Paging Dr. Winters
Soap Opera Digest: How similar is your real-life persona to the doctor your portray?
Kent King: Similar in that my father is a psychiatrist, and he always says that I’m a natural therapist. I think he’s right in the way of getting people to feel comfortable talking to me, being a good listener, able to help the ones I love working through something and having compassion.Digest: Did you do any research to prepare for the role?
King: Somewhat. My father is the best. I’ve talked to him about it. I’ve always been very interested in psychology and human nature, even before this came along, so those are discussions we’ve had. And I’m an avid reader, so I’ve read some psychology books.Digest: You’re a graduate of the University of Southern California. Did you ever take a psych class during your time at USC?
King: I did take a summer school course, not at USC, but I have taken a psychology class. Human beings are endlessly fascinating.
Digest: Knowing something about psychology must come in handy for an actor.
King: You have to know psychology if you want to know why people do the things they do, so yes, absolutely.Digest: Ever suffer a Freudian slip?
King: I’m sure I have [laughs]. We all have, I’m sure. But don’t make me tell you one [laughs].Digest: Lainey is a psychiatrist, not psychologist, which means she can prescribe medication.
King: Yeah, baby [laughs].Digest: But at least you don’t have to deal with all that tricky medical jargon.
King:. Well, she is a psychiatrist, but now she’s had to deal with trauma a couple of times [during the train wreck and the killer virus], and I find those the hardest scenes to do, especially when there’s no dialogue. I’m supposed to be with a stethoscope and bandaging things and acting like I know what I’m doing and I’m forever looking at the [on-set medical] consultant like, ‘Help me! What the hell do I do?’ I feel like such a fraud [laughs], so sitting in a chair and talking to people? Way more comfortable.Digest: If you were a medical doctor, what field would you enter?
King: If I were a medical doctor, you should worry [laughs]. I don’t like blood. You could show me your paper cut and my stomach would turn. I so wouldn’t be the one you’d want to see.
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