TRUTH or SMEAR?! The Michael Muhney Y&R Scandal on the Internet

THE FIRING

On December 17th, the storm started.

Michael Muhney ("Adam Newman" from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS on Twitter: 

I'm so sorry.  It breaks my heart to say this, but I was just let go from Y&R.  My last day on set is this Thursday.  My last air date will be Jan 30th.  I'm going to take some private time with my wife & kids, as I am most concerned for their well-being.  I have 3 episodes to film, and because they are my last, I will be giving it everything I have.  More details to follow...#xoxoxo

On December 18th, Michael did an exit interview with Nelson Branco of HuffPost TV Canada:

Q:  Who told you? And what's the official reason for your departure?  

A:  [Executive Producer] Jill [Farren Phelps]. We had a private talk in her office. She's always been very kind to me. We have a good rapport. It was intimate ... the way it was handled. [Pauses] Part of me feels this is because I've always been outspoken, and sometimes I've been too outspoken. Sometimes I've walked around with a big backpack full of hubris. That is entirely on me. CBS, Sony, and Jill Phelps are not to blame for that. If I'm going to claim to be a grown man, I have to own that. But it could be financial or story. It was explained to me that CBS and Sony want to give Adam a break for 3-6 months and then they'll bring him back with a different actor. Maybe he does need a break. Adam has been on screen a lot. He's not being killed off."

The backlash was fast and furious.  For the first time, The Young and The Restless was trending on Twitter due to fan response.  Many were blaming executive producer Jill Farren Phelps for playing favorites with actors and getting rid of cast members who didn't "toe the line".  Another theory was that Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R; perhaps one of the most powerful actors in daytime) had him fired.

HuffPost TV Canada:

Q:  It's no secret that you and your co-star Eric Braeden [Victor Newman] have had your differences. Was he involved in your firing?

A:  I do know one thing for sure: I really look up to and respect my friend, [Emmy-winning "General Hospital" star] Maura West. She had the most dignified walk down The Green Mile that I've ever seen [when she was fired from "Y&R," too]. In her final days, when her character was dead woman walking, she held her head up high and was classy and professional right until the end. I plan on doing the same thing with everyone I've worked with on the show. I'll apologize for when my character bled into my real life at times and if I was intense a few times. But I'll let everyone know how blessed and honoured I was that I got to work with them all. I got to be an actor in a land where you can play dress-up and pretend with a collective group of other talented actors. I'm going to take Maura's lead. If there were disagreements in the past with Eric, for me, it has to be history.

Eric Braeden response on Twitter:

Unfortumately there is a Canadian soap gossip who is spreading TOTALLY unfounded, vicious crap fed to him by a certain actor!...Implying I had to do with MWest's departure is libelous!!

Maura West (ex-Diane, Y&R) response on Twitter: 

Have no idea why my name is involved in any of it.

THE INNUENDO

Soap columnist Michael Logan on Twitter:

If/when the REAL Muhney story comes out, U won't B blaming ANYONE at @YandR_CBS @Sony or @CBSDaytime

Doug Davidson (Paul, Y&R)  -- NOTE:  These tweets have since been deleted:

Please know we love you guys and we will continue to bring you the best show we can.  I've got at least 20 castmates that vow the same pledge.  The Young and the Restless is a team sport.  Honestly, JFP's is not to blame.  She is terrific.  Today's events don't reflect her leadership.  Trust me, there is more to the story.

Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki, Y&R) -- NOTE:  These tweets have since been deleted:

Not my place 2 reveal but the arrogance of some ppl who have NO knowledge of the situation is astonishing.  THE SHOW IS NOT 2 BLAME.  ANY actor would've been fired under these circumstances.  Terrible loss 2 the show & it sickens me that this has happened.  Jill is completely innocent in this.  So is the show, Sony, CBS, etc.  Tragic situation.

THE DEFENDERS

Sharon Case (Sharon, Y&R) said what words could not in this tribute video that she made for her friend and co-star.  YouTube link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xx-9yMkvoY

As expected, many of Michael Muhney's fans have jumped on board with petitions, websites and a banner to be flown over the CBS studio.  Here are a few of them:

The Don't FIRE Michael Muhney FB Page

Save Michael Muhney petition

For the Love of Michael Muhney Fund

THE SMUT HITS THE FAN

All throughout the holidays, that nasty little rumor was lurking on Twitter, Facebook and in the chatrooms. Once everyone had thoroughly recovered from their New Year's celebrations, TMZ decided to launch the feeding frenzy:

Michael Muhney, a big soap star who played Adam Newman on "The Young & the Restless" -- was fired last month after one of his co-stars complained to the brass that he grabbed her boobs -- on 2 occasions ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources connected to the show tell TMZ ... 38-year-old Muhney allegedly bullied and harassed 20-year-old Hunter King, who plays Summer on the show.  She went to higher-ups and complained recently Muhney had fondled her breasts on 2 occasions -- and she said both were unsolicited and unwanted.

