Extra! Extra!
Soap Opera Digest: How did you get started?
Patrick Stephenson: A lot of letters, a lot of mailing. Also, I did a showcase that Melanie Haseltine, a casting director from GUIDING LIGHT, was invited to in 1997.
Digest: What was your first job in soaps?
Stephenson: Actually, it was on LOVING, and I played an orderly. But the cop thing [that started] on GUIDING LIGHT, I liked because they had me read for it, which was cool. My first air date on ALL MY CHILDREN was in 1999. I had a really great, physical part. I had to arrest somebody, so I got to shove him around. Finola Hughes was Chief Devane at the time and she was like, “Holster your weapon!” AS THE WORLD TURNS is the latest addition. It was funny, because I actually auditioned for a rapist, but I wound up a cop again [laughs]. But it was fun, because I did this monologue from OZ and Lamont [Craig] in casting was so affected. He said, “That was really good — but we don’t have anything like that on this show.” At WORLD TURNS, I work about eight times a year. I’m fortunate because when I’m called, it’s usually something specific, some pivotal thing is happening. That’s also really true on ALL MY CHILDREN. Whenever I tell someone that I was on, I’ll tell them the event and they’ll go, “Oh, my God, I saw that show! When Leo died, you’re the cop that handed the wet jacket to Chief Devane and Greenlee fell apart.” “Yep, that was me.” When Ryan was shot, when Tad was tied to a chair…. It’s always around a key element, because people may not remember my face, but they’ll remember the peak intensity about that show on that day. The good thing about GUIDING LIGHT is that I was promoted to sergeant. All the friends of mine who work as cops on the show also are like, “How come you get the stripes?” I’m gonna have a pension there! It was specifically Frank [Dicopoulos] and Beth [Ehlers, Harley] who did it when they were redoing the police station. Frank actually went down to production and spoke for me. That was really cool.
Digest: How do cast members normally treat you?
Stephenson: On GUIDING LIGHT, Frank, Beth, Ricky Paull [Goldin, Gus]… awesome. And even Kim Zimmer [Reva]. It was actually Kim, in 1997 when I was first on, who helped me get my SAG card. This woman, I’ve learned so much from and I love her. She came to the set and she was really upset because someone she knew was hurt in an accident and she was a wreck. The set was absolutely silent. In the scene she had to do, she had to be in a bar, dancing on a table, happy and jovial, saying, “Hey, boys, who wants to hear my story?” That was her line. And when it came show time, she was a complete pro and when she was on the table and said, “Hey, who wants to hear my story?” I said, “Yeah,” and put my hand out to escort her down. So that immediately got me an upgrade [from background to under-five]. She gave me a gift, and that was my SAG card. So I love talking to her. She coaches some young people in the business and she says, “Be nice to everyone because you don’t know who you’ll be working with here or there.” On ALL MY CHILDREN, I love David Canary [Adam/Stuart] and Michael [E. Knight, Tad]. Some actors have to keep a certain tempo to the scene, so they’re really quick to get past my part as a bit player because I’m not going to be here tomorrow. But I recently did a scene where I had to push Tad and he could have just delivered his line, but we made a connection where I pushed him and he responded to it. He really delivered the line back to me so that we could have a “soap moment.” He’s done that more than once with me. He doesn’t let anything slip into insignificance. When [my character] arrested Krystal, Bobbie [Eakes] was generous enough to throw a look to me, like there was an attraction to the cop coming to arrest her. So I love that show because the actors are so generous toward whoever they’re working with, and especially the director, Conal O’Brien. He gives me room to play. Hunt Block [Craig, ATWT; ex-Ben, GL] gave me a lot of great coaching on GUIDING LIGHT, and I told him about it when I saw him at AS THE WORLD TURNS. A few years ago, I was told to stop doing anything other than principle work. So I asked him about that and he said, “Hey, never refuse work. Find your way.” I appreciated that input.Digest: What is a regular day like for you?
