shriner (ex-Scotty)?
TG: I smile anytime I think of Kin. He's one of the funniest people I've
ever met. He has a wonderful sense of humor and he's a little goofy. I
like that in my soap friends. Somebody was pointing out in one of the
fight scenes we had that I accidentally popped Kin in the mouth and
knocked him on the couch and his mouth bled through the scene. He didn't
go, "Stop tape!" as so many younger actors might do these days. He
continued--and that's improvisation. He dealt with it, and we continued
the scene. One of the directors asked, "Did he ever pop you back?" And I
said, no, but I let him write his dialogue on the back of my neck.
Playing an attorney, he had all these technical legal terms that he
couldn't remember. I was sitting, and he kept walking behind me, so he
asked, "Can I just write this on your neck?" I said, "Well, I owe you one
for bloodying your mouth."
SOM: Norma Connolly (Ruby)?
TG: One of the dearest people I know. I love Norma, she has been a real
friend and a real solid anchor through all of this, not only for Luke, but
for me as a person. Ruby is Luke's role model for Mother Earth. And
there is a lot of Laura in Ruby. There is a lot of Laura's tender
taking-care-of-people side that he fell in love with.
SOM: Jackie Zeman (Bobbie)?
TG: When I first came on, Jackie was the queen bitch of daytime. I was
sort of her Tonto, running around letting the air out of people's tires
for her. We've always had fire between us. If there's anybody there that
feels like a sister, it's Jackie. And I think she'd tell you there's been
a brotherly connection, even though we don't spend a lot of time together
away from the show. I love the fights we have. We had one just yesterday
where I lay into her for going to the Dominican Republic and getting a
divorce from Tony. This whole thing where she's getting attracted to
Stefan Cassadine. Some of the fights we've had have been my favorite
moments. She anchors me to the streets, me as the actor. When Luke sees
Bobbie, he never sees her as a nurse or as a mother; he always sees her as
a street whore. He always loves her for that. That's not a judgment--he
loves her survival, he loves what she's capable of doing to take care of
herself. There's a lot of fire there, so it's wonderful to have scenes
with Jackie.
SOM: Tristan Rogers (ex-Robert Scorpio)?
TG: Tristan and I had a special connection that's really unique. When we
first met, there was an animosity between us that was real--and it worked
on the air. Through the years, we somehow were able to put it to rest.
We're very similar. We're both Geminis, both outlaws. We both have a lot
of disdain for the bullsh**. We're both a little rude--well he's really
rude. I aspire to be as rude as Tristan. We're very tight and I trust
him implicitly. That Luke and Scorpio connection! I don't think you've
seen male friendships that were that complex--not very often anyway. I
just wish Scorpio were back. They've never found his body, so I'm always
hoping he'll wash up or turn up under some rock.
SOM: Lynn Herring (Lucy)?
TG: She's such fun--and an utter professional. The work she turns out is
consistently terrific--and she's so beautiful. Luke looks at Lucy as his
second daughter. There's an attraction to her that he doesn't want to
deal with because he's a happily married man and all, so the way he
handles it is to protect her like he would a daughter. I prefer the goofy
Lucy, the sillier she is, the more fun I have with her. I think if there
was ever anybody in town that Luke would actively go after if he weren't
married, it would have to be Lucy.
SOM: Elizabeth Taylor (Ex-Helena Cassadine)?
TG: What can I say about Elizabeth that you can print? It was really a
pleasure--well, it was more than a pleasure, it was a great thrill--to
work with her and get to know her. She's a wonderful woman. Her humor is
superb. She's one of the funniest, bawdiest people I've ever known. She
has a wonderful, nasty laugh. Anything beyond that I'm saving for my bok.
SOM: Would you ever consider writing a book?
TG: Oh, yeah, but I'm not saying it would be a book about soap operas. I
believe in people's privacy, and I think it would be bad karma to tell the
stories about people I know. But I'm definitely writing a book about me
and my life in art, such as it's been. That's definitely in the works. I
have notes on it from back to 1973. I've been keeping journals all my
life for one reason or another. I just think my own history is important
to me. The day is going to come in my life when we find out that what I
was all this time wasn't an actor but a writer. I plan to retire from
acting when it becomes too impossible to light me anymore--and then I'll
be writing. But I write now. I have short stories, I have plays. My
journals tend to be flights of fancy rather than diaries, so, yeah,
there's a book or two there.