Sources tell us ... the new allegations were the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back."  Muhney -- who is married with 3 kids -- had been a problem on the set for a long time, allegedly bullying and harassing Hunter and others.  He even admitted in a recent interview with HuffPo's Canada TV after getting fired, "Sometimes I've walked around with a big backpack of hubris."

Muhney's last show will air January 30th.

Muhney has been an extremely popular character on the show, and fans are threatening to stop watching. 

Calls and emails to Muhney's rep were not returned.

Although the rumor had been lurking for three weeks, the "reputable" soap opera press had not touched it with a 10-foot-pole, reasonably concerned about the possible libel suits that could occur.  But now that the monkey was off their backs and onto TMZ's, they all had free license to report what TMZ reported.  Party time!  The destruction of an actor begins...

WHAT I DON'T KNOW; WHAT I DO KNOW

Since I started this OutTakes blog and the OutTakes blogtalkradio show in 2010, I occasionally find out things, sometimes whether I want to or not.  But in this case, I am no insider.  I DON'T KNOW the truth nor do I pretend to.

When the news broke about Michael Muhney's firing, I was upset and shocked just like so many other soap fans.  I won't lie.  I think Muhney is one of the best actors in daytime; and I can lose all objectivity about really good actors in daytime.  Why would they let this man go?  Even with the unpopular storyline of the hit-and-run murder of "Delia Abbott", Muhney was consistently knocking every scene out of the park, riveting me with his work as "Adam Newman".  I assumed he was being let go for the usual reasons:  a change of regime from the higher ups, ego, money, etc.  Despite the TMZ story...juicier and scandalizing and better than any soap opera storyline currently airing right now...I still suspect Muhney was let go for the usual reasons.

Here is what I do know:

I DO KNOW that Michael Muhney is good to his fans.   I loved meeting him in Battery Park in 2011.  Michael tweeted that he would be in NYC at that location, giving the time and date.  He did pictures, autographs and  a Q&A with all the fans that showed.  What normally would have been at least a $60 event had cost nothing; and everyone had a wonderful time.  Truly the actions of an egomaniacal monster! 

I DO KNOW that Michael Muhney appreciates those who do press for him.  After attending a Soap Opera Festival in Atlantic City 2012, I had written recaps of all of the Q&As there, including Muhney, Stephen Nichols (ex-Tucker, Y&R) and Michelle Stafford (ex-Phyllis, Y&R).  Stafford had leaked spoiler information during her Q&A that was obviously not ready to be released to the public (to be specific, Michael Damian's return to Y&R).  When I published the recap on this blog, Stafford and her fans attacked me for two hours on Twitter for "paraphrasing" her and was threatening to sue me.  At the time, I didn't even realize that Damian's return was still top secret info.  I deleted the article under the pressure, but I was still pretty upset.  Later that day, I received a Twitter PM from Muhney.  He wanted me to make a few changes to his article, thanked me for doing the piece...and said "Don't sweat it about Michelle."  Words I desperately needed to read during a very hard day that gave me the strength to keep on with the keeping on as a blogger and an interviewer.  Truly the actions of a reprehensible cretin!

I DO KNOW that Michael Muhney is passionate about acting and "Adam Newman".  Muhney was the first one to admit that he was a "prime time guy" and had serious reservations about taking on a soap opera; but on both occasions that I heard him speak, he talked about "Adam" with such depth and intensity.  The role was not just a paycheck for him but a passion.  Could he come across as arrogant and outspoken?  Yes.  Did he talk about controversial storylines, topics and actors?  Yes.  Did he make enemies?  Probably.  But he ALWAYS delivered on the screen.  Do we watch soaps for underwear models...or do we watch them to be drawn into other worlds by charismatic actors who make us feel, whether we want to or not?

None of these things that I experienced personally of Michael Muhney's character can defend him if he truly is a bully and a molester of a 20-year-old actress, but they do give me pause.  I'm not out to try to get him rehired as "Adam Newman" because there has already been too much scorched earth for a return to be possible.  He is not the first talented actor to be fired from a soap nor will he be the last; and ultimately it is Y&R's call.  What I object to is how social media seems to be manipulated by Y&R, CBS and Sony to create an incredibly nasty smear campaign against Muhney.  This is not just the firing of an actor.  This is an attempt to permanently destroy him on a global scale via the internet.  THAT is why I am writing this article.  Am I wrong?  Then I challenge someone credible with these accusations to state real proof. 

GIVE HIM A FAIR TRIAL...AND THEN WE'LL HANG HIM!

-- The Actors Doth Protest on Twitter Too Much:  Look at the uncalled-for reactions of Eric Braeden and Maura West on Twitter.  Eric Braeden had a pretty volatile reaction to Muhney's response in the HuffPost interview.  All Muhney had said was that "if there were disagreements in the past with Eric, for me, it has to be history."  Did he out and out accuse Braeden of anything?  Muhney went out of his way to duck Branco's outright question.  And how did Muhney imply that Braeden had anything to do with Maura West's firing from Y&R?  He simply said he wanted to leave as gracefully as that actress had left.  And why was Maura West so upset that her name was brought up?  Wasn't Muhney paying her a compliment?

