cbs.soapsindepth.com gives you a chance to ask questions of your favorite stars!
Dear Michael, What’s the best part of working at AS THE WORLD TURNS, and who do you like to work with the most? Amanda
Dear Amanda, The best part about working at ATWT is the great food on Avenue M. I like working with everybody.
Dear Michael, I’m a huge fan of the "old" Jack and Julia. If things had been different, what kind of happy ending would you have foreseen for them, that would have been true to their original characters? Kate
Dear Kate, I have no clue, and for this reason. And I’m glad, actually, I didn’t have to come up with a happy ending for them. I don’t think there were as many — and I don’t mean to offend anyone — I don’t think there were as many fans of Jack and Julia as there were champions of Jack and Carly at the time. And I thought it was actually pretty ingenious how they tied Julia showing up on the train in Chicago and all of her manipulations as part of getting Jack to love her again. Carly getting kidnapped, all that. How they made that out to be one huge manipulation. I thought that was pretty smart on the writers’ part.
Dear Michael, When are you going to sing on ATWT again? You have an amazing voice. Krista
Dear Krista, Well, thanks. (Laughs.) And every time someone says something like that, I’m immediately humbled, by the way. I don’t want anyone to get the idea that I walk around… well, actually, I do. I walk around singing all the time. But you know what? We’ve got a lot of talented people in this cast. A lot of people can sing. And they sing really well. Scott Holmes (Tom), Tamara Tunie (Jessica), Napiera Danielle (Bonnie)… Martha Byrne (Lily/Rose), of course. A lot of people are very, very talented in this cast. And I don’t think… for Jack to break out into song in a scene… it doesn’t really happen. (Chuckles.) We’re gonna stop the show and Jack’s gonna sing. I appreciate them not forcing anyone to sing on the show out of context. I do appreciate that. But, however, I do sing the Jack and Carly theme song.
Dear Michael, Are you comfortable doing love scenes, especially if you feel your wife may be watching? And how does she feel about those scenes? Pat Murphy
Dear Pat, Maura [West, Carly] and [my wife] Laurie are friends, so it’s not like… anyone I did a love scene with, Laurie’s pretty much comfortable with that. Believe me, it’s nothing that Maura and I sit down and watch together. And I doubt… (Chuckles.) … look forward to watching together. And it’s nothing that I’m sure [Maura’s husband] Scott [DeFreitas, ex-Andy] looks forward to seeing. Or Laurie. But it’s part of the job, and that’s just it. I don’t think I’ve ever done a show where I didn’t have to kiss somebody. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a musical or television show or play where I wasn’t the ingenue and had to kiss somebody. So this is nothing new. It goes with the territory, and I’d advise if anybody had to do anything like this, that they make sure that their spouse is comfortable with the… happenings that go on.
Dear Michael, You have such a beautiful voice. Are you planning any CDs or visits back to the Broadway stage? Erin
