atwtfan
Replies: 5

ld611
Replies: 11

ld611
Replies: 27

atwtfan
Replies: 2

atwtfan
Replies: 8

atwtfan
Replies: 33

pennylane
Replies: 727

pennylane
Replies: 19

LoveNuke
Replies: 48

ld611
Replies: 10

Blogging with Jennifer Lenhart March 20, 2008
Yesterday, I interviewed ATWT's Van Hansis (Luke) and Jake Silbermann (Noah) for an upcoming Digest feature, and we had plenty to talk about, including Monday's GLAAD Awards — at which Hansis surprised himself (and me, frankly) by being star-struck by a certain random celebrity — as well as all of the recent media attention for "Nuke" and their joint obsession with Marvel comics. But if there's one thing these two do best, it's argue (Silbermann prefers the term "heated discussion"). They bickered hilariously about the silliest things throughout the interview and even inadvertently staged an argument for me, so much so that I was giggling to myself all morning while I was transcribing it. I'm writing it up this afternoon for our upcoming "Man" issue. Until then, here's my opening exchange with Hansis on that very subject:

Hansis (laughing): The “man” issue! Are you trying to get more male readers? Like GQ for soap operas?
Digest: Well, there's also our annual “sexy man” section.
Hansis: Do you have a “dumpy man” section?

(And no, he didn't have a nominee!) And FYI: it was already a done deal, but Hansis told me that he was on his way to physically re-sign his contract right after the interview, but prefers to keep the length of the extension to himself.

Nuke 'Em April 8, 2008 (SOD Online)
— By Jennifer Lenhart

Van Hansis (Luke) and Jake Silbermann (Noah) work together so often that they have lots of down time, which in their case tends to lead to silly arguments. They bickered a lot, so Digest only got a few of their disagreements into our feature interview, on stands 4/15. One subject on which they've had many a heated discussion is movies — they both know them well, but here's what happens when Silbermann challenges his co-star to a game.