-- What ever happened to those "More to the Story" tweets anyway?  Now we are seeing pretty pictures of scenic spots and puppy dogs on the Twitter pages of Melody Thomas Scott and Doug Davidson.  What happened to those warriors for Jill Farren Phelps?  There was a reason those tweets were deleted.  Can anyone say lawsuit?

-- If this is all about sexual harassment, why did Y&R allow any of these cast members to tweet anything in the first place?  Aren't lawyers involved?  Shouldn't a gag order have been put up in place immediately on his firing?

-- And About that Firing:  If Muhney was fired for sexual harassment, why did they keep him on to finish three more shows?  Wouldn't the termination have been immediate to avoid liability?  I'm not a lawyer, but just sayin'.  Also, would Muhney have tweeted about it and done an exit interview if he knew he had something to hide?  Playing pretty high stakes, I'd say.  Or was it Muhney spinning his own publicity and doing some slapdash damage control before it all hit the fan?

-- Consider the Source:  Brian McDaniel, "a staple on TMZ and one of the editor producers for the show" is married to Anjelica McDaniel, Senior Vice President of CBS Daytime programming.  An article from Highlight Hollywood is now confirming that McDaniel leaked the story to her husband.  More evidence of a CBS executive manipulating social media in an attempt to permanently destroy Muhney's career and protect Jill Farren Phelps; and if Hunter King is a victim, she apparently was collateral damage.

-- What is the deal with Maria Arena Bell (former Y&R executive producer and head writer)?  First, she said on Soap Opera Digest:

Michael brought amazing dimension and complexity to the role of Adam Newman, and his and Sharon's (Sharon Case) was a great dark love story.  Sadly, that story was seriously derailed in the last year, so I am not surprised that the show would look for a solution to their problematic storytelling decisions.  It will be a tough role to recast.

Oh, but wait.  What she REALLY meant to say was...

Let me be clear.  Tommy, I am a fan of Michael Muhney, the actor -- not the person.  Frankly he should have been let go months before because of his behind the scenes actions.  It's still a loss for the fans.  Instead of acting quickly, they tried to turn the fans against the character of Adam.  Bad move.  And they should not recast right away now.  It's too damaged.  The only thing that matters in this story -- now in TMZ is that a young girl is protected.  She should have been all along.  People should have been more decisive, not less in this matter.  (Highlight Hollywood)

OK, so let's get this straight.  Bell talks like she knows for a FACT that Muhney did some suspect "behind-the-scenes" actions to Hunter King.  But Bell was no longer producer and headwriter.  Was she there?  Did she see him do it?  How does she know ANYTHING for a fact?  Unless she knows that Muhney was up to no good during her own reign...and if that was the case, why didn't SHE fire him? 

-- He Said, She Said:  Now there is a report by Examiner that Hunter King made up the whole thing because Muhney rebuffed her advances.  A nice plot twist to this reality soap opera behind the scenes.  Or is this a sad case of avid Michael Muhney fans blaming the victim so that their actor won't be further destroyed?  Now two careers can be destroyed for the price of one.  And the beat goes on...

-- You think blackballing with a smear campaign at Y&R is an impossibility?  Read Brenda Dickson's book about her experiences as "Jill Abbott".  She can tell you all about it.  My True Hidden Hollywood Story.

STOP THE MADNESS!

I'm not saying Michael Muhney is an angel.  Just because he's a great actor who did an awesome "Adam Newman" doesn't mean he's guiltless.  But I'm not saying he's guilty either.

I'm saying CBS, Sony and/or Y&R need to man up with a public statement that they fired Muhney over sexual harassment if that is the truth (as opposed to having cast members tweet quasi-accusations and spreading stories of "allegations" on smut sites like TMZ). Or better yet, if Muhney is innocent, I am begging him to come out with a statement in his own defense.  Somebody stop the madness!!!

RELATED OUTTAKES ARTICLE:

MICHAEL MUHNEY Q&A SOAP OPERA FESTIVAL
http://outtakesinterviews.blogspot.com/2012/03/michael-muhney-q-soap-opera-festival.html

OUTTAKES INTERVIEW with DEANNA MESKE, creator of GOVERNMENT LIES

Deanna Meske -- actress, model and entrepreneur -- tells us about her web series, Government Lies, as well as her career in film and television.  Among current and upcoming guest stars for the Government Lies web series are Lane Davies (well remembered for his role as "Mason Capwell" on the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara) and Jacqueline Fleming ("Harriet Tubman" from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter).  To find out more about the show, check out the IndieGoGo campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/government-lies-the-series--41

Deanna Meske:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeannaMeskeFanSite
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DeannaMeske

Government Lies:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/GovernmentLiesWebSeries
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Govt_Lies_WebTV

OUTTAKES:  Tell us what GOVERNMENT LIES is about.

