GUIDING LIGHT’s Josh isn’t seen much in Springfield these days, but when he is, he’s fighting with Cassie or walking down memory lane with Reva. Weekly sat down with Robert Newman for his thoughts on Josh’s airtime, his marriage to Cassie, and what he really thinks about Reva and Jeffrey.
Soap Opera Weekly: Where has Josh been? We’re not seeing him much.
Robert Newman: It’s the way they are telling the stories. Right now, I’m working a couple of shows a week. It’s more of a challenge.
Weekly: How so?
Newman: There’s a certain rhythm I get into when I’m consistently shooting story. This kind of storytelling makes it hard to find that rhythm. It has to be hard for the viewer as well, but they are doing some things to try to address that.
Weekly: Are you enjoying the story you are shooting?
Newman: As an actor, shooting the stuff about Reva’s movie has been a nice distraction. The Josh and Cassie story is very heavy. The movie is lighter. It keeps me from moping around the studio all day.
Weekly: Will the movie ultimately pull Josh and Reva back together?
Newman: It’s the same thing we’ve done many times before, where something continues to bond Josh and Reva, whether they are interested in being bonded or not.
Weekly: Speaking of bonding, are Josh and Cassie connecting and getting over Cassie’s affair?
Newman: That issue is one of those funny soap opera things that start, get dropped for a while and then get picked up again. Now, Josh and Cassie are trying to find some middle ground and start rebuilding their relationship.
Weekly: Will the marriage last?
Newman: Josh loves Cassie. Everybody wants their marriage to work. Even when the marriage is at its worst, there’s still hope. Because Josh is a minister, he really wants to salvage the marriage.
Weekly: It seems unlikely. Josh is pretty angry about the affair.
Newman: He went through this period of being fanatically crazy about trying to figure out who she slept with. He’s backed off a little.
Weekly: How is the Grady storyline affecting Josh and Cassie’s marital progress?
Newman: Josh wants to protect Cassie from this guy that’s come back into town. He wants her to move on and get past it, but personally, I don’t know how you get past losing a child. I’d never be able to do that.
Weekly: Josh seems conflicted about his marriage, but what does he think of Jeffrey and Reva’s upcoming wedding?
Newman: Josh is shocked. He doesn’t have a right to be shocked or pass any kind of judgment, but it’s the same feeling she’s had in the past when he told her he was getting married. He should just be happy for her.
