Burton on Jason’s Daddy Dilemma
GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Steve Burton (Jason) finds himself at the heart of a complicated quadrangle, and he’s trying hard to reconcile with it. Elizabeth is pregnant with Jason’s baby, but passing it off as new husband Lucky’s. Jason, who knows the truth, has agreed to keep mum to protect his child and live-in love, Sam.
“I’m just trying to find ways to make this story work,” says Burton. “My natural instinct is to get my kid; take care of my own son or daughter.”
Plus, Jason’s history doesn’t exactly jibe with him giving up his child. “Viewers know Jason loves taking care of everybody else’s kids,” points out Burton, obviously referring to Michael and Morgan. “But not his own? It’s kind of hard for me.”
Burton has been trying “to justify” Jason’s walking away from his child. “Jason’s lifestyle is too dangerous for a kid,” notes Burton. “Plus, Lucky would freak out if he learned the truth and that wouldn’t be good for Elizabeth and Cameron. Then, there’s Sam, who just told Jason she can’t have any kids. All of these things make Jason feel like he shouldn’t say anything, that he should be unselfish and do what’s right for everyone else. Besides, his kid will probably have a happier and safer life with Elizabeth and Lucky.”
Still, if and when the truth is exposed, Burton doesn’t imagine his character will be upset. “I think Jason is kind of hoping that it does come out,” Burton admits. “He’d be relieved. He could start focusing on being a father instead of asking himself every day if he’s doing the right thing or not. That’s almost taken priority. Is this right? Is what I’m doing wrong? Jason’s more focused on doing the right thing than wrestling with, ‘Do I want to give this kid up? Am I going to be able to see Elizabeth and not want to touch and hold my child?’”
How this dilemma ultimately unfolds “will be very interesting to me, because it is such a delicate situation,” says Burton. Particularly because a pair of past story elements have great impact on it.
“What makes the story good is that Jason [claimed and] took care of Michael, A.J.’s son,” points out Burton. “There was a scene where Jason went to the cemetery and talked to A.J. He said, ‘I never realized what you were missing when I took Michael from you.’ It was interesting, because here’s a guy who took this kid from his brother. Whether his brother was a nice person or not, he still had feelings for Michael. He was his father. Now Jason knows what it means to be a father, so it was kind of nice. Obviously, now, being a father, he probably would have done things differently with Michael and A.J.
“Also, Alan’s death made Jason think about what it means to be a father,” continues Burton, noting that Alan and Jason’s strained relationship has now taken on a whole new meaning. “Jason kind of gets where Alan was coming from; before, he didn’t. I like that Jason can grow from all this.”
These positive elements have inspired Burton. “That has been good,” maintains Burton. “We’ll see how long it plays out. Someone, I’m sure, is going to find out. Probably around sweeps,” he chuckles.
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