Tom Eplin
Speaks Out
Soap Opera News
October 7, 1997
In a rare interview, AW's thoughtful leading man talks about his show, his co-stars - and what's ahead for Jake and Vicky.
Tom Eplin (Jake) has never been a big fan of interviews, but he's willing to put that aside to talk about his show, Another World, which he feels isn't getting the attention it deserves.
''If I were to draw a group of actors I wanted to work with, I don't think I could get much better than this,'' Eplin maintains. ''Pitting Lisa Peluso (Lila) against Jensen Buchanan (Vicky) is as good as it gets. And Robert Kelker-Kelly (Shane) is a great addition to the show. He's certainly very popular. I don't want to make any absolute quotes like, 'We're the best cast,' but this as good a cast as you can find,'' the actor declares. ''You can put our work up against anybody else's. I just hope we can get a story that will make people watch.
Soap stories don't get much more compelling than the tangled web now being woven among Jake, Vicky, Shane and Lila. Eplin, of course, is partial to a Jake/Vicky pairing. ''I watch the shows we do and I can't believe that people haven't committed to Vicky and Jake,'' he says. ''I work very easily with Jensen, as I believe Jensen does with me. So I find it hard to believe people don't see that. ''Jake certainly is not stalking her,'' Eplin adds. ''She's self-sufficient - the only reason she'd be in a relationship with Jake is because that's what she wanted, as opposed to needing a man. She's an incredible lady for any man, not just Jake.
''I'm sure Shane will be an obstacle for years to come, if they don't in fact go back and forth,'' the actor says. ''I hope [Jake with Vicky] is something people really take an interest in. Well, actually, I hope it isn't - I hope it splits back and forth. Whatever is best for Another World.
''I've been on the show long enough now - I have enough road behind me, enough gas in the tank - to really make a difference,'' Eplin adds. ''I work four or five days a week, so work-wise, spirit-wise and financially, I'm taken care of. And they always seem to do a good job with Jake as far as I'm concerned, as the actor playing him. I've never been unhappy with the things they've given him. Now it's time to see if, with all those things, we can make some difference.''