This interview was originally published in the September 2, 1997 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
The character he plays on PORT CHARLES, Dr. Kevin Collins, is smart, edgy and sophisticated. If fan mail is any indication, he’s also a sex symbol, but try convincing Jon Lindstrom. “I don’t view myself as a sexy person,” the actor insists. “But then I think, ‘Wait a minute, this is not something to get upset about.’” He admits to getting a certain amount of ribbing, but hastens to add, “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
As he sits in the ABC commissary, Lindstrom ruminates on daytime stardom. The actor worked on SANTA BARBARA (as Mark McCormack) and RITUALS (as Brady Chapin), but it was GENERAL HOSPITAL nut job Ryan Chamberlain, a role Lindstrom originated five years ago, that put him on the soap map.
“The most psychotic pediatrician you’ll ever see,” Lindstrom observes of the late Dr. Chamberlain. The actor admits he misses Ryan, although he was instrumental in the character’s demise. “I asked that we put him out of his misery because I knew that with Ryan around, [his twin] Kevin would never be able to fully blossom into a breathing character of his own.”
Each brother developed a following. “I had a lot of single women wanting to date Ryan, which I thought was pretty strange,” recalls Lindstrom. “Thankfully, there’s plenty around who still want to date Kevin, but a lot just want him to solve their problems.”
A bit ironic given the character’s own crises. “Kevin’s problems and his intellect have gotten in the way of him growing and being able to be close to people,” agrees Lindstrom. “But, now that he’s been able to open up his heart and trust Lucy with it, I think he’s going to be a lot different.”
Lindstrom, like his alter ego, has undergone changes. One is obvious: He cut his flowing locks. “I’ve never seen so much to-do about a haircut,” Lindstrom chuckles. “I guess I was just looking for an excuse, and I found some days off and I said, ‘Change it, man.’ The shorter ‘do was better for the summer, better for the character, better for me. When you wake up in the morning and think, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got to look at myself in the mirror again,’ it’s time to get a haircut.
This is a terrific time for Lindstrom. “It’s a whole new canvas for me,” he declares. “I’m really excited and really happy. Taking risks is the stuff of life — that’s what keeps you young.”
JUST THE FACTS
Birthday: October 10
Birthplace: Medford, OR
Family Ties: “I have an older brother. He designs computers, stuff that I couldn’t possibly think of doing. He has a whole different kind of mentality.”
Pet Peeve: “I get pissed off when people knock soap operas. It can be some of the best television you’re going to see. Believe it or not, folks.”
Take Me Out To The Ball Game: “Personally, I don’t like baseball. It’s too long. Give me a good football game any day.”
Favorite Celeb Sighting: “I met Ozzy Osbourne at the Barclay’s Bank in Cannes [France]. I’m sitting there and I hear this voice, and there’s Ozzy standing behind me, changing his money just like me.”