Silbermann: We'll see how you do. We can play a little game. Want to do it right now?
Digest: Please do!
Hansis: I'll start! 28 Days Later.
Silbermann (immediately stumped): Oh, what's his name?
Hansis (smugly): See?
Silbermann: Cillian Murphy!
Hansis: Now I name a Cillian Murphy movie? [Laughs] 28 Days Later. Uh ...
Publicist: I could do this.
Digest: Me, too.
Hansis: He was in, um ... oh! Batman Begins!
Silbermann: I'll say Christian Bale.
Hansis: How come you get all of the actors and I get all the movies?
Silbermann: It switches off.
Hansis (grinning): Empire of the Sun.
Silbermann: Challenge — you don't know anyone else in that movie!
Hansis: Yes I do. [Confidently:] Mary Steenburgen.
Silbermann: No, she's not in that movie.
Hansis: Yes she is!
Silbermann: Look it up on IMDb.
Hansis (laughing): No.
Silbermann: I'm right on that one. [He is.]
Hansis: He is. So I lost that game. See, I admit when I'm wrong.
Digest: So, you have movies in common, and you're both Marvel Comics fans?
Both: Yeah.
Hansis: I grew up with X-Men.
Silbermann: It was Spider-Man and X-Men for me.
Hansis: Marvel's world is very different than DC's world.
Silbermann: I think they just gave them all better reasons to be heroes in Marvel's world.
Hansis: Exactly. They're not all aliens. Batman is different.
Silbermann: It's pretty much agreed-upon that Batman one of the best thought-out ones. Because he's not a superhero. He is, but he's not.
Hansis: I read somewhere that Marvel heroes' true personalities were their secret identities and they put on the costumes and DC heroes' true identities were the hero and the secret identity was their costume. I like that in Marvel, they're real people who just happen to have these powers.
Silbermann: DC it has its strong points. I got him into one.
Hansis: He gave me this awesome book, which is a movie coming out.
Silbermann: It is?
Hansis: Oh, I thought you meant Watchmen.
Silbermann: I meant Preacher.
Hansis: That was going to ...
Silbermann: But it was stopped, thankfully, because it wouldn't have been good.
Digest: I was all excited, because briefly, Bailey Chase was listed as Gambit in Wolverine on IMDb.
Hansis: Yeah, who's Gambit now?
Silbermann: There's someone named Briefly Bailey Chase?
Hansis (laughing): No, no, no. Bailey Chase.
Digest: He was Chris Hughes. And he was going to be Gambit.
Hansis: Now he's not. Who is it now?
Digest: Tim Riggins from FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, Taylor Kitsch.
Silbermann: Is he going to play him French?
Digest: I don't know. He plays a guy from Texas now. So do you argue about comics?
Hansis: Yeah.
Silbermann: What have we argued about?
Hansis: We argued about Watchmen.
Silbermann: What about it? We did not argue about Watchmen!
Hansis: We didn't argue about Watchmen, we argued about what parts should be cut from the movie.
Digest: You realize that you're now arguing about what you argued about.... Let's talk about your first impressions of each other — you met at the audition?
Hansis: It was in the dry rehearsal room. I was told to speak very quietly because the camera was right next to me. So I was whispering everything.
Silbermann: I couldn't hear him.
Hansis: It's not my fault. I apologize.
Silbermann: I believe you. I thought you were trying to sabotage me!
Hansis: I was, I was like, "I don't want this one!"
Digest: Did you know he was going to get it?
Hansis: The weird thing is that one of the guys who came in was actually a friend of mine from college, so no offense, Jake ...
Silbermann: You were rooting for him, it's cool.
Hansis: I wanted my friend to get it. And I think it came down to between my friend and Jake. But he's fine; he's on a Lifetime show now and he was in the JOHN ADAMS miniseries.
Digest: So Jake, Van was rooting against you from the start!
Hansis (laughing): I was sending negative vibes your way from the get-go.
Digest: What was your first day like?
Silbermann: A lot of nervous energy. I don't know if Van remembers this, I was basically not letting him out of my sight. [Hansis laughs.] We had gone to the GLAAD Awards together, so it was like, "Okay...."
Hansis: "I have a friend!"
Digest: That's right, you went to the GLAAD Awards before you even aired.
Hansis: Long before.
Silbermann: Before I taped. They were in March and I didn't air until June 1.
Digest: Is that when you first got to know each other?
Hansis: Yeah, we hung out for the first time at the GLAAD Awards and then we had a meeting with GLAAD where we hung out again. And then we went out to lunch before we started taping and then we started taping.
Digest (to Hansis): You took him to lunch?
Hansis: No, he asked. I gave him all of my wisdom, my sage advice.
Digest: What was it?
Hansis (laughing): I don't know. What advice did I give you?
Silbermann: I guess I asked what it was like.
Hansis: The advice I would probably give would be that it goes very fast....
Silbermann: I asked specifics about rehearsal time.
Hansis: Yeah, you don't really rehearse. And I think to make it work on daytime, since you don't have the time to do the work that you would like to do, it's kind of like a listening and responding exercise. Just be present in the moment with your scene partner because even if your scene partner kind of goes up on a line, maybe you can save it.
Silbermann: And making choices.
Hansis: Yeah, on the spot.
Digest: Did you have a natural rapport or did you have to work on your chemistry?
Hansis: We don't sit down like, "So, Jake, let's work on our chemistry. I'm going to glare longingly into your eyes."
Silbermann: Eyes, lips, eyes.
Hansis: That is a trick, I think. You look eyes, lips, eyes.
Digest: Who taught you that?
Hansis: I made it up [laughs]. But it works! It reads on camera very well.

