ounces. 19.6 inches,” the former VERONICA MARS scene stealer updated UNCENSORED shortly after the birth. Moreover, the actor adds that he didn’t name his son Truman because it rhymes with Newman.
In honour of UNCENSORED’s 1-year anniversary, I couldn’t think of anyone better to celebrate daytime’s first e-zine than this trailblazing actor, who has also accidentally become one of the genre’s most vocal and effective cheerleaders.
Thanks for speaking to SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED in honour of our 1-year anniversary.
Congratulations!
Thanks. When I was thinking of which daytime actor to interview for our special milestone issue, you immediately popped into my head for several reasons. One of which is the fact that you personify the future of this genre as Y&R embarks on a new chapter with Adam on the front burner ready to bring the show back to its former glory.
Thanks. I’m honoured! I’m excited.
We haven’t spoken in quite some time. 2012 has been quite the year for you both professionally and personally. Was it as crazy for you as it seemed to the rest of us?
Crazy is a relative term. Has it been suspenseful, dramatic, liberating and eventful? Absolutely. It may have been crazy for those people who weren’t prepared for the changes that were happening. To me, crazy is being caught in a whirlwind where you can’t focus on any one thing. For me, I see a lot of methodical things happening. And I see a lot of things I was prepared for and confided in to about. I’m starting to see a lot of wonderful opportunities for my fellow castmembers, the crew, producers, writers, the audience and myself. I think the audience has an opportunity to really become invested in Y&R.
Were you surprised that former showrunner Maria Arena Bell was let go in favour of executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and head writer Josh Griffith?
Yes and no. I’ve seen a lot go down during my tenure. In just short four years on the show, I feel like I’ve worked on Y&R for 4 decades! Being involved in a huge recast in the middle of a climax; a big regime change; massive amounts of hirings and firings; multiple soaps being canceled; and [spearheading] Emmy reform in various stages, in 4 years time, I have experienced so much that my learning curve is pretty damn huge! I feel like I have lived 4 lifetimes in these four years.
You’ve only worked with Maria, who cast you as Adam, for those 4 lifetimes, which is pretty rare in this business with regime changes as frequent as Michelle Stafford’s hair colour. What’s it been like working with a new creative team?
It has been an absolute pleasure. The two of them are a perfect fit for one another. Jill and Josh are fantastic leaders. They’re also wonderful, wonderful listeners. They’re also aware of what’s happening on every floor of the building, in every scene and with every actor in every dressing room. It’s nice to know that the show is regulated and things are under control. We’re being watched over, protected and nurtured. It’s a wonderful environment to work in. I can’t say enough classy things about both Jill and Josh. As I’m getting to know them, I find them to be very nice people but, of course, I was more concerned about them professionally — and I’m happy to report a lot of their professional choices have made me very proud.
A lot of your co-stars have told me that they finally feel that CBS and Sony are behind the show not only financially but also in spirit. Is that how you feel?
Oh, yeah! I’ve never at any moment working on this show ever felt a greater sense of solidarity from the network, the studio, the producers, writers and the cast. Everyone’s optimistic. We’re all enthusiastic about our characters, storylines, and futures.
What would the late, great Bill Bell think of Y&R’s new direction?
Well, I would have to go on a limb to jump to another limb to hang on another limb to predict what Bill Bell would say because I have never had the opportunity to meet him. But, while I may have not known him personally, it’s OK because I do know him professionally from his writing, casting and delegation because I have schooled myself, and I have to say, it seems to me that the kind of work ethic, writing, production, professionalism that he leaned towards is being reflected in Jill and Josh’s work. So, to me, I think he would identify with this regime very strongly. Of course, this is just my opinion, and once again, I was never lucky enough to meet him when he was alive.
I often think Bill Bell would cream himself watching your scenes. Most of his iconic, legacy characters have been dismantled over the years but, for the most part, I think he’d very pleased at how Adam Newman turned out thanks to your talents. I mean, he created your character but never really wrote for the character because Adam was out of town after his birth. Do you think you guys would get a long?
