We've had all sorts of heroines on GH — doctors, nurses, detectives, attorneys — so it was only a matter of time before the show served up a hooker with a heart of gold. Good old Tammy (Patricia Healy) is wise, witty and affectionate — no wonder so many GH men have visited her! No wonder we fell in love with her! And no wonder the show turned the character, originally intended as a one-day plot device, into a long-term commodity. Off-screen, Healy is just as wise and personable as her character, and she is firmly committed to making Tammy a believable and interesting woman. Tammy recently went legit, but Healy firmly believes there's still fire left in the old girl. — Jonathan Reiner What went through your head when you head about this gig, a one-day thing on a soap playing a hooker? I was a little apprehensive because I had just come off doing a series and I didn't want to do something like a walk-on. So I asked to read the script. And when I did, I thought it was so well done. And the big plus for me is that I was working with Tony Geary (Luke). I've always respected him as an actor. So you were familiar with the show and with Luke? Yes. I had also seen Tony do a one-man show in Hollywood, and I looked forward to working with him. So I went in and did my one day, and about two weeks later they called with two more shows, one for General Hospital and one for Port Charles, as the same character. And it sort of evolved that way — two here, three there, four here. And it's been a year now. To what do you attribute the character's staying power and popularity? It's a combination of her strength and vulnerability. As we've come to know more about Tammy it's become a different story, but before we knew anything about her past I always felt like there was something there that gave her so much strength but also made her empathetic. That's what turned me on to her! I really liked her because she doesn't really want anything. She's out earning a living... it was almost therapeutic for her. She seems to be somewhat co-dependent. Tammy's a bit of an enabler, I think, but she doesn't get much of a chance to behave that way except while she's working as a hooker. Now that stuff sort of lends itself to the storyline, with her working at Kelly's. People still open up to her. I think Tammy is very discreet and very sincere in everything she does. But she can be a real hard-ass when she has to. Do you know anyone who is a prostitute who you can talk to for research? I've never known any prostitutes, although I did have girlfriends in the past who were "dancers." It was always fascinating to me how they were so able to remove themselves from what they did. And knowing them as anything but the dancer — that sort of helped me out a bit with this character. You've been able to work with a bunch of great guys, and each of them brings out a different side of Tammy's personality. Let's play a word association game, OK? Say the first thing that pops into your mind when I mention an actor. Brad Maule (Tony). Hysterical Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky). Cutie-patootie Stuart Damon (Alan). Wise and sensitive Tony Geary. The male version of me. Meaning? He's a risk-taker. That's the best description I could come up with. What kind of fan mail do you get? Tammy is not the typical soap heroine. No, she's not. The mail I've gotten has been really, really positive and it's made me feel really, really good about the character and the choices I've made. There were people who wrote to me and told me I was too nice to be a hooker and that they were praying for me. I'm serious! I would get mail from people saying, "Tammy should get out of that life." Since the crossover [to the legit world], people are very happy that I'm out of the hooker life. Although I still have to say that I'm finding my way. Coming in and playing Tammy as a hooker, I had a pretty clear-cut way about how I wanted to approach it. And I had no idea they were going the way that they did with the character. Well, she's still serving people! She's still serving people, but the clothing is different. It's a completely different set of rules. And I'm dealing with the kids a lot and with people like Laura and Monica. I don't normally service, for lack of a better word, women. I'm still finding my way in how to come across as just another woman and a good friend. There's a bit of discomfort there, looking at Laura and having had my relationship with Luke. And Lucky had come to me once! And now Liz works for me at the diner. That's what soaps are all about... the dramatic irony and all the different levels to play. Well, I'm blessed with the writing they've given me. They really write amazingly well for me. Had you done soaps before? I did a short stint on Days of Our Lives a few years back. In fact, Wally Kurth (ex-Justin, Days; now Ned on GH) was the first guy I ever kissed on television! Did he remember you when you saw him on the GH set? If he didn't I would have had to kill myself! I wasn't that bad a kisser, was I? Seriously, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. By doing a soap, I've come to realize that I have a lot of respect for the actors who have been doing it for a while. When I started here, I would just read the whole script. It was exciting. But when you have a heavy load you really have to cut to your story, and it becomes a blur. You really have to focus on where you are in the story. Have you asked some of the veteran actors for tips? Tony Geary helped me in the very beginning, because I have a tendency to do little ad-libs. And Tony said that was OK... he said to make the character my own. Lately... I'm still trying to adjust to the whole Kelly thing. I'd like to put a little more humor into her, but I have to respect the writing. And right now the story is just a little too heavy to add humor. I think the little love scene with Luke broke the somber mood! That was a complete surprise to me when they did that! I don't know if that's going to be an ongoing story, because they did play it at a tragic time when Luke was feeling very needy. But it was the first time that anyone had seen him with anyone but Laura in God knows how long. It probably freaked people out, but I was very flattered. It must be tough for the character to know that the only reason Luke was with her was because of the situation. Exactly. How long can she go on being the strong one? There is a certain amount of detachment when you're a prostitute, but, in my mind, I think Tammy has feelings for Luke. You seem to have a good handle on the character. Yeah, well, I don't want to be the person behind the counter who is pouring coffee and giving advice. But it's not all about Tammy! Sometimes I have to stay in the background and roll with the punches. What other types of characters are you looking to play? I would really like to do something that downplays any sexuality. Oftentimes I've been cast in roles where the character is very sexy or seductive. And in my heart, as Patty, I'm not that way. I would like to play something that's a little more hard-core, darker. It would be a challenge and it would also be a release. A lot of times our work is very therapeutic, and I would like to go to that place. Or, I'd like to do something extremely funny. The closest character I've played to myself is Tammy when she was a hooker! Not the hooker part, but where she was emotionally. I'd like to be able to take that further... where, I don't know. But I'm just grateful to be working. This is a great place to go to work! |