April 22, 2008 (Soap Opera Digest print edition)
History Boys: With Their Precedent-Setting Alter Egos On Attention Overload, We Study The Real-Life Friendship Between Van Hansis & Jake Silbermann

Thanks to a group of devoted fans, who have pointed out that it's long past time for ATWT's groundbreaking gay couple to finally share another kiss, "Nuke" has exploded in the worldwide media, sparking mentions everywhere from NPR to USA Today, even though their portrayers, Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, have been largely uninvolved in the debate. Behind the scenes, these co-stars share a great respect for their story, a love for comic books...and an extreme tendency toward friendly bickering.

Digest Did you become friends off-screen pretty quickly?
Hansis: Yeah, because we went to Marco Island.
Silbermann: That was a lot of fun. It was before I aired. We had all of these interviews and stuff pretty early on. So it necessitated hanging out and getting to know each other.
Hansis: There's nothing like trashed on a beach in Florida at 4:30 in the morning...
Silbermann: (laughing) ...To bring two people together!
Digest What do you usually do when you hang out?
Hansis: We usually...drink (laughs).
Silbermann: We're both really good friends with Elena [Goode, ex-Jade], too.
Hansis: Jake takes karate with her.
Silbermann: Yeah, I take Tae Kwon Do with her. She's got excellent form. [Hansis laughs.]
Digest Tell me each other's best and worst qualities.
Silbermann: I have to say his? Van's best quality is his, uh [pause]...
Hansis: You can't even think of my best quality?
Silbermann: Well, there are so many to choose from.
Hansis: Aww! Good catch.
Silbermann: No, he's got great energy and he's always up for anything and he definitely can be the life of the party at times. I guess his worst quality is that he's always on; he can always be the life of the party.
Hansis: No, I'm not always on!
Silbermann: He's not. I don't like doing worst qualities.
Digest What about Jake?
Silbermann: Go ahead, I'm sure worst quality is easy for you.
Hansis: Jake's best quality is that he really cares about what he's doing and he commits 100 percent to what he's doing, which is really nice to work with and in life, as well. His worst? He's a gift from God. He has no bad qualities [laughs].
Silbermann: I haven't been very punctual the last few meetings, I guess.
Hansis: Don't let yourself off the hook with your worst quality! [Mocking voice] "I'm not punctual." I don't even think this is a bad quality, but sometimes when he's wrong, he is so stubborn that he doesn't admit that he's wrong. And he's often wrong.
Silbermann: Yeah. I don't even really agree with this [Hansis laughs], but the funny thing is, I've been hearing this my whole life.
Hansis: That you're often wrong?
Silbermann: That I'm stubborn. I'm better now. I'll defend something until I'm proved wrong and then I'm like, "Okay, fine." I'll move past it. But until that point, I'll really defend it. Even when I don't know what I'm talking about sometimes. I'll just think I heard something. I don't argue for the sake of arguing, but I'll say, "I don't think you're right."
Hansis: It can be very frustrating because when you know you're right but you don't have tangible proof...There's been many a time that I've gone on IMDB to show him that I was right.
Jake (scoffing): "Many a time!" See, I call a heated discussion what some people call an argument.
Hansis: There's never anything negative about it. We don't get mad. It's just, you know, you're stuck in a studio in Brooklyn for eight hours a day, you might as well have a heated discussion.
Digest Do you have a lot in common?
Silbermann: We have a very similar taste in music...
Hansis: ...We both like comic books...
Silbermann: ...Similar taste in movies, I think. Although Van hasn't seen anything.
Hansis: He comes into the dressing room and he's like, "Van have you seen...."I don't even have to hear what he says because chances are, I haven't. We also have a similar...it's not "argumentative," but we can argue about anything.
Jake (laughing): We were doing it backstage before we went on...
Hansis: Oh, yeah, we had to be hushed!
Silbermann: It was about water.
Hansis: Yeah, we were about to go present at the GLAAD Awards this week, and drank this water and I was like, "Oh, man, I didn't think this was fizzy water..."
Silbermann: I said, "It doesn't look fizzy."
Hansis: And then I got another one and it was fizzy, too.
Digest You argued about whether it was fizzy?
