Interview with 'World Turns's Eric Sheffer Stevens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hugh Laurie, who?

For the past nine months, Eric Sheffer Stevens has been terrorizing Oakdale residents with his sharp wit, unforgiving sarcasm, quest for perfection, and moody social phobias on As the World Turns as Dr. Reid Oliver.

Originally intended as a short-term gig, Sheffer Stevens’ untraditional good looks, refined acting chops, and sexy charm instantly made Reid one of Oakdale’s most entertaining and fascinating new characters. Most impressively, the theatre actor miraculously succeeded at what past Nuke interlopers failed at — effortlessly polarizing the relentlessly loyal and diehard fan base of one of the most beloved international super-couples, Luke and Noah. Today, Luke and Reid are just as, if not more, popular than Luke and Noah.

TVGuide.ca spoke with the future award-winning Sacramento, Calif., native about beating the odds in the fight for Luke’s heart, the blatant discrimination against gay couples on soaps, and learning from his elders.

TVGuide.ca: You’ve finished taping World Turns but you’re still airing as Dr. Reid Oliver. Have you shed his skin yet?
Eric Sheffer Stevens: It’s a little odd. We finished taping a bit more than a month ago. I shed his skin right away because I went into production of Much Ado About Nothing where I play Benedict up in Vermont this month. I had to let go of Oliver rather quickly.

TVG: In nine months, you made an indelible impact as Dr. Oliver. Do you wish you had more time to flesh out the character’s journey?
ESS: I got a sense of who he was right away; from the audition, really. I wasn’t quite comfortable with Oliver until we were taping in the second week. The writers wrote really well for him so that helped. For me, nine months is a really long time to inhabit a character. I’m used to doing theatre gigs for two to three months. For me, I had the complete opposite experience of someone who has played a character like Don Hastings or even Trent Dawson. This has been one of the longest gigs I’ve ever had even though I know it’s very short in terms of the soap world.

TVG: Would you categorize yourself as a character actor given your extensive theatre work? ESS: I like that. That’s what I want to be as opposed to being a leading man. I’d like do a variety of roles but I would categorize my work as Reid as character acting. TVG: You look like a leading man but you’re a character actor, which should bode well in your future endeavors. How much of Reid is in Eric and vice versa. ESS: I’m not really sure. I think every actor, or most people, are schizophrenic to some degree and have different pieces in their personality, which they can retrieve. I identified with him right away, but not completely. Unlike Reid, I think I’m quite pleasant and easy to get along with [laughs].

TVG: [Joking] That’s not what I heard!
ESS: [Laughs] Depends on who you’ve been talking to! I very much identify with his sense of humour, timing and sarcasm. I certainly don’t eat as much as he does — or eat with my mouth full.

TVG: Have any soaps contacted you yet?
ESS: That would be nice but I haven’t heard a thing. I look forward to seeing whatever comes next but right now I’m back to theatre.

TVG: Are you staying in New York?
ESS: Yes, but I’m open to going to L.A. and work. I may go out west for little periods but I’m very much living in New York at the moment.

TVG: As an accidental soap star, are you surprised how popular and successful you became in such a relatively short time?
ESS: Oh my God, yeah! [Laughs] I never thought this would be my experience here. The way this role was described to me was that Oliver was going to be on the canvas for three to four months. But it just worked out and they’ve kept me around. It took me a while to realize that this character was becoming popular. I was very surprised and grateful.

TVG: Did you have any preconceived notions about acting on a soap?
ESS: Yeah, I think so. I didn’t appreciate how difficult working on soap operas is. Today I have a whole new appreciation for this genre. It’s a lot of work, a lot of memorization and it takes a concentrated group of people to pull this off every day. On my first day, I showed up knowing all my lines, as I do for every gig I do, but I was surprised to learn that we only do one little walk-through in the morning, and then they shoot the scene. That’s it. Even if they flub up, they keep shooting! That was very disconcerting because in theatre you rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. I was shell-shocked on my first day. After that, I made sure I knew my stuff and cemented my acting choices before I arrived on the set. You have to have an idea of what you’re doing acting-wise, along with knowing your lines cold, before entering work, or you’re in trouble!

TVG: Now that you’ve survived acting on a soap, has your World Turns experience made you a better actor? ESS: I think every experience informs anything you do. What I loved about this gig was that it allowed me to exercise a whole different set of muscles as far as making very quick decisions, not staying in your head, not overanalyzing everything, trusting your instincts, and committing to your vision. It’s almost like improv except that you have a script but you still don’t know how the scene will end up. It’s a great exercise. I’ll definitely be taking these lessons with me in the future, especially in what I’m doing now with this play because we have four weeks of rehearsal. We have tons of time comparatively so I should be more on my game than normal. TVG: It wasn’t always like this. Soaps used to have more rehearsal time. ESS: Everybody told me that. Don Hastings would always talk to me about the evolution of the genre. I always mined him about his early days — especially when World Turns taped live. I am fascinated about the genre’s history. But then again, I could listen to Don talk about anything really.