Amy McWilliams * mcwil...@tamu.edu * http://acs.tamu.edu/~aem2192
CEO, FGC LUKE: Keeper of the Worldview and the Outdated Endearments
FGCs: Stefan, Keeper of The Other Side; Sonny, Keeper of The Offer
to Take Care of Someone; Lois (Relentless Enthusiasm); Nedling
Unlimited (Blue Silk P.J.s); Laura (Faith); Kevin, Monitor of His Wit
FGCOs: Ned & Lois (Business/Marriage), Luke & Laura (Perseverance)
FGB: L&B Records, Roadie for Eddie Maine and the Idle Rich; PBSDT member
Thanks for the article, Amy. Great stuff. Now get back to work.
mary
FAC Bobby's Trust Fund FGCO Duke & Anna, Holder of their Passionate Tango
Dance Cards VP MHGC Stefan, Handmaiden of the Aveeno Bath FGC Luke, Cigar
Lighter
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"They talk of my drinking, but never of my thirst" - Scottish
Ah, you're welcome Tracy, and everyone else. I did it out of purely
selfish reasons, I tell you. I don't want everyone to love my FGC, but
I'd like it if they understood why I did, and Tony explains that better in
his own words than I ever could.
Plus, I truly do have to have something to do while my system's being
slow. I'm going back to work now, I promise. ;)
So, now for my comments - anybody still reading??
I thought it was fabulous that TG included GF in almost every answer.
He used "we" constantly! I think it's great, i would never have
thought he'd (based on Luke's egomania - yet TG is not Luke in RL)
acknowledge in such a way how intertwined these two charactes/actors
are. Although now that i say that, I guess it makes perfect sense...
Interesting that TG has planted the seed of LuLu not being pure
Spencer. I haven't seen this in their scenes together, I'll have to
pay better attention, but what a perfectly Luke thing to do. In fact,
if the writers decided to pick up on this someday, wouldn't it be
fascinating to see how LuLu deals with her family knowing that she
isn't pure Spencer. That sort of leaves her out of the fold. Similar
to Stefan actually, although he's pure Cassadine, he seems (seems
being the operative word here) to not fully identify with what it
means to be Cassadine. And the Spencer's have a very similar
identification with their family names.
Great that he said that bringing on a new character by tying them into
the history of other characteres!!!! Are you listenting PTB??
> Gloria (Monty, GH's executive producer at the time) wasn't afraid of that. She
>was a woman who believed--she didn't go to focus groups--she believed in
>"I'll lead the audience, not follow them." That's the way I feel, too.
>When you start following the audience, the tail is wagging the dog.
This is great! Once again, are you listening PTB????
OK, I'm done now. Thanks again Amy for posting this article, it was
very insightful!
Amber
Amber, I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. It was so wonderful I hoped
several people would read it. Thanks for your comments too. I agree with
the parallel between Stefan and the possible incarnation of Lulu--both not
quite fitting in with their family. Very interesting.
Amy, who's very happily FGC Luke
could you please repost the TG SOM interview, my AOL newsreader seems to
have eliminated it and I really enjoyed the TV Guide one alot and would
like this one also.
Thanks,
karen
Sure, Karen, I'd be glad to!
Here goes...
Pictures:
rewriting history. The audience responded to Luke and his pain. Gloria
(Monty, GH's executive producer at the time) wasn't afraid of that. She
was a woman who believed--she didn't go to focus groups--she believed in
"I'll lead the audience, not follow them." That's the way I feel, too.
SOM: Norma Connolly (Ruby)?
SOM: Jackie Zeman (Bobbie)?
SOM: Lynn Herring (Lucy)?
Amy McWilliams * mcwil...@tamu.edu * http://acs.tamu.edu/~aem2192
Amy: Thank you so very much for reprinting this great interview.
Geary is a prince on & off screen. He is oh so very talented &
so respectful of everyone his life ever touches. This really showed
with this print out.
THANK YOU GEARY FOR THE FAISON MENTION! Oh dear COUGHer who keep
everyone employed under the GH shingle working like pros. I feel
you are reading this as I type, so here are my tue feeling. GET ANDERS
BACK ON GH! I truly believe that he IS the FATHER to Ryan & Kevin
and it would be a fantastic bow tying all the problems of their lives
together. That's Why I AM CEO of FGC FAISON (Father TO Ryan & Kevin IMHO)
as I have had this belief for years. Do keep Jon together & Lynn as
sexy & chipper as ever. They are the George & Gracie of the 90's.
Brenda
CEO Ryan Very Ltd. aka FGC Ryan; I'm the Original RY-BABE
CEO FGC Faison; Father to Ryan & Kevin (IMHO)
MHPTB Wendy Riche, Queen of SIDAR & Her COUGHing CEO
Long Standing Member of COUGH aka A "COUGHer"
C oncern
O ver
U pgrading
G eneral
H ospital