The mobsters are all right — especially when General Hospital's Brandon Barash is onscreen as Johnny Zacchara, the fearless and tortured Zacchara heir hell-bent on seeking revenge for his sister’s murder by Michael, the son of his sworn family enemy, Sonny Corinthos.
For the past three years, Brandon Barash, 30, has somehow managed to turn Johnny into one of the good guys despite his mobster day job.
Thanks to the former Gilmore Girls guest star’s (he played Paris’s first boyfriend) rugged good looks, visceral acting, brooding intensity, adventurous hair and sexy chest — the St. Louis, Mo., hunk has created a new kind of anti-hero on ABC’s most violent sudser.
One who loves and protects with abandon — always with a gun and a death wish in tow.
TVGuide.ca spoke with Barash about his explosive chemistry opposite Lisa LoCicero, his upcoming appearance on Mike Gold’s Soap Cruise, and if the GH cast has felt ignored thanks to all things Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo and James Franco.
TVGuide.ca: Your show is everywhere these days, from taking over the entire ABC lineup, James Franco mania and the return of Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo. Has it been a whirlwind for you guys over there at Prospect Studios?
Brandon Barash: It’s been great. It’s nice to hear that General Hospital is the best show on daytime right now. We just want to tell great stories — anything else is just a bonus. To hear that we are having a creative resurgence is really nice. I can only imagine that James Franco and Vanessa Marcil [Giovinazzo] can only help bolster our ratings. It’s been a great place to be. I feel like the writing is really inspired right now — not that it never was before. We’re in a good place right now. |
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TVG: Does all the media attention on James and Vanessa make the rest of the cast feel left out?
BB: No, not at all. I know I’m not Vanessa or James. Vanessa’s had a great run on our show and she deserves all the attention she’s getting. As for James, he’s earned the right to be called an A-list movie star — and I’m not that either. To be able to work in the company of great people is all you can ask for. Every dog has its day …
TVG: The cast seems more balanced than it has ever been before — which is hard to achieve because you guys have one of the largest casts on daytime.
BB: It is. That’s the other thing you have to understand is that we have a contract cast of almost 30 people. It can’t be your day every day. It just can’t. You take the 30 to 40 pages of material you’re given each day, and run with it. If you’re just supporting the rest of the cast, you take that, too, because it’s just a part of the game.
TVG: Do you think that James Franco has eliminated the soap stigma? Or does a stigma still exist?
BB: I think James definitely being on the show has helped with the stigma of acting on a soap. I do think there’s still a stigma. It’s gone away a bit just because of how difficult it is to work in the business in the year 2010. So, yes, there is a stigma, but hopefully James helped dispelled the myth that people on soaps don’t work hard because we’re some of the hardest-working people in the business. I don’t know any other job where you do 30 pages a day and have to go home and learn another 30 pages for the next day.
TVG: Did you watch soaps before GH?
BB: I used to make fun of my mom for watching soaps when I was a kid. She was so into them that she taped them. You know, she had to watch her stories. The irony that I’m on a soap now is pretty funny. I didn’t know where my career was going to take me but this is a great place to start, definitely.
TVG: What soaps did she watch?
BB: She watched a little bit of GH and a lot of All My Children. She was pretty tickled when I landed GH. She works in a hospital where there is always a TV in the break room. She’s gotten all the staff into it, too.
TVG: What nationality are you?
BB: Barash is Russian.
TVG: [Downs a shot of vodka] You have that ambiguous look.
BB: I get that a lot. I get, ‘Are you Italian, Greek or are you Spanish?’ No one ever knows, but it works in my favour [as an actor].
TVG: I’m still a little surprised Johnny is still drawing breath in Port Chuck. When did you feel your character really broke out on the show? Although Johnny and Lulu were popular, I don’t think you really resonated on the canvas until Johnny fell for Olivia.
BB: I totally agree with you. He was only intended to be on the show for three months. In fact, they were going to kill me off but they decided to keep Johnny around. It was a big effort on my behalf and on the writers’ part to make him as human as possible instead of a [one-note] twisted, demonic guy. The Lulu relationship helped Johnny a lot, but when he was paired with Olivia, that love story lifted both characters off the page quite a bit. Lisa’s incredible and refreshing to work with. If we have to do five takes, we’ll do it five different ways. She’s incredibly professional and always has her [crap] down. It’s a lot of fun to play with Lisa every day. |
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TVG: As an actor, how wild is it when chemistry explodes opposite another actor?BB: Well … you never expect it. Chemistry is magical. You can’t teach it, you can’t bottle it, and you can’t produce it — it just happens. As actors, in a 50-year career, you’ll probably have five or 10 co-stars you share that kind of magic that lifts you up. You’re lucky if it happens that many times. I wasn’t expecting it, so it surprised everyone, including us.
TVG: Were you disappointed that GH didn’t play all the beats when Johnny and Lulu broke up in record time?
BB: I was definitely surprised at how quickly they dropped Lulu and Johnny. Listen, sometimes there is no rhyme or reason in regards to what the writers do other than keeping the ratings up. They kept throwing stuff at Johnny to see what would stick. Apparently, Olivia stuck!
