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INTERVIEW

B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor Reflects On His Fulfilling New Path

Soap Opera Digest: Last year was a good one for you. Not only were you in a front-burner story that made headlines with the Carter/Quinn/Eric triangle, but you officially joined the writing staff of B&B. How would you describe it?

Lawrence Saint-Victor: 2021 was an awesome roller coaster that keeps going up, and so far, we haven’t done the drop yet. It still keeps ticking up and it’s been amazing to be a part of this show in so many different ways of learning, because each department has their own point of view of the show. There’s the acting side and then, being with the writers, it makes my conversations with the directors a little different. There’s a difference in seeing the full scope of the show. It is such a privileged position to be in. I don’t fully understand all the components, but to get a chance to start to learn them has been a dream come true.

Digest: Tell us about your mentorship with Executive Producer/Head Writer Bradley Bell.

Saint-Victor: The mentorship began in my first interview. I was in L.A. and had just auditioned for Y&R and I guess CBS was like, “Hey, Brad, maybe you should meet this kid.” So, we sat down and he was talking about WED LOCKED. He was very intrigued at the process of making it. I told him I’d been watching B&B and Y&R since I was a kid, and it was this really cool moment. It was genuine. I wasn’t trying to sell him. I didn’t even know if there was a part for me on the show.

Digest: Then what happened?

Saint-Victor: When I got on the show, I’d always pick his brain about what stories were percolating or ask, “What story did you always want to do but haven’t done yet?” Our conversations just sparked whenever we sat down.

Digest: Did you ever suggest story ideas for your character?

Saint-Victor: I can count on one finger how many times I pitched him a Carter story. If I ever had an idea or thought, it was always about the show, like, “What if Brooke and Ridge did this?” Or, “What if Bill …” It was never about me. It was not a guy [out] to sell himself. It was genuinely about a guy who really digs the show.

Digest: How did your first script come about?

Saint-Victor: Years later, he was like, “Do you want to write a sample script?” I’m like, “Yeah!” Brad giving me the invitation validated all the dreams I wanted to have, because I didn’t ask. He just saw it and maybe he knew I would never ask. Maybe he was like, “Lawrence will probably never ask this for another 70 years,” and I probably wouldn’t because it’d be too daunting and who am I to ask? Brad has a light hand. A gentle touch. I’m indebted to Brad.

Digest: How do you manage juggling acting and writing?

Saint-Victor: It’s kind of a head spin because it gets challenging when we’re shooting a lot of episodes while writing an episode, because what I’m writing and what we are shooting are spaced out in time. As an actor, I have to remind myself, “Wait, Carter doesn’t know this yet.”

Digest: Do you have any extra input on your character as a writer?

Saint-Victor: Oh, no. I have to be an unbiased storyteller. I don’t get to have Carter do things just because I think it’d be nice. But the writing part is fun because I get to play everybody on the show in my head.

Digest: Do any of your fellow actors hit you up with story suggestions?

Saint-Victor: All the time. I’m like, “This is above my pay grade. I don’t make decisions like these. I don’t get to do this [laughs]. Brad is the one who is doing the heavy lifting here.” But as actors, we all love to talk story.

Digest: What’s been an intriguing writer/actor experience for you?

Saint-Victor: I remember I sat down with Kimberlin [Brown] and I said, “Tell me about Sheila,” and it was not about what she’d tell me will show up in a script. I just wanted to know how she saw her, especially since I wasn’t around when she was here earlier. I was like, “How do you see her now?” And honestly, we do that [as actors] with each other before the writing stuff. We are always talking about our characters — what we want, what the scene is — so that’s already a natural part of our conversation throughout the day.

Digest: Is it difficult to juggle?

Saint-Victor: It’s all fun, but it is a weird head spin because I know story that is coming. I know the script that I’m writing, which is behind the story that’s coming, but then I’m acting in the story that’s behind all of that, and then I’m watching the air show that’s behind all of that, so when I get on the phone with you at Digest I have to ask, “So, what are the story points we’re talking about [laughs]?” They are all in my head.

Digest: That must be a crowded place.

Saint-Victor: It is, but it’s a great party, man. It’s an awesome place to be in.

Digest: What do you enjoy the most about writing for the show?

Saint-Victor: The most fun part has been the research. I was writing this episode and there is a scene between Ridge and Brooke, and I wanted to see what it was like when they first met. What was that feel? What was that moment of them in their purest state? I went on YouTube and watched their first scene, and it was so beautiful. I was almost in tears just watching how subtle and beautiful it was. If I have Sheila in my script, I am on YouTube watching Sheila’s greatest hits from B&B and Y&R and it’s so fun to see that motivation, that fear, that desire, that love. To have access to all this rich history, that’s the fun part.

Digest: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Saint-Victor: It’s not something I thought about as a career, but it was something I was always doing on my own, thinking this is normal, right? Every kid asks their dad to videotape their movie he cast with his cousin and sister that he wrote and created at 12 years old, right? Even the way I played with my toys, it was always cinematic. I would write comic books and draw the panels and write the story out.

Digest: How did that creative desire develop?

Saint-Victor: I’d imagine what it would be like to write a book and I’d start writing pages here and there, just for fun. And then I went to college. I went to SUNY Purchase, where I studied acting and in one of our classes, the instructor gave us an assignment to create something. It could be anything, so I wrote this 12-page short play and I remember my teacher saying, “This is amazing. You should think about this.” At the end of our four years, we did a showcase in front of agents and managers and I got a massive response. It has been there since I was a child.

Digest: What was it like seeing your first B&B scene played out?

Saint-Victor: It was so cool because before I saw it on air, being on set as an actor, you see it being worked out. It is the most amazing, informative process. Life gets breathed into it. The director has their point of view and the actors have their points of view, and seeing how they interpret your words, I get to see that in real time, before editing, before music. Seeing it on TV is really cool but seeing them work through it is a gift.

Digest: Are you able to squeeze in family time despite the hectic schedule?

Saint-Victor: Absolutely! Sleep is the thing that gets sacrificed, but all the other components are always lifted up. I have to, and I mean I have to, play with my son every day, even if it’s for seconds. If I’m on the set all day and not home, I still have to swing him and hug him, and it’s not even for him. It’s for me. I need it. I have to have our daily connect, whether it’s five minutes or we get to chill and watch a movie. I need it.

Just The Facts

Birthday: June 14

Hails From: Rockland County, NY

Soap Dish: Saint-Victor has played Carter since 2013; he previously played Remy Boudreau on GUIDING LIGHT from 2006-09.

The Good Wife: Married Shay Flake on September 1, 2007.

The Son Also Rises: Son Christian Lavelle was born on August 21, 2018.

Mr. Man: Served as co-creator, executive producer and star of the digital series WED LOCKED, alongside former B&B co-star Karla Mosley (ex-Maya, B&B; ex-Christina, GL).

ROOM With A View: In 2013, Carter appeared in the web series, ROOM 8, and Saint-Victor had a hand in creating the content.

Super Man: He is an unabashed fan of comic book heroes, with Superman at the top of his list.

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