Jamie McMurray Speeds Into Harmony

Real-life NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray veers off the track and into Tabitha’s house for a quick PASSIONS appearance on September 26.Soap Opera Digest: Had you heard of PASSIONS before this came about?
Jamie McMurray: Yeah. I watched a few episodes leading up to this and realized it’s pretty far-fetched.

Digest: How far in advance did you get your script?
McMurray: They sent it immediately. I read it in an e-mail and I was like, “Wow, that is pretty far-fetched.” But I didn’t try to memorize my lines until I got here. Then I kind of panicked. It’s not hard to remember — I just had two or three real simple lines — it’s hard to remember when the cue is coming up. [Juliet Mills, Tabitha, and Heidi Mueller, Kay] are having a conversation and then all of a sudden you have to talk. You don’t really think about it, but it’s difficult. What people don’t realize at home is that it’s not just the three of you talking; it’s you three talking and 40 people standing [nearby] that a viewer doesn’t see. So there are a lot more people watching than you realize.

Digest: Were you more nervous doing this or driving on the racetrack?
McMurray: Doing this because it’s not what you’re used to doing. You don’t want to be the one who screws it up of everyone who is doing the scene. You don’t want everyone to do their lines perfectly and then go, “Uh, why did he mess it up?”

Digest: When they yelled, “Cut,” did you think you did something wrong?
McMurray: Yeah, I thought I was in trouble. I was like, “Ah, man. What have I done wrong?” I’m sure that it’s more so for an actor than someone coming in and doing this on the side that you’re like, “I didn’t do good there. I should have done something different.” For me, I’m not expected to do great because I’m not an actor.

Digest: Did you have time to rehearse?
McMurray: We did a dry block and a rehearsal and then went at it. They did all the work, I just had to stand there. James [Hyde, Sam] was giving me pointers. I’m a 5-feet-8, skinny guy next to him.

Digest: You look like a blond version of James, actually. You could play his younger brother, Hank.
McMurray: That’s exactly what I thought when I saw him [laughs]. I was like, “You kind of look like me, except not as good looking and minus the 18 inches of height.”

Digest: How many takes did you do?
McMurray: We only did like one or two. I guess they’re not worried about my acting looking perfect.

Digest: And for the story, you’re supposed to act confused, so it works.
McMurray: I did a great job of being confused [laughs]. I wasn’t acting.

Digest: Do any of your fellow drivers know about this gig?
McMurray: I talked to Matt Kenseth about it. Matt has watched the show and seems to understand a lot. He told me, “There’s some weird stuff that goes on.”

Digest: Are they going to tease you about being on a soap?
McMurray: I think that being a racecar driver is no different than any other sport. Being harassed is 90 percent of the game. I’m sure they will give me a hard time.

Digest: Is this your official uniform?
McMurray: Yes. I could’ve used this suit last weekend. I didn’t, but I could have.

Digest: What did you talk to Juliet and Heidi about between scenes?
McMurray: We were just gossiping about how they memorize their lines and how long their days are, and they were asking me, “How fast does the car go?”

Digest: Anything else you want to share about your experience in Harmony?
McMurray: The coolest thing about it was how nice everybody was. That makes you want to do more things like this when you have such a good experience. And there were smokin’ hot chicks. It was great!

Digest: Will you tune in more?
McMurray: Yeah, that’s what I told [Heidi and Juliet]. They asked me what number I am [26] and said they will have to watch the races. I will pay more attention to those three characters now because I was a part of it and feel like I better understand what’s going on with them.

Digest: Will you watch your episode?
McMurray: I don’t know. I’ve done some things in the past. I did THE WEST WING and I don’t think I ever watched it. I know that I’ll be disappointed. Anybody who has ever heard their voice on an answering machine is like, “That’s not what I sound like.” When you see yourself on TV, you’re like, “That’s not what I really look like.” It’s always a letdown. You’re not like, “Gosh, I’m way better looking than I thought I was [laughs].”