In Print
Follow the links to our archive of Thorsten's print interviews and articles about the characters he's portrayed.
Above: On the cover of the June 26, 2007 issue of Soap Opera Digest.
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OLTL Fave Joins PC
RELUCTANT STAR'S RETURN IS SURPRISING
Thorsten Kaye's return to daytime is surprising, in light of his sort-of-lukewarm experience on OLTL. As fans probably remember, Patrick's entrance was tied to Todd's (temporary) exit when Todd was mistaken for Patrick, shot in the back, and driven off a cliff in Ireland. "The show had a hole to fill when Roger [Howarth, Todd] left, so the whole story revolved around Thorsten," recalls an ABC source. "He was uncomfortable with all the attention."
He was certainly uncomfortable with the trappings of being a soap star, rarely giving interviews and refusing to discuss his personal life. Some castmates were jealous when ABC made him the focus of a marketing campaign devoted to the poetry of Patrick Thornhart. (Remember Patrick's Notebook, featuring his "private words of love" to Marty?) While Kaye enjoyed Patrick's poetic side, OLTL worked him practically every day in a love triangle with Susan Haskell (ex-Marty) and Christopher Douglas (ex-Dylan), who made no secret of his hatred of New York and desire to get out of his contract. "There was a lot of pressure on Thorsten," says the source. "All he wanted to do was act, and all that other stuff got in the way."
Since leaving OLTL in 1997, Kaye has kept up his friendships with many of the OLTL actors (past and present) and is living happily in L.A. with Haskell - although he still prefers not to discuss his private life.
Soap Opera Digest
Published May 2, 2000
Thorsten Kaye, who wowed ONE LIFE TO LIVE fans as poetry professor Patrick Thornhart from 1995-97, has joined the cast of PORT CHARLES as that character's brother, Dr. Ian Thornhart. His first air date is May 5.
Kaye describes his character as "a bit of a renegade" who works for an organization that provides medical care to victims of disasters throughout the world. He arrives in Port Charles to help save a life and decides to stay. "Since he's a doctor who has worked in Third World countries, he's not used to working within the hospital system," explains Kaye.
Despite the resemblance between Ian and Patrick, "They're not identical twins. One has shorter hair, looks a little older, and has a tan," cracks Kaye, who has indeed cut his hair since portraying Patrick. "But…they do look similar." Will Ian also be a poet? "I don't know," he replies. "I think since it was popular [on OLTL], they may want to pick up on that. Why not? They're brothers, so they were raised the same way and have an appreciation for words. I enjoyed that more than anything [about playing Patrick], but I don't know if there's a place for that in the hospital. If people want to hear it, maybe."
Kaye's arrival proved a surprise to some (see sidebar), but the actor says the reason for his return is simple. "Honestly, I couldn't get a job anywhere else," he laughs. "I'm not a very good audition. It's not that I don't know how. I don't enjoy it. I always liked daytime. My biggest concern was living in New York because I don't like wearing shoes. Also, some things had changed at ONE LIFE TO LIVE from when I started. It was time to go."
Insiders speculate that Ian could give Kevin a run for his money for Eve's affections, or end up as Karen's new squeeze now that she and Joe are kaput. And with all the crossovers going on at ABC (OLTL's Rae just left GH and PC), could Ian wander over to his brother's old haunts in Llanview? "That sounds like fun to me," says Kaye. "I would love to go back if I had some scenes with Bob Woods [Bo], one of the best actors I've had the pleasure of working with. But I don't write the scenes - nor have I been given a plane ticket."