Lots of actors come and go in the daytime world.  A lucky few make a big impression on the very fickle soap audience.  Count former “General Hospital” star Michael Saucedo as one of those that shined bright and continues to garner a loyal fan following.                                                       

Saucedo played Juan Santiago, a character with roots to Miguel and Lily and tied in story-wise with Sonny.  Eventually the character moved on to a romance with Emily Quartermaine. But then….nothing. And the role was written off.

“In general, when I came on the show, Juan came on with a lot of edge,” states Saucedo. “I found him to be an interesting character with the whole story on Sonny.  I think the ball was dropped on that. Towards the end, Juan was so whiny. In hindsight, I know you have to be pro-active in daytime with your storyline. Not having been in daytime, I kind of assumed people in charge knew what they were doing. As opposed to not and writing Juan into a corner they couldn’t get out of.”

While Saucedo did leave the show, he still holds strong connections to “GH”. After all he is married to “GH” star Elizabeth Herbst, who plays Liz. He may miss the show but Saucedo is still part of the show’s family. He also misses the fans.

States Saucedo, “I’ve been fortunate in the sense that when I left the show, I wasn’t completely cut off from it because I still have friends there and Becky is still there. I'm there every once in awhile down on the set.

“I miss the people. I definitely miss the fans. We have the greatest fans! I still get letters from people-it’s really nice that they are still supportive and follow what I'm doing, or what I'm not doing at this point,” he laughs.

Saucedo and his wife are also enjoying the role of parenthood with young son Ethan. That hasn’t stopped Saucedo from plying his craft.

“My personal life has been taking up a lot of time. I’ve been pretty much a stay at home dad,” states Saucedo. “I have been auditioning. I got cast in a pilot called ‘Waterfront’ that we started shooting in New York last November. They suspended shooting until April because there is so much exterior shooting and it was freezing. I’m going back in April to finish that up. It’s not picked up by anybody yet-they are meeting with people now. It’s a pretty interesting project.  It’s kind of like a ‘Melrose Place’ drama ensemble cast directed by (former soap star) Lisa Brown. It has an edge for cable.”

He continues, “I’m back in the studio writing. That’s going well. I also started a business outside the business with (“GH” star) Steve Burton and (former “Y&R” star) Scott Reeves and that’s going well. I’m just trying to keep busy.”

You can tell from talking to Saucedo that fatherhood and marriage suit him well.

“It’s fantastic. No complaints. It’s an adventure everyday.  I’m afraid of what’s going to happen in a couple of months because Ethan is getting so darn smart. I think he will be telling me what to do!,” laughs Saucedo.

While working on his career and enjoying married life, Saucedo never loses sight of his fans. “They are very loyal,” he emphasizes. “It’s one of the things I miss. When I was on “GH” I used to do a lot of P.A.’s (public appearances) because it was great just to get out there and interact with fans. I think the fans enjoyed it and to hear their feedback was just wonderful. It’s something I definitely miss.”

Born and raised in California, Saucedo started at the age of four in television commercials. He later moved on to TV movies and series. Along the way Saucedo discovered a great love of music. In fact, the actor had begun work on his debut album back in 2001. At that point, he ran into legal problems with his former management.

With those problems solved, Saucedo is back writing and recording. He calls his music “pop/rock-a little variety.”  Several songs are posted at his website for fans to enjoy and you can also hear an R & B influence. Saucedo believes he has “eclectic taste” in music and loves everything from U2 to the Police to country music.

“I am most passionate about music. Music is something I can do without somebody telling me I can do it. I don’t have to be hired to do it. Music has always touched me and been a part of my life,” he says.

“I am getting ready to record. I’m in the writing process and we will see how that goes. I feel as though my window of opportunity to be a recording artist is closing quickly. The basic trend in the music industry right now is youth. If it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to be crushed. I LOVE music!  It’s something that’s always going to be a part of my life. If I just end up writing and not performing, I’d still be happy with that.”

He also has definite ideas on marketing his music should a major label fail to call-through the internet.  “Scott Reeves did that and had a lot of success,” he states. “I think that is the future, to a certain degree, of the music industry. Right now the music industry has been turned upside down because of the internet and because record companies have completely done away with their artist development and that aspect of the business. There’s so much independent production and technology has made it possible for people to record in their living rooms. They’re pretty much looking for a completed record served on a silver platter.  That’s the way I’m approaching this now. We will shop it around and see what response we get. Long-term we will want to put a CD out regardless if there is a major label behind it.”

If the cable pilot gets picked up, Saucedo could be back on our television screens by next year.  But what about a return trip to “GH”?

“It’s no secret that I didn’t leave on my own accord. I would definitely love to be back in that situation. It was a great, great environment and a wonderful opportunity. It was like getting paid to go to school because of the great actors I got to work with. It’s a great job. It’s the closest an actor can have to a regular 9-5 job. And it’s great for having a family,” he states.

Saucedo also has definite opinions on the state of daytime today.

“I think there was more story and less gimmicks (when I was on “GH”),” he says. “Less tricks. There was more attention paid to the integrity of the characters and history-where they had been and what they had done. Where as now it seems like people are put in situations that aren’t necessarily true to their characters. The fans have been watching for a long time and they know the history of everybody. They have expectations of keeping the integrity of the character.”

If he never were to return to “GH”, he can always look back to the show with fond memories. After all he met his wife there. I just cant help but ask Saucedo, was it love at first sight?

“It was NOT love at first sight,” he laughs. “Becky and I worked together for a year and a half and we were friends. I was friends with a lot of people on the set. I had a good working relationship with everybody. But there wasn’t anything else going on. I’m a private person and made a conscious effort not to mix my personal life with my work life. In our business, I hate to make generalizations, but people don’t think twice about asking their co-workers out. I never did that.

He continues, “Becky thought I was gay!! Just because I never brought anyone around and I never hit on anybody.  It’s a big jump to make, but that was the rumor running around. We were friendly. I can’t really explain what happened. We ended up having conversations and spending time together. It was like God’s will-it was magic.”

While the actor wouldn’t mind someday doing a sitcom (“I’d love to do one!), you can tell this is one man who will never deny his daytime roots. And he will never turn his back on his amazing fans.

“I really appreciate their support and their continued support. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to do something to entertain them. I hope we can continue to have a relationship through whatever happens with my career. I hope they enjoy the website. I encourage everyone to visit it. I do read all the emails that they send and I love getting people’s feedback,” he says. And you can connect to Michael Saucedo’s website through the link below.

We at Soaptown USA would like to thank Michael Saucedo, for taking the time out of his busy schedule to chat with us and his webmaster Kevin putting this interview in motion. Please visit MichaelSaucedo.com the official site of Michael Saucedo for all of the latest news.