How did you get the job on Passions?My manager asked if I wanted to audition for a soap. The first time I went in was February, and then they called me back in March. I tested in the beginning of April for Ethan. I didn�t think I was right for Ethan and I guess they didn�t either, so they asked me to come back for Hank. I was happy when I got the part�I had a long stretch before this where I didn�t work.
What was it like not starting when everyone else did�since Hank didn�t appear right away?It was kind of a drag. I felt like the outcast, because everyone had started and I was just sitting home. I would drive down here periodically but I couldn�t wait to start work.
What�s a typical day like for you at Passions?
A lot of stress trying to learn all the lines, making sure you know them well. If you don�t know them well, it screws up the scene, because instead of being "in the scene" you�re thinking about your lines.
What else have you done before coming to Passions?
I played MacGyver�s long lost son in the last episode of that series. After that, I had a small part in Encino Man. Then I did a series with Robert Urich in 1992, which didn�t last very long, called Crossroads. After that, I did two movies back to back�a TV movie called The Substitute, and My Father, The Hero. After that I did two pilots for Aaron Spelling that didn�t get picked up and then I did 90210. After 90210 everything came to a halt. For two and a half years, all I did was one day of work on a film.
How is working in soaps different from prime time and film?
In soaps you don�t have time to go for perfection. In a film, you do two pages a day, and in primetime, the most I�ve ever done is 12 pages. Here I do 30 to 50. Sometimes I walk away from scenes thinking I could have done it better, but there�s not enough time.
Do you hang out with anyone off the set?
Sure. I hang out with Galen (Luis), Travis (Ethan) and James (Sam). Dana Sparks (Grace) had a great party and that was fun. We all went and had a good time.
What do you do in your spare time?
I golf and hang out with my wife and kids. My son�s three and a half and my daughter�s two. That pretty much takes up all my time.
If you weren�t an actor what would you be?A golfer. Definitely.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
Rich! I�d like to go back to movies and prime-time. The way I envision my career is that I�d like to be a movie actor. I don�t care about the famous part�it�s just the work.
What actors or actresses would you most like to work with?
I�d love to work with Gerard Depardieu again. He was a blast. And I�d like to work with Robert Urich again. He�s like a dad in my life, basically he and his wife adopted me and my family. And then obviously there are actors I�d love to work with who are the greats�like Marlon Brando.
Favorite movie?
I love the classic 80s movies, like Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles.
Favorite televison show?
I don�t watch a lot of TV. I like Friends�I think that�s funny. I like the Discovery Channel. I�m fascinated by the world so I like to watch that kind of stuff.
If your life was made into a TV movie, who would you want to play you?
Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise�I just picked them because they�re studs! And they�re both good actors.
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
A lover of life, a lover of sports cars, and a lover of my family. And golf, I have to throw that in.
If you had one wish what would it be?
I�d wish for everyone in the world to learn about psychology.
What are you most proud of?
That�s a tough question. I guess what I�m most proud of is taking responsibility for my own life and cleaning up my issues, so to speak, from my childhood. Obviously I�m proud of my family�my wife and kids�.That�s a really hard question though!
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