DM:  GOVERNMENT LIES is a thriller/suspense story. It starts out with Erica. She’s one of the main characters. In the opening scene, she’s having an affair while her husband is away in Afghanistan at war. He’s been away for a while. She starts to feel guilty; and she breaks off the affair right at the beginning of the episode. She goes down[stairs] while her husband is going to leave. Tom, her husband, comes home and shocks her. She’s in this predicament. At the end of the episode, the lover ends up being killed. It looks like Erica did it; and she gets arrested. The FBI get involved; and the police and military say that her husband is actually dead. So we don’t know if she actually imagined if he came home. Or did he come home? Because we have an actual official notice saying that he is dead. Now she’s on the run. That is when Lane Davies comes in. He’s actually a friend from the past who works with the FBI. She’s on the run now trying to find out what’s going on and who killed her lover. She says that she didn’t do it, but she has lapses in her memory. It’s a suspense thriller with government elements, meaning there’s different people in the government and other groups that have big secrets. Somehow Erica and Tom and Jake (played by Lane Davies) are somehow involved with all of this. There’s mind control elements, brainwashing. Kind of a sci-fi mix when it comes to that.

OUTTAKES:  We already have two episodes out now (as of December 4, 2013). When can we expect the next episodes to come?

DM:  Episode three has been filmed; and it’s in post-production right now. I would say probably within the next two weeks. It’s actually done. And we’re scheduled to shoot episodes four and five from December 17^th to 19^th of this year. The latest would be the middle of January.

OUTTAKES:  The first episode was around five minutes. The second was ten. Are they going to be ten-minute episodes from now on?

IDM:  ’m really working to get them down to seven minute episodes. That was my original goal in the first place. The second one went a little longer where you had the “previously” section. The pace is going to pick up. Even though it’s pretty good now, it’s going to move a lot faster than it did in Episode two.

OUTTAKES:  What inspired you to come up with this story?

DM:  I’ve always been an actor in the 48-Hour Film Festival Project -- which is basically that filmmakers get together; and they have 48 hours to make a film. I’ve always been cast as an actor. The last year that they did it, I was cast as a lead which was great…but I wanted to produce my own and write my own characters. I always get cast in these very typical cute girl roles. I wanted to play something deeper and grittier. So I put together my own production team. I found a writer that I liked; and he had this idea. He gave me his script. I tweaked it up a little bit. When we filmed it and shot it for the 48-Hour Film Festival -- as I was watching it, I saw that this could totally be a web series. Everybody I talked to about it said, no way, it can’t be a web series. It is so obvious that she killed him; and what are you going to do with it? I said, oh just wait. I have ideas on how we can twist this and turn this and make it into a web series.

OUTTAKES:  That’s pretty interesting that this started out as a short film…

DM:  A short film that was filmed with no planning. No rehearsing. Nothing. In 48 hours, you shoot it and you edit it and you post it. We just got on the set and we did it. We didn’t have any rehearsal. So it still turned out pretty good, especially for something shot in that short of a time with no preproduction planning. You don’t really know what your genre is until that day you have to shoot. So we didn’t know we were going to use that script before seven o’clock that night; and we had to start shooting that night.

OUTTAKES:  How did you get Lane Davies to get involved with this series?

We were co-stars. It was one of the first TV series that I did as an actor. I just moved here from Florida to New Orleans. I had played one little role in Florida; and then I came to New Orleans and I booked this TV show. And he was the lead in it. We met and stayed in touch. I kept telling him that I really wanted to get him in one of my series. I had made this other series called NEW ORLEANS PIE. It’s more of a college comedy, so I couldn’t find a way to fit him into that. And then this one came. And I was like, oh, this is perfect! He would be perfect for this role. He said, yes, definitely. And so he was on board for that. 

DM:  We also have Jacqueline Fleming who has come on board for GOVERNMENT LIES. She’s been in lots of things. She’s been in ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER. She played Harriet Tubman. She just booked a lead in a pilot that might get the green light to shoot in New Orleans.

OUTTAKES:  How can people contribute to the series?

DM:  We have a couple of different ways. We definitely need contributions because I could make this move a lot faster. We have an IndieGoGo campaign where people can get prizes there. But I’m looking for companies that want to do product placement. Because I’m the creator of the show, I can put anybody’s product or service right into the show. We can use links. We can visually show the products. We could actually have the actors talk about the product -- built into the script so that it’s very natural and seamless.

OUTTAKES:  Will there be more of the NEW ORLEANS PIE episodes coming up as well?

DM:  I have four of those in the can. The reason why those aren’t out is because that is my trial web series. I was a new filmmaker. I did not go to school for filmmaking. I have since taken some seminars, but at that point I did not go to school. So I was learning; and I had this idea. I still have it. It’s a great web series idea with older women going back to college later in life and just running into all of these random crazy things. I can probably get all four episodes out by the end of January. They’re already filmed and mostly edited. I just have to tweak a few things. I’m actually co-editing on those as well so that takes a little bit of time.

OUTTAKES:  Do you think that scripted drama on the internet is the future of entertainment as opposed to regular television?

IDM:   watch all of my TV on the internet right now. I watch it all on NetFlix; and I sometimes will watch on Amazon. I think it’s going to be filtered through the bigger companies. I’m submitting GOVERNMENT LIES to a place called WIGS right now. It is a channel where they show short films and series. So you have to filter it through a channel. If you watch the CW Channel on Web TV, all their main shows are on there. They have advertisements for their web series. And they have two original web series right now. I think you’re going to find that more and more. The trick is how you’re going to make money doing it so that you can make better productions.

