Christopher Maleki: So Bad He’s Good
Soap Opera Weekly: How has Spike handled the “death” of Alistair?
Christopher Maleki: Alistair’s gone, and now you take orders from me! I’m the guy (laughs)! Spike’s doing what he does best, which is manipulation and blackmail. He recently robbed the Crane mansion and came into files that are going to give him power over certain individuals in Harmony. I’ve played so many bad guys in my career and done some pretty bad things in films, but this character has been the worst for the longest, and he’s still getting progressively worse.
Weekly: Having played so many baddies, what’s the key to keeping this one interesting?
Maleki: My job as an actor is to add some flair. When I did this bad guy thing on another daytime show (Ben, PORT CHARLES), the mistake I made was playing him “bad.” We know he’s bad, because we see what he’s doing. What’s more interesting: A guy walks in and screams, “I’m going to kill you,” at the top of his lungs, or a guy who walks in methodically, looks you in the eye and keeps the tone of his voice low as he threatens you? The second guy is a bit out of the norm, and that’s what we pay attention to.
Weekly: Is there anything redeeming about this character?
Maleki: I try to make Spike look like a victim and make fans feel sorry for him. You want to draw some sort of emotion out of them, as opposed to them thinking, “This guy’s just an ass. He’s no good.” I’m also happy to be part of some of the laughter. I break the scenes down, look at the reason why he’s doing something. Then I laugh and say, “It would be funny if the character did this.”
Weekly: Does Spike really love Jessica?
Maleki: He’s got feelings for her. He expressed that to her when he couldn’t kill her. But he’s been hurt before, so he’s got to keep his defenses up and take care of No. 1. To keep people guessing is good. Right now, Jessica’s not turning tricks, but there are some things that happen soon that make you question how he feels. Spike’s going to show a side where you realize, “He is genuine and he cares for her.” Then he does something where you’re like, “What? Dude, don’t do that.” But he tries to make her understand. Spike is about taking care of things for himself, and he’s an opportunist, of course. He’s someone who hears “I love you” and takes advantage of it, but he also comes through sometimes and he’s going to come through more eventually.
Weekly: What is it like working with Danica Stewart?
Maleki:Working with her is great. She’s always prepared. She’s a lot like her character, aside from the prostitution and the drugs. She’s a very quiet person. It sounds strange, but I don’t feel like I know her that well. In a film, you work with someone 12 hours a day, you get to know him or her and have dinner. You become friends. I’m almost prone to say, “Let’s get together for lunch,” but I wouldn’t want it to be taken wrong.
Weekly: Spike’s social world has expanded. Has that been fun for you?
Maleki: It’s been great. They’re mixing me up with other actors, which is always good. I love the people I’ve worked with, but it’s great to work with new people. It puts a different spin on it. Galen (Gering, Luis) is infamous for being a practical joker on-set, but I’ve been working with him quite a bit and I’ve turned the tables on him. I like to improvise when I’m working. One time, in a confrontation scene about Pilar getting shot, I started mimicking everything he did. He touched his nose, I touched mine. He smirked, I smirked. It was so funny. Galen was about to break into laughter, but he had to hold it in. When the scene was over, he gave me trouble. It was all in good fun. He’s a great guy and wonderful to work with. I like guys who like to mix it up, and he’s down.
Weekly: With Spike getting nastier by the minute, what kind of responses do you get from fans?
Maleki: I get a mixed bag. Anytime anyone has anything to say to me — good, bad or indifferent — I take it in stride. At least they’re talking about the character. What freaks me out is when people want to talk to me as if I am the character. In fan mail or when they see me on the street, they’ll ask, “How can you do that to Jessica?!” “Uh, I have a script and I read it.”
Weekly: How long were you initially supposed to be in Harmony?
Maleki: When I first started, I had two shows and no name. I was “Club Owner.” Sam choked me and said get out of town, because Jessica was raped at my nightclub. Then they called me back in, but there were always rumors that Spike was going to be killed in the tsunami or during this or that story. I heard all these crazy things and then, after I’d been here four months, someone in wardrobe told me, “I heard you’re going to be here for years.” Here it is, 17 months, and it doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere right now. It’s a compliment to what I’m doing, and I’m thankful that they’ve given me the opportunity to exploit this character and act from my gut. If I feel motivated to do something, they let me do it.
Weekly: What would you like to see in Spike’s future?
Maleki: I’d like to dive into Spike’s upbringing more. Let the audience know where he comes from and get into why he is the way he is. It would be interesting and answer a lot of questions. It would also challenge me as an actor. Then we could have a run-in with the parents. That would draw more sympathy from the audience. Spike actually gets a lot of sympathy. I can tell from the letters and what fans say. The thing I like about the storylines I’m in is that they’re more dramatic and realistic. I prefer to stay in the realistic realm. It’s not a knock, because PASSIONS is about the goblins and spirits and magic. It’s a fantasy show, and if you leave reality at the door you’ll be entertained for that hour.
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