A charming, mysterious character...
By Richard Spencer, Soap Opera Update, 1990	Home   Cette page en Français

What are your initial impressions ?

Is this the start of the interview ? Usually in Australia they say hello to each other and talk for a while before the start of an interview. In England it is a very different set-up than what I have found in America when I did Dynasty.

Yes, this is the start of the interview.

My first impression of daytime is that it is probably some of the hardest work that I have ever done. It is sort of like theater, isn't it ? It is like doing a play everyday. I have a great deal of respect for these actors on daytime.

Did you already know any of the actors on Santa Barbara ?

No, but I knew of Terry Lester from the early days of The Young and the Restless, because at one stage I was going to join The Young and the Restless before I got something else.

How do you spell your last name ? Healey or Healy ?

I'm glad that you asked that. I am Irish, and the real Irish spelling is Healy. But it has been changed to Healey. Which spelling do you prefer ?

Healy. It's the spelling you were born with. Which spelling do you prefer ?

Healy, the Irish name. I have been wanting to speak with the producers about changing Healey to Healy. What do you reckon ? It won't confuse too many people, will it ? Should I change it ?

Yes. How do you compare Santa Barbara to Dynasty ?

I find the people on Santa Barbara to be very friendly probably more so than anyone I have ever worked with. I find the cast to be very close-knit, very open and very helpful. With Dynasty, I found a very different set-up. I was treated very well, but it was kind of like a mega-star show. I worked Mostly with Joan Collins, but I am meeting everyone on this show. I had a great time with Joan. It was an experience.

What is something viewers don't know about you ?

The strangest thing is that I received all of this fan mail before I even started. I got all this fan mail and people were commenting on the first week. I've played MacBeth on Monday, Richard III on Tuesday, on Wednesday I played a poor man's DeNiro, and on Friday I played a Remington Steele. Now we have an idea of what we are doing (with the character).

Do you feel comfortable with the show ?

The truth is, acting-wise, Terry Lester and Nancy Grahn made me feel so much at home it was beyond belief. They worked with me and helped me out until I got used to the routine. One reason why I took this character is because it is one hell of a character.

Will the audience sympathize with Derek ?

He really is a good person. There have been a lot of instances in his past that people have been bad to him. We are trying to make him likable, but his motives are pretty powerful - which give an edge to him. It will be like opening up a hornet's nest. One advantage of doing a show like this is that if you do get a good character, people like Sheri Anderson (the co-headwriter) will support you. Mr. John Conboy (the executive producer) has some great ideas. What confuses me is that Santa Barbara wins awards, but they don't have a large audience yet.

Don't worry, you're not alone - it confuses a lot of people. What have you been doing in between Dynasty and Santa Barbara ?

I did a mini-series called Flair, focusing around the fashion world, a bit like Dynasty in a way, high gloss. It was made in Australia with Joseph Bottoms and Heather Thomas. I did my first feature called Strangers, based on Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, and the character was very psychotic. I played eight weeks in the bush. I had to turn down a feature to do Santa Barbara. I was going to do another mini-series based on Rupert Murdoch's life, The Paper Man. But what happened was that my green card restrictions meant that I couldn't leave America, so when I came over here to see the Santa Barbara people, I was stuck with a green card restriction, meaning I had to spend more time in the states. It was just my destiny. Then Santa Barbara came into the picture and saved me.

How would you describe yourself ?

I am six foot seven, I have blond hair and blue eyes...

Are there any other questions you think I should be asking you ?

I honestly think this is going to be one of the most exciting storylines that I gave came across in years. I am enjoying the character. I would like to say that I am very much of home of Santa Barbara and very happy. I think it is one of the biggest challenges I have ever had. In the end you work for money, but the ideal is to work for something you enjoy doing. So what is important to me ? That is the $64 question. It sounds like a cliché, but what really matters to me is getting married and starting a family. Settling down. Remember I am Irish here. I am not English.

You didn't quite answer this question the first time. What do you think viewers don't know about you ?

To be honest, I am a very fortunate and lucky person. I came to America in 1985 with nothing. And I mean nothing. Another thing is that I have never been to New York. In fact, as I talk to you today, I can tell you that I have never been outside of Los Angeles in this country. I've never even been to Santa Barbara.