OUTTAKES:  Aside from shooting these web series and running Outlook Productions, you’re also an actress and a model. What upcoming projects do you have going on that people can see you in?

DM:  Right now I have a film called ELSA AND FRED. That was my most prestigious role to date. I play a role opposite Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer and Scott Bakula. That movie should be coming out. And I just shot a Nioxin hair commercial in DC. I have six episodes coming out on The Food Network on a show called MYSTERY DINERS. I play an undercover agent in that show. So that’s kind of fun; and that’s out right now. I have another show coming out. They haven’t told us the name. It’s on Investigation Discovery; and I play a really gritty role. I play this killer; and it was a very non-attractive role. It was really fun playing that. It’s kind of an evil role too. That should be coming out soon; they haven’t told us the name of show yet but it’s brand new. We filmed that in Mexico.

OUTTAKES:  What inspired you to want to become an actor?

DM:  I always knew that I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. Before I started acting, I was thinking maybe I should be a singer. I started looking into that; but I was just too shy to sing in front of people. And I thought I can’t even do this. This isn’t going to work for me. My voice is getting better, but I could just never see myself performing. And then I went out and auditioned for this role for a short film. I got a part; and I thought, oh this is so much fun. It felt so natural to me. It felt like this is what I needed to do. That’s when I moved to New Orleans and started acting here to build up my career. I pretty much knew right away when I got on the set.

OUTTAKES:  What advice would you give for actors trying to break into show business?

DM:  I would advise to only keep positive people in your life who believe in you. Be prepared for people to say the famous things when you tell them you’re an actor. Oh, that’s a tough career. Oh, that’s a hard business. Oh, it’s hard to make it in that business. Get used to that -- or just don’t tell people that you’re an actor -- because people will say that to you left and right; and it can really discourage you and make you want to give up sometimes. I would say just ignore those people. Figure out the game. You’ve got to figure out your strengths of how you fit in and where you fit in. I’m still figuring that out. And make your own content. That’s why I make my own content. Because it helps me as an actor. It helps me understand the business; and it helps me build relationships with directors and producers…and just get it out there.

To hear the audio interview, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2013/12/10/deanna-meske-creator-of-government-lies

OUTTAKES INTERVIEW with SHAWN CHRISTIAN -- ADDICTS ANONYMOUS

SHAWN CHRISTIAN (Daniel Jonas, Days of Our Lives) joins OutTakes to talk about Addicts Anonymous, a mockumentary about a college addiction program that handles all addictions in the same room at the same time.  Shawn is executive producer and co-writer of the series, along with Jack Briggs, Freddie Smith and Nate Hartley.  Episode 1 premieres Tuesday, Nov. 26th at 6 PM EST at http://addictsanonymous.tv/

--------------------------------------

OUTTAKES:  Addicts Anonymous has a release date of November 26^th.  Where can we see it?

SC:  You’re going to see the premiere this Tuesday on our website.  We’re going to air the first episode.  And we’re going to continue every successive Tuesday after that right on up to New Year’s Eve – which will be the sixth episode – the season finale.  We’re excited about it.  We’re also sending it out to people at Fox, MGM, Amazon, Hulu and Netflix.  We thought, why not do both?  It can also be on the internet.  We can get followers and build on the momentum that we’ve already got going on now.

OUTTAKES:  Is this a TV show…or a webseries…with the six episodes?

SC:  We’re open for any possibility.  Ideally, I think it would be best seen as a television series on cable.  Somebody had approached me as perhaps doing it as a film.  That would take a little more work, but it’s possible.  We have it edited down to an hour.  Six roughly 12-minute episodes.  That was released at our earlier screening [in Tennessee] almost like a movie…in succession, one right after another.  We’ll see what people are excited about and how they want to present it.

OUTTAKES:  So Addicts Anonymous is like The Breakfast Club for this generation?

SC:  This is what I was discussing with the guys [Freddie Smith, Jack Briggs and Nate Harley] to begin with before we sat down and wrote the six episodes.  The characters are not literally addicts; they’re on the cusp of addiction.  Of course, real addiction is a real problem.  So we have a comedy twist with those people who have the potential to turn into addicts.  Gary Goldberg, our lovable life coach (played by Freddie Smith, pictured above), does a great job of fostering that idea:  that we are here to thwart it before it becomes an addiction.  We try to make that distinction in Episode One.

OUTTAKES:  And you play Gary Goldberg’s father on the show?

SC:  Yes.  Lori Loughlin and I play delinquent parents (pictured below).  When we were creating the show, we were asking who Gary’s parents would be and how would we bring them on.  What we wanted to do was to help define why he is the way that he is because he grew up in such a dysfunctional family.  His father is a bit of a travel addict, never really spent a lot of time in Gary’s life and doesn’t know much about him.  And Gary has spent the majority of his life trying to prove himself to his father.  So now you get a sense of why Gary is so committed to his students and speaking out…getting across to these kids.  We had some really nice scenes.  Some were kind of provocative that really bring you to the edge…but they didn’t really serve trying to define Gary.  I’m sure in the DVD release, we’ll put some of those deleted scenes in there.  It’ll be fun.

