Carolyn's Corner
Interview
Soap Opera Weekly - September 18, 2007

This week's guest is Thorsten Kaye, who plays Zach on All My Children. Carolyn:  There's a lot of crying on soaps, but you often make a different acting choice.  Why does everybody cry in all your scenes except for you? Thorsten: I am crying.  I'm crying on the inside.  That's why I'm so bloated. Carolyn:  Can't you ever say to the actors in your scene, "Let's get through this without anybody crying"? Thorsten:  Then you know what happens?  You get a note from someone upstairs saying, "There is a lot at stake here," and wanting someone to cry.  Then I will have to say, "Yeah, but can we not play result all f---ing day?  Can we play hope?  Can we maybe play that we are bigger than this and that we can make it?"  It's like a dog that knows when y ou are scared, so you've got to try not to be.  You've got to try to be strong for people.  But for some reason, soaps always want to show weakness.  You saw the Emmy tapes!  Everybody was crying.  And the best cries won. Carolyn:  Which is so funny to me because actors always say that crying is the easiest thing to do. Thorsten:  It is.  I don't even know what the hardest thing to do is. Carolyn:  Remember your lines? Thorsten:  Yeah!  No, make the scene about somebody else and not make it about you for once.  When you watch Kendall now, it's always about her.  "I can't live with him not being able to go to school" or "I can't do this."  It's about a kid.  It's not about you.  I want to see some strength.  But that's me. Carolyn:  Stacy Haiduk is coming back as Hannah.  What do you think of her? Thorsten:  She's great.  She reminds me of Lynn Herring (ex-Lucy, Port Charles). Carolyn:  Why? Thorsten:  Because she's one of the guys.  She doesn't take any of this stuff too seriously.  She tells a story and goes home.  There are no tears.  I like actors that don't expect to get to a certain place.  Just get there.  It's more natural.  Also the disappointment factor doesn't come into play, because you're not sitting there like so many actors going, "I didn't get to where I wanted to go."  How did you know where you wanted to get to?  This is the first time this ever happened, so how come you had a plan?  That's the theory of acting. Carolyn:  You should give a class. Thorsten:   You'd be my only student.  And you probably wouldn't show up.  Hey, what do you think of what we're doing with Spike's hearing loss? Carolyn:  I think it is an interesting and timely story, unlike Zarf the transsexual, which I don't think spoke to a lot of viewers. Thorsten:  Let's just hope Spike isn't transsexual.  Do you think if Zarf had been deaf it would  have been a better story? Carolyn:  Yes.  I also think if I had been blind it would have been a better story. Thorsten:  (laughing)  That's f---ed up!  I like the story but I hate playing every scene in the hospital.  It's worse when  you have to play a doctor.  Poor Joe!  Oh, my God, I never really worked with Ray MacDonnell (Joe Martin) before, but that guy is solid.  He knows his stuff and he's funny.  I don't know how old he is but I'm guessing he is older than I am. Carolyn:  He doesn't look older than you. Thorsten:  I know.  I've tried to explain this to you before.  Life  has not been kind to me.  Just put something nice about him in the magazine because he really is good.  And he has a good sense of humor about everything.  He hardly ever cries.