In lieu of
my usual non-GH-watching bitching and AMC/OLTL envy, I heretofore
present to you, my dearly devoted readers, an exclusive interview
with actor
Billy Warlock (A.J.) and his Warlock Watchers fan club
manager and website guru Parul.
Exclusive
interview below, mind
you. Eat your heart out, wannabes...
Part I. Small
Talk
Golf at Lanai's
Lodge at Koele or hoops with an NBA player in his driveway? Parul: How about getting
a massage on the beach?
Billy: I think because you can play golf anytime, anywhere...I have
to say hoops with an NBA player. If you threw in Tiger Woods with
the golf at Lanai - I'd be in. But for now I'll choose basketball in
the driveway with an NBA player.
White picket
fence or cityscape? Parul: City.
Billy: White picket fence downtown Mill Valley, California.
All-you-can-eat brunch buffet or five-star 10-course dinner? Parul: 10-course dinner (with 5 helpings of dessert).
Billy: Dinner for sure.
Snuggle at sunset or dance till dawn? Parul: With Billy Warlock? How about all of the above?!
Billy: Snuggle at sunset.
Renown or popular? Parul: Renown
Billy: Renown
Maurice Benard or Tony Geary? Parul: Billy Warlock
Billy: Who are those guys?
Novel or Movie? Parul: Movie (anything with Ed Norton or Gary Oldman)
Billy: Movie
Joe Millionaire or The Bachelor? Parul: How about The Mole?
Billy: Joe Millionaire for sure...by far.
Coggie or Soap Opera Digest? Parul: I get enough of a laugh reading old GH scripts as it is.
Billy: Coggie for sure.
Woman's eyes or woman's ass? Parul: I have them both, thanks anyway.
Billy: I want both - Tolan's blue eyes & J-Lo's butt.
Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears? Parul: Mickey Mouse
Billy: Britney Spears.
What would fans be surprised to know about you? Billy: That I'm really six feet tall.
Part II. After a few drinks...
“It's
not about day out of days - how many times a week you are on - it's
about what you do with what you are given & I see people who have
nothing and come in with their head held high & give 110%.”
Be honest, do
you visit the boards? C'mon give. Billy: Yes sometimes, but
through Tolan... she acts as my computer, I can't work it by
myself. And Parul keeps an eye out as well.
Have you ever come across such soap opera-related brilliance as
to leave you utterly mute, like me for instance? Billy: Tie between Coggie and
Marzipan....I've seen some good stuff from both of you.
Let's cut to the chase. You're familiar with my
SoapZone column,
News & Gossip. How'd that come about, and what do you think of
the stunningly genius writer of said column? Billy: I came across your column for the first time when you
were reporting [CBW: That was a rumor,
dude, and I didn’t even mention it first, it came from two message
boards! I swear!] that I was fired from GH. Everyone was
telling me about it. Ever since then – we keep an eye out. I like to
be like the OZ.....keeping my eyes & ears open. You know how Oz is -
you think he knows all but really he knows nothing.
Online posting fans have become terribly jaded, obnoxiously
self-righteous and oftentimes, officially organized into lobby
groups for specific favorite characters. Your thoughts? Billy: There would be too much chaos without these fans fighting
for what they want and believe in. Daytime has shifted - daytime I
believe has succeeded for so many decades because it's as close to
an interactive medium as you can get. In the old days, the fans got
to dictate what they wanted to see on-screen. They basically helped
the writers write. That's what made it interactive between them and
their favorite show. And it worked. Now I believe what has happened
is that the powers that be don't listen to the fans like they used
to. They just do what they want - take it or leave it - and I
believe that is one of the reasons why daytime has changed over the
years.
To hell with the preliminary bullshit, what the hell is going on
with A.J. the stalker? Everybody's outraged, perplexed. How 'bout
you? Billy: I am a meat puppet. I do what I am told. As much as you
the audience is frustrated - imagine wearing his shoes everyday.
Need I say more. My job is to do what I am told & I do it the best I
can with as much fun as possible.
Any truth to the rumor you're thisclose to jumping
ship for your former soap haunt, DOOL? Billy: No comment....sorry. [CBW: Aha!]
If you were the head writer and executive producer, how would you
tell A.J.'s story? Don't hold back!
This question could take days to type out.....plus Tolan has to go
back to work soon, she's tired of playing secretary & doing all of
my typing. [CBW: Tolan, seriously
girlfriend, invest in some computer and typing courses for Billy.]
What does it feel like knowing there's a huge growing contingent
of A.J. fans (as opposed to fanatics) at turns outraged and
melancholy about A.J.'s potential never realized? Billy: I am so thankful and grateful for the support because I'd
be lying if I didn't feel like it was Billy and AJ against the
world. Knowing that I do have such growing support everyday is what
gets me up and ready for work each day. I go in and give them the
best performance I can possibly give. I do it for them, not the
show.
It's obvious GH fans are hurting over this show. Any advice for
us to deal? No, I wish I did. Let me know when you figure it out.
It's too easy to phone in performances in soaps' everyday. You're
an expert on not doing so. What's your secret? Passion. I love what I do. As disappointed and frustrated as I
get - I have to find the truth in AJ each and every day - the
goodness in him, his motivation for everything. I have to constantly
create his journey & as far as I am concerned, AJ's journey is just
now beginning. I must say it has a lot to do with the overwhelming
support over this past year.
How do you, as an actor, balance a healthy personal life with a
fulfilling professional one, without letting the big ego take over? Billy: I play AJ who has no ego & nor do I.
Parul: He plays AJ Quartermaine on General Hospital.
If a fan spotted you across a crowded room, how best to approach?
Do you bite? Billy: I'm very approachable. Come on over, I do not bite. I
like people.
Of all the cast members, who are the ones you most admire and
why? Billy: I admire all of them. Because again, we are only actors
and can only do with what we are given & so many of us are only
given so much. It's not about day out of days - how many times a
week you are on - it's about what you do with what you are given & I
see people who have nothing and come in with their head held high &
give 110%.
Boxers and briefs aside, what most fans really want to know from
any soap actor is, when the lights, camera, action goes on, what's
it really really like to be a fly on the wall? Any anecdotes?
Farting, burping, sneezing, having to take a leak (or worse) during
a close-up? Billy: It's not all autographs and sunglasses...trust me.
[CBW: Answer the question! Who farted?!]
How did you and Parul hook up to do the official website? Billy: Parul use to write to me & through her letters and
starting the website we struck up an amazing friendship. No matter
where I go or what I do - Parul will be a part of it. She is a
friend for life. And I owe her many thanks.
Parul, out of all the GH actors out there, you singled Billy
Warlock out. Not just to praise on the boards, but to devote a
website to. Your reasons?
Parul: He's
really hot
Describe the official
Billy Warlock website to those who haven't been acquainted. What
makes it special (besides the clean, professional graphics)? Parul: We have monthly script giveaways, and the site is updated
every few weeks. Not to mention the fact that since I'm the only one
with the site password, Billy has no choice but to be nice to me. :)
Billy, on your message board, many anti-Sonny posters let loose
[like me], often at Maurice Benard's expense. Knowing he's an
off-screen friend, how's that make you feel? No censors against
bashing so far. I don't get on to the site very often. I think people are
entitled to their own opinions. Sonny is not Maurice. My website is
open to do whatever you want - you can bash me - whatever. I don't
want a sugar-coated, rated-G website. Come on. I get bashed every
single day. Maurice is my friend.....Sonny is not AJ's friend. We're
thick-skinned, we don't take the bashing seriously. Some do - we
don't.
