AE: Getting back to the show, how do you feel about the fact that you're one of the few openly gay daytime actors, along with Tom Bierdz on The Young and the Restless. Is that something you knew and you'd thought about or did it not even even register?
SE: I guess I'd have to answer that as it didn't even really register. This was my first job out of college, so I didn't even think about it. Now it's coming up, so it's what I'm thinking about, but it's not changing how I work or how I do my job. It's nice.
AE: I know you've done 31 episodes that have aired so far of One Life to Live. When did you join the show?
SE: My first episode aired in January of 2008. It was only supposed to be those first five episodes. Then later that year, they called me because I was the computer guy tech nerd and they needed some computer stuff. I came back, and every since the beginning of this year it's just been building up. It's exciting.
Scott Evans (Oliver), Brett Claywell (Kyle), Tika Sumpter (Layla) and David Fumero (Cristian)
(ABC/DONNA SVENNEVIK)
AE: Some of our readers aren't familiar with your character yet, although I know they will be. What can you tell us about Fish?
SE: Fish works at the Llanview police department. He came on when Talia and Antonio were still there. I was helping John out behind the scenes, outside of the police force, helping him solve a murder, and finding Marty when she was kidnapped. So I've sort of been playing behind the scenes, so it's very exciting to get more involved with other people.
AE: How does Fish fit into Llanview? Is he a native of the town? Is his family there?
SE: I went to the police academy and then I got a job in Llanview. Talia had gotten transferred out, and I was her replacement to be Antonio's partner. I'm kind of a geek, nerdy computer guy, so they poked fun of me a little bit and got me transferred to the town over when Talia came back. Since then, I've gotten my job back in Llanview, so I'm officially a resident of the town.
AE: With the upcoming reveal about Fish and Kyle's sexual past in college, and the word that there's a romantic storyline in store for them, what's your take on Fish's sexual orientation? I know he's had relationships with women in the past, as well. Is this a coming out story? Is he gay? Bisexual?
SE: I think right now it's going to be a story of his journey and how he's dealing with all this stuff. He comes from very conservative parents, and there's going to be a lot of people who can relate to that, and trying to hide it. It's a coming out story. You experiment, if you do, when you're younger. Then he decides he's not gay, and he's straight and likes women, so he tries to throw himself at different girls and see where it takes him. I think it'll just be the story of his journey.
AE: I want to be clear that I'm following what you're saying: he's going to throw himself at girls in episodes coming up or that's how he's been in the past?
SE: In the past, back in February, I had a crush on Layla, and then the new girl in town, Stacy, I ended up having a one night stand with her, and then there's been a little romantic thing with Fish and Layla. I think he's doing everything in his power to kind of put this [being gay] on the backburner and not let it be a part of his life, but with Kyle in the picture, it's just coming to the forefront.
AE: Do you think he'll eventually be figuring out he's gay or is that still to be determined?
SE: I think you'll have to wait and see.
AE: A very politic actor's answer. Fair enough.
SE: [laughs]
