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Last week, TVSource Magazine participated in a conference call hosted by The Online Network for All My Children stars Jill Larson (Opal) and Robert Scott Wilson (Pete). Find out what Robert Scott Wilson thinks about Pete’s attraction to Celia and who Jill Larson would bring back to AMC.
TVSource Magazine: Jill, how much does Petey remind Opal of his father, Palmer?
Jill Larson: Oh I think quite a bit, I think that, you know, his father was – had dazzling charm and obviously Pete does too and his father was – had an extraordinary talent for business and obviously Pete has that or he wouldn’t be driving a Ferrari.
And yes I think it’s so wonderful for Opal to have him around because he is a piece of Palmer and she misses both of them so very much. So this is – yes so it’s a really – it’s a real thrill for her to have him around.
TVSource: You’ve really kind of taken on the mantle when it comes to your social media approach and interacting with the fans and whatnot. Why was it so important for you to allay the concerns of the fans regarding the success of the AMC? When you posted on Facebook shortley after the announcement about the reduction of episodes, you were able to clearly explain possible reasons for it and managed to calm down those upset.
Larson: Oh gosh it was very important, you know, we are – I don’t think it can be expressed enough how appreciative we are of the fans and because we all know, oh I get sort of choked up when I talk about it – we all know that were it not for the passion of the fans we would not be doing this at all.
You know, that, you know, before this all began Hulu did a survey asking, you know, if these shows were on Hulu would you watch and evidently the response was so much greater than anything they had even hoped for. But that’s when, you know, the investors started to write checks, so we all are very grateful.
We want to be respectful, we want to take care of you, we want you to understand that you are part of this process and to not feel like oh they’re just doing things arbitrarily because, you know, they feel like it or whatever sort of – the way that did feel in the end, you know, when we were on ABC that things were just randomly done. Oh let’s try this or whatever with no regard for the people that supported the show.
And I think Prospect Park has really done a terrific job at, well I hope – I don’t know, but is your experience – I feel like I’d like to think that they’ve done a really good job of, you know, staying connected with the fans, considering the fans. I think it’s because of some of the viewing practices or viewing habits of the fans that they made this decision – I don’t mean that solely, I don’t mean to get that you know, but that was taken into account. So anyway that’s a very long – I’m sorry I tend to ramble, but…
TVSource: No, no that’s fine.
Larson: But it’s a long way of saying that yes it was extremely important to me. I came home that night I was fried and had to go back the next morning and I just thought I have to write something right away before people get too, you know, downcast and despondent about this.
TVSource: If there’s one person besides Michael E. Knight that you could bring back, who would it be?
Larson: Well just personally I really miss Bobbie Eakes, I love her and I love that character that she played and, you know, that would be really fun to have her around and part of our gang again. So but I feel that way about everybody, you know, I’d love to see Wolf back, you know, so we’ll see hopefully they will have their day and time.
TVSource: Hopefully they will, thank you so very much.
Larson: Yes of course.
TVSource: Rob what is it about Celia that Pete finds so interesting?
Rob Wilson: You know what I think? It just ties into what everybody finds interesting and I think the mystery of somebody, you know, something that drives your passion to find out more about somebody.
Not knowing everything and having something that, you know, not all girls have. And I think with Celia she has so much that’s unknown and that intrigues Pete because Pete always goes – you have me calling myself Pete…
Larson: That’s very good darling because that’s who you are.
Wilson: No but Pete he really – he’s such a business man that he loves a challenge and he loves to kind of, you know, just to have that winning attitude and with Celia that is so difficult for him and it intrigues him so much it keeps him going, you know, it keeps the thrill of the chase per se – if everybody likes the thrill of the chase, you know, because there’s too many easy buttons out there, you know, and so Pete likes the challenge I think.
Larson: Hum and I also think it was a little love at first sight wasn’t it? I mean…
Wilson: Yes…
Larson: That’s how I imagined it.
Wilson: I heard it was just something about her, you know, that intrigued him.
Larson: Yes.
Wilson: Whatever it was, you know, as soon as she dropped the necklace
Larson: Love at first sight isn’t always so logical it just is what it is.
Wilson: Right, right, yes and you know what I think that (would have definitely played) input as well, you know, and as soon as I, you know, as soon as they got to meet each other and kind of have their own moments, it just intrigued him even more.
So he’s really had to take a step back and change his, you know, “player ways” from what he was doing in California and really have to take a step back and do that that (general analysis), you know, the way his mom raised him – so that all plays back into it.
Larson: (Naturally), you know, when your heart is opened by love you suddenly become tender and almost – there’s almost an innocence that returns because you’re vulnerable, because you have a lot invested.
TVSource: My final question – Rob what has been the most challenging aspect you’ve experienced since joining All My Children? What has been like your most difficult thing for you to either just accomplish or take in whether it was a scene or, you know, something you didn’t quite get when you got the script?
Wilson: Well I mean there’s always going to be questions that arise and, you know, with good directors and, you know, the support we have around us, you know, they’ve helped me kind of get myself to where I need to be.
If I make a wrong choice before we film it, you know, will get me on, you know, the right track and things like that because there’s so many storylines and so much history that I’m only trying to get up to speed enough to, you know, get the stories across the board the way they should be and the way they were written to be.
But you know what, my biggest challenge was also one of my favorite things which is just the workload, you know. I mean Pete has had some heavy, heavy days some days and, you know, I’ve learned to study as much as I can, rehearse to myself as much as I can and then just kind of let it go. Something that I’ve been taught in classes for years now but it really shows right up until our last couple – our last week and a half there.
You know, where I was kind of overwhelmed and I was kind of to take a step back and know just go scene to scene, moment to moment and just remember that this is the funniest thing. You know, I have so much fun working with these people and forget the words on the page, just be in the moment and they’ll come. And so with that being the most difficult, it was also the most fun, so I really can’t say enough about it, it was great.
Larson: Yes you have had – yes you have had some very, very long and hard days. I mean times when I just sort of see you staggering to the end – like many of us – like all of us on different days but you’ve always maintained that sort of relaxed, okay I’m here, I’m going to do it and let’s see how it goes and it’s been very successful for you I think, you’re doing beautifully.
Wilson: Oh thank you, thank you so much and I mean like I said, I mean even with that it was challenging, it was a little difficult, kind of overwhelming at the beginning but as soon as I worked with everybody and kind of met with everybody their approach to this, they’ve done this for so long.
And you know what I just I think that was the right, you know, the right amount you know, positivity around it I think we can all be doing this a lot longer and I just want to be able to get to the where they are because I love working with these people and it’s been really, really fun.
Check back next week for our upcoming interview with One Life to Live star Rob Gorrie (Matthew)
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