Van Hansis: He’s the Van!
ATWT’s Van Hansis (Luke) chats with Weekly about playing big bro, the name game — and how he really feels about an all-expenses-paid Maltese vacation.
Soap Opera Weekly: So, Luke was one of the first people to hold his new baby brother. What was that like?
Van Hansis: We have these little twins who were 5 weeks old [at the time] playing the baby. I haven’t held a baby in eight or nine years, so I had to have a baby-holding class — not a real class. The woman who handles all the babies on the show took me up to the babies’ dressing room and I hung out with them for 15 minutes. It made me want to have a kid really soon. I got very paternal. For the first time I was like, “Babies are really, really cool.” Well not the first time. When we got on-set, the minute I held the baby it started screaming, so they had to give it to Jon (Hensley, Holden). All the scenes with Luke holding the baby had to be changed to Holden holding the baby. I think the baby liked Jon better than me. Jon’s had experience with babies. I haven’t.
Weekly: But you get to practice with “Wiggles” Snyder.
Hansis: (Laughs) He’s referred to as Wiggles a lot on-screen.
Weekly: Is that part of the weird baby-naming trend? Like ALL MY CHILDREN’s Spike?
Hansis: I read about that. I thought that was weird. I know the baby’s name is not going to stay Wiggles — which makes sense to me because my parents didn’t know what to call me for a couple of weeks. I was called Gus, then it changed.
Weekly: How did they settle on Van?
Hansis: Van’s a family name. It may have been when my mom was pregnant with me that they called me Gus. I’m the fourth Van.
Weekly: They could have just added ‘Sant,’ like the director.
Hansis: I know. Gus Van Sant — they should have known!
Weekly: Luke’s a babe in the woods himself here. He’s so naive!
Hansis: You could tell Luke the sky is red and he’d believe you. He’s very susceptible to people — like the whole thing with Jade and then Damian. He’s very malleable. He drinks with Kevin even though he knows it’s wrong. He needs to grow a backbone and make some decisions. But it comes from a good place. He’s trying to do what he thinks is best. In his eyes, [birth father] Damian didn’t have anybody. Holden has Lucinda, Emma, Lucy and Jack. Luke sees Holden as his father, not Damian, but he does feel some attachment to Damian because he’s his birth father and because Damian was there for him when he thought nobody else was — even if Damian was lying.
Weekly: Who would you have stuck with?
Hansis: Going to Malta and partying it up…or Illinois? I don’t know. It’s a tough decision (laughs). I’d probably be the good son and stay with Holden, but a free trip to Malta can’t be that bad, and they’d probably fly first class, too. Van would betray his family for extra leg room. Luke’s far more considerate. Just kidding!
Conversation
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