OUTTAKES:  What is it that attracted you to this project?

SC:  Freddie had a clip of it on his phone in the makeup room; and I took a look at it.  They had been tinkering with this for five years.  So I asked if we could sit down and talk.  I pitched them my vision for what the show could be.  So we collaborated together with their vision and my vision.  It continued to build and grow.  This great momentum came about.  The four of us sat down; and we wrote for weeks.  It came together very nicely, I thought.  A wonderful process when we got together.  We each had our unique voices that leant to what people will see with these episodes.

OUTTAKES:  You’ve already had a successful screening and Kickstarter campaign.  If people want to continue to participate and contribute to the series, is there a way for them to do so?

SC:  Yes.  We are not non-profit; so we have to give something in return.  We give out headshots, scripts…things like that.  People can contribute at http://www.addictsanonymous.tv/.  And we’ll give them something in return.  You can also buy Addicts Anonymous tee shirts that have “Addicts Anonymous” on the front; and then on the back, asks what your addiction is.  As we have gone from the screening, we still spread the campaign of #SpreadTheAddiction and #WhatsYourAddiction.  I’ve already tweeted out a couple of people who wore tee shirts.  One woman was on a horse; and her addiction is horses.  Another one likes animals; and so I tweeted that out.  If I get pictures of them via Twitter, I will retweet them if they’re wearing a tee shirt and doing their so-called addiction…as long as it’s clean!  (laughs)

OUTTAKES:  You created Moonshine Entertainment Company.  What do you like about being a producer?

SC:  As an actor, I can only paint a certain part of the picture.  Days of Our Lives is a huge landscape; and what I do as “Dan” is a small bit that makes up the better whole.  As executive producer, I get to help paint the whole picture.  I have more of a thumbprint into what this show is going to look like and what it’s going to be.  Of course, you collaborate with your co-producers as well.  When you write and produce, your voice is lent to a bigger part of the canvas.  I really enjoy that.  I had a great time doing that with Spanners; and now that author has written two more books.  We’ll see how it goes.  We may make a movie out of those as well.  I’m optioning rights to a book now that I would like to make into a movie.  There’s a story out of the Netherlands that I’ve gotten hold of based on a true story; and I’m getting documentation on that right now…and perhaps will build a script out of that.  That’s more like a political thriller.  The other is the battle for Atlantis; and that would be a huge big budget film.  So those are the other projects that I’m working on.  I’d love to do a romantic comedy; and I’m reading another script for that right now that I’d love to produce.  I find that with the executive producer hat, I have a little more creative control.  I really enjoy that part of it.  And with the name of Moonshine, part of it is shining light on the dark creative places and just putting it out there.

OUTTAKES:  As “Dan” on Days of Our Lives, you’re on the show quite a lot.  How do you find the time to do all of these producer projects along with playing a front burner storyline on the soap?

SC:  I don’t sleep.  Days of Our Lives has given me a great opportunity to do the things that I get to do and pay my bills…but also ultimately do what I love to do – which is act day in and day out.  It is like going to the gym.  It is literally a great creative workout for me.  It is as 9-to-5 as you can get in entertainment.  And for almost 50 years now, Days has been running.  It’s a nice little family environment; so I really enjoy that part of my life.  And there are so many other unknowns such as the scripts -- the political thriller, the romantic comedy.  And so, I don’t sleep.  Also, I’ve learned how to balance my personal life and spend time with the people I love.  And if you have to sacrifice time, the time to sacrifice is sleep.  Because I just want to do it all…like Paul Newman and Robert Redford who are not just great artists…but are also amazing philanthropists.  So in the meantime, I work with Arianne Zucker on the Arrow-Heart Adventure Camp, working with teens and doing character-building challenges and giving them camping experiences.  We are working with nonviolent juveniles who are either in the probation system or the detention system.  And we give them that adventure with the character-building program.  Over Thanksgiving, we are going to be giving them a big feast; and it will be like an Arrow-Heart Thanksgiving.  I’m so excited about that; and that’s the other part of what I love to do.  Creativity and philanthropy.  So if I can do both of those and balance my personal life…I love it; and that’s part of what inspires me.

RELATED LINKS:

Addicts Anonymous Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/addictstv

Addicts Anonymous Twitter page https://twitter.com/AddictsAnon

RELATED INTERVIEWS:

Molly Burnett 9/15/2011 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2011/09/15/molly-burnett

Freddie Smith 10/16/2011 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2011/10/06/freddie-smith

Shawn Christian 3/1/2012 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2012/03/01/shawn-christian

Freddie Smith 9/20/12 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2012/09/20/freddie-smith-92012

DAY OF DAYS 2013 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2013/11/12/outtakes-at-day-of-days-2013

DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEW with JUDI EVANS

THE DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEWS WITH ALL OF THE CAST MEMBERS CAN BE HEARD HERE:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2013/11/12/outtakes-at-day-of-days-2013

Judi Evans (Adrienne Kiriakis, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) -- November 9th, 2013
 
OUTTAKES:  How does it feel playing Adrienne right now?  She’s gone in such a new direction from how we’re used to seeing her character.  Becoming very aggressive about the Will/Sonny pairing and against Sami.

