The movie was directed by Shaun Paul Piccinino. “Roped was awesome. It was a great three weeks of filming and I couldn’t have asked for a better time,” he said. “Shaun is a good guy. He lets the actors take the lead and he guides them and steers them when he needs to. He lets you move and he gives you freedom. We had a really good time. We had a nice rapport between the two of us and I would love to work with Shaun again. Hopefully, I will get the chance.”
Roped was the film set where he met his future wife, Lorynn York, who plays his female love interest, Tracy. “I met my wife there and I learned how to ride a horse,” he said.
Swickard also opened up about life during the COVID-19 quarantine. “Quarantine has been good. It has been weird obviously but you get some time to work on yourself and learn a new hobby,” he said. “As a result of this quarantine, I have a different attitude towards life. I am grateful for our health and our time with loved ones. I’ve used this time to slow down a little bit and re-prioritize things and what matters most. It has been a good learning experience,” he elaborated.
“Also, my wife and I get to be around each other a whole lot more, which is a treat for both of us. That is one aspect that we are going to miss when life gets going again, just the time we have been able to spend together,” he added.
He shared that during this pandemic, he has been practicing guitar more even though he doesn’t consider himself a guitar player. “That has been fun,” he admitted. “I’ve also been reading more and I’m trying not to put on too much weight while I’m sitting at home.”
On September 19, he hopes to be a part of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation benefit event in Philadelphia, along with General Hospital co-stars William deVry, Leslie Charleson, Emme Rylan, and Marcus Coloma. “Hopefully, all of that will work out,” he said.
On the following day, September 20, he will be a part of the GH Fantasy event in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, where he will be joined with all of the aforementioned actors, as well as Emmy winner Max Gail. “That will be great,” he hinted.
On December 5, he will be at Rockwells in Pelham, New York, along with actor Chad Duell from General Hospital. “We are looking forward to that one,” he said. “Chad and I always have a good time when we are together.”
He also had nothing but the greatest remarks about being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign, which raises awareness on retaining art and music programs in schools. “Brad is a good guy. Being a part of the Dream Loud campaign is awesome. This cause is special to me because my mom is a music teacher so I am all for anything that helps the arts and music programs in schools,” Swickard said.
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, Swickard said, “Patience is a virtue.”
Swickard also had kind words for his friend, actor Michael Mealor, who plays the role of Kyle Abbott on The Young and The Restless. “Michael is a good guy. He was one of my first friends when I moved to Los Angeles,” he recalled.
When asked which sport he would do, if given the chance these days, he responded, “If I could do it over, I would learn how to golf at a young age, and I would love to join a swimming team. I feel swimming is something that you could do for the rest of your life. Swimming is healthy, and low impact on your joints. If I could pick anything, I would pick the hardest stroke. I would do the butterfly race because it looks cool.”
The commonalities that he sees among champions include “being focused” and “believing in what they are doing.” “Champions have a strong, core belief that they are willing to work really hard for. Also, when people say ‘no,’ they don’t hear ‘no,’ they hear ‘okay, I will take another route’,” he said.
For his fans, he remarked about Roped, “Thank you for watching it. The sweet comments meant a lot to us. It’s a cute romantic film but it means a great deal to us because I met my wife on that set.”
Speaking of fans, he also offered the following inspiring words during the pandemic: “Keep on keeping on.” “Every day that goes by we are a day closer to hugging our loved ones, and getting back to normal life,” he said. “Use this time to read a book, do some yoga, and take a walk. Do things that looking back at it, you will be grateful you did.”
At this point in his life, he defined the word success as “going to bed every day and being a better version of myself.” “If I keep doing that day after day throughout my life, then I’m successful. Success is being happy, and getting away from the money, cars, and houses. It’s real easy to get caught up in all that jargon.”
I am super grateful and I’m really happy that I have my health right now, and I am thankful for the fans for supporting me in General Hospital and Roped. Their support means the world to me,” he concluded.
To learn more about Roped, check it out on the official Netflix website.
Read More: Roped on Netflix earned a glowing review from Digital Journal.