TVG: Lulu and Johnny still have their fan following!
BB: Oh, yeah — there are Lulu and Johnny fans out there who are offended when I talk about what a great privilege it is to work with Lisa. They think it’s some great jab at Julie, but it isn’t. Julie is one of my dearest friends that I work with. It’s just the way it is — on soaps, you get moved around and paired with other people. We don’t write the stories —we just tell them. Sometimes there is that kind of confusion amongst the fans.
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TVG: Well, it looks like Johnny and Lulu are re-entering each other’s orbits now with Brook Lynn, Olivia and Dante into the mix. It’d be nice if Lulu and Johnny joined forces as friends and confidantes.
BB: Oh my God — I think they should! I mean Johnny was ready to go to the electric chair for this girl! And they’ve said about two words to each other since they broke up. They should be friends. Even beyond that, there should be some kind of double date with Johnny, Olivia, Lulu and Dante. There’s a lot of room for so much comedy with [that equation]. |
TVG: Is Olivia Johnny’s soulmate?BB: She very well could be. Up until this point, Olivia is the only woman he has truly ever loved. Yes, he loved Lulu but it was more of a puppy love.
TVG: Lulu opened the floodgates … She helped Johnny open up emotionally.
BB: I agree. Johnny and Olivia’s relationship is adult as opposed to Johnny and Lulu. It’s nice.
TVG: Do you have to take a cold shower when you tape sex scenes opposite Lisa? [Joking] I’m gay and even I want to tap that!
BB: [Laughs] I have to dip myself in an ice bath, man! A cold shower would be putting it lightly. If Lisa can elicit that kind of reaction from gay men, imagine what she does to straight men! [Laughs]
TVG: You guys definitely radiate heat in your love scenes, which is in short supply these days on the dial.
BB: It will be interesting to see what will happen with us within the next few months. Lately, there has been so much push and pull between Johnny and Olivia. There was never any closure with Jolivia, so there is hope that they will get back together. We’ll see. Lisa and I are hoping they reunite.
TVG: Jolivia’s breakup was intense because it wasn’t about some random interloper but about the differences in their moral stances in life. They want to be together but their egos are in the way. What’s it like working with Adrianna Leon?
BB: It’s been fun! It’s always fun to throw someone into the mix. No matter how great the actor is that you’re working opposite of, a conformability will always set in. When you get someone else to work with, you can shake things up and [re-energize yourself]. Adrianne’s a little firecracker and it’s a pleasure to work with her.
TVG: A lot of fans couldn’t help but notice your chemistry opposite your onscreen sister, Ms. Sarah Brown. I wouldn’t say it was incestuous per se, but there was an Oedipal dynamic happening with you two. It was kind of Shakespearean, sexy and gothic. Did you guys play that on purpose?
BB: I agree. When we started working together, we could tell we had some kind of chemistry there. Just because we were playing brother and sister didn’t mean we also couldn’t have chemistry. Chemistry can mean a lot of things — it’s not just sexual. Like you said, it can be gothic and Shakespearean. And talk about a great actress … working with Sarah was a gift. We had so much fun. I was so sad to see her go. I still miss her. |
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TVG: I do, too, but I have to say, I can’t remember the last time a character’s exit — other than One Life’s Asa Buchanan — provided so much long-term storyline for an entire canvas, so she definitely went out with a bang. I also think it’s beautiful that Johnny is on an unconditional quest for justice to avenge his sister’s murder even though she was a major bitch. He still loves her… Is he delusional or loyal?BB: I don’t think he’s delusional. Sometimes I hear fans gripe, “Well, Johnny used to always yell at Claudia and say how screwed up she was. And now all he can do is wax poetic of what a great person she was.” He’s always recognized she was [screwed] up, but when someone you love is murdered in cold blood, you forget the past and focus on how he or she died and how unjust it was. Which is why Johnny is looking to avenge his sister’s death in the only way he knows how justice should be served.
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TVG: Is Johnny a hero, villain, anti-hero …
BB: I think he’s an anti-hero. He’s not a traditional hero. He’s the bad guy you root for. In other people’s eyes, he could be the bad guy you love to hate or the bad guy you hate to love. [Laughs]
TVG: What I like about Johnny is that he’s the only person in Port Chuck who isn’t truly afraid of Sonny. This week, Johnny was even shot by Sonny!
BB: Johnny’s not scared to die, that’s why. He’s not scared of anything. He’s more scared of losing Olivia than he is of dying. So, yes, he’s not scared of Sonny, which is why their feud works so well because they both don’t give a shit. Sonny has more to lose, of course, with his children, etc., but he’ll still [go into battle with eyes closed]. |
TVG: Were you intimated to go up against the great Maurice Benard acting wise?BB: No. I’ve always respected him. But I’m definitely on my toes in a scene with him, that’s for sure! He’s been around for a couple of decades for a reason. He’s a soap legend. He’s one of the greats. I wasn’t intimidated, but I knew I had to know my shit backwards and forwards when I began working with him. And be ready to play because that’s what he likes. One great thing about Maurice is that he loves to be surprised in a scene, so I’m always keeping him on his toes in a good way from my end.
