Shriner’s Club
Daytime veteran Kin Shriner (ex-Harrison, YOUNG AND RESTLESS; ex-Scott, GENERAL HOSPITAL/PORT CHARLES; ex-Jeb, TEXAS; ex-Mike, RITUALS) was welcomed with open arms to AS THE WORLD TURNS, where his arrival was a highly anticipated event. “I knew who Kin Shriner was, but I can only watch sporadically,” said Head Writer Hogan Sheffer. “[Executive Producer Christopher] Goutman got me some tape of Kin and I went, ‘Oh, God, I get exactly what you want.’ So we’re thrilled to death to have him. Great buzz around the studio about him.We can’t wait until he arrives.” Or, as Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily) more succinctly gushed upon learning the news: “Scott was my absolute favorite character on daytime.” Scotty’s the name that famously ABC-skewing New Yorkers have been yelling at him since Shriner returned to his hometown, but he’s hoping a few of them will be willing to switch channels. Following is the long version of Shriner’s first reactions to his new soap home. His first airdate as Keith: February 3. Soap Opera Digest: How is it going?
Kin Shriner: I haven’t seemed to stop it from turning. It’s still turning!Digest: Are they treating you well?
Shriner: Yes, they are. Everybody’s very nice here. It’s been quite a pleasure. I was here 25 years ago on the stage when it was TEXAS. It was a little strange to come back, like going back to college or something. When I walked in here it all came flooding back of the time I was here with the likes of Ray Liotta [ex-Joey, AW] and Catherine Hickland [ex-Courtney, Texas; now-Lindsay, OLTL] and some of the other actors who are still around who were on the show with me back then. So it was weird. I hadn’t been back here in that many years, so I was trying to put together the memories. Digest: How did this come about?
Shriner: I was doing YOUNG AND RESTLESS and they didn’t really know where to go with the guy because it was kind of a short-term thing. And I don’t know, I just got a call and they asked if I wanted to come out and work on AS THE WORLD TURNS. So I said okay.Digest: Are you still based in California?
Shriner: I’m not really based anywhere. I left GENERAL HOSPITAL in February [2004] and then spent some time at a little place I have in Florida. Then I went back to L.A. for Y&R and then back down to Florida and then up here. So I’m here now for — I don’t know how long it’s going to go, but so far it’s been pleasant and fun. I’m having a good time and they’re very fun people. So I’m taking it as it comes along, day by day. Digest: But you like New York.
Shriner: I was born in New York and have lived here a couple of different times over the years, but I pretty much was in L.A. and it was nice to get out of L.A. for a while. I don’t know a lot of people in New York, but it’s changed a lot since I was even hanging around here about 10 years ago. It’s a whole different town.Digest: What can you say about Keith?
Shriner: I don’t know much about Keith. He’s a good guy who’s trying to do the right thing and take care of the situation at hand. I guess that’s about all I can say. He’s sort of a mysterious guy.Digest: I heard he was an airplane pilot.
Shriner: Yeah, they said something about that. I don’t know how that translates on camera [laughs]. Unless you see me flying a plane, there’s really nothing to it. Digest: Who are you working with?
Shriner: Mostly with Sarah Brown [Julia], Michael Park [Jack] and Jon Hensley [Holden]. Digest: Have you run into Mary Beth Evans [Sierra; ex-Katherine, GH]?
Shriner: Oh, absolutely! I haven’t worked with her. I thought it would be fun to have her around, but she shoots back and forth to L.A. a lot. Digest: How is it different at ATWT, compared to other shows you’ve worked on?
Shriner: They do it quick here. They get it done, but from what I understand, most of the New York soaps are picking up the pace a little bit to get shows done quickly and not mess around. The West Coast seems to take a little more time. I don’t know why or what the difference is. In this year, I was working the GH schedule and then I was working the YOUNG AND RESTLESS schedule and now I’m working the AS THE WORLD TURNS schedule. So I’ve been these three different guys this year and try to just adapt to the surrounding environment. That’s all you can do and hope that you can keep it up. I’ve done it long enough in daytime that I can go either way: as fast as you want or as slow as you want. [Laughs] I can adapt. I’m very adaptable to the medium because I’ve been in it and know it. Hell, I started when it was still live on tape, you know?
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