Hansis: No, we argued about whether I should have known.
Silbermann: Yeah, I said, "Why did you take the same one?"
Hansis: Because it was in a different bucket! I thought maybe there was a fizzy bucket and a still bucket!
Jake (laughing): Even the guy there was like, "Should I give you guys some time?"
Digest How were the GLAAD Awards?
Silbermann: The cool thing is that it starts out as a fun event, but by the end, the speeches are so touching that I feel like I'm part of this demonstration of self-expression and freedom. It's really nice.
Hansis: That's very true. The event is fun and lively, but it's never forgotten that you're there for a cause. That's what separates it from stuff like the Daytime Emmys, which are fantastic and fun, but this is about helping people. The president of MTV gave a speech.
Silbermann: That was a great speech.
Hansis: It was just kind of heartbreaking and wonderful.
Digest Anyone you were excited to see?
Van (quietly): Randy Jackson was there.
Silbermann: Van got a little starstruck.
Hansis: I got starstruck by Randy Jackson! I don't really watch American Idol, but I was like, "You are very famous." I stood next to him and didn't say, "Hi."
Digest Who else was there?
Silbermann: Alan Cumming. We talked to him for a little bit.
Hansis: He was very nice. It took everything not to ask him about the X-Men movies.
Publicist: You should have! [Both start protesting.]
Silbermann: He was being very inquisitive about the show, too.
Hansis: Yeah. He was asking us a lot about our show.
Silbermann: I did want to ask immediately...[They both excitedly throw out questions in "interview" voices.]
Hansis: "So, Nightcrawler: How long does it take to get into the makeup?"
Silbermann: "Did you read any comic books in preparation? Who is your favorite artist's rendition of Nightcrawler?"
Digest So basically, you just didn't want to come off as fans?
Both: Yeah [goofy laughter].
Silbermann: I feel like he would put us in a separate category.
Hansis: He doesn't watch our show. We read his comic.
Digest He might watch.
Silbermann: He's a busy guy. Maybe he DVRs it.
Hansis: In my mind, he watches it every day. In my mind, everybody watches it every day [laughs].
Digest How do you feel about all of the media attention you've been getting, especially lately?
Hansis: It's weird because---I mean, I don't know how it is for Jake----but it doesn't really affect me. There's been media attention about the story, but it hasn't been about us. We haven't done any interviews about that.
Silbermann: I agree. When family or friends say "You're all over the place," I'm like, "It's the characters and the show." It's been great; I'm glad to be a part of it. There's no such thing as bad press.
Hansis: Exactly. And it's great that the fans care so much about the characters. That makes us feel like we're doing something good.
Digest But it's more like Noah and Luke are getting all the attention?
Hansis: Yeah. We've never been interviewed. They had something on MSN or something about it and they had talking heads, but it wasn't our talking heads.
Silbermann: I thought it was interesting having a debate on CNN about the kiss and whether the American public was ready for it and stuff like that. I think clearly, yeah. People are accepting it and wanting it.
Digest They're actually big on the PDAs without kissing. Do you choreograph the physicality?
Silbermann: They're not usually written in. Sometimes it is a specific shot that the director wants, but most often I think it's something that just kind of feels natural to do.
Hansis: Yeah, and sometimes, we'll talk about it earlier or sometimes it just kind of happens in a scene. But I think we work well enough that if somebody does something like that, the other one's not like, "What are you doing? That's not in the script!" You just go with it. And that's what real couples do. We're trying to make the characters as honest and believable as possible.

Sports Zone - Meet the teams that have turned these soap stars into fans.

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/TV+Guide+C...s_NB.htm?isfa=1

Soap Opera Spirit Awards
By Nelson Branco

2008-01-15

Forget the Emmys — we honour the best in daytime the way soaps deserve to be recognized

Drum roll, please — TV Guide Canada is proud to announce the First Annual Soap Opera Spirit Award nominations, honouring the best daytime has to offer in acting, writing, and production, while also recognizing talent that has contributed to the daytime TV art form.

