Scott Clifton (Liam, B&B) reflects on the gig that launched his soap career

First Audition: “Dillon was far from the first soap role I auditioned for. I auditioned for AS THE WORLD TURNS, for DAYS, and then I auditioned for three other characters on GH before the role of Dillon came along. I auditioned for two different versions of Lucky and two different versions of Lucas. I was 17 or 18, and Mark Teschner, the casting director, knew me by name at that point because I had come in so many times. He was always so nice to me. I think it was maybe my third time audition- ing for GH and he knew I was not going to get the job, but he got up from his desk and gave me a conciliatory hug and said quietly in my ear, ‘I’m going to get you on this show if it kills me,’ and that was enough for me. A few months later, I got an audition for Dillon and about a week later, I got the job, and my life changed forever.”

First Day: “My first day was not really my first day. I hadn’t been to wardrobe or hair. I wasn’t shooting yet. But I had to be a part of the annual cast photo and you can see, they hadn’t figured out my look yet. It was like a proton Dillon, and that was the day where I met everybody.”

First Mentor: “Thankfully, that was Jane Elliot [ex-Tracey] and she, being the tough cookie she is, was very protective of me and advocated for me. She took me under under her wing and taught me everything — not just everything I needed to know but everything I didn’t know I needed to know. She and Tony [Geary, ex-Luke], together, influenced the way I think about acting probably more than anybody else.”

First Piece Of Acting Advice Received: “Maurice [Benard, Sonny] had just won his first Emmy and at the time, I was cast with a bunch of other young actors. They were introducing a teen storyline, and I noticed a lot of the young actors wanted to imitate Maurice. Maurice is so subtle and specific and refined, and it’s a huge mistake to try and copycat him. Jane and Tony pulled me aside and said, ‘There is this culture now of young actors who think that not acting at all is acting, and they’re trying to be Maurice. Don’t. You’re never going to be Maurice. Being interesting is the most important thing you can do. Make interesting choices. Win the crowd,’ and if I hadn’t gotten that advice early on, I might have had a very different career. It changed my entire philosophy of how to do this job.”

First On-Screen Romance: “Oh, Lindze [Letherman, ex-Georgie]. When you’re in your teens, four years is a big age difference. Lindze was 14 when I was 18 and neither of us, truth be told, had any real- life experience with romance. I was a late bloomer. I didn’t even kiss a girl on the lips until I was, like, 17 or so, so it was new for both of us. We were at different stages in our lives, but she was so charismatic. She had such a stage presence. I remember being in awe about how comfortable in her own skin she was, and how secure she was. I will cherish that friendship forever.”

First Soap Family: “I knew some of the Quartermaine history because GH was my mother’s soap. By the time I was cast, she prob- ably hadn’t watched it in a decade or so, but she gave me her own rundown of who the Quartermaines were. My mom loved Jane even before she was on GH. She knew her from an Elvis movie called Change Of Habit. It really was a trip to be a Quartermaine. I love every single person in that family, from Natalia [Livingston, ex-Emily] to Wally [Kurth, Ned] to Stuart [Damon, ex-Alan], to Leslie [Charleson, Monica]. God, I miss [the late] John Ingle [ex-Edward]. Being on set with them as a group, I really knew what I had. It was no mystery why they reigned for so many years.”

First Fan Encounter: “The first time that a human being recognized me, I was at a gas station. I drove a Ford Ranger, and I was filling up my truck with gas. Again, I’m like 17-18 years old, and some lady said, ‘You’re Dillon!’ That just blew my mind. It was the first time that somebody I didn’t know knew me.”

First Time Leaving A Show: “The philos- ophy was, ‘I’ve got to try my hand beyond soap operas. Let me shoot for the stars.’ My contract was up, and I had a choice. It was a tough decision but I just thought, ‘Maybe it’s time,’ and then I couldn’t get a job. I had to move back in with my parents, but even- tually ONE LIFE TO LIFE came along [where he played Schuyler from 2009-10]. So, at first, it was a pretty regrettable deci- sion to leave but in the end, I’m very glad I did because I wouldn’t be Liam Spencer on B&B!