TVG: Did you watch soaps before?
ESS: Yeah. Obviously I was aware of the more popular characters and shows but I didn’t know any storylines or history of this show. My mom watched Days of our Lives for a few years when I was growing up.

TVG: Did you get any flack for doing a soap from your theatre posse?
ESS: No, I haven’t. It’s a job. Everybody was thrilled about it.

TVG: Do you feel James Franco’s stint on General Hospital has chipped away at the stigma of acting on soaps?
ESS: Yeah, I would think so, but at my level no one is going to look down on me because no one is going to rag on me for taking a job.

TVG: Who are your acting idols?
ESS: Growing up, I loved Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp, and Daniel Day Lewis. They amaze me.

TVG: Do you credit a part of your success as Reid because you were oblivious to the Nuke phenomenon? ESS: Yeah, I think so! Of course, gradually over time I became aware of how significant and historical Luke and Noah are to television. I had no idea what I was getting in to. As with anything, I was only focused on my story week to week. I wasn’t aware of any fan attention or ultimately what would happen with the three characters. We had a lot of fun with it. What’s come about at the end of the show has been surprising. Ironically, I became aware of the success of this story when we were wrapping things up. For the majority of the time, I was in the heart of the story without being privy to any of the feedback.

TVG: But you must have been aware that the critics fell in love with you instantly …
ESS: Yes, I was forwarded critiques and press from the president of the fan clubs, etc., but I still didn’t realize how popular I was becoming. I was shocked people were interested in talking to me or enjoying what I was doing.

TVG: Why did the audience take to acerbic Reid so quickly given that past Nuke interlopers were vilified from the start? ESS: One of the reasons Oliver Reid worked is because he was well-written and well-rounded. Him being gay isn’t the defining characteristic of Oliver, which is just like real life. He’s not just the third gay character on the show. I think through Oliver’s interaction with Dr. Bob, the hospital and Katie, viewers got to see different sides to him. There was this public persona and then there was this private persona to Reid that Katie really helped introduce. I remember there was a month where I didn’t get to work with Terri Colombino and that bummed me out because I really missed Reid and Katie’s talks. She really humanized him for the audience. Reid lets his guard down around her like no one else. And Terri’s a great actress. He wasn’t just the surgeon in Nuke’s storyline. I thought Oliver was integrated with the entire of canvas and stories rather successfully.

TVG: Is this the first time you’ve played a gay character?
ESS: No, but this is the most significant gay role.

TVG: Were you cautious about playing a gay character?
ESS: No. I love this guy. It’s because Oliver is gay that drew me to the role. For me, it’s an important role and story to tell. Had it been another straight soap character, I’m not sure how unique it would be. Oliver is very unique and it’s a very unique storyline. There aren’t enough gay characters in TV in general so I was happy to be able to bring visibility to the gay community and hopefully break down those barriers, stereotypes, and perceptions out there.

TVG: What was your wife and children’s reaction?
ESS: Everybody was thrilled. My wife loves it. My kids are too young to be aware of it. I’ve heard from people I hadn’t seen in forever because they heard about this role. They all said congratulations.

TVG: Are you going to submit yourself next year for Emmy consideration?
ESS: I’ll talk to the producers about that. I’ll have to look into the process and figure out how it all works.

TVG: You may have to compete against Van Hansis.
ESS: That wouldn’t be fun …

TVG: Speaking of Luke, what is it about this spoiled little brat that captured Reid’s imagination? ESS: Luke’s the opposite of whom Reid would think his ideal partner is. None of Luke’s characteristics would be on Reid’s list. I think Reid prejudged Luke from the beginning. At first Luke intrigued Reid, and then he became attracted to Luke, which made Reid very mad! Reid wasn’t happy about his attraction to Luke so he fought that attraction for a long time. But Reid can’t help but be charmed by Luke, who is ridiculously charming. Against his better judgment, and the more time they spent together, Reid just gave in.

TVG: One thing I love about your portrayal of Reid is that he isn’t cliché at all. He reminds me of a lot of my professional gay friends. Was that your choice? Or were you given notes?
ESS: There was nothing cliché about him on the page. I think most actors would want to play against stereotype or cliché. For me, the challenge in playing this character was to make him unique and a real person. As much as I could do that. If there was any cliché behaviour, I would have seen that as a failure.

TVG: Did you create a back story for Reid? I like that he doesn’t flaunt his sexuality. That in itself was groundbreaking.
ESS: That was all the writers and how they introduced him. I, too, responded to that. I loved that Reid’s sexuality wasn’t a big deal. As for the back story, I haven’t created one because I became aware very early on that the writers can introduce past story that as an actor you have no control over, so it’s better not to fill in too many blanks. When you’re in this genre, where story changes month to month, it’s easier to leave his past open.

