‘GH’s’ Maura West and Dominic Zamprogna Talk Mob Wars, Dante and Lulu’s Future and Badassery

Will Lulu (Emme Rylan) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) reunite? Photo courtesy ABC

TVSource Magazine: I feel so bad for Dante. Lulu blames him for all of their problems. How long is he going to put up with that before he starts giving Ava the eye?
Zamprogna: That’s what I’m saying. Now she’s flirting with his partner and shit like that. She’s incorrigible.
West: Did you just say incorrigible?
Zamprogna: Yeah
West: I like that.
Zamprogna: I was like, “Lulu,what are you doing flirting with my partner? You didn’t even tell him once you are my wife!” I don’t do too many excuses, you know what I mean [laughs]
West: Has Dante ever been unfaithful to Lulu?
Zamprogna: He was drugged one time. He was drugged by Brooklyn. She drugged him and did things. So, technically, yes but not of his [own doing].
West: Wait, so he was raped?
Zamprogna: It didn’t even go that far because Lulu walked in and busted it up. But maybe it’s time. Maybe she’s pushed him to that point.

TVSource Magazine: It seems like Lulu wants Dante to take the blame for everything she did wrong.
Zamprogna: He didn’t do anything like, typically dick-ish of a dude, you know what I mean?They couldn’t have a baby.
West: But you know what, seriously, though, I mean you know this, and it’s very actually accurate writing, that couples that have trouble conceiving often break up. That is a very real, very real phenomenon.
Zamprogna: And I just like the fact that it wasn’t because of anything he did. You know what I mean? I like the fact that it wasn’t because he cheated on her or stuff like that.
West: There’s all kinds of psychological things like, “Maybe we don’t belong together. We couldn’t make a baby then we must not be a good fit.” I think that’s a very real thing. I think ti’s very appropriate that there’s marriage troubles after such a story. Very appropriate.

TVSource Magazine: What’s the deal with Silas’ wife? Did he really try to kill her?
Zamprogna: As far as I know it’s not my case, it’s Detective West’s case
West: It’s so weird. When I go into the room and I’m like “I wanna talk to Detective West…”

TVSource Magazine: You think they would have gone with Nathan South.
West: I consider it an honor [laughs].

TVSource Magazine: Where’s this Dante and Lulu story headed?
Zamprogna: You know what, someone asked me today if there was going to be a triangle. I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t feel like we’re going that way. I feel like we’re getting back together, things are reconciling. And then the baby stuff is going to come out.  What they’re gonna do, I think, is going to be great. I think that they could have made it really cut and dry and said Ben’s their kid. But that’s not what’s gonna happen. I think just as we’re getting back together, I think there might be some more rocks we hit.

TVSource Magazine: What’s the legality of Britt giving birth a baby that’s not hers? She knows how to face a DNA test, that’s for sure.
West: That’s a stretch even for GH. Science is science when the baby is right there.
Zamprogna: I don’t think there’s much she going to be able to do. She might be able to argue one point or another until a certain time and then it’s all going to come busting out.
West: But I think it’s also, it’s also a timely thing. That’s happened as well. That someone carries a baby for other people, carries it, starts to love it, gives birth, and wants to keep it.
Zamprogna: She wasn’t carrying it for us though
West: I know, but she still fell in love with it, and she knew it wasn’t hers. What I mean is, once you go through that experience there’s cases on the books where that woman wants that baby even though it’s neither her egg nor her husband’s sperm. And she has no legal right at all.

Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava (Maura West) have an unspoken respect. Photo courtesy ABC

TVSource Magazine: This mob war between the Corinthos and Jerome factions gets uglier and more intense each week. Who’s the most powerful person? Is Ava the baddest mobster of them all?
West: Yes.
Zamprogna: You? That’s what I mean, she’s the Miami drug mama right there.
West: Yeah, I’m ruthless. I’m not [laughs]. Ava’s ruthless. I’m a pussycat!
Zamprogna: Ava should be so bad ass.
West: She is bad ass!
Zamprogna: You and Maurice [Benard] had a scene today and I was like “This is GOOD!”
West: Yeah, but what I do, and you have to be careful of this and again, I think about it and when you’re doing scenes with someone like Maurice, who’s playing this guy, this mobster, this don, there’s certain ways to respect that actor, and that character and you absolutely have to play that. So Ava kind of bows to him because that is what is done in that world. It’s not all –
Zamprogna: She’ll still get killed. She still gets shot if she doesn’t behave respectfully in that world.
West: Right! And you have to understand that you can’t be above your character having fear. You‘re character has to have fear.
Zamprogna: But a lot of actors like to play that.
West: I know, and I don’t like that
Zamprogna: I don’t like that either. It’s arrogance. It’s ego.
West: Yes, and you’re not playing the scene.

TVSource Magazine: Is the Port Charles Police Department ever going to have any luck stopping the organized crime problem that’s plagued the city off-and-on for decades?
Zamprogna: We think there’s going to be some better police work. We feel better about the cops not being the keystone thing. Ron [Carlivati, head writer] and Frank are not making Sonny this guy who’s perpetually evil. Whereas before, you almost feel like how can they not arrest him for something at any point of the day. And not it’s like, well, there’s really nothing to arrest him for. He’s legit. He’s as good a guy as he’s gonna be. There’s real bad guys out there. It seems so far, we’re getting more ability and intelligence. We’re excited about it. We just feel better about being cops.