Daytime Emmy Spotlight: Outstanding Supporting Actor Nominee Interviews
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How did you find out you were nominated? “I forgot to turn my ringer on so I was cleaning the house, making breakfast, wiping the dog’s butt and I looked at my phone and there were like 1,000 text messages and I thought either somebody died or I may have gotten nominated. Thank God it was the latter.” What did you submit? “We did a nice arc with the Sally/Flo/Wyatt triangle, from Sally lying about dying, and the kidnapping and rescue of Flo, and Wyatt learning the truth and finally letting her have it. I am so proud of Courtney [Hope, on her first Emmy nomination].” Thoughts on the competition? “I’m not going to win. Come on. Bryton [James, Devon, Y&R] has, like, 16 of them. Max [Gail] did an amazing job with the [GH] dementia storyline. That was just heartbreaking. Everyone in that category is just so talented. I’m just happy to be in their company and whoever wins, I’m sure we’ll all celebrate together — and the winner will buy [laughs].” This is your third nomination, and your first for B&B. “I know! I’ve been here for eight years and I just wanted a nomination for this show for Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] to show that hiring me has not been in vain.” You won in 2009 for Outstanding Younger Actor. Should you win again, what would you change about your acceptance speech? “Well, I won’t swear on national television! I was just so caught off-guard, you know? And, I won’t do my own hair. I will leave that to a professional.”
Photo credit: Gilles Toucas/Courtesy Of Bell-Phillip Television Inc
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How does your second nomination in this category feel? “It’s cool! It’s so true that it’s all collaborative and that’s the big draw — you’re working not just with other actors, but writers and camera people and the whole range that makes it go. The idea of individual awards kind of works against that, but at the same time, it’s nice to be acknowledged.” You won in 2019, the year Mike was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and now you’re nominated for his death — an impressive book-end to your GH run. “The in-between year, I didn’t submit, but this year I think the story found its stride. It really tapped into something that’s very real for a wide range of people and has a huge amount of drama all around it. I’m glad I submitted and it’s being acknowledged because I do think it was a wonderful story. I sure feel fortunate. I learned so much and it was wonderful working with Maurice [Benard] from the moment we first read together. It changed my attitude toward soaps. It just was not a world I spent much time in, and secretly probably rolled my eyes at a little. The whole experience was wonderful.” What would a second win mean to you? “It felt good to be in that spot and if it happened again, I’d just be honored and see it as a chance to thank people.” What’s your plan for Emmy night? “I think we’re going to try to get together, the GENERAL HOSPITAL people, and if there’s something to be at, I’ll be there! [My last nomination] involved being out in the sun in a tuxedo on a hot and sunny day — the idea of doing something more casual appeals to me.”
Photo credit: ABC
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This is hardly your first rodeo as a nominee, but how does it feel? “It feels just like the first time, really. It’s always such an incredible honor to be recognized at all for something I love to do and care about doing a great job at. It’s the cherry on top of this career I’ve been lucky enough to have and being a part of a show like THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.” You won in Supporting last year. What would it mean to you to win back-to-back? “That would be incredible! Anyone who knows me knows how extremely competitive I am, so of course, to win would be amazing. But of course, just to be nominated two years in a row is amazing.” Were you clear from the get-go about what scenes you would submit? “This year was pretty clear; the biggest, most emotionally heavy storyline was the breakup between Devon and Elena, and just the way that it was written and paced out and the moments that Brytni [Sarpy, Elena] and I got to play made it very easy to know what to pick. I’m still in shock, really, that I’m not sharing [a nomination] with Brytni because all my scenes were opposite her and because of what she was able to bring to the scenes and how real her performance was throughout.” Do you ever feel like, “Maybe I should throw my hat into Lead?” “No, not yet. I still feel like I’m a kid in this medium, you know? I’m surrounded by people who’ve been on for 30-plus, 40-plus years, these actors that I’ve grown up with and that I learn from every single day that I come to work, and my goal every day is to make them proud. To have my name in the category with the Maurices [Benard] and the Peter Bergmans [Jack] — I don’t see myself there yet. But one day!”