JE:  It’s great because we all sometimes take a little side tour; and it’s not always the best side tour for us or in our lives.  In a way, it’s very realistic to real life.  I enjoy working; so whatever they want to throw at me, I’m willing to roll with it and run with it.  

OUTTAKES:  Have you been getting a lot of fan response because some people are just thinking that Adrienne is just out of her mind?

JE:  Yeah, the fans are pretty upset about Adrienne’s reaction.  But that’s good because you’re getting a reaction.  That’s better than not getting a reaction.  There has to be a catalyst.  There has to be somebody who’s not doing the right thing.  And it’s nice that a good girl is not doing the right thing. 

OUTTAKES:  It’s also cool seeing the dynamics between Justin and Adrienne.  I still enjoy them so much as a couple.  What is it that you think keeps them together as a couple? 

JE:  They love each other.  No matter if they agree, disagree, getting along, not getting along…they 100% love each other!  And who doesn’t want that?  Who doesn’t want somebody who is so dedicated and devoted to someone that even in the bad times, no matter what…I still love you.  That’s wonderful.  We all want that.  Marriage has its ups and downs, especially if you’ve been married for a long time…several times (laughs).  Naturally, there’s ups and downs so it’s nice to see that no matter how bad it gets, you still love each other and you’re still together.

OUTTAKES:  One of the funniest scenes that you were part of on DAYS in a long time was the scene with the pastries that JJ had put the drugs in.  Did you guys have a lot of fun taping that scene?

JE:  Oh my God, we had a blast doing that!  And funny, we all had a high from it as if it were all laced because it was so silly and fun and fabulous, especially because we were all involved in very dramatic storylines.  So it was nice to take that little break and have that little fun day.  It was wonderful.  We had a blast!  I wish we could do it again.  Although I gained ten pounds from eating pickles and olives and peanut butter and doughnuts…but you know, it was worth it.

OUTTAKES:  Season 4 of VENICE is coming out on DVD soon.  Do you have any other projects coming up?

JE:  I’m also involved in THE GROVE as well.  And I’ve been approached for a couple of other shows.  So I’m considering them and seeing what develops.

DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEW with WALLY KURTH

THE DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEWS WITH ALL OF THE CAST MEMBERS CAN BE HEARD HERE:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2013/11/12/outtakes-at-day-of-days-2013

Wally Kurth (Justin Kiriakis, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) -- November 9th, 2013

OUTTAKES:  How have you been feeling playing Justin in this situation where you’re an attorney working for a crazy Dimera, always having to get EJ and Sami out of these scrapes?  

WK:  I loved the whole trial storyline and working with EJ, bringing Stefano down.  It was really just the greatest year ever.  It’s been so much fun being the smart conniving strong charming character that he is.  A businessman.  You don’t get to see him in that business mode very often; and yes, it was really fun to step into that storyline.  It was great.  And it was so much fun working with James and Ali…which is interesting because I never really worked with either one of them.  The writers really wrote great stuff for them; and it was just a really fun story.  I thought that the writers did a great job with the story.  I thought that it was really executed brilliantly; and I was on the edge of my seat when I read it.  I couldn’t wait to get into the script and see what I was going to do next.

OUTTAKES:  We’re also seeing Justin and Adrienne at odds.  Adrienne disapproving of what Justin is doing; and Justin disapproving of what Adrienne is doing.  We’re seeing some trouble in paradise.  In the 1980s, I loved Justin and Adrienne when they first got together.  People are still rooting for this couple to find their way to resolve their differences.  What is it about the couple of Justin and Adrienne that viewers like?

WK:  Oh, my gosh.  I wish I knew because honestly I can only assume that it is just Judi and I being together…and Judi being Judi, and me trying to be Wally.  And then they write this storyline for us; and we just jump in there with both feet and go for it.  I also think what is interesting is that you saw these young people…well, we were younger 20 years ago, 25 years ago…just getting started in this business.  In Salem.  Cut 20 years later, and here we are back together…and to see us still pretty good and with our grown children.  We have this maturity about ourselves and our life.  I know from an audience standpoint I like it when I watch it.  I’m like “Oh, now there’s Justin and Adrienne; and now they’re older.  They’re a mature couple; and they have a son.  And they’re dealing with issues that we’re all dealing with.”  Because a lot of fans saw us at that age 20 years ago when they were in high school or college; and 20 years later, they are now married with children.  And hopefully they can relate to us now just like they did back then.  And that’s the cool part.  That’s the cool part about soaps.  You don’t get that history.  You don’t get that longevity.  You don’t get that breadth.  That scope of a lifetime.  That’s the miracle of a soap.

