Post by jag11 on Aug 3, 2007 9:51:19 GMT -5
July 10, 2007 CBS Soaps In Depth :
Christian Jules Le Blanc talks about his alter ego, Michael--and the role that got away.
If things had happened differently more than 20 years ago, fans of Y&R might never have been treated to Christian Jules Le Blanc's portrayal of the sometimes surly, often sardonic Michael Baldwin. Instead, they might have caught the actor in the primetime sitcom CHEERS as the loveable but dim-witted Woody Boyd. "That was one of my first big auditions out here. I was flown out for that role," he remembers with a laugh. "Oh my God. Every well-known actor my age was in that room, like Christopher Atkins, who was really big at the time. And ATWT was all I'd ever done! Talk about pressure."
It's a little difficult to imagine Le Blanc, who is known for his razor-sharp wit both on screen and off, in the role of the bumbling bartender. And the Emmy winner is the first to admit that the audition was a disaster. "It was like [the scene in] Broadcast News. It was hot in L.A. and I was sweating all over," he chuckles at the memory. "I did some kind of nervous interpretation of Woody. That's not a good thing to do--to play nervous when you are nervous. I was this sweaty mess."
While Le Blanc obviously lost the role to Woody Harrelson--"You can't imagine anybody different; Woody Harrelson was Woody"--he eventually did return to CHEERS for one episode, where he played the personal assistant to Tom Skerritt's character, Evan Drake. "It's really a fond memory," he raves. "It was one of the most friendly sets. The part was so small, but everyone knew my name--just like they say on the TV show. They had some of the nicest, nicest people. Kirstie Alley--she was wonderful. They were all so good to me. They came up and introduced themselves. Everybody! I was a nobody, and I was with Tom Skerritt."
The Big Not-So-Easy
Le Blanc has that same appreciative attitude over another experience that he's currently going through--building a home in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. He had actually begun the project before the storm hit, which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. "It's been really hard because the hurricane happened in the middle of it all. But a lot of the old furniture we had saved from my dad's house was in storage, which was fortunate because his house was destroyed."
Being a part of the city's revitalization is also exciting to the talented performer. "It's rough, just getting simple things like your utilities turned on and people to show up. There's crime and all the things that you hear about, but it's such a fine city. Everything takes twice as long, but someone said to me while we were sitting on the back porch sipping our coffee--which is something you don't get to do except in New Orleans--she said, 'We're pioneers, and if you want this to work, that is the attitude you need to have.' You have to be out there, making things work again."
"People are angry, but that anger has turned into political involvement," he continues. "It's scary since everything is up in the air, but it's interesting. You've got great stories and horrible stories. But I want to be part of the city's recovery."
Father Issues
Last year, the Crescent City and the hurricane briefly became a story point on Y&R when Michael tried tracing his father but lost the link because of Hurricane Katrina. Does Le Blanc regret that the storyline was dropped? "There's great father stuff to explore, but I like that it takes real time. Michael is involved one way or another in so many things, and you really need to give that kind of story the time and depth that it deserves," he insists. "It's not a storyline that goes away because it's not mentioned. It's always in the background. When Gloria is rushing to find another husband, there is this feeling like, 'Where is my father?'
"That's not mentioned in the writing per se, but I always reference it when I play the character," the actor nods. "It's sort of hanging over Michael's head, which is something that I like. When or if we bring on Michael's father, there will be so much to plumb. For me, it is just another thing in Michael's unresolved history to look forward to."
Destiny's Child
by Julie McElwain
Christian Jules Le Blanc talks about his alter ego, Michael--and the role that got away.
If things had happened differently more than 20 years ago, fans of Y&R might never have been treated to Christian Jules Le Blanc's portrayal of the sometimes surly, often sardonic Michael Baldwin. Instead, they might have caught the actor in the primetime sitcom CHEERS as the loveable but dim-witted Woody Boyd. "That was one of my first big auditions out here. I was flown out for that role," he remembers with a laugh. "Oh my God. Every well-known actor my age was in that room, like Christopher Atkins, who was really big at the time. And ATWT was all I'd ever done! Talk about pressure."
It's a little difficult to imagine Le Blanc, who is known for his razor-sharp wit both on screen and off, in the role of the bumbling bartender. And the Emmy winner is the first to admit that the audition was a disaster. "It was like [the scene in] Broadcast News. It was hot in L.A. and I was sweating all over," he chuckles at the memory. "I did some kind of nervous interpretation of Woody. That's not a good thing to do--to play nervous when you are nervous. I was this sweaty mess."
While Le Blanc obviously lost the role to Woody Harrelson--"You can't imagine anybody different; Woody Harrelson was Woody"--he eventually did return to CHEERS for one episode, where he played the personal assistant to Tom Skerritt's character, Evan Drake. "It's really a fond memory," he raves. "It was one of the most friendly sets. The part was so small, but everyone knew my name--just like they say on the TV show. They had some of the nicest, nicest people. Kirstie Alley--she was wonderful. They were all so good to me. They came up and introduced themselves. Everybody! I was a nobody, and I was with Tom Skerritt."
The Big Not-So-Easy
Le Blanc has that same appreciative attitude over another experience that he's currently going through--building a home in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. He had actually begun the project before the storm hit, which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. "It's been really hard because the hurricane happened in the middle of it all. But a lot of the old furniture we had saved from my dad's house was in storage, which was fortunate because his house was destroyed."
Being a part of the city's revitalization is also exciting to the talented performer. "It's rough, just getting simple things like your utilities turned on and people to show up. There's crime and all the things that you hear about, but it's such a fine city. Everything takes twice as long, but someone said to me while we were sitting on the back porch sipping our coffee--which is something you don't get to do except in New Orleans--she said, 'We're pioneers, and if you want this to work, that is the attitude you need to have.' You have to be out there, making things work again."
"People are angry, but that anger has turned into political involvement," he continues. "It's scary since everything is up in the air, but it's interesting. You've got great stories and horrible stories. But I want to be part of the city's recovery."
Father Issues
Last year, the Crescent City and the hurricane briefly became a story point on Y&R when Michael tried tracing his father but lost the link because of Hurricane Katrina. Does Le Blanc regret that the storyline was dropped? "There's great father stuff to explore, but I like that it takes real time. Michael is involved one way or another in so many things, and you really need to give that kind of story the time and depth that it deserves," he insists. "It's not a storyline that goes away because it's not mentioned. It's always in the background. When Gloria is rushing to find another husband, there is this feeling like, 'Where is my father?'
"That's not mentioned in the writing per se, but I always reference it when I play the character," the actor nods. "It's sort of hanging over Michael's head, which is something that I like. When or if we bring on Michael's father, there will be so much to plumb. For me, it is just another thing in Michael's unresolved history to look forward to."