Winners will be chosen by the editors of TV Guide Canada, and will be announced on February 19, 2008 on TVGuide.ca. With 17 appropriate categories, the Soap Opera Spirit Awards are an antidote to the unfair Daytime Emmy Awards, which is still searching and struggling to find a way to fairly and accurately honour its industry.

TV Guide.ca thinks it’s about time the press dictated an award show since we watch all the daytime dramas and bloc voting isn’t part of our vocabulary. Congratulations to all the nominees.

Network tally:
CBS — 38 nominations
ABC — 32 nominations
NBC — 6 nominations
SoapNet — 2 nominations

Individual show totals:
One Life to Live — 19
The Bold and the Beautiful — 15
General Hospital — 12
As The World Turns — 11
Guiding Light — 8
Days of Our Lives — 5
The Young and the Restless — 4
General Hospital: Night Shift — 2
All My Children — 1
Passions — 1

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
General Hospital, ABC
One Life to Live, ABC

OUTSTANDING HEAD WRITER
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS — Bradley Bell
General Hospital, ABC — Robert Guza
One Life to Live, ABC — Ron Carlivati

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING TEAM
Days of Our Lives, NBC
General Hospital, ABC
General Hospital: Night Shift, SoapNet
One Life to Live, ABC

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS
Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan, B&B)
Susan Flannery (Stephanie Forrester, B&B)
Deidre Hall (Marlena Black, Days)
Beth Ehlers (Harley Cooper, GL)
Gina Tognoni (Dinah Marler, GL)
Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman, Y&R)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR
Jon Hensley (Holden Snyder, ATWT)
Jack Wagner (Nick Marone, B&B)
Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus Aitoro, GL)
Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer, GH)
Trevor St. John (Todd Manning, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Terri Colombino (Katie Peretti, ATWT)
Martha Madison (Belle Black, Days)
Leann Hunley (Anna DiMera, Days)
Jane Elliot (Tracy Quartermaine, GH)
Catherine Hickland (Lindsay Rappaport, OLTL)
Kathy Brier (Marcie McBain, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR
Trent Dawson (Henry Coleman, ATWT)
Jay Kenneth Johnson (Philip Kiriakis, Days)
Robert S. Woods (Bo Buchanan, OLTL)
Phil Carey (ex-Asa Buchanan, OLTL)
Ben Masters (Julian Crane, Passions)

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS
Alexa Havins (ex-Babe Carey, AMC)
Alexandra Chando (ex-Maddie Coleman, ATWT)
Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones, GH)
Julie Marie Berman (Lulu Spencer, GH)
Marcy Rylan (Lizzie Spaulding, GL)
Brittany Underwood (Langston Wilde, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR
Mick Hazen (Parker Snyder, ATWT)
Daniel Manche (J.J. Snyder, ATWT)
Van Hansis (Luke Snyder, ATWT)
Tom Pelphrey (Jonathan Randall, GL)
Eddie Alderson (Matthew Buchanan, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE GUEST STAR OR RECURRING ACTRESS
Betty White (Ann Douglas, B&B)
Kristina Wagner (Felicia Jones, GH)
Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, GH)
Orlagh Cassidy (Doris Wolfe Spaulding, GL)
Ilene Kristen (Roxy Balsom, OLTL)
Tonja Walker (ex-Alex Olanov Vickers, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING MALE GUEST STAR OR RECURRING ACTOR
Daniel Hugh Kelly (ex-Winston Mayer, ATWT)
Patrick Duffy (ex-Stephen Logan, B&B)
Stuart Damon (Alan the Ghost, GH)
Tuc Watkins (ex-David Vickers, OLTL)
Peter Bartlett (Nigel Bartholomew-Smythe, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR IN A NEW ROLE OR RECAST
Austin Peck (Brad Snyder, ATWT)
Kyle Lowder (Rick Forrester, B&B)
John Brotherton (Jared Banks, OLTL)
Daniel Goddard (Cane Ashby, Y&R)
Eric Steinberg (ex-Ji Min Kim, Y&R)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A NEW ROLE OR RECAST
Alley Mills (Pam Douglas, B&B)
Heather Tom (Katie Logan, B&B)
Jennifer Gareis (Donna Logan, B&B)
Carolyn Hennesy (Diane Miller, GH)
BethAnn Bonner (Talia Sahid, OLTL)

