Thursday, May 31, 2012

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Lindsey Morgan On Her GENERAL HOSPITAL Debut (Part 2 of 2)

Actress Lindsey Morgan debuted at the end of Friday's episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL in the role of Kristina Corinthos Davis, daughter to Port Charles crime boss Sonny Corinthos and lawyer Alexis Davis. In her first full episode on Tuesday, Kristina returned home with vengeance, having learned that there was much more to her admission to Yale than she originally thought.

Prior to her role on GENERAL HOSPITAL, Morgan has been earning big laughs with appearances on ABC’s comedy HAPPY ENDINGS, and on the wildly popular CBS sitcom, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.

This half-Latina, half-Irish, southern girl from Houston, Texas, began her career in college but quickly opted out to head West and chase her acting dream. It didn’t take long for Hollywood to take notice, landing the leading role in MTV’s original film, disCONNECTED; and a supporting role in indie film DETENTION, starring Josh Hutcherson and Dane Cook.

We Love Soaps spoke to Morgan on Tuesday afternoon following her GH debut.  Here is the second part of the interview.  You can read the first half here.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV With this next question, I want to get to know you and Kristina a bit better. How is Lindsey Morgan different from her character?
Lindsey Morgan: That's an easy one! Kristina has balls. [Laughter]

She does whatever she wants. Sometimes I get--I ask myself, "Is she saying that?" I find in my life, I may be thinking something, but I'm more likely, if I'm hurt, I'll avoid conflict. If something hurts me, I'll let it go, not bring it up, and hope I'll get over it.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV:  Sounds like you could have fun expressing yourself through Kristina, then?
Lindsey Morgan: Yes! I'll go vent to my friends, but she's just like, "no, I need to know."

That makes for great TV, because she's constantly confronting people. "Tell me the truth!" is like, her mantra.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV:  After just two years in Hollywood, you have an impressively diverse set of experiences in the entertainment industry. How is a soap opera work different?
Lindsey Morgan: Soap operas are so much more work. Oh my god! [Laughter]

This has whipped me into shape. My first day, they gave me a script with thirty pages, and I only got the pages with my lines in it. So thirty the first day; second day, 18. So much material. One, to memorize, and two--to process and then, you know, make them good. And then, the blocking. It's like a play, a lot of the time.

Much of the time in episodic TV or film, you're just standing on your mark. They move the cameras around you! Cushie job. I have so much respect for soap actors--and soap crew workers. Anyone who works on a soap. Because when I go to work, I work, like, literally the moment I get there to the moment I leave.

In film work, TV work, you have a lot of down time. Which is nice--but it can be really boring.  Even though it's a lot of work I like it a lot.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV:  Of all the people you've had a chance to work with so far, who has surprised you, or fascinated you, the most?
Lindsey Morgan: Our executive producer, Frank [Valentini]. He is--he cracks me up. He is the one that reminds me of Kristina, because he will tell you exactly how he feels! [Laughter]

It's so funny, because when you meet him, he's a very tall man who's dressed nicely and well put-together, and cordial, and professional. But then, he'll surprise you with his blunt honesty! I love it when he gives us direction.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: So, then tell me, how would you describe your relationship with Frank Valentini?
Lindsey Morgan: I love Frank! He cracks me up. He cracks me up, and then he scares me. [Laughter]

He is everywhere, I swear. He knows everything that happens on set, and then he'll ask you about it. Confront you, even. And I'm thinking, "You weren't even here, how would you know that?" He is everywhere. He's all-seeing, all-knowing. And then he also has this great eye.

We'll be doing a scene, and we're all listening to the director, and we're all doing it--nailing it. Then Frank comes in and is like, "Nah-nah-nah-nah-no. You are like this. You're doing this!" And then totally changes the scene.

It ends up in a totally different way, but it ends up great. Like, you know... no one thought of it that way. But it makes it better; more fun, or lighter, or more dramatic. He has a great eye. I haven't worked with him before, so I don't know what it was like before, but I just think that he's really into it and really involved. And he's really good at it.  But he scares me because he's so involved! [Laughter]

WE LOVE SOAPS TV:  What do you like to watch on TV when you're not watching GENERAL HOSPITAL?
Lindsey Morgan: I love TV, I think there's some great stuff out. I'm a big fan of MAD MEN and BREAKING BAD. And I'm a big fan of, you know, "girl TV" like SMASH, and TWO BROKE GIRLS and GIRLS.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV:  Besides GENERAL HOSPITAL, where else can we see you? Your new GH fans may want to check it out.
Lindsey Morgan: There's a film I was in that just had its theatrical release, it's called Detention, it's a dark comedy. Starring Josh Hutcherson from The Hunger Games? And Dane Cook is in it, but playing this evil principal. That was really fun to make.

It was on the festival circuit and then Sony just bought it and released it, and it will be on DVD at the end of July. It's definitely a movie you need to watch more than once.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV:  What is your role like?
Lindsey Morgan: I play a mean cheerleader. [Laughter] But it's pretty good, what happens to me in the end.

In part one of our exclusive interview with Lindsey Morgan, we talk about Maurice Benard and Nancy Lee Grahn, taking a screen test, and how Lindsey studied-up for the role of Kristina.

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Kevin Mulcahy Jr. is a Harvard alum who is currently working as a staff contributor at welovesoaps.com writing theater and web series reviews as well as other in-depth features. Read all his Web Series reviews here. To contact Kevin, email [email protected].

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