Jesse Metcalfe Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald, Passions Some people say that going to work is hell. In Jesse Metcalfe's case (Miguel, Passions) going to Hell was work. For several weeks, his character Miguel fought demons and braved what could have been a fiery demise to save his girlfriend Charity from evil. Metcalfe endured long hours being suspended in air, battling imaginary fiends on a green screen and squeezing himself into rubberized puppetry to pull off his demonic adventure. Passions's hell storyline may have been a trip into the supernatural realm, but Metcalfe kept himself firmly grounded to take on one of daytime's most inventive sagas. Watching his character grow from hunky teen heartthrob to heralded hero, Metcalfe appreciated the dramatic and comedic paces the story put him through. TV Guide Online caught up with the young actor to discuss his descent, and how he and his character have risen, stronger than ever.

Delaina Dixon: Did you enjoy your ride in Hell?

I had a lot of fun. From an acting standpoint, it presented a lot of cool challenges: a lot of very physical acting and emotional stuff, being scared and all that.

Were you surprised when you learned in which direction the storyline was going?

I wasn't surprised. At this point, nothing surprises me on this show. I'm almost expecting the next storyline to be more outlandish.
How did you mentally prepare yourself for this storyline?

Because the story was so surreal, I tried to ground it in a real experience from my own life; one that was kind of similar to the circumstances that I was facing in hell. That made it so I could do it, since it's not like I have a lot of experiences hanging out in hell or fighting demons. (Chuckles)
What personal experience did you tap into to play the story?

I was going through a really difficult breakup, and I used some of that.
What was your favorite moment in the storyline?

Shooting the part where I almost got eaten by the serpent. I had never experienced anything like that, so that was really cool, although it was physically challenging at times. It was actually quite grueling. I was suspended from the rafters with two cables attached to my hips, so there was a lot of strain on my lower back and abs. It was a workout, but it was fun. I squeezed into this big, rubber serpent and got whipped all around the room; it was a trip.

Many of your scenes did call for intense physical action. Did you modify your workout to prepare for them?

No, I work out all the time, so it wasn't necessary to train for these scenes. But as far as a soap opera goes, [the scenes] were physically taxing; you're not usually presented with that type of material.
What were some of the special effects used during the story?

We did tons of green screen, so basically I was acting and reacting to nothing, which can be a challenge. In the end, when it was all cut together, it looked really good. I think the whole cast and production crew did an awesome job in making it look real. There were so many things that we weren't aware of that were added in post production. Our directors were there to tell us where to look, since there was nothing there, and we had to look in a specific place to make it all work.

Do you think that all the special effects and supernatural storylines are what make Passions so popular?

I think it's part of it. No other soap opera is really like ours; beyond that, no other show on television is really like ours with all the special effects. And I think we're so popular with teens because we have such a big teen storyline. Although our show is very fantasy-oriented and can be very unrealistic at times, a lot of the issues that the teenagers are going through [on the show] are very much based in reality. I think it operates on a lot of different levels. And since it mixes a lot of different genres: comedy, drama, action, fantasy, it appeals to a wide range of people.What has been the fan reaction to the storyline? To the traditional soap fan, we might have scared a few people because they're not use to seeing these types of elements in this particular genre. I got a lot of awesome response, and I think people really enjoyed it. The only gauge I really have is the amount of fan mail I get. During that time, when the whole hell storyline was playing out, my fan mail just went through the roof.

The storyline paid homage to several different horror films, The Birds, Psycho, etc. Are you into horror films yourself?

I love horror films. I actually watched some of them when I learned that we were shooting scenes that were spin-offs from the films. Our show is full of pop culture references, from classic horror movies to popular music. That's another draw of our show. The comedy of the show is very pertinent to our culture, and in that way, I think it's a very smart show in its writing.

What's the most memorable moment that happened behind the scenes during the hell saga?

Looking back on it, I can only think about the long hours it took to do all this! The whole thing was funny. We basically had to laugh at it while we were doing it because it was so ridiculous at times — the fact that Miguel is running through hell, half dressed, looking for his girlfriend; the whole situation was pretty comedic.

Were there times when you wanted to say, "Maybe I should put some more clothes on?"

Exactly. I've had no shirt on for three weeks, and I'm in the flames of hell; I would think I would have more clothes on.

Well, it is hot down there, so you don't want to have too much clothing on.

That's true.

Do you think Charity and Miguel will finally be able to enjoy their relationship?

I think Miguel's internal conflict is going to have a hand in the outcome of their relationship. He's such a noble character, he would sacrifice his own needs not to hurt someone or to make Charity happy. And he wants to make her happy so badly. But he has feelings for Kay; he's said it in the past. If Charity hadn't come to town, he would have pursued a romantic relationship with Kay, and if a person is a best friend, you find a lot of redeeming qualities in the person. Not to mention the fact that Kay is really beautiful, and he's an 18-year-old guy.

Now that your character is back among the living, are you looking forward to interacting with other cast members?

I always look forward to having scenes with different people on the show. I used to have a lot of scenes with Lindsay Korman and Eva Tamargo Lemus (who play Miguel's sister Theresa and mother Pilar). I'm looking forward to more of the family scenes. Lately, I've been having more scenes with Kay and Charity, delving more into our love triangle. I'm looking forward to doing more scenes with Donn Swaby (Chad) because I really admire his work. It's nice. It's like a cycle on our show. We'll have a big, crazy event, and you'll get to do some action and fight scenes, and then things will mellow out for a while and you'll get the more serious scene or some love scenes. We get to do everything. At this point in my career, I couldn't ask for a better job. I'm getting a great training in a lot of different types of acting.
How has Miguel changed since you first started playing him?

Over the past two years and over the big recent events, I think he's just become more self-aware. He knows what he wants, he knows what's going to make him happy. He's the kind of person that when he knows what he wants, he doesn't want to waste any time. He wants to marry Charity, and he wants to do it now, though he's kept from doing that because they're not 18 yet. When the show first started, he was more timid, not sure of himself. Now, after everything he's been through, he's more courageous. If I have to say the one quality my character exemplifies above all, it's his courage. Not many 17 or 18-year-old guys are as honest or responsible and expressive. He's not afraid to show his emotions, and I think he's just moved further towards that over the last two years.
How much of your character's qualities are in your own personality?

I think a lot of it. A lot of people ask how are you different from your character. I'm a little bit wiser, I'm a little bit more worldly and experienced, that's because Miguel is a small town guy, but there are a lot more similarities than there are differences. I'm the same way in my own life; I don't hold anything back, and I'm myself at all costs. And I think Miguel is the same way.

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