OUTSTANDING CASTING DIRECTION
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS
General Hospital, ABC
General Hospital: Night Shift, SOAPNET
One Life To Live, ABC
The Young and the Restless, CBS

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A COUPLE
Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann (Luke and Noah, ATWT)
Terri Colombino and Austin Peck (Katie and Brad, ATWT)
Katherine Kelly Lang and Susan Flannery (Brooke and Stephanie, B&B)
Kim Zimmer and Bradley Cole (Reva and Jeffrey, GL)
Marcy Rylan and Jordan Clarke (Lizzie and Billy, GL)
Tuc Watkins and Erika Slezak (ex-David and Viki, OLTL)
Robin Strasser and Erika Slezak (Dorian and Viki, OLTL)

THE IRNA PHILLIPS SPIRIT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE SERIAL ART FORM
The Bold and the Beautiful’s Patrick Mulcahey, Writer

THE DOUGLAS MARLAND MEMORIAL AWARD
Darlene Conley (ex-Sally Spectra, B&B)

http://www.afterelton.com/people/2007/11/nuke_answers_questions

As the World Turns’ Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann answer your questions
by Michael Jensen, Editor
November 14, 2007

Despite the fact it is 2007, same-sex couples on broadcast television are so unusual as to still be considered a Very Big Deal. But a gay male teen couple on a daytime soap? That constitutes an actual milestone in gay visibility.

Earlier this year, CBS’ As the World Turns made that breakthrough when Luke Snyder (Van Hansis) fell hard for newcomer Noah Mayer (Jake Silbermann). And viewers fell just as hard for the couple quickly naming them Nuke as their growing popularity helped to push the show’s ratings up. In fact, Nuke became so popular that a recent poll named them the most popular couple on ATWT and one of the seven hottest couples on all of daytime television.

AfterElton.com previously chatted with both Hansis and Silbermann in separate interviews, but our readers still wanted to know more about the men who play their favorite couple. So when we gave you the chance to submit your questions to the actors, hundreds of readers responded. We chose some of the best which the actors graciously agreed to answer despite their busy schedules. So without further ado, we present you with your interview of Van and Jake!

Gradgirl: Is there one scene that stands out for you, either in regards to the writing, how you acted, or the finished product? What about that scene was so special?
VAN HANSIS: Every now and then a scene comes along that is really strong and is really connected to what the character is going through. My favorite scenes tend to be the simple ones. Back in March or so, I had scenes with Holden where we were fixing a tractor and talking about loneliness. I really liked those scenes.
JAKE SILBERMANN: A scene that stands out to me is the one where Luke and Noah were caught kissing by Noah's father, Winston. It's always fun working with Daniel Hugh Kelley, especially in a scene like this one where he just flew off the handle.

b32guy: Van, how does a guy who grew up without a TV in the house end up pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon, and then get the desire to act either on screen or stage? What or who was your muse?
VH: I think growing up without a television forces children to be more creative in their everyday lives. You have to use your imagination for entertainment. I would make up different characters and stuff like that. My parents enrolled me in an acting class when I was little.

snicks: Do you guys prefer "NUKE" or "LOAH"?
VH: I guess Nuke.
JS: I prefer Loah. It's softer and sounds less like a cleaning product. But Nuke has grown on me.

bitchplease: If you had to change one thing about your own character, what would it be and why?
VH: His wardrobe. No, (I’m) kidding. I guess I would like him to be less gullible.
JS: It would be great if Noah became a little darker as a result of all that’s happened to him — maybe develops some addictions. Tortured characters are always fun — more so when they take out their frustrations on themselves

Uberaeryn: Do you read Luke and Noah fan fiction? Because I'm really kind of hoping you totally don't.
JS: Van told me about one. I don't think I'll be reading any.