Photo credit: JPI
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Congrats on your first Daytime Emmy nomination. “Thank you! That was kind of unexpected. I don’t think I’ve ever won anything in my life except a turkey in a bingo game when I was, like, 12. This is better!” How did you get the news? “My manager, Lisa Disante-Frank, texted me: ‘Call me right away!’ I felt like I was in trouble, like, ‘Oops, I must have done something bad!’ And then she got on the phone and told me and it was so sweet because she was crying, she was so thrilled. She was happier than I was! I’ve been with her 20 years or longer and everything we’ve been through — we both felt like we were vindicated by this. Then I told my wife, ‘Whatever you say in the next few days, I’m going to respond with, “You know I’m nominated for an Emmy, right? Please pass the salt.” ’ ” What does the recognition mean to you? “It means that the way that I approach work is noticed. Soap acting is so challenging, it’s such a huge risk to be free and full and alive and just get those words out, and it means that trust works — that’s what it means to me. In film and nighttime television, you have the chance to fix whatever you screw up and you have a chance to mold something. In this, all you have is the moment and you just have to go with the moment.” How would you feel if your name was called? “It would give me something fantastic to put in the back of all of my Zoom calls — ‘Oh, that thing? I forgot where I put it.’ No, it would be thrilling, it would be fun and it would just mean that the gods all aligned at a certain moment.”
Photo credit: David Zaugh
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How did you react to the news you were nominated? “Elation, for about five seconds — until I realized I was in the same category as Max and Jeff! The next thought I had was how great it was to be in their company. I could not be more sincere when I say that it is a real honor to be in the category with those guys. I don’t know that I’ll be writing any speeches, though [laughs]! I’m busy thinking, ‘Hmmm, what am I going to put on my reel next year?’ ” What was your approach to this year’s reel? “Having been a judge multiple times, I always appreciate some sort of arc, a through line that keeps me engaged. I had a year where Valentin lost Nina, contemplated surrendering his daughter to Laura and Lulu, and reconnected with Alexis, which I liked very much — it was a story of a guy who was losing everything and trying to stay on his feet. ” What does the nomination mean to you? “I try to be part of the solution; I try to make it easier to make the show. But when this happens, it’s a little bit like Gollum discovering the ring! It kind of bends light, and you start to think, ‘Boy, where would I put that? Mom would really love one of these! It would look great in her house.’ Not to mention the fact that so many of my friends have them! I’ve grown up going over to Michael Knight’s house and Cady McClain’s [Jennifer, DAYS] house and disappearing with one of their statues in the guest bathroom and doing a speech into the medicine cabinet. At the end of the day, the greatest feeling is just to know that I’m part of a team. The leader of the team, the quarterback, is Frank Valentini, and if I got nominated, I feel like I caught the ball and that makes me happy.”
Photo credit: ABC
How did you find out you were nominated? “I forgot to turn my ringer on so I was cleaning the house, making breakfast, wiping the dog’s butt and I looked at my phone and there were like 1,000 text messages and I thought either somebody died or I may have gotten nominated. Thank God it was the latter.” What did you submit? “We did a nice arc with the Sally/Flo/Wyatt triangle, from Sally lying about dying, and the kidnapping and rescue of Flo, and Wyatt learning the truth and finally letting her have it. I am so proud of Courtney [Hope, on her first Emmy nomination].” Thoughts on the competition? “I’m not going to win. Come on. Bryton [James, Devon, Y&R] has, like, 16 of them. Max [Gail] did an amazing job with the [GH] dementia storyline. That was just heartbreaking. Everyone in that category is just so talented. I’m just happy to be in their company and whoever wins, I’m sure we’ll all celebrate together — and the winner will buy [laughs].” This is your third nomination, and your first for B&B. “I know! I’ve been here for eight years and I just wanted a nomination for this show for Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] to show that hiring me has not been in vain.” You won in 2009 for Outstanding Younger Actor. Should you win again, what would you change about your acceptance speech? “Well, I won’t swear on national television! I was just so caught off-guard, you know? And, I won’t do my own hair. I will leave that to a professional.”
Photo credit: Gilles Toucas/Courtesy Of Bell-Phillip Television Inc
How does your second nomination in this category feel? “It’s cool! It’s so true that it’s all collaborative and that’s the big draw — you’re working not just with other actors, but writers and camera people and the whole range that makes it go. The idea of individual awards kind of works against that, but at the same time, it’s nice to be acknowledged.” You won in 2019, the year Mike was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and now you’re nominated for his death — an impressive book-end to your GH run. “The in-between year, I didn’t submit, but this year I think the story found its stride. It really tapped into something that’s very real for a wide range of people and has a huge amount of drama all around it. I’m glad I submitted and it’s being acknowledged because I do think it was a wonderful story. I sure feel fortunate. I learned so much and it was wonderful working with Maurice [Benard] from the moment we first read together. It changed my attitude toward soaps. It just was not a world I spent much time in, and secretly probably rolled my eyes at a little. The whole experience was wonderful.” What would a second win mean to you? “It felt good to be in that spot and if it happened again, I’d just be honored and see it as a chance to thank people.” What’s your plan for Emmy night? “I think we’re going to try to get together, the GENERAL HOSPITAL people, and if there’s something to be at, I’ll be there! [My last nomination] involved being out in the sun in a tuxedo on a hot and sunny day — the idea of doing something more casual appeals to me.”