TVG: Do you think his heart has been broken in the past, which is why he buries himself in his work?
ESS: That’s good. I would definitely go with that. I never made a decision about that but that theory certainly works with his character makeup. He was probably burned during grad school.

TVG: Do you like working with Daniel Cosgrove? I love Chris and Reid’s rivalry.
ESS: Yes. We like each other a lot. He’s hilarious. I love the Chris and Reid rivalry. He’s a lot of fun to work with.

TVG: Eric Sheffer Stevens is a great marquis/star name.
ESS: I was Eric Stevens until I married. We combined our names. My wife’s name was Jenny Sheffer.

TVG: Wow. How postmodern of you.
ESS: It seemed natural for both of us to do that.

TVG: One of World Turns’s former head writers is named Hogan Sheffer.
ESS: Yeah, I heard that. He’s Craig Sheffer’s brother. I remember when Hogan was the show’s head writer. I remember The New Yorker did a big piece on Hogan. I should read that piece again. He’s not related to my wife though.

TVG: Speaking of writing, Reid’s dialogue is some of the best in daytime. Do you contribute?
ESS: I ask if I can change things here and there sometimes. The writing is usually on the page. Sometimes I’ll help clean up a joke to make it dirtier.

TVG: Has P&G held you back as far as Luke and Reid’s physical intimacy? ESS: Not that I’ve been aware of. But nobody would argue that they don’t treat their gay couples the same as their straight couples. It’s totally frustrating, of course, because it doesn’t feel real. TVG: It takes the viewer out of the story. ESS: I’m sure it’s frustrating to watch because it’s not a natural progression of a real relationship between two people. With gay couples, they’ll write us in circles so they can avoid us making out or having sex.

TVG: You would think since the show is cancelled that World Turns would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by showing Luke and Reid in bed.
ESS: It would be great if Luke and Reid could throw caution to the wind. I’m not sure what the reasoning is … Having said that, it is nice that World Turns is building up to that big moment. I think because Reid and Luke know each other very well and they’ve embarked on this beautiful journey together, their first time will be very meaningful. And who knows when the last time was that Reid even had sex!

TVG: What does Reid really think of Noah?
ESS: I think he was really fond of Noah, well, up until the point Noah punched him [laughs]! Reid didn’t get to witness Noah and Luke falling in love, but he views their relationship as a first love kind of thing. Things are a bit raw right now but I could totally see Noah and Reid being friends.

TVG: There are rumours that Larry Bryggman’s Dr. John Dixon may turn out to be your father. ESS: I know Larry and his work — he’s a great theatre actor. I’ve never heard that rumour before though. I love Larry and we got to work together on World Turns. It was a fantastic experience because I’m a fan of his work. It was great to see Larry, Don, Kathy Hays and Elizabeth Hubbard goof around on the set. It was a joy to see them interact and tell old stories from 45 years ago. TVG: You sound like you really revere and respect veteran actors. ESS: Oh, yeah! I’m sucker for anyone who has stories to tell or advice to give out. I’m like a sponge that way. I love to learn from the more experienced and accomplished actors around me. Which is why it was difficult for me as Reid to be mean to Dr. Bob and Kim onscreen. I never held back but I would apologize to them afterwards. Conversely, it was easy for me to antagonize Trent Dawson since we’ve known each other forever because we’d done a play together!

TVG: Are there any plans for the cast to gather and watch the last episode of World Turns together?
ESS: I’m not sure yet. We have talked about it. I’m game. I’m sure we’ll make a plan once we get closer to Sept. 17.

TVG: Looking back at these past nine months, how would you describe your experience on World Turns?
ESS: I feel very lucky to play this really well-written character, which turned out to be a great match for me. I fully enjoyed it. I was blessed to work with this group of people. They’re one of the most generous and enjoyable people I’ve ever worked with. And to be on the show during its final year and watch everyone grieve made working here a very special time. I’m honoured to be a part of this legacy even if it was just for a short time.

 

 

 

 

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Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, OUT, and fab magazine, along with spearheading the soap coverage for TVGuide.ca's popular daytime TV hub. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1997, he moved from Toronto to New York in 1998 to take on the roles as senior news editor at Soap Opera Update. Branco first freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly as an intern in 1994, and after leaving Soap Update to help create and launch Bauer Publishing's In Touch Weekly in 2003, Branco continued to freelance occasionally for its sister publication, Soaps In Depth. Most recently, he helped create and launch Canada's first celebrity magazine, Weekly Scoop in 2005 as its news and entertainment director. Branco is also a contributor to a new TV show titled Planet Soap to air in Canada and America.