Q&A with Wally Kurth (Ned Ashton, General Hospital)

After a long stint on the back burner, General Hospital's Ned is finally seeing some action. In love with one woman (Alexis) but wed to another (Chloe), Ned is also trying to escape from ELQ — but his grandfather Edward is determined to prevent his departure from the business world. Offcamera, Wally Kurth, who's played Ned since 1991, actually has a much heavier schedule. The father of two has written a screenplay (Man on Fire) that he plans to produce, completed a new Kurth & Taylor CD (Freedom), has a front-burner storyline and has set up a charitable foundation with his music partner, Christian Taylor.

Here, the always-candid Kurth talks about his many projects, working with wife Rena Sofer (ex-Lois) again, and the tragic fate of that proposed Ned and Lois spin-off. — Michael J. Maloney


What was it like working with Rena on an episode of her show, [the recently shelved] Oh Grow Up?

I'd never done a prime-time show before; it was also my sitcom debut. It was fun as well as nerve-wracking. It was a long day, though, so it got to the point where I was so exhausted that by the time I went on I didn't have the energy to be nervous. My character came in at the very end of the show and Rena and I got to have an exchange. It was great.

I like the quadrangle on GH, but I can't make up my mind as to who I want to end up with whom: Ned and Alexis? Chloe and Jax? Ned and Chloe? Jax and Alexis?

I think that's a good reaction. We're hoping that that's the case with a lot of the viewers. The writers have their long-story projection, but, I feel, do any of us know where we'll be in a year or five years? Let's just go with it and see what develops.

The fun part is watching how much Ned and Chloe have in common, as do Jax and Alexis. Some viewers are thinking the right couples are already together. It's like an old-fashioned screwball comedy.

There are so many serious, dark storylines going on right now that [TPTB] really want to keep the quadrangle light and fun. [Note: This interview was conducted before Chloe's life-threatening hit-and-run accident.] But I think you can still be funny and get into trouble and still have conflict.

This story has allowed for some romance and genuine expressions of friendship, too. Let's face it — no four people could put up with this charade for a year if they weren't good pals.

I think you're right about that.

How are things at the charitable foundation you started?

Very well. We're doing a couple of fund-raisers in Pittsburgh and we'll make a little money there. It's very exciting.

You have a real hands-on approach to your career. I don't think it's uncommon for actors to be their own business managers these days.

That's a good point. We really have to, and that's a bit scary. There's a new breed of entertainer that's self-sufficient. Today, actors are really smart if they start creating their own businesses. I've learned a lot by working on the movie that I've written. I've come to realize that I know the story that I want to tell. Producers are in a position of overseeing the whole creative output. That's always been intriguing for me — to oversee it all. We've put together this promotional preview for this movie; we really want to get it financed. When we were shooting it up in Montana, I realized that I really want to make movies. Being outside and executing the creative process really appeals to me. As a producer you get to be there for the beginning, middle, and end. To get back to your question, yes, actors really do need to take charge of their careers and not just creatively.

How do you juggle all these projects?

[Grins] Insomnia.

I bet.

I'm really overwhelmed. I'm still finishing up some audio for the [movie] trailer. I'm in a huge re-write for the script. It's tough to keep it all going and keeping the personal life together that involves being a husband and a father.

It was really nice when the writers brought Brooke Lynn on for a visit last year. Chloe was especially great with Brooke Lynn. It was one of those moments where the audience says, "See? Chloe's better for Ned."

I enjoyed tapping into my real-life paternal instincts. When I was on Days of Our Lives [as Justin], we really had too many kids [on the show]. But Brooke Radding, who played Brooke Lynn, was a bit older. She's a terrific little girl and quite a good actress. I really wouldn't mind having her back and I'm not someone who jumps at the chance to work with kids.

A few years back, ABC was considering a GH spin-off, Heart and Soul, for Ned and Lois that was to be written by Claire Labine, who created Lois. But it didn't fly.

It was heartbreaking. We were all ready to go. It was going to be shot in New York. We would have had to have packed up and moved there, but we were looking forward to it.

Fans who love Lois and Rena were saying that she needed to leave the show to try other mediums, but it sounds like Rena would have stayed in daytime for that.

Yes. She would have. She just loves Claire and loves Lois.

Would you like to see Rena and Jane Elliot (ex-Tracy) return?

Yes, but I feel that Lois is a very hard character to write. Lois is a smart cookie and sometimes people think she's like The Nanny or something. She's not. Tracy's also a very hard character to write. She's so multi-faceted. Tracy's not just this evil woman. Does she manifest negative thoughts and behavior? Absolutely. But underneath, there's this woman, who's hurting and desperately crying out for love.

It can be overwhelming with all the projects, but you've also talked about a certain sense of freedom that comes from doing your own thing. You even called your latest CD Freedom.

Yes. We were in Nashville and at one point we realized that we could possibly get a deal [on a CD] and make some money. We had nibbles, but not where we could do our own stuff. So we decided to go back to the freedom of our own music. Plus, the music I've written is for a specific screenplay. Christian's remixing all the songs. I think the fans are going to love it.

What would you say the style of the music is?

Country rock in the vein of John Cougar Mellencamp.

When will you shoot the movie?

Next summer. I'll take some time off from General Hospital and we'll get it done.

Does that mean you won't be around for the GH fan weekend?

No. I'm actually planning on doing a big bash. We're trying to have it out by the pool and I might invite some of my old pals from Days of Our Lives, too.

You and Rena have usually held an informal Q&A session during the GH fan weekend. It's packed with hundreds of fans, but you and Rena manage to establish a very intimate feeling in the room. I've covered a lot of fan events and it's really quite unique.

Thank you. I feel pretty close to my fans. That, for me, is what it's all about. I can tell when I'm disconnected. Not every actor has this, but I think I have more of a special desire to make more of a connection with my fans than other people do. I think that's why I enjoy doing stage work. People have told me that I'm good onstage because I have some sense of the audience being there. I try to connect with them. If you really listen and care, you can hear what they're thinking and feel what they're feeling. For me, that's what it's all about. It's my natural inclination to do that. At GH, we're very intimate. It's very much a dialogue with the audience and I really enjoy doing that. I also like concerts where I don't say all that much, but that's because I won't feel like it. Sometimes I feel like just playing music and letting the songs speak for themselves. Other times, I feel like I just want to start talking. And that's OK, too.