Photo credit: ABC
This is hardly your first rodeo as a nominee, but how does it feel? “It feels just like the first time, really. It’s always such an incredible honor to be recognized at all for something I love to do and care about doing a great job at. It’s the cherry on top of this career I’ve been lucky enough to have and being a part of a show like THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.” You won in Supporting last year. What would it mean to you to win back-to-back? “That would be incredible! Anyone who knows me knows how extremely competitive I am, so of course, to win would be amazing. But of course, just to be nominated two years in a row is amazing.” Were you clear from the get-go about what scenes you would submit? “This year was pretty clear; the biggest, most emotionally heavy storyline was the breakup between Devon and Elena, and just the way that it was written and paced out and the moments that Brytni [Sarpy, Elena] and I got to play made it very easy to know what to pick. I’m still in shock, really, that I’m not sharing [a nomination] with Brytni because all my scenes were opposite her and because of what she was able to bring to the scenes and how real her performance was throughout.” Do you ever feel like, “Maybe I should throw my hat into Lead?” “No, not yet. I still feel like I’m a kid in this medium, you know? I’m surrounded by people who’ve been on for 30-plus, 40-plus years, these actors that I’ve grown up with and that I learn from every single day that I come to work, and my goal every day is to make them proud. To have my name in the category with the Maurices [Benard] and the Peter Bergmans [Jack] — I don’t see myself there yet. But one day!”
Photo credit: JPI
Congrats on your first Daytime Emmy nomination. “Thank you! That was kind of unexpected. I don’t think I’ve ever won anything in my life except a turkey in a bingo game when I was, like, 12. This is better!” How did you get the news? “My manager, Lisa Disante-Frank, texted me: ‘Call me right away!’ I felt like I was in trouble, like, ‘Oops, I must have done something bad!’ And then she got on the phone and told me and it was so sweet because she was crying, she was so thrilled. She was happier than I was! I’ve been with her 20 years or longer and everything we’ve been through — we both felt like we were vindicated by this. Then I told my wife, ‘Whatever you say in the next few days, I’m going to respond with, “You know I’m nominated for an Emmy, right? Please pass the salt.” ’ ” What does the recognition mean to you? “It means that the way that I approach work is noticed. Soap acting is so challenging, it’s such a huge risk to be free and full and alive and just get those words out, and it means that trust works — that’s what it means to me. In film and nighttime television, you have the chance to fix whatever you screw up and you have a chance to mold something. In this, all you have is the moment and you just have to go with the moment.” How would you feel if your name was called? “It would give me something fantastic to put in the back of all of my Zoom calls — ‘Oh, that thing? I forgot where I put it.’ No, it would be thrilling, it would be fun and it would just mean that the gods all aligned at a certain moment.”
Photo credit: David Zaugh
How did you react to the news you were nominated? “Elation, for about five seconds — until I realized I was in the same category as Max and Jeff! The next thought I had was how great it was to be in their company. I could not be more sincere when I say that it is a real honor to be in the category with those guys. I don’t know that I’ll be writing any speeches, though [laughs]! I’m busy thinking, ‘Hmmm, what am I going to put on my reel next year?’ ” What was your approach to this year’s reel? “Having been a judge multiple times, I always appreciate some sort of arc, a through line that keeps me engaged. I had a year where Valentin lost Nina, contemplated surrendering his daughter to Laura and Lulu, and reconnected with Alexis, which I liked very much — it was a story of a guy who was losing everything and trying to stay on his feet. ” What does the nomination mean to you? “I try to be part of the solution; I try to make it easier to make the show. But when this happens, it’s a little bit like Gollum discovering the ring! It kind of bends light, and you start to think, ‘Boy, where would I put that? Mom would really love one of these! It would look great in her house.’ Not to mention the fact that so many of my friends have them! I’ve grown up going over to Michael Knight’s house and Cady McClain’s [Jennifer, DAYS] house and disappearing with one of their statues in the guest bathroom and doing a speech into the medicine cabinet. At the end of the day, the greatest feeling is just to know that I’m part of a team. The leader of the team, the quarterback, is Frank Valentini, and if I got nominated, I feel like I caught the ball and that makes me happy.”
Photo credit: ABC
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