Post by jag11 on Jul 30, 2007 13:17:30 GMT -5
How the sexiest newcomer on ‘Y&R’ saved one of the biggest story blunders this year with his talent and charm
Daniel Goddard has rugged Australian good looks
A few eyebrows were raised when The Young and the Restless decided to rewrite history by bringing in Daniel Goddard to play Jill’s “real” son, Philip Chancellor. But as romantic rogue Cane Ashby, the talented newcomer seduced us into suspending our disbelief — for the time being!
Goddard knows soaps: he starred in the popular drama Home and Away in Australia, the same soap that Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe and Heath Ledger starred in.
After leaving the sudser for L.A., Goddard blessed the modeling industry with his beautiful face and sexy body in Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana campaigns. Later, he landed the lead role of Dar on BeastMaster and returned to his native country, Australia, to film the series before landing Y&R.
TV Guide caught up with the actor in Los Angeles to talk about life as an American soap star and what Cane’s real agenda is.
TV Guide: It’s a pleasure to speak to you! We’re big fans at tvguide.ca. You remind us of Hugh Jackman a lot — do you ever hear that?
Daniel Goddard: Actually, no. But it’s a huge compliment, so thank you!
TVG: Almost every Australian actor who's won or been nominated for an Oscar has acted on Home and Away. What’s the biggest difference between American and Australian soaps?
DG: There’s no real difference. For me, it’s different because I’m older and wiser. In addition, the cast I work with every day on Y&R is wonderful. The volume of story is much greater in the U.S., however.
TVG: In Australia, there isn’t a stigma attached to working on a soap, like in America. Do you sense that?
DG: To me, the stigma is going away. When you see film actors like Glenn Close do TV, and then film actors doing advertising campaigns, it’s clear the boundaries are disappearing. I feel we’re not seeing mediums any more as much as the media as a whole. I don’t care about stigmas, as long as I deliver work that’s good and that I care about.
TVG: Your body was in killer shape when you starred on BeastMaster — do you look back in wonderment?
DG: Yeah, but boy, that body took a lot of work and time, my friend! A lot of strict dieting, as well. I found I was really bored of maintaining that body. I much prefer where I am now physically. I got a lot of my old shape back because Cane is always shirtless!
TVG: How much do you know about Cane? Is he really Jill’s son, or is he a con-artist?
DG: It’s funny because when you get a script, you want to take the viewer on a journey. But as an actor, you have to decide how much to give away through subtext. I have a pretty good idea of where Cane is headed — I didn’t in the beginning, which was good then, because I didn’t want his real agenda to influence the way I played him. Now, I welcome the information because it adds more colour to my portrayal. And no, I can’t tell you! I’ve been sworn to secrecy!
TVG: Do you plan to stay in Genoa City for a while, or are you itching to tackle film and prime time?
DG: I’m very happy to stay on Y&R at the moment. As long as you’re happy doing something, keep doing it. When I’m not happy, my life direction will change. I’d like to see where this role leads, but of course, if another project in film or prime time arose, I would be happy to do it, and would try to work it out with Y&R.
TVG: Your accent is subtle in person; do you punctuate it for Y&R?
DG: This is funny because when I switched to my heavier Australian accent, I was told by the producers they couldn’t understand me. Australians run their words together – it’s this mangled mishmash of syllables – so I Americanized my TV accent for your ears. I’ve been living in L.A. for nine years, so my accent isn’t as strong.
Daniel Goddard has rugged Australian good looks
A few eyebrows were raised when The Young and the Restless decided to rewrite history by bringing in Daniel Goddard to play Jill’s “real” son, Philip Chancellor. But as romantic rogue Cane Ashby, the talented newcomer seduced us into suspending our disbelief — for the time being!
Goddard knows soaps: he starred in the popular drama Home and Away in Australia, the same soap that Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe and Heath Ledger starred in.
After leaving the sudser for L.A., Goddard blessed the modeling industry with his beautiful face and sexy body in Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana campaigns. Later, he landed the lead role of Dar on BeastMaster and returned to his native country, Australia, to film the series before landing Y&R.
TV Guide caught up with the actor in Los Angeles to talk about life as an American soap star and what Cane’s real agenda is.
TV Guide: It’s a pleasure to speak to you! We’re big fans at tvguide.ca. You remind us of Hugh Jackman a lot — do you ever hear that?
Daniel Goddard: Actually, no. But it’s a huge compliment, so thank you!
TVG: Almost every Australian actor who's won or been nominated for an Oscar has acted on Home and Away. What’s the biggest difference between American and Australian soaps?
DG: There’s no real difference. For me, it’s different because I’m older and wiser. In addition, the cast I work with every day on Y&R is wonderful. The volume of story is much greater in the U.S., however.
TVG: In Australia, there isn’t a stigma attached to working on a soap, like in America. Do you sense that?
DG: To me, the stigma is going away. When you see film actors like Glenn Close do TV, and then film actors doing advertising campaigns, it’s clear the boundaries are disappearing. I feel we’re not seeing mediums any more as much as the media as a whole. I don’t care about stigmas, as long as I deliver work that’s good and that I care about.
TVG: Your body was in killer shape when you starred on BeastMaster — do you look back in wonderment?
DG: Yeah, but boy, that body took a lot of work and time, my friend! A lot of strict dieting, as well. I found I was really bored of maintaining that body. I much prefer where I am now physically. I got a lot of my old shape back because Cane is always shirtless!
TVG: How much do you know about Cane? Is he really Jill’s son, or is he a con-artist?
DG: It’s funny because when you get a script, you want to take the viewer on a journey. But as an actor, you have to decide how much to give away through subtext. I have a pretty good idea of where Cane is headed — I didn’t in the beginning, which was good then, because I didn’t want his real agenda to influence the way I played him. Now, I welcome the information because it adds more colour to my portrayal. And no, I can’t tell you! I’ve been sworn to secrecy!
TVG: Do you plan to stay in Genoa City for a while, or are you itching to tackle film and prime time?
DG: I’m very happy to stay on Y&R at the moment. As long as you’re happy doing something, keep doing it. When I’m not happy, my life direction will change. I’d like to see where this role leads, but of course, if another project in film or prime time arose, I would be happy to do it, and would try to work it out with Y&R.
TVG: Your accent is subtle in person; do you punctuate it for Y&R?
DG: This is funny because when I switched to my heavier Australian accent, I was told by the producers they couldn’t understand me. Australians run their words together – it’s this mangled mishmash of syllables – so I Americanized my TV accent for your ears. I’ve been living in L.A. for nine years, so my accent isn’t as strong.