Once again, I don’t think I can answer the question without sounding like a megalomaniac because we’ve never worked together. But from all the information I’ve received from anyone he’s ever worked with has said to me, “Oh, man, Bill Bell would’ve loved you. If he could’ve gotten his hands on you…!” That’s a wonderful compliment and I often imagine what our professional relationship would be like if he were still alive. I can only hope that I’m honouring his legacy by carrying out the duties of a character he created from the inception. This is a professional, iconic and iconoclastic writer who named Adam “Victor Newman Jr.” so I have to believe he had a master plan for Adam. At a certain point, he must have thought: I am going to create a Victor Jr. and I’m going to name him Victor Jr. so everyone sees it coming and let it develop from there.
To play the adult realization of a brilliant idea, which originated in Bill Bell’s head, well, I handle it with a lot of responsibility. [Pauses] It’s a great honour.
How frustrating was it to be stranded on Storyline Island with not another Newman in sight this past summer?
Certainly it’s frustrating when you sit on the sidelines watching the ball being played and you’re out of the game. You want to catch the ball, run with the ball and score for the team. Any professional athlete will tell you they’re frustrated when they are benched — even for just one minute. You want to play the whole game. Michael Jordan hated watching the game from the sidelines — even when he was exhausted and/or injured. Not to compare myself to Michael Jordan in any way! However, I would say the trajectory for Adam has been very strong and consistent since I joined the show, so I have to put it in perspective: maybe I didn’t get the best story this past summer, but every now and then the coach needs to sit you down to give you a breather. That’s the way I choose to look at what happened to the Adam character this past summer. But then again, I didn’t need a breather. An actor doesn’t want a break, especially if a writer and performer can collaborate on something special. But it takes the right team and people. It was what it was. I’m optimistic where I am now with the new regime and the value they have put on Adam and myself. The mutual respect we have for one another is uplifting.
I was happy Adam and Chelsea lost the baby because I don’t think Adam should be a father for a long, long time. Do you co-sign that decision?
Clearly, logistically, if you put a cute bouncing baby on the knee of every leading actor on our show, you’d have a cast distracted and burned out by having to navigate through storyline with strollers in hand. It’s hard acting in scenes with small children. Ask any professional actor! The truth is no one really wants to act with children in this business. Yes, it’s a necessary evil and an occupational hazard. Mainly the problem is a baby is only allowed to be on the set for 15 minutes and they have to have a twin, etc. If the baby is having a crying fit, you can’t tape your scenes. There are all theses union rules, too… and there has to be a nurse on set as well. It also becomes a very sanitary situation. There is so much preparation and work involved when you have a baby on set so that alone is headache to deal with.
The flip side, of course, is soap operas are called dramas the last time I checked. They don’t call them “happies.” It’s not a television show if everyone is sitting in the park with his or her babies and the birds are chirping. We need dra
ma and Adam and Chelsea losing the baby created some desperate drama for characters that were in desperate need of conflict. Losing a baby can set in to motion a lot of things.
In reel life, I’m OK with Adam losing a child because in real life having my third child, a baby boy [born Nov. 4 and named Truman Muhney] is very rewarding me to me. [I have] three healthy kids. Because I have that real fulfillment in my personal life, I am fine to agree that Adam doesn’t need to be burdened by having a storyline with a small child. Adam needs a lot more story right now with the adults on the show before he starts having children running around Genoa City.
So it wasn’t hard playing those scenes when Adam learned his baby died juxtaposed with your wife, Jaime, being pregnant and close to giving birth?
There are actors who have technique, and then, you have actors who are method. I couldn’t even let myself go there… to even think for a second what it would be like to lose one of my children or my wife not being able to carry full term. I doubt I could carry on with the scene if I did that. When Adam lost the baby, we were so far along in the pregnancy that I
Nelson Branco's SOAP OPERA UNCENSORED: Issue 53 Page 2
