THE BAY The Series Interviews: Camden Toy

Indie soap THE BAY has an unusual plethora of phenomenal legendary soap actors in its cast.  But it took an outsider to walk onto the show and shake everything up!  I had the chance to recently chat with the extremely talented Camden Toy about his powerful and terrifying role as bomb-happy Igor on THE BAY.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Camden Toy, what a privilege to meet you!
Camden Toy: Yes, Camden Toy, that is my real name.  People are always asking me my real name.  I say, “You think I made that up?”

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: What kind of a name is "Toy"?
Camden Toy: It’s an ancient Scottish Gaelic name. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: We have been loving THE BAY so far.  Might I say, you are a really scary dude. 
Camden Toy: It’s so funny because when I watch it I don’t see it that way.  But people come up to me [and say, in surfer accent], “Dude, that was really scary.”  All I can do is enjoy it.  It’s so over the top and wonderful.  Igor is such a scenery chewing villain, and those are always the most fun to play.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: And you certainly have built a career on playing villains!
Camden Toy: I played more villains on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER than anyone else.  There was one night shooting when Sarah Michelle Gellar turned to me and said, “You know nobody else has played this many villains on the show. You’re it man.”  They kept bringing me back.  I was under five hours of make-up so they could keep bringing me back.  And then they brought me into ANGEL as well.  I ended up playing four different characters in the “Buffyverse.”

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: What is it about you that leads shows to keep bringing you back as a bad guy?
Camden Toy: Probably because I take so much pleasure in playing them.  Maybe that’s it.  When you take a lot of pleasure in playing something then its a lot of fun for the audience to watch. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You have one of these faces that we know we’ve seen before but can’t exactly place where.  Where have soap fans see you before?
Camden Toy: Well, the way I know Gregori [Martin] is through my friend Lisa Wilcox, who has done a lot of films with him.  Then Gregori cast me in a film called, Sebastian about a year ago.  That will be coming out, and you’ll see me in that. 

I’m also working on a new series called, GOOD NIGHT BURBANK, which is a little different.  When it finally airs on the web later this year it will be the first full length half hour comedy on Hulu.  It’s about the hijinks that take place before, during and after a news broadcast.   I’m the wonky director from Estonia who says [in an Eastern European accent], “We have to do the come shot now!” What? “The shot that comes next...”  It’s not a villain character at all.  He’s a little out there.  He used to direct porn in Estonia.  He’ll come up to the female anchor in middle of the show and say, “No chin, I want to see the breastacles...”  It’s a great cast.  Laura Silverman is in it, who had been on the THE SARAH SILVERMAN SHOW.  And Miracle Laurie is on it, who was one of the stars of DOLLHOUSE. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I know you can’t tell me what’s coming up on THE BAY, but can you tell me if we’ll see Igor in future episodes?
Camden Toy: Yes. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Good!  Everything in THE BAY comes to a screeching halt once you enter the room.  Igor is a man with a bomb and a secret. What can you preview for us about that?
Camden Toy: My lips have to be sealed on that.  You’re going to have to tune in. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I can’t tell if he wants to kill Brian [Dylan Bruce] or fuck him.
Camden Toy: Sometimes you want to do both! It’s like that film U-Turn with Jennifer Lopez, [sounding like Lopez], “You don’t know if you want to kill me or fuck me.”  It’s like that here. I want to kill you, but I want to fuck you too! 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You seem to have perfected the art of that balance. 
Camden Toy: I don’t know, you’ll have to ask my girlfriend.  [To girlfriend], “Hey! Do you want to kill me or fuck me?” [Pause] She’s thinking about it! I guess the jury is out on that one. 

RELATED:
- WE LOVE SOAPS TV interview with Camden Toy

Damon L. Jacobs is a Licensed Therapist now accepting new clients in New York City.  He is also the author of the popular book "Absolutely Should-less: The Secret to Living the Stress-Free Life You Deserve." He is especially excited about hosting The Third Annual Give Up Your "Shoulds" Day on November 1st.