Q & A with Micheal Swan (Adam Alexander {aka Myles Fairchild} on The Bold and the Beautiful)

After roles on As the World Turns (as Duncan McKechnie) and One Life to Live (as Bishop Carpenter), Michael Swan became an official soap hopper last year when he accepted the role of Myles Fairchild on The Bold and the Beautiful. In a surprise twist, Myles was revealed to be Sally Spectra's long-lost husband, Adam Alexander. It takes a formidable actor to match wits with Darlene Conley (Sally), and Swan has proven to be up to the challenge.

Adam's return has revitalized the long-dormant Spectra gang, and now that he's back — and none too thrilled about the way Thorne and Rick have treated his daughters — it's just possible that the Spectra team could finally topple the house of Forrester. — Michael J. Maloney


Were you in the dark about Myles's true identity just like the rest of us?

No. When Brad [Bell, B&B's head writer and executive producer] first discussed my playing the character, he told me who he was going to be. The rest of the cast didn't know, but that only lasted about three days.

It was great that it was kept secret until it was revealed on the air.

They're very good about that here. There are times when you want to leak something out to build suspense and there are times when you want things to be a complete surprise. Figuring out which way to go can backfire. I've seen it work both ways.

Your character has done wonders for Sally and the Spectra gang.

It's a very interesting dynamic between Darlene and myself. We have a lot of fun working together. Darlene and I have both been around a long time. We're both Irish, we know all the same people, and we've done all the same shows.

You live in a recreational vehicle. What are the common misconceptions people have about RVs?

A lot of people don't understand the lifestyle, and that the space is not just limited to the confines of the interior. A lot of RVs have slide-out rooms. My coach now is bigger than the first apartment I had in New York. I've been all over the country in my RV. My favorite place is the Napa Valley [in northern Calif.] I used to work there when I was trying to make a living as an actor in San Francisco. It's beautiful country.

Speaking of wine country, weren't you in the pilot for Falcon Crest?

Yes. I was going to play Richard Channing, a mercenary who came back from the [real] wars to fight the family wars for Jane (Wyman, who played Angela). The original cast was me, Clu Gulager in Robert Foxworth's part (Chase) and Samantha Eggar in Susan Sullivan's part (Maggie). Then we had the actor's strike in 1980. and while that was going on the writers got out their blue pencils and they eliminated my character completely. When they brought him on two years later [played by David Selby], it was a totally different character, although many of the relationships were the same.

What are the benefits of being on a half-hour soap?

You can take more time. That's a boon, [but] at the same time it can take away from spontaneity because we have the luxury of being able to fix things both technically and performance-wise. We have to find the fine line, but there's definitely the luxury of time.

ATWT has more of a "live" feel to it, while B&B is more polished.

That's absolutely correct. You can see it in the production values, too. But that's because we have different equipment and lighting out here on the West Coast.

Speaking of ATWT, have you seen any of the old Oakdale gang recently?

I saw Martha (Byrne, who plays Lily) and Liz (Hubbard, ex- Lucinda) at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in February. Scott DeFreitas (Andy) was there, too. I saw some folks from Guiding Light and other friends from New York. The Procter & Gamble community is a pretty small one.

You've been in daytime for 13 years. How have you seen the medium change?

Well, the emphasis is more on the teenagers due to pressure from ad agencies and other quarters. That's where most of the shows have gone. Some of the shows have come back from it, realizing that, sure, we want to create new customers for products, but we also want to maintain our ratings.

Y&R and B&B are two shows that have maintained their ratings because they value long-term characters. Young characters will always be there, but...

But our story will always be there, as well. I'm not taking anything away from the Bells, God knows — I've wanted to work for them for a long time, and I'm enjoying what I'm doing. It's a very collaborative effort here. Everyone is very supportive. But the emphasis on teen storylines was a big deal, say, two or three years ago, especially after the O.J. Simpson trial, which took the wind out of daytime TV. Shows came back from that with all the kids' [storylines]. Then, it started to swing in the other directions with the grown-ups. It's now finding an equilibrium where things will balance out.

May teasers say that Sally and Adam will join forces to resurrect Spectra. The B&B audience has always loved the glamour of the Forresters, but I think that they've always rooted for Spectra, too.

I think you're right. Darlene and I are really relishing working together. We're looking forward to more.

You're in great shape. What's your secret?

[Laughs] "Clean living." At least that was George C. Scott's response when someone asked him that question. Seriously, I work out a lot. I appear on camera for a living and it's a very competitive business.

Many Duncan and Shannon fans on ATWT felt that their story was left untold. Specifically, the child who Shannon thought was dead might really be alive.

What happened was Ed Trach, the executive in charge of production for P&G, retired. There was some scrambling up the corporate ladder [by other people]. Then, Doug Marland, the great writer, passed away. Most of his characters were done away with. Heads rolled, and mine did, too. I have to say, though, that to this day, I am recognized now more than ever before. It's because of my B&B presence, but a lot of people aren't sure which show I'm on. They still call me "Duncan" — [grins] and I correct them. I say I'm on Bold and Beautiful now and I don't have an accent. Call me Adam.

After ATWT, you had a short run on OLTL. Did these experiences sour you on soaps?

No. I was in prime time for so long where you do a job and it's over. You get used to that. It was very difficult after playing Duncan for almost 10 years and knowing he was a popular character. It came as a surprise though, and it took me probably nine months to adjust. It was a major life change. But I'm very grateful for my time there. What sustained me was reminding myself that I'm an actor and that this was just a job. I was fortunate that One Life to Live called. However, they were undergoing huge changes, too. I was there for three days and they fired the head writer, Michael Malone, who wrote my character.

A lot of shows don't have a clear leader.

A lot of the old-timers are still around. However, I think that many of them don't seek, and even shun, publicity. I think the tutelage that Brad has gotten from his dad and mom [B&B Co-creators Bill and Lee Bell] and what goes on here is as close to old-time soap opera writing as you'll find anywhere. Bill Bell was there at the beginning. It's a real pleasure to listen to him speak. He reminds me of Doug, and when I got started in daytime.

Both Duncan and Adam were brought on with an air of mystery.

[Laughs] So was Bishop Carpenter. "Got skeletons in the closet? Hire Swan." I know we'll have some fun here. Darlene and I are having a lot of fun. It is also an extraordinary pleasure to work with Bobbie Eakes (who plays Macy) and my other TV daughter, Ashley Cafagna (who plays Kimberly). This is a very talented group of actors, writers, producers and directors. I think we'll be making lots of fun for the audience.

When you left OLTL, did you make a conscious effort to stay out of daytime?

No. I have always taken Lucille Ball's advice, which was, "When someone offers you a job, take it!"