TVG: Would you like to work with Mrs. Giovinazzo? A few fans have suggested a Johnny and Brenda chemistry test.
BB: Oh, absolutely! Johnny is so hell-bent on getting revenge on Sonny that I think Johnny and Brenda would be [an organic pairing] — not even romantic, but just being friends. Sonny would [freak] — it’d make for great drama.
TVG: Johnny obviously bonds more with women. In many ways, he’s the anti-Sonny. But do you wish he had his own Spinelli, a talk-to? He’s kind of a lone wolf.
BB: He’s got this new relationship with Ethan, which I think is turning out to be a cool relationship. But you’re right — he does need a male talk-to. He’s never had that. I don’t think he’s had a male friend. Certainly, his father was never his friend. He didn’t go to school for very long, and he’s not a social guy. So this Ethan friendship is very welcomed.
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TVG: Yeah, I’m digging Ethan and Johnny together. It seems natural and organic — especially considering their mutual concern for Kristina and their mutual disgust for all things Sonny. Nathan Parsons has grown leaps and bounds this past year.
BB: Yes, he has. When you look at Nathan when he first came on the show and you look at him now, there’s an obvious growth. Not that he was a bad actor before, because he wasn’t, but his greenness has worn off. He’s really fleshed out a nice character.
TVG: I thought Johnny and Kristina’s showmance really worked despite it being pretty provocative and risqué. In the hands of lesser actors, that storyline could have really backfired. Were you nervous about playing that out?
BB: I definitely was. I had to work into the storyline that Johnny was coming into this relationship, as a big brother, almost a paternal figure, or it would have turned out creepy. |
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TVG: Do you think Johnny’s need to protect women has anything to do with his mother at all? How much of a back story have you created?BB: Yes, obviously. I don’t think Johnny knows that the reason why he’s attracted to the damsel in distress has anything to do with his mother, but he absolutely goes into protection mode because of his mother. It’s probably buried in his subconscious. It sets something off inside of him when he sees a woman in trouble.
TVG: Are you going to submit yourself for 2011 Emmy consideration?
BB: The Emmys are a different animal. If I were nominated, I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I think Johnny and Olivia’s breakup scenes were some of my favourites. We’ll see what happens. [Awards] are always the icing on the cake, but that’s not why I act. If it happens, great, if not …
TVG: I hear you’re sailing on Mike Gold’s fourth annual Soap Cruise. This is your first time. Are you excited? It’s a blast.
BB: That’s what I hear. I’m really looking forward to the fourth voyage. And it’s a Celebrity Cruise ship! Everybody that I know who has gone on Mike’s cruises has had a great time. We’re going to be having karaoke and talent nights, VIP breakfasts, acting/directing opportunities with the stars … I can’t wait. It should be a blast.
TVG: There are rumours that there will be a Brandon Barash Kissing Booth. Can you deny or confirm that?
BB: I’m preemptively denying that! [Laughs]
TVG: We’ll just have a Sonny Corinthos shooting range instead! But you are going to prevent Bradford Anderson from injuring any more body parts, right?
BB: Yes! I’m not Superman, but if there is anything I can do …
TVG: And maybe you can save me from being thrown overboard! See you this January, Speedo and all!
| From Thursday, Jan. 27 through Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, 15 of daytime’s adored soap stars will be participating in this unforgettable event. ABC stars cruising from General Hospital are Brandon Barash (Johnny) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli). All My Children stars include Walt Willey (Jackson), Adam Mayfield (Scott), and Jacob Young (JR), and from One Life to Live, Mark Lawson (Brody). CBS stars attending from The Young and the Restless are Michelle Stafford (Phyllis), Christian LeBlanc (Michael), and Daniel Goddard (Cane). From The Bold and the Beautiful, Brandon Beemer (Owen) and Don Diamont (Bill) will be on-board, and the lineup from NBC’s Days of our Lives include James Scott (EJ), Galen Gering (Rafe), Eric Martsolf (Brady), and Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe). |
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Devoted fans of daytime will be vacationing at sea with their friends, families and favorite soap stars. Soap Cruise Fourth Voyage will be sailing from Miami to charming Key West and exotic Cozumel. Fans will have plenty of opportunities to experience up close and personal interaction with their favourite soap stars. Not only will there be hugs, autographs and picture-taking, but fans will enjoy partying, dancing and relaxing with their soap idols in the sunny Caribbean. Other unforgettable activities guests will experience include the beach party at Senor Frogs in Cozumel, multiple meet-and-greets, question-and-answer time, soap star talent night, and karaoke. Also aboard will be a director offering a “behind-the-scenes” workshop and a scene acting session during which fans and actors use real scripts from the shows. Soap Cruise concludes with a special farewell cocktail party. The first 175 registrants will get to attend an exclusive VIP Breakfast with the stars. For additional information please call 1-866-364-0330 or visit www.celebrityeventsgroup.com.
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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. |
