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Eric Sheffer Stevens on his daytime role: “The more varied gay people are represented on TV the better it is so you don’t have any stereotypes.”
Today is the day AfterElton.com posts its remarkable Gays of Our Lives column which I always read from beginning to end. I love the recaps, previews and clips from all the soaps with gay characters – it’s just sad that most of them air in other countries!
But As the World Turns is an American show and spiced up its stale Luke and Noah storyline with the addition of the sexy and snarky Dr. Reid Oliver played so brilliantly by Eric Sheffer Stevens.
Here is a portion of a new interview with the actor who has made the show fun to watch again:
AE: I know you haven’t been with the show that long, but it is ending. How do you feel about that?
ESS: Well, I got very attached to it very quickly. And I’m sort of sentimental anyway so it’s easy for me to get upset about something like that, the fact that it’s been around for 54 years. It’s very sad to me that it and Guiding Light, which started as a radio show, are going to be gone. It’s sad to lose that kind of history.
AE: We haven’t had that many gay roles on daytime, especially ones as unique as yours. Do you ever think about that?
ESS: It doesn’t have an impact on me, but I appreciate the fact that there just not that many in daytime. There’s more and more all the time. The more varied gay people are represented on TV the better it is so you don’t have any stereotypes. I think that can only be helpful. When you’re stuck with only a few gay characters on TV and they’re not really that varied or diverse in their behavior, I don’t think that’s very helpful to the gay community as a whole.
AE: What is about Luke that appeals to Reid? Why is he drawn to him?
ESS: There’s something very fresh about him. I don’t know if I can articulate it, but it’s just one of those attractions. Reid doesn’t know why because it goes against what he thinks he would want in a partner. It doesn’t add up because he definitely dislikes him initially so I think he hates himself for the attraction, but he gives into it more and more.
Comments
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GKM says:
I just love the pairing of Van Hansis and Eric Sheffer Stevens. The writers on ATWT have ruined the Noah character for me by having him continuously reject the kind and loving Luke who always goes back for more. That’s love and that’s loyalty and Noah just keeps him on a leash and jerks him back whenever it’s convenient. Now Luke has someone who is new and fresh and with whom Van has great chemistry. I hope the writers don’t ruin that. Just think. Two guys want Luke. Now THAT’s a show!!! Barely a month of taping left and still those in charge are doling out scant seconds a week for this storyline. Why do I have a sinking feeling in my gut that at the last second they’re going to throw Luke and Noah back together and leave us to wonder if those two could possibly make it together considering how terribly Noah treats Luke. It’s abusive!!! Ever hear of emotional abuse? I don’t think Reid would do that to Luke and I doubt he’d put up with anyone giving Luke a hard way to go. He’d be more appreciative of Luke. Also, opposites attact. Luke is more than ten years younger than Reid but it can work and I hope the writers allow that. Seems to me that more fans want Reid and Luke together than Luke and Noah. I hate to see Jake Silbermann’s character be dismissed by Luke but they are just so over. Can you tell we take all of this to be very real??