TarquinV: Hi, Van. You've mentioned before that you've based the character of Luke partly on a friend of yours that is gay. Since playing the role, have you discussed it with any of your gay friends and was what they had to say positive in regards to the "realness" of the character? Did they offer any advice? Congratulations on such a superlative portrayal. Luke is genuinely loved!
VH: I didn't really base Luke on my friend. But after a few months of playing him, I realized, 'Oh, he's sort of like so-and-so.' They just had some similarities, that's all. I haven't really discussed Luke with my friends. My friends don't watch the soap for the most part. Great friends, huh???

LonePirate: How does the day unfold once you arrive at the studio? What all transpires during a typical work day?
VH: 6:45 AM-arrive at studio. 7 — start blocking, go to hair and makeup. 8:30 — start shooting. We shoot set by set. So, if Al’s Diner is up first and you only have scenes in Al’s Diner for that particular episode then you can be out of the studio by 9:30 AM. Those are awesome days. But if, during the course of one day your character goes from Al’s Diner, to Old Town, to the Snyder Kitchen, you have to stay pretty much all day and can clock in a good thirteen-hour workday. It depends on sets. Lots of naps are advised.

trascendenza: What’s the funniest practical joke pulled and/or anecdote from on-set? (Bonus if you're the one who pulled the joke
VH: I’ve never pulled a practical joke except on Alex Chando’s last day when I knew the camera wasn’t on me. I made faces at her to try and make her crack. She never did. She’s a pro.

trascendenza: What is your greatest dream as an actor, the role of a lifetime that you'd like to aspire to?
JS: My greatest aspiration as an actor is too keep pushing myself and to take on challenging roles that fool people. I'm so impressed with performances that make you say "Wow! That was him/her? I can't believe it."

trascendenza: Jake, you've mentioned that you "doodle". What sort of subject matters do you most often find yourself drawing, and do you know why those particular images stoke your creativity?
JS: When I doodle it's usually one of two things: I grew up in the city, so sometimes I doodle in graffiti style. Otherwise, as a comic book fan, I'll draw a superhero. Occasionally the art student in me will take over and I'll find myself doing a still life.

Marcella: What bands/albums are in heavy rotation on your Ipod these days?
VH: Great question. I love music. In my apartment, when I am home, music is always on. Always. So the bands/ singers that always have a home on my ipod are: The Decemberists, Dirtie Blonde/Amie Miriello, Feist, Modest Mouse, Antony and the Johnsons, Simon and Garfunkel, The National, Johnny Cash, Will Oldham, Loretta Lynn, Bjork, Radiohead, Peter Bjorn and John, David Bowie, Andrew Bird, Final Fantasy, Clap your Hands Say Yeah, Of Montreal, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Regina Spektor, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sigur Ros, Scissor Sisters, Martha Wainwright…
I listen to them all. They are all genius. Right now on repeat is the soundtrack to the movie Across The Universe. It is fantastic. My favorite track is T.V Carpio’s version of ‘I want to hold your hand.’ It is so fantastic. Go to iTunes and buy it right now.
JS: I listen to everything from Nick Cave, who I recently discovered and who co-wrote the fantastic score to The Assassination of Jesse James to Feist, Aesop Rock, Of Montreal, Kanye West, Al Green, Depeche Mode and The Good, The Bad and The Queen. And of course, Stevie Wonder.

