Return Engagement: Wally Kurth
Terms Of Service: 1991-2007, 2012, 2013-present
When you left GH, did it feel permanent to you? “I definitely felt like there was an opportunity to come back sometime. I don’t know, I was taken off contract and all of that, and back in those days they weren’t really doing that recurring thing like they do now [where they use actors regularly without signing them to a contract]. I didn’t think I would be gone for so many years! I was probably more surprised to get the call to come back to DAYS [as Justin in 2009].”
While you were off the show, did you ever think about the possibility that they might recast Ned? “I never really thought about that, actually. And I don’t know why. I think with me being cast as Ned, I’m already sort of a satellite character in the Quartermaine household; I probably don’t think they really felt like that was necessary.”
You first came back for Edward’s funeral, which was in 2012. “Yeah, and I had been back on DAYS for a few years already, so I thought, ‘Oh, I guess I’m not going back to GH. I’ll just be hanging out around here on DAYS for a while.’ So when I was invited back, I was really pleased.”
When news of your return to GH first broke back then, fans were really excited. What did that mean to you? “It made me feel great. I put a lot into playing Ned and I worked really hard. I really feel like I committed my entire career, especially the heart of my career — you know, my 30s and 40s, pretty much — to GH. I pretty much did everything and anything they asked me. I was glad to see all my hard work paid off and people appreciated my efforts and my quote-unquote artistry. I feel like I’m actually a better actor now, and now, I’m able to reap the benefits and continue to work at my age, where there’s a lot of actors my age who aren’t.”
What do you remember about your first day back? “I remember my first scene was in the Quartermaine crypt. That’s such a powerful set, and I was there with Jane [Elliot, ex-Tracy], so that was a really profound set and scene partner to work with to get me right back into that world. And it was a really well-written scene. It was just heartfelt, and Jane and I could connect once again as Ned and Tracy and have that really sweet bond. In a similar way, John Aniston [Victor] was my touchstone [when I returned to] DAYS. My very first scene there was walking into the Kiriakis living room and there was Uncle Vic. It was just like, ‘Okay, I got this.’ ”
There had been a changing of the guard at GH in the interim. Did it surprise you that the show’s new executive producer, Frank Valentini, knew of Ned? “Yes, although [Writer] Elizabeth Korte was there and she probably said, ‘Hey, we should bring Ned back for this funeral.’ But when I met him and they realized I was still capable of acting and being Ned, Frank said, ‘We’ll try to bring you back into the mix.’ If I’m not mistaken, I took a six-month break and then they invited me back for the Nurses’ Ball. And really, from that time on, I think I sort of have been in and around the Port Charles area. That was during the crazy Luke story [when it appeared that an impostor had taken over Luke’s life]. It was so great to work with Tony [Geary, ex-Luke]. Tony was so fun to work with and I got the feeling that he really enjoyed our time together, too.”
Ned did leave town again for a little bit in 2015 when you went back on contract at DAYS. “Oh, that’s right. DAYS put me on contract for a year but after nine months, they said, ‘We’re not going to pick up your last 13-week cycle. That day, my manager reached out to Frank and said, ‘Hey. Wally’s available.’ And Frank pretty much said, ‘Great! We’ll bring him back.’ And he did. He stayed true to his word. He brought me back within weeks. I was back on the canvas, never to leave again, really!”
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