Stephenson: I pick up the script a week to 10 days before, and even though my lines would be under-five, there is usually a lot of activity, so it’s really key to read the whole script to know who’s taking focus that day. Even if I’m not in the scenes prior, it’s okay, there’s some heightened event going on: Somebody’s been shot, somebody’s being chased, we’re on a case. Something’s going on. I call two days before to get my call time, which is usually around 7 a.m. I get there really early. If I’m on GUIDING LIGHT or AS THE WORLD TURNS, I’ll take advantage of the gym. Then I will listen to where they are in the setup, then go to hair and makeup. I partially dress first, and then I listen to my call for block, dress, tape. In that time, I sit in the dressing room or in the hall, where sometimes they’ll run lines for a scene. Also, if there’s anything physical, I want everyone to feel as comfortable as possible, especially if there’s something physical. On more than one occasion, if one of the actors are late, they’ll ask me to read, which is kind of fun.
Digest: Are there any rules to playing a TV cop?
Stephenson: I had to learn how to cuff people. Most of my best friends are police officers, which is really a kick. My father is also a retired police officer, so he says he totally believes me as a cop. So yeah, I get to play with cuffs, mainly because I don’t want to hurt anybody. And, of course, it’s good common sense to have courtesy with all of the props. Some of the guns are very real-looking, so the rule of thumb is to always treat it with respect, as if it’s a real weapon, and never point it under any circumstances, directly at anybody. Never leave the set with any of the equipment on. All of those things are greatly appreciated. Digest: What advice would you have for someone getting started as an actor?
Stephenson: You must become a personal development junkie, because acting is a form of communication, so you’ve got to constantly keep yourself personally powerful. You’ve got to take care of your health, your hygiene, your wardrobe, your state of mind. The first step would be to decide. When you really put that energy in, that’s it — you are an actor. Whether you’re working or not. The second thing you’ve got to do is find a supportive environment. Not your family or friends, but a support group through acting classes. The third thing is pictures. By announcing that you’re out there, be aware of what you’re attracting. You’ve got to do things that you’re proud of and you attract better people with that. No matter what it is — your high-school play, a scene in class — you’ve got to constantly do work you’re proud of. There is no difference between paid work and unpaid work. I would first warn fellow actors to be careful. My learning curve was three years of scams. I wasted so much money. You’ve got to learn to develop your sense regarding fake schools, fake photographers and what can actually lead where. The first step is that you have to target people who believe in your work. And nobody’s going to believe in you more than you. So get pictures and target agents, casting people and/or managers. Those are the venues to work. BackStage magazine has a lot of college films, and do good plays, bad plays … do as much work as possible. The audition process is learning itself. And once you have a sense of who you are and where you fit in, you’ve got to be as genuine as possible. You have to show up. A lot of people get into this business and they want to be someone else. Digest: How do you insure that you’ll keep getting called back as a day player?
Stephenson: My acting coach is a big fan of THE APPRENTICE, and he said all of the same rules apply to the acting: You’ve got to be consistent, on time, available, flexible…. It’s something I noticed over the years: Some actors didn’t have that discipline. Some of the contract players have certain leeway that you’re not allowed. The patience for the new guy is very little. You’ve got to be perfect every time. When you’re on, you’re on. They really do not appreciate retakes from the day players. Digest: What mistakes do people make?
Stephenson: No discipline. Do you know how many times I’ve seen actors come on and not know the script?
Lateness, which I cannot believe. If you’re called for an under-five, you think you’d jump out of bed. I mean, I do. If you tell me to be there at 7, I’ll be there at 6. You’re working on a set with other actors, in the industry you love — why resist it because it’s only a few lines?
I think that’s a problem that a lot of actors have. There are a lot of ego trips. I’ve seen guys who’ve played cops [on daytime] who are on Broadway [at night]. And they’re bitter about doing under-five work. In the same breath, I’ve seen a guy who had a contract on ANOTHER WORLD doing the same thing I’m doing on GUIDING LIGHT, and I’m like, “And I’ve got the stripes.” So you never know where you’re gonna [end up] in this industry.
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