Insideguy: Thanks for being so available to answer a few question for your nearly rabid fans. LOL. Most actors bring some part of their real experience into the role they play. What do you find useful in your own lives in creating Luke and Noah?
VH: Luke is all about the need to be loved and accepted. I think that need is universal. Life is about acceptance from the people who you want to love you. If that means family, a wife, a husband, a girlfriend/boyfriend, a best friend, you just want people to love you for who you are. Anyone can relate to that.
JS: I don't bring any specific experiences to Noah. I think we can all relate to an unrequited love or a romance filled with obstacles. That’s really all this story is.


Roger Newcomb: Have you always wanted to be an actor? What are your long-term aspirations in the business?
JS: I want to have fun in this business and take interesting and provocative roles. I’ve asked some older, successful actors for advice and been told, "Take the work - as much as you can. The interesting roles don’t come until after 30.” Though, I think I've lucked out with Noah.

Lacon: ATWT executive producer Chris Goutman was correct in the WGN [radio] interview when he said that you were both very modest actors. Both of you have the ability to show the proper emotions in a very subtle and effective way (i.e. Luke's knowing smile and longing look at Noah, Noah's inner pain and fear of his father). Do the two of you rehearse together to decide which facial expressions you will use to convey these emotions in a given scene?
VH: No. We rehearse together to make sure we have the lines right. But it’s not usually about the acting, its just running lines. The acting comes when the cameras are on. We are comfortable with each other as actors, so if one of us does something new during taping the other just rolls with it and it usually creates some nice moments.

twins1729: Since couples in Oakdale tend to date, marry, have a family and divorce extremely fast, do you see Luke and Noah marrying anytime in the future? Maybe not as soon as the straight couples, but happening none-the-less!
VH: Why can’t people on soaps just date? Maybe like five years down the line they should have a kid, but not now. College has a whole slew of potential soap-worthy storylines. I think a lot of cool stories could come out of that.
JS: I have no idea what's in store for Luke and Noah, but I think we can assume it won’t be smooth sailing.


Roger Newcomb: What has been your family's reaction to your role of Luke on ATWT? Are they watching and enjoying as much as the fans?
VH: My parents are so proud of me it sort of embarrasses me. My mom cried on the red carpet at the Emmys this year when she was asked about how she felt for her son to be nominated. It was actually really nice. It’s great to see your parents so proud of your accomplishments. Both my parents now go through the soap magazines at the grocery store and point to pictures of me and tell the cashier “That’s my son!” They are generally busy during the day so I think they watch the show online. But they have always been my biggest fans and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

RJ: How far in advance do the writers and producers tell you about your storyline? Do they tell you specific details (while swearing you to secrecy) or just provide you with a general idea of the direction in which the story is heading?
VH: We have no idea what’s happening until we get the scripts, which happens about a week in advance. We can talk to the producers if we want. I have done that once or twice, but they keep the writers and actors pretty separate.
JS: We usually hear plot points about a month ahead of time, but not specifics.

marcella: How much of Noah's back story have you been told by the writers and/or producers, and how much have you created your own narrative? One thing I really appreciate about your portrayal of the character is that you have brought a depth and complexity to Noah that goes very far beyond the lines of dialogue that have been written for him. Specifically, have you thought about Noah's past experience with guys and whether or not Luke is his first?
JS: I have thought a lot about Noah's backstory. I try not to get too attached to any specific ideas, as the writers may suddenly bring in an element that contradicts with something I've created. I like to think that Noah kissed a boy when he was much younger but pushed that memory away to the point where he is hardly aware of it. Luke is really his first.

RJ: You seem to have become closer friends off the set of the show. Does that make the intimate scenes easier to do or more awkward?
VH: It makes them easier. Jake is a good friend. I know he’s got my back and is not going to make me look like an ass onscreen. I hope I return the favor. I think we work well together and I couldn’t have asked for a cooler person to play opposite. Jake is just very down to earth and funny and open to different ideas. It makes every scene very comfortable.
JS: I think we had become friends before the first kiss so not really. If anything, I think it makes it more comfortable.