Q & A with Nolan North
(Chris Ramsey on Port Charles)

Sure, there are tons of dastardly doctors on soaps, but only Port Charles has Nolan North, the puckish hunk who plays rascally Dr. Chris Ramsey. The actor insists that he's not as dark as the doc, but you have to wonder... especially when you read his answer to the final question. — Jonathan Reiner


Why is Chris such a weasel?

I guess that's the way he's written.

But you seem to enjoy it!

If you have to play someone who is devious and, for lack of a better word, a weasel, you have to find some redeeming quality in him. And I think the thing that makes him bearable to watch is his sense of humor. The best weasels are the ones who enjoy the weasel hood. I enjoy it and you should revel in it. If that's what you're good at, then be the best weasel you can be.

What about the times when he's knocked down a couple of pegs? Is that hard to play?

No, I don't think so. As a human being, especially a man, you're going to have your pride stepped on from time to time, and your ego will get buried. What it depends on is what makes people different, and how they deal with it. The times that he has been knocked down a peg, I've tried to play it so that the audience could see that he has some remorse. He's not a vengeful character and he has some remorse for some of the things that have happened. You get to see another side of him during those instances. If he's doing devious things and he gets knocked down, and for people to say, "Oh, I feel bad for him" — that's good.

I get a lot of letters from fans and they say, "We know Chris is good-hearted... why can't he be that way all the time?" But that's the fun of playing the character — to play a real-life human being with his ups and downs, character flaws and talents. And that's what makes him much more interesting to watch.

How has Chris changed since PC premiered? Has he become more humane?

I think so. I think one of the big reasons that happened is his relationship with Eve. It has made him... I don't know.... She's the one person whose needs and feelings he'll think of before his own.

Yeah, but Eve's not in his bed.

Yeah, but if he had been devious, he might've been able to get her in bed. But there's something about her, and he won't resort to that. He actually told her, "Hey, if you want Kevin, then go after him." That's not what Chris wants, but it's what Eve wants at that particular time in history. That's a big thing for him, because the audience sees him giving her these longing looks, and she's blind to them. It shows that he has a heart, and that he's not 100 percent weasel. I love that word too, because all my parents' friends say, "Your son is such a weasel!"

Were you a mischief-maker growing up?

Sometimes, but I was always slick enough to get out of it. I have always said that there is a thin line between charm and BS, and I have always liked to walk that tight rope as much as possible.

When you were younger, did you ever think you would be playing a character that was so well-suited to your personality?

I don't know if the character was suited to my personality. As an actor, it's your job to try to find something in him. My sense of humor is a lot like Chris Ramsey's. Now, I could never do some of the things that Chris does, but his banter with Eve is a lot like my banter with Julie Pinson (Eve). We've infused some of ourselves into the characters. When you infuse some of yourself into a character, you're able to play it more honestly.

When you do personal appearances, do people often say, "You're so much like Chris!"?

No, because Chris has done more bad things than good, so when I do appearances, people are usually surprised to see that I'm a goofball! That's the only way I can put it. They always have questions about Chris, but afterward they say, "We're so happy you're nothing like your character." However, sometimes I catch myself putting a little too much of myself in Chris, and I'm not like that. I mean, I like to eat hamburgers, play golf and come to work! With me, what you see is pretty much what you get.

It sounds like Chris has more layers than Nolan does!

Oh, no! People who know me know that's not true! I just try to do everything at a low stress level and enjoy the ride. I think Chris is more of the plotting kind of guy, and I'm more of the "Let's see what happens today." Chris probably has to write things down, too. I don't need to write things down.

Do your friends treat you differently than the way Chris's friends treat him?

Actually, Chris doesn't have any friends. I have some friends and I'd have to say they treat me very well. Chris is pretty much the town pariah.

Well, except for Courtney!

Yeah, but she's playing him, and he knows it.

But he'll still sleep with her?

Well, yeah, he's a guy! He's the kind that can separate sex and love.

He's had a pretty interesting sex life. He hasn't gotten it regularly, but when he does sleep with women, he has a nice variety.

Well, it's daytime, and they're not bringing out a lot. I'd love to say he's selective, but I doubt it. He's got a lot of money, and that attracts good-looking women. He does have a lot of charm, class and some style about him. He wears suits that are more expensive than I am. But the one he really wants is Eve.

Your girlfriend must love the fact that Chris doesn't get much!

She's an actress and she understands, but my grandmother in Iowa thinks that there is too much sex on these shows!

Do you take it on the chin from your friends and family because you're on a soap?

Not really. They understand and they think it's funny. If you get a bunch of my friends in one room, and ask them if I were more likely to be on a soap opera or Saturday Night Live, they would say Saturday Night Live! And that's who I am! I am the goof of the group. I like to laugh, tell jokes, have fun, do impressions and character voices — it's just the way I've been since I was little. I used to do that to get out of trouble.

Maybe Chris should try making funny voices.

He could, but I think it would be out of character because he has a dark side.

Do you have any projects on the side where you can show off your comedic talents?

Well, I do stand-up comedy from time to time for charity benefits. And I'm going to be shooting a short film in March that was a highly coveted spot. I don't know if this is actually true, but from what I've heard, Vince Vaughn had shown some interest in the project. It's a 35-millimeter short, and I play a surfer who has been paralyzed in Mexico, and he's beaten and tortured. It's a true story.

Playing one character all the time.... I mean, you've got to have a break from it and do something else — just for creativity. I like to do stand-up because I miss live audiences sometimes. I did theater in New York, and you miss that energy, that immediate response that you get, which I wouldn't trade for anything.

Do you see yourself staying with the show for the foreseeable future?

Yeah. I'm in a three-year contract and I have a little over a year left. That's something so far down the line, I don't even think about it. It just depends on what comes up. I love playing this character and the cast is like a little family — everybody is really nice and gets along. That's the truth — it's not just some Hollywood crap I'm feeding you!

Were you guys second-guessing one another during the "General Homicide" storyline?

The funny thing is, we didn't know who the killer was until we shot that episode. They kept it a secret even from the actors. A lot of people don't believe that, but it's true. I kind of figured it couldn't be Chris, because of the way I found the shrine. I found a shrine in Eve's closet and said, "It's really Eve!" And they wouldn't write something like that if it were Chris unless he was a complete schizophrenic.

Were you intrigued by some of the ways the writers chose to kill the victims?

I thought it was pretty interesting, especially the hanging — I thought that was really bizarre. It was smart of the writers, because people were saying that the killer must be someone strong enough to string up a 180-pound man. Then there were all kinds of e-mail saying that there could have been a pulley system backstage, and the killer wouldn't have had to exert that much energy. So it got people talking and interested. The only one I really didn't enjoy was Grace's death. I hate clowns! I'm terrified of them. It's just this wacky phobia.

It's strange that the class clown of Port Charles doesn't like clowns.

I'm not the class clown. I'm the class comedian.

Is there a difference?

I don't know who coined this, but the class clown is the guy who runs naked down the football field at homecoming, and the class comedian is the guy who got him to do it. There's a big difference.