Post by jag11 on Aug 10, 2007 18:33:39 GMT -5
August 14, 2007 CBS Soaps In Depth
With his job on the left coast and his family on the right, Vincent Irizarry (David, Y&R) has been literally living on the fly. Which is why it can be tough to nail down the guy for an interview, since there's no telling where he might be. Though the airport is a good bet--whenever he has consecutive days off, Irizarry heads from Los Angeles to New York, even on short notice. "I just never know when my work schedule is," he explains when we catch him by phone. "It changes so quickly and we just don't get a lot of notice, which can be challenging. But I just bring carry-on luggage and my laptop, a few articles of clothes and my Crocs. I'm good to go."
Luckily, all that jetting back and forth hasn't been a budget buster. "My wife [Avalon] is a flight attendant so I fly for free [on her airline]," says Irizarry. "It's a great benefit to have because I couldn't have done this job without it, frankly. But it's always on standby, which can be a challenge, especially with summer. This past weekend I was home and before I left for the airport, it looked like I was third on the standby list. By the time I got to the airport, I was 31st and I didn't get on two flights. Finally I went to another airline and purchased a ticket for $400 to get back to L.A. But that kind of thing is rare. I've been doing this awhile now and I've been faring okay."
Which is pretty much the story since his exit from AMC last year, after a nearly nine-year run as Dr. David Hayward. Irizarry wasn't surprised by the dismissal ("he became typical and boring"), and Y&R tapped him to play their David almost immediately. "I wanted to come out to L.A. for pilot season anyway so it just seemed like perfect timing," says Irizarry.
Since his 17-year-old daughter Siena (from his marriage with Signy Coleman, ex-Hope, Y&R et al) will be a high-school senior, Irizarry opted not to relocate his wife and other kids (there's also Aria, 10, and Elias, 5) to L.A. for what was supposed to be a three-month role. "I just didn't want to upend their lives," says Irizarry. "Commuting [cross-country] seemed to be the best solution for everyone."
And then his three-month stint kept extending. David Chow arrived in Genoa City last January, and it wasn't long before Y&R was angling for a longer stay. Three months turned into six, after which he re-upped for another half a year. "So far, it's worked out great," smiles Irizarry. "David has been developing from the beginning, so we're constantly fleshing him out."
But his contentment on Y&R is tempered by the separation from his loved ones. "I miss them terribly," Irizarry admits. "When there are conflicts or issues that arise, like when one of my kids is sick, I want to be there. So, that's the hard part and I don't think that will ever get easy--no matter how long I do this. But I'm still a lucky guy."
With that, Irizarry has to end our interview so he can--that's right--catch a flight home.
Flying High
by Devin Owens
Vincent Irizarry was ejected by AMC but made a soft landing on Y&R
With his job on the left coast and his family on the right, Vincent Irizarry (David, Y&R) has been literally living on the fly. Which is why it can be tough to nail down the guy for an interview, since there's no telling where he might be. Though the airport is a good bet--whenever he has consecutive days off, Irizarry heads from Los Angeles to New York, even on short notice. "I just never know when my work schedule is," he explains when we catch him by phone. "It changes so quickly and we just don't get a lot of notice, which can be challenging. But I just bring carry-on luggage and my laptop, a few articles of clothes and my Crocs. I'm good to go."
Luckily, all that jetting back and forth hasn't been a budget buster. "My wife [Avalon] is a flight attendant so I fly for free [on her airline]," says Irizarry. "It's a great benefit to have because I couldn't have done this job without it, frankly. But it's always on standby, which can be a challenge, especially with summer. This past weekend I was home and before I left for the airport, it looked like I was third on the standby list. By the time I got to the airport, I was 31st and I didn't get on two flights. Finally I went to another airline and purchased a ticket for $400 to get back to L.A. But that kind of thing is rare. I've been doing this awhile now and I've been faring okay."
Which is pretty much the story since his exit from AMC last year, after a nearly nine-year run as Dr. David Hayward. Irizarry wasn't surprised by the dismissal ("he became typical and boring"), and Y&R tapped him to play their David almost immediately. "I wanted to come out to L.A. for pilot season anyway so it just seemed like perfect timing," says Irizarry.
Since his 17-year-old daughter Siena (from his marriage with Signy Coleman, ex-Hope, Y&R et al) will be a high-school senior, Irizarry opted not to relocate his wife and other kids (there's also Aria, 10, and Elias, 5) to L.A. for what was supposed to be a three-month role. "I just didn't want to upend their lives," says Irizarry. "Commuting [cross-country] seemed to be the best solution for everyone."
And then his three-month stint kept extending. David Chow arrived in Genoa City last January, and it wasn't long before Y&R was angling for a longer stay. Three months turned into six, after which he re-upped for another half a year. "So far, it's worked out great," smiles Irizarry. "David has been developing from the beginning, so we're constantly fleshing him out."
But his contentment on Y&R is tempered by the separation from his loved ones. "I miss them terribly," Irizarry admits. "When there are conflicts or issues that arise, like when one of my kids is sick, I want to be there. So, that's the hard part and I don't think that will ever get easy--no matter how long I do this. But I'm still a lucky guy."
With that, Irizarry has to end our interview so he can--that's right--catch a flight home.