Ever wanted to laugh along with Walt Willey?
Connecticut fans of All My Children will soon have the chance to do so.
The portrayer of Jack Montgomery will perform at Treehouse Comedy Club at The Hibernian Club in Stamford, CT on December 6.
Call (203) 268-5857 for ticket information.
Walt Willey will host the 2008 U.S. Beauties National Pageant Finals on Sunday March 16.
Even though he won't judge the contestants, the All My Children star will be asking them questions throughout the event, meaning he'll be partly responsible for how the judges rate the contestants.
This isn't the first time Willey has signed on for a hosting gig. He also co-hosted the 20th Daytime Emmy Awards with Susan Lucci.
A pair of soap opera stars are doing special engagements at Stanfords Comedy Club at The Legends in Kansas City over next two months.
Jason Thompson (Patrick Drake of General Hospital) is scheduled for February 9; and Walt Willey (pictured, Jackson Montgomery of All My Children) March 29.
Neither is doing comedy, despite the fact that Willey has some experience in that area. The actors will talk about their careers, do a question-and-answer session and then a meet-and-greet with fans.
Craig Glazer, owner of Stanfords, said hes been told everyone is guaranteed to meet the stars.
Admission is limited to the size of the club and tickets are on sale now ($40 to $60 for Thompson, $35 to $45 for Willey). Both sessions start at 4 p.m.
Call 913-400-7500 for more information.
Soap Opera Digest caught up with Walt Willey after the performance of his All My Children co-star on Dancing with the Stars.
So, how did he think Cameron Mathison did after week six?
Q: What were your impressions of Cameron this week?
Walt Willey: I thought he was Captain John Smith on steroids. I told him the other day, "You are my hero. You are calming down and enjoying yourself." He's relaxed, and he looks great. I asked how much weight he's lost, and he said, "I've lost two pounds. I've driven all the water out of my body and made leaner muscle mass." He's pretty psyched about that.
Q: What did you think about the little headbands on his arms?
Willey: They were a little too Village People for me. But dancing with Disney Property was a really good idea. "Hey, you be Pocahontas!"
Q: What did you think of Cameron's boast at the end?
Willey: I think he is really sorry that he said "I'll take off my shirt if you vote me into the finals." I could see the regret fill his big wide eyes. I could see him thinking, "I can't believe I said I'll do this in a thong if I get to the finals because they'll make me do it. Why do I always do things like that?!"
This is pretty cool. Soap Opera Digest recently sat down with Walt Willey and asked him to comment on numerous All My Children cast members.
Here are a few excerpts from the feature:
Jeff Branson (Jonathan): "Love Jeff Branson. I was so excited to get my schedule today and see we have the same three days off; maybe we'll finally get to go camping, which we've been talking about. He and I were thrown together in the Lily storyline and he was one of the only people who was willing to help me with that because Jack had a valid point: Why would any decent father let his girl run off with a murderer?
But of course, if you let that comment go, there's no story. They just kind of made me a crazy person and I would go to Jeff and say, I don't know what to do with this stuff. Every fiber of my being is saying, I can't say this line.' He would gladly give up lines Then let's kill them, then' and we really, I think, made it work, so that everybody could keep their head up."
Thorsten Kaye (Zach): "I have indeed become fond of Thorsten Kaye. He's the closest thing I have to a friend in this studio, him and Jeff and Cameron Mathison. I love Thorsten. I've said it before, but Thorsten's the kind of guy who'll take a bullet for you and failing that, he'll raise your kids for you.
He's funny without being goofy. He's almost as funny as I am; maybe in 10 years he'll be as funny as I am. Nah, he'll never be as funny as I am. There's nothing I don't like about him, there really isn't."
Alicia Minshew (Kendall): "We constantly talk about going out, her and [beau] Richie, and we never do it because we're so busy. But that's the kind of friendship I evidently like, because that's the only kind of friendship I have! I don't have any high-maintenance friends. Alicia, I love her, I would do anything for her. We either laugh or cry when we're working together.
Cry because Jack's so nice to her 'Oh, you're always so nice to my character' or we laugh so hard that we have to stop tape. That happened a few times before we noticed it was always either 'boo hoo hoo' or 'ha ha ha' and we went, 'My god, we're lunatics! Can't we just have a normal scene?' I love Alicia."
Walt Willey and Thorsten Kaye are good friends now, but the relationship started off a bit icier.
Before Kaye took on his All My Children role, Willey was the co-host of SOAPnet's Daytime Emmy Red Carpet coverage and, at the time, he didn't appreciate Kaye's response when was asked about taking on the new gig.
He said, [Im gonna be t]aking all your airtime. And were live and theyre not my first guests and Im just I will never forgive myself for not cutting him off at the knees right there, Willey recounted. Of course, it turned out to be true, which is even worse he did take all my airtime, and a few other peoples.
Willey can joke about it now, of course, because he has learned Kaye's sense of humor. But it's a funny way to begin what's grown into a tight friendship.
Not every is aware that Walt Willey has been on All My Children for years, even before he landed his current lead role of Jackson Montgomery.
For example, the actor played the part of Palmers butler, along with other bit characters here and there.
It's only been in the past five years, though, that Willey says he's felt comfortable and happy on All My Children.
He doesnt characterize any period as particularly hard, but rather, just harder. Maybe I would have made different decisions, but this has always been a wonderful studio in which to work and wonderful people with whom to work.
And that includes Susan Lucci, of course, with whom he's pictured in the accompanying photo.
In the end, Willey knows he's in the right place.
If I wasnt supposed to be here, I wouldnt be here, and Im really lucky to be here. Thats not for press only; we all grouse about this, that and the other thing, but I really like this place.
