What was Sean like as a child? “I just adored him. He was creative, even as a little boy. He had great ideas. We used to go fishing together. That was one of his favorite things to do because his grandfathers liked to fish so I would go with him. Not my favorite thing to do, but we always had fun.”
How would you rate him as a student? “Sean was in the gifted program and had done very well. In the classes he liked, he was outstanding. In the classes that bored him, he did what he wanted to do.”
Sean has a sister, Robyn. How did they get along? “They probably did fight when they were younger but as they got older, they realized the value in a friendship and they are good friends.”
How did you feel when Sean moved to L.A. to pursue acting? “It was an interesting phenomenon. My brother and Sean have always been close from the time he was a baby. He used to come with his date and he would babysit because he loved Sean. Sean was always his little tagalong shadow, and as Sean grew up and went to college, my brother was in Los Angeles, so by the time Sean wanted to transfer, we told him if he did, he had to transfer to UCLA and would stay in close contact with my brother. And my parents had moved to California about an hour away [from L.A.], so he was able to have family intact while he was there.”
Was it difficult to let him go? “I always felt it was important to follow your dream because if you didn’t, you would wake up at 40 and wonder, and I didn’t want that to happen to him. He had great potential to do a lot of things and I wanted him to have the opportunity to do it and then he could decide where it would take him, and look what he did.”
What’s a famous story about Sean when he was younger? “When Sean was injured on the set of Karate Kid III. He was on his way to Las Vegas with a friend. [Husband] Dale and I were in New Castle [PA] celebrating Christmas Eve with our neighbors when we got a call from his friend who said Sean had collapsed and they were rushing him to the emergency room…. The doctor said Sean had not more than 10-15 minutes to live because he was bleeding internally so badly [but] the best part of the story is that Sean got up out of bed the next day and forced himself to walk the halls with us until he was able to get himself discharged early. He recuperated with us and my mom and dad and got back on the set within two weeks, so he was able to carry on as Mike Barnes [his character in the film] and do his own stunts. That said a lot about his grit, his determination and his devotion to the movie.”
What was it like to watch Sean play A.J. on his first soap, GH? “I was so excited because when Sean was little, I watched GH every day and I made him sit with me and watch it, then we would watch SESAME STREET and MISTER ROGERS, so I was thrilled.”
What did you think of him playing a scoundrel like Deacon on B&B? “Oh, my gosh! He was the man you love to hate. I thought he was a terrific actor because it was so alien to who he really is. He’s a very sweet, kind, loving, caring person.”
What is it like to see your son as a parent? “He had a daughter when he met [wife] Michele, and he loved her children. They all got along. They are all really great kids and I’m glad it worked out. Parenting is like a long-distance journey. It doesn’t just stop when your children grow up. I would say that he’s got a lot of his dad in him, a lot of kindness and love, and that is an important quality as a parent.”
What personality traits did he inherit from you? “His father is extremely intellectual. He has written several books so Sean gets that side from his dad — he probably got his shopping skills from me [laughs].”
How would you describe your relationship today? “I’m so proud of him. We have a great relationship. We talk a lot. In fact, I was just in L.A. for a family event and I stayed with Sean and Michele and we got up early in the morning and talked politics and what’s going on in the world, and I love that. He’s very interesting and interested, and I want to know what he thinks. As a parent of an adult, it’s a real gift.”