OUTTAKES:  You also have the added storyline with what’s going on with Will and Sonny.  Dealing with Sonny coming out and all of the ramifications of that and him dealing with Will.  How has that storyline been as a parent?

WK:  It’s been great; and you know rightfully so.  Rejecting my son because he’s gay would be like rejecting my son for having brown eyes.  That’s what Justin said; and that’s exactly how he sees it.  Getting beyond that, now it’s about…is he being honored in that relationship?  And is Will a good fit for him?  I just look at it as if they were a heterosexual couple.  That’s how I would do it in real life.  And looking out for the best interest of my son, guiding my son like a parent would.  Once again, I think the writers have done a brilliant job of just expressing the concerns that a parent would have whether it be a heterosexual son or a homosexual son.  I think that’s really key and important.  From an acting standpoint, it’s lovely because I’ve never dealt with that.

OUTTAKES:  I’m not only a fan of yours as an actor but also as a musician.  Any more Kurth and Taylor concerts coming up?

WK:  Thank you!  Nothing right now.  We’re actually working on a new song.  I think what we’ll try to do…once we finish it, we’ll definitely get it out there, maybe do a video.  With Twitter and everything else, we’ll be able to get it out there to a few thousand people; and that’ll be pretty cool for people to see it and Facebook it and get a response.  That should be pretty sweet.  That’ll be fun.  In this new world of social media.  It used to be…OK, let’s make the CD, let’s make 10 songs.  We’ll press the CD.  We’ll put them in a suitcase and take them to our next concert.  Now we don’t need to do a concert.  We don’t even have to have a CD.  We just need to record the song and download it on iTunes.  You can go to YouTube and watch it.  We haven’t even done that yet because we haven’t had a new song for a couple of years.  But that’ll be fun.  That’ll be fun.

DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEW with JOHN ANISTON

THE DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEWS WITH ALL OF THE CAST MEMBERS CAN BE HEARD HERE:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2013/11/12/outtakes-at-day-of-days-2013

John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) -- November 9th, 2013

OUTTAKES:  Victor Kiriakis has some of the best lines in daytime.  He gives those insulting zingers that are just great!

JA:  Doesn’t he?  Am I lucky or not?

OUTTAKES:  You are lucky.  Do you have any input in that…or is that all the writers doing?

JA:  Mostly it’s all the writers.  Occasionally, I’ll write a line.  But for the most part, it’s the writers.  They’re terrific with Victor.

OUTTAKES:  You know what?  I’m thrilled to see Victor sort of getting his edge back.  He was married to Maggie.  He was kind of being nice for her.  But now we’re seeing bad guy Victor coming back again.  How do you like that?

JA:  I was cynical all of last year, for God’s sake!  What sort of thing is that for Victor to be doing?  Victor’s always much more fun certainly to play; and I think the audience enjoys him more when he’s a bit caustic.  

OUTTAKES:  I agree.  Do you have an all-time favorite storyline on DAYS that you’ve played?

JA:  I remember the old days when we had money.  We used to go on location; and I had some pretty terrific locations.  I went to Greece and I went to Florida.  I went white water rafting in the Kern river.  Those were all fun to do.  The Florida storyline was probably the best one.  

OUTTAKES:  I’m so glad you said that because that’s one of my favorites too.

JA:  Really?  Yes, when Kimberly seduces Victor to keep him from killing Shane.

DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEW with SUZANNE ROGERS

THE DAY OF DAYS 2013 INTERVIEWS WITH ALL OF THE CAST MEMBERS CAN BE HEARD HERE:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/outtakes/2013/11/12/outtakes-at-day-of-days-2013

Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Horton, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) -- November 9th, 2013

OUTTAKES:  Why do you think DAYS has been on the air for almost 50 years?

SR:  I think it’s the storylines.  It’s the writing.  And it’s about family units.  I think that everyone who watches the show pretty much can relate to that.  We have for years had a lot of romances.  A lot of supercouples.  A lot of fun things.  I think that we do things that the audience wants to see.  They want to be connected and feel like they’re part of the show.

OUTTAKES:  What has been your favorite storyline as Maggie?

SR:  I loved the red shoes storyline which was a long time ago.  But the most recent storyline with John Aniston has been just great.  We never had one of those names like “Magic”…and now all of a sudden, the fans gave us this name; and that’s been fun for me.  I love it!

OUTTAKES:  You and John Aniston have such fun chemistry together.  Now Victor’s in hot water big time.  

SR:  You know he is!

OUTTAKES:  We’re seeing some of Victor Kiriakis, the villain, coming back. 

SR:  There you go!  But you know Maggie will whip him back into shape.

OUTTAKES:  What do you think it is about Victor and Maggie that the fans just love?  What is it about you two that is so popular?

SR:  Maggie was just a very sweet character that was married to a lawyer and was kind of in the background.  All of a sudden, when he [Mickey] passed away, she had to pull up her boot straps and move on.  She ran a business; and she didn’t need anything.  All of his [Victor’s] wives were needy.  They wanted him for his money, for his name, for his this, for his that.  And she kind of didn’t.  I think that’s what attracted him to her; and I think that’s what attracted her to him.