Michael Muhney of "The Young and the Restless" on Playing Heteroflexible, Machiavellian and More!

, Editor
July 9, 2009

AE: What's the most surprising feedback or comment you've had at this point?
MM: Well, first of all, the support has been so welcomed, of course, but what's interesting is how many viewers out there are really emotionally invested, and intelligent and articulate enough to express why they like what I'm doing, and what it is that's refreshing about this particular character.

At the same time, I embrace — and I have to if I'm going to consider myself well-rounded — I have to embrace the negative stuff that certain people are saying. However, I've found that a lot of the negative things I've read so far, basically, I can sum up in two main categories. Apparently, a lot of people are complaining that I'm too tall compared to the last actor, and others have not moved on with their emotional embracing of the previous actor.

There's an acceptance period for people to get used to me as this character, but the reaction as a whole, outside from being too tall and being Michael Muhney, has been really interesting and I've appreciated it. And I've also appreciated that what we have is a character that Maria created, but has become one more stimulus from debate on open forums about people and sexuality and sexual preference, and not everyone is always what you think they are, and don’t try and judge a book by its cover or package people neatly into a certain box because that's not what life is.

In a way, I think that's when her writing and storytelling becomes more relevant today. It's not 1985. It's not even, like you said, five years ago.

AE: How did you come to end up on The Young and the Restless?
MM: I guess good fortune? [laughs] It was sort a strange circumstance where I got a phone call about meeting Paul and Maria for the part, and was described what it was about, and given a briefing on the show itself and the character. It all sounded intriguing enough, and I'm glad I went over to CBS that particular day and met with them, because I keep feeling as each day goes on that it was a smarter and smarter choice than even I'd imagined it would be.

AE: I have to tell you, I was a huge Veronica Mars fan, and Sheriff Don Lamb was such a fun character. You played him with such smarminess, it was just a lot of fun to watch.
MM: Thank you. I appreciate that. I put a lot of heart into making as many moments as I could in that character. It means a lot to me.

AE: I can tell you already had quite a few gays fans from your Don Lamb days, and with Adam, you're only going to become more popular with gay viewers.
MM: I shot a pilot in Chicago last year from one of the creators of Lost. My father and mother were Beau Bridges and Ann Archer, and my brother on the show was Cheyenne Jackson.

AE: You're kidding! You were in that!
MM: Yeah, he and I played brothers. The guy is stunning in person. You want to talk about tall, he's taller than me. But here we are meeting in Chicago, I'm flying in from LA, and he's flying in from New York, we're filming in Chicago and we're getting to know each other and bonding with your cast, you're brother and sister and parents on the show.

And he says to me, "Do you know how many of my gay friends back in New York are jealous that I'm filming with Don Lamb right now?" He got such a kick out of it and said he was bragging back home. It's through relationships with him and other friends of mine that I've learned just how diverse the audience is that follows interesting storylines.

AE: Going back to your character of Adam, what would your response be to those soap viewers who would be upset that the show is going there with a character like Adam, who say I don't want to see this, I don't want to be exposed to a gay character like Rafe, or someone who would want to sleep with him?
MM: I like to be a glass half-full kind of guy, so even if there are viewers who don't want to "go there" with that character, I think maybe what's good about that is that you're stirring up emotions in those people. They're invested in a storyline, in a show, in a character or a set of characters, and they're finding that they're having to tackle difficult issues vis-à-vis Adam. They're having to vicariously walk through that hallway. What's behind that door at the end there? What are they going to discover about themselves, or what are they going to think, or will they're opinions at the end of the journey be formed differently than had they not been exposed to something like this.

I think even people who are reticent to see this, or even the outward supporters, they're both really good for making the show more relevant and more emotionally connecting for an audience. I think ultimately, it's a good thing, and why I praise Maria for not just doing it, but doing it in a way that is both good storytelling, but is also done, I feel, the right way. She's done a good job of it. There's always going to be some people who won't like it. If you buy a green car, they think you should have bought a black one. But I think at the end of the day, this embraces a larger audience rather than alienates a smaller group of people.

Submitted by

Michael Jensen

on Thu, 2009-07-09 00:09.

TAGS ::

Great Interview

Submitted by

ceares (436 points) (88 posts)

on Thu, 2009-07-09 00:55.

I already adore the story line and all the potential there, but this interview has made me a fan of Michael Muhney as well. I wasn't a Veronica Mars viewer so this is my first exposure to him but he definitely comes across as intelligent, open-minded and fun.

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