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AMC Heavyweights – And Real-Life Pals – Cameron Mathison And Thorsten Kaye Are Champs At Cutting Each Other Down To Size

Soap Opera Digest

by Mara Levinsky, Published April 22, 2008

Soap Opera Digest: What were your first impressions of each other?

Cameron Mathison: He’s a lot more handsome in person and I just remember being very drawn to him. Wait, that doesn’t sound right. The first time I ever met Thorsten was at a Super Soap [Weekend].

Thorsten Kaye: It was him and Josh Duhamel [ex-Leo]. You had these pretty boys there from ALL MY CHILDREN, and the more mature actors from the West Coast [Kaye was playing Ian on PORT CHARLES at the time]. These two clowns were so noisy and I think they both took their shirts off.

Mathison (puts his head in his hands): I don’t remember that.

Kaye: I do! Michael Easton [John, ONE LIFE TO LIVE] said, “He’s the guy who always takes his shirt off.” I said, “No, no, he’s a good actor, he wouldn’t do that!” And boom [pantomimes ripping off his shirt]! Then, when I was joining the family of ALL MY CHILDREN, I thought “Oh, Six-Pack Boy is there. Great.”

Mathison: And now I work out harder than ever, just for Thorsten.

Kaye: I exchanged my six-pack for a keg. It was a good deal. But when you first go to a different show, you have an idea of who may or may not be your friend. And he definitely wasn’t someone I thought I could hang with. Digest: Because he took his shirt off?

Kaye: Yeah. I thought, “He’s completely self-involved, this boy, and absolutely ridiculous.” But he’s a caring human being, and not just about people, but about the work. And if you look like that, it’d be very easy to just sit back and enjoy. Digest: What was your rapport like when you first started working together? Mathison: The first day we worked together, he kicked me on the thigh. I was supposed to be injured from a motorcycle wipe-out and I said, “Just kick me here so I have somewhere to focus on.” That was the last time I made that request. That was really my first impression: “Wow, this guy has obviously played soccer. Maybe even rugby.”

Kaye: He had it coming. Brando over here, he was laying there and I was supposed to kick him like, “Come on, get up.” M.B. goes, “If you want to make contact, you can make contact.”

Mathison: You went, “Okay, Brando!” And then, wham! I was like, “Ahhhhhhh!” And they were like, “3 – 2 – 1.” My first scene with him and he whaled on me! I honestly thought that my bone had shattered. I could hear the camera guys laughing.

Digest: Let the record show that rarely have I seen as pleased a grin as the one on Thorsten’s face right now.

Kaye: I would like to apologize to all the viewers of DANCING WITH THE STARS because I think I took away his chance to win just with that. [To Mathison] Tell me about DANCING WITH THE STARS, man.

Mathison: Oh, I’ll tell you about it. I am a dance machine.

Kaye: Has your movement as an actor changed? Mathison: I gotta tell you, when I cross a set, say, from stage right to stage left, it’s a lot more fluid, a lot more graceful, a lot lighter.

Kaye: It seems like most of your work now seems light. Fluffy. Mathison: Yeah, I take that as – a compliment? I think?

Digest: Cameron, what’s your theory as to why the ladies love Thorsten?

Mathison: I think men and women alike love him because he’s always just on the verge of losing his voice.

Digest: Do you do an impression of him?

Mathison [adopting a gravelly voice]: Yes, I do. I walked on the set the other day and just looked around and grunted, threw stuff around. And he came in during my impression! “Grr, grrrrrr….” And then he did an impression of me. [Adopting manic tone] “Hey, everybody! How ya doin’! What’s going on? Hi guys!”

Kaye: The biggest difference is, some of the ladies like me, but with him, it’s everybody. Animals, men, older men… He has an Adonis-like quality.

Mathison: Who killed Adonis?

Kaye: I think vanity killed Adonis, so be careful when you do your hair. I’m not bitter, though. I’m sure God has a reason for making him look the way he does. Being as attractive as you are as Cameron, why don’t you think that translates to the character of Ryan? Mathison: I just play him less attractive. I want to make sure that Ryan – wait, this is making me sound like I think I’m really attractive.

Kaye [laughs]: I like that you play human flaws. Mathison: Yeah, I try to accentuate that. And apparently, I’m doing a very good job! I hear about it on every street corner every single day. Digest: What do you hear on the corner every day, Thorsten?

Kaye: Well, I live in the country, so it’s different for me. It’s usually, “Get off the road!” “That’s my sheep!” I actually like Ryan’s storyline, but I know Cameron doesn’t think he’s being liked and that he has some quotes to back that up.

Mathison: I’ve got some bruises to back that up! Everybody wants to kill Ryan. Greenlee, Annie, Zach, Aidan, Kendall sometimes….

Kaye: Here’s what I read. Kendall: “I gotta go see Ryan.” Annie: “Oh, my God, how’s Ryan?” Greenlee: “Have you seen Ryan?”

Mathison: That’s funny. By the time they get to Ryan, I don’t know if they’ve been in a car accident or they’ve lost their favorite handbag or what, but they’re not in a good mood anymore.

Kaye: Who would you want Ryan to be with, other than the character of Zach?

Mathison: And Aidan’s out, too?

Kaye: No, Aidan’s in.

Mathison [giggling]: He’s pretty handsome. I don’t know if there’s a guy on the show as handsome as Aidan Devane. He’s got that accent and everything. Even if it’s not crystal clear what he’s saying, you can tell there’s an accent. By the way, I rarely understand what my character is saying, either. Digest: Thorsten, Cameron has been doing a lot of traveling –

Kaye: Oh, my God, has he ever.

Digest: He’s beign pulled in so many different directions –

Kaye: He’s like the Gumby of daytime.

Digest: Do you miss getting to spend as much time with him?

Kaye: I do, but if you’re a household name like that, there’s a price to be paid. Digest: Thorsten, is there anything you envy about Cameron?

Kaye: No. Envy’s an ugly word. Mathison: Have you seen me naked?

Kaye: I would never envy that.

Mathison: Okay. Go on.

Kaye: There are many things that I admire: his ability to come to the set not prepared at all [Mathison cracks up as Kaye struggles not to laugh], his ability to talk for 20 minutes and not say a word….

Mathison: Those are phenomenal anti-compliments. That was genius!

Digest: Thorsten, would you ever go golfing with Cameron?

Kaye: No. I’m still sexually active, so this is not a good time for me. Mathison: That’s what I admire!

Kaye: You admire that at my age I’m still doing it? I concede that. I admire that myself. Mathison: He actually did play with me once at the driving range.

Kaye: There was nothing on TV. Mathison: I think he was just grateful that I drove up to see him so he thought, “Okay, I’ll just do whatever he wants.”

Kaye: He goes, “Want to watch me hit this thing?” “Uh, okay.” And he can, he can hit things that are far way with a golf ball! But so what?Mathison: You know how I kept him there?

Kaye: He drove!

Mathison [laughs]: I did drive, but I had a bucket of balls and I gave him a bucket of beer!

Kaye: Can I ask a question to sum up? If you had the choice, would you trade your good looks for talent?

Mathison: Oh, God. [Long, ponderous pause.] I don’t think so. I’ve gotten far enough…. But I’m slipping! There’s only so much more surgery I can have.

Kaye: Oh, there’s plenty.

Mathison: I’ve already gone from real muscles to implants: chest, bi’s, tri’s, calves, butt…

Kaye: Penile….

Mathison: That’s the only one I truly regret.

Kaye: It didn’t scare that much!

Mathison: Everything else has been very successful, so let’s just focus on the good.

Kaye: Yes, let’s. Let’s focus on the good.

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