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GH's Steve Burton and Kelly Monaco agree on everything - except his torso (article by Janet DiLauro)
After a much ballyhooed romance with Jax went belly up and her fling with Sonny fizzled, con woman Sam McCall wasn't winning any popularity contests with GH viewers. But that all changed when the show paired her with strong, silent bad boy Jason. Slowly, a viable chemistry between actors Kelly Monaco and Steve Burton took hold, and a budding supercouple was born.
Weekly: Would you agree that Sam wasn’t exactly a fan favorite before this romance with Jason?
Burton: Well, how could you be? Anybody put in between Sonny and Carly…you’re talking about somebody who has no chance.
Monaco: Not only that, but no one knew enough about Sam to care. They do now. At least, they like Steve enough to care about her. Steve did the unpredictable by turning my character around.
Weekly: So Steve, you’re responsible for all this. Do you ever rib Kelly about that?
Burton: No. I’m not that type of guy.
Monaco: Not at all. I send him flowers every Friday…pink roses (laughs)
Burton: I told her I like cash, too. The thing is, Kelly was in a tough position. Her character was in a tough position. I don’t know what the plans with Sam were. I don’t know if our characters were supposed to be together until that baby story. But when Jason and Sam lost that baby, something happened. There was some type of bond that [the writers] decided to run with.
Weekly: It certainly changed Jason. Suddenly, the guy who didn’t talk is expressing his feelings.
Burton: That’s because he’s in love with Sam. With Robin, with Elizabeth, with Courtney – if it was love, it was love. But the fact that Sam and Jason lost that baby took them to a whole new level, a level I hadn’t had with anyone else. It gave Jason depth he didn’t have. You saw reactions that he never experienced before. If you lose a baby, you’re going to be emotional.
Weekly: And Jason is definitely talking more.
Burton: That’s going to probably change soon, because I don’t like talking a lot. I feel like Ric. I’m talking a little too much.
Monaco: Oh, he’s not talking too much.
Weekly: Do you remember your first meeting?
Monaco: I kind of knew Steve before, through Brian and Erin Presley.
Burton: All I knew was some vampire was on our show. I was like, “Okay.” We had seen each other before at Super Soap Weekends.
Weekly: Did you hit it off right away?
Monaco: Steve was a little cautious.
Burton: I get to know someone first, see what their boundaries are, and see if I can joke around – or not joke around – with them.
Monaco: This is a tough team to be a part of. It took a while for me to actually feel a part of it.
Weekly: What was tough about it?
Monaco: It’s intimidating for anybody to come into this situation. A lot of people here have been here 10, 15 years together. They’ve already built relationships. It’s like going to a new high school.
Burton: Whoever gets into Sonny’s storyline at the beginning has it tough, because there’s a lot of pressure.
Weekly: Did Steve and Maurice Benard (Sonny) give you a hard time at first?
Monaco: Absolutely. They’re going to test your waters.
Weekly: When did you feel you had fit in?
Monaco: There wasn’t a defining moment. It gradually happened. I started not crying when I went home from work.
Burton: You weren’t crying because of us!
Monaco: No, I’m teasing. It had nothing to do with them. It was when I felt like my story was worthwhile, and I was coming in every day and putting in 100 percent. I had the writing to back up my character, and I had amazing actors who were willing to push and school me.
Burton: Thank you.
Monaco: You’re welcome.
Weekly: Is it true that if Steve doesn’t think you’ve given your all in a scene, he’ll tell you?
Monaco: He’ll be the first one to call me on it, and I respect him so much for doing that, because he is looking out for our storyline – and realism. If I’m giving bulls---, he’s going to set me straight. No one else is going to do that because…
Burton: …it’s a factory here. We need to move on and get other scenes done. It’s very easy to just coast through scenes and not care. As actors we have to give 100 percent, every day.
Weekly: What was your reaction when you learned the show was putting the two of you together?
Burton: I asked them, knowing that it was eventually going that way, to take their time. Not to rush us together too fast.
Weekly: Did you think the two of you would click as well as you have?
Monaco: You’re always surprised when you click with somebody. It’s just something that happens…
Burton: …that’s not planned.
Monaco: It doesn’t happen often and when it does, you’re thankful.
Weekly: Why do Sam and Jason work so well?
Burton: Sam is different in the way that she is the first character who isn’t stopping Jason from doing what he does. He hasn’t had that before. It’s a great element. The whole fight is not always, ‘Oh, your work is too dangerous. Your lifestyle is too dangerous,’ like his last few relationships. It’s a whole new level.
Monaco: Plus, Sam can relate, because of her background. She can understand what Jason does, leading the lifestyle that she’s led in the past.
Weekly: What was it like taping your first love scene?
Burton: Love scenes are love scenes. You do your job and that’s it. I don’t think our love scene was any different than the ones between Jason and Courtney or Robin or Elizabeth…
Weekly: True. Although you did get to do the ceremonial carrying her up the stairs.
Burton. I’ve carried Sonny up those stairs. I’ve carried Max up those stairs. I’ve carried everyone in town up those stairs. (to the Weekly reporter:) So, if you want to go upstairs later, I can carry you there.
Weekly: Maybe after we’re done. On the subject of love scenes, Steve, how do you feel about taking your shirt off?
Burton: I’m getting old. I’ve been here a long time and I like doughnuts. I’m not … let Jax take off his shirt.
Monaco: What a cop-out!
Burton: That guy’s built. He’s got a great body. Let him take off his shirt, and Ned and Mac…
Monaco: You are funny.
Burton: I’m a perfectionist in my work and everything I do. If you take your shirt off, who wants to see cottage cheese hanging off your chest?
Monaco: What he thinks is cottage cheese is ripped. Just ripped.
Burton: I don’t like to train for it anymore. So to keep doing it…
Monaco: The Chippendale dancer is afraid to take his shirt off.
Weekly: Amid all the heavy drama do you ever wish you had lighter moments?
Burton: I don’t want to keep having heavy stories.
Weekly: Why not?
Burton: I’m getting too old!
Monaco: Oh, come on.
Weekly: Steve, are the heavy stories aging you?
Burton: It’s just torture.
Monaco: You’re in the middle of the mob. It’s going to be heavy.
Burton: No, I mean losing babies. It’s enough to kill somebody. There has been a lot of emotional stuff from when Kelly started until now. Now Kristina’s gone and everyone else in the world has been kidnapped.
Weekly: Steve, what would be your ideal, fun thing to do?
Burton: Retire.
Weekly: Jason retires from the mob?
Burton: Steve retires. Forget Jason!
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