Matt Cavenaugh Online

  ONE DAY AT A TIME ("INSTINCT MAGAZINE", OCTOBER 2004)


Daytime Television Finally Has An Openly Gay Male Character! Instinct Catches Up With Matt Cavenaugh, The Hunky Hetero That's Making Homos Flock To One Life To Live

It's pretty shocking that the only gay or lesbian representation on daytime television until now has been Bianca Montgomery, the mousey dyke daughter of Erica Kane on All My Children. With all the gay men that religiously watch their soaps, one would think that some fags would pop up on a show or two. Sadly, we were nonexistent on daytime TV until recently, when college student Mark Soloman came out to his classmates on One Life to Live.
In an ideal world, the actor playing Mark would be gay. However, like Six Feet Under, and Will & Grace, this homo is played by a hetero. Albeit one of the yummiest heteros we could ever ask for. Plus he comes from a musical theater background! Matt Cavenuagh is just 26, but the good ol' Southern boy from Arkansas has already played the lead in a Broadway muscial -- Urban Cowboy-- and has a slew of fervid fans, Instinct included.

Instinct: It's fascinating and sad that your character is the only openly gay male character on daytime television. Why do you think there are no others?
Matt Cavenaugh: "I don't know. I don't have a good reason. I guess there isn't a good reason."

Instinct: Do you know what's going to be happening with your character in the next month or two?
Matt Cavenaugh: "I have no idea."

Instinct: Any potential love interest?
Matt Cavenaugh: "Well, I did have a first date with someone that they brought on to the show, but he didn't call me back. Just like a man, he didn't call me back! I don't know, I guess right now I'm doomed to be alone."

Instinct: Well, hopefully you will find love down the road. It would be tragic if the same fate that has plagued Will Truman of Will & Grace --to be perpetually single-- befalls Mark.
Matt Cavenaugh: "At least a phone call back, a second date or something would be nice."

Instinct: Was your character on the show a little while before he came out?
Matt Cavenaugh: "Yeah, about a month."

Instinct: What has the reception been like from the fans? Because soap fans are very passionate.
Matt Cavenaugh: "The reception has been really good from what I gather. A lot of people appreciate an openly gay character on the show. Actually, I was stopped on the street the other day, and it's happened a few times now where people have thanked me."

Instinct: Were you afraid that people might assume you were gay because you come from a musical theater background and now you're playing a gay character?
Matt Cavenaugh: "He sings and dances, so he must be gay! [Laughs] No, I wasn't. I'm an actor; I play characters. Gay, straight, rich, poor, whavever. So no, it wasn't a concern of mine."

Instinct: Did you watch the show before you were on it?
Matt Cavenaugh: "I don't watch a lot of TV at all. I'm normally busy during the day and a lot of times at night I'm doing theater."

Instinct: Speaking of theater, you were the lead in the Broadway musical Urban Cowboy, and we still vividly remember all those shirtless posters of you from the show. Do you ever get self-conscious looking at pictures like that of yourself?
Matt Cavenaugh: "Well, luckily they're not around as much anymore. At first, I was definitely self-conscious. It's a very surreal experience. I was sort of embarrassed, and interested at the same time."

Instinct: And to know that there are so many women and men lusting after you. Those were pretty good pictures!
Matt Cavenaugh: "Yes, it was an interesting experience [Laughs]."

Instinct: So what one guy who's incredibly hot would you consider switching teams for?
Matt Cavenaugh: "[Laughs] I haven't had this question posed to me before."

Instinct: You've never been interviewed by Instinct before?
Matt Cavenaugh: "Uhm. [Thinks] Heck, I don't know."

Instinct: It's all in theory. Brad Pitt would be a good answer. David Beckham is another.
Matt Cavenaugh: "There are certainly some very handsome, sexy to be found everywhere. I think there's beauty's everywhere."

Instinct: We are hardcore journalists at Instinct, and that's a wishy-washy answer. Come on, Matt, there has to be one guy! Jake Gyllenhaal? Tom Cruise?
Matt Cavenaugh: "I don't know. Hmm, Taye Diggs."

Instinct: Good answer! HOT.


Interview by: Mario Lavandeira