“Passions” alum James Hyde chatted about his latest acting projects and endeavors.
American author, speaker, and leader John C. Maxwell once said: “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” This quote applies to a true renaissance man, actor James Hyde.
‘The Young and The Restless’
Presently, Hyde stars as Jeremy Stark in the hit CBS daytime drama “The Young and The Restless,” where he is wreaking havoc in Genoa City. “I went in to read for a different role and I didn’t get that one, but a week later, they told me that they had written another character and they asked me if I was interested, and I thought it sounded great,” he said.
“The role is still going, they are still writing for me, and social media has just been very, very positive on the storylines and my character,” he noted. “Every time I get a script, I am really liking this guy [Jeremy] even more, he is really fun to play. We can see what kind of trouble that he can stir up in Genoa City,” he said with a sweet laugh.
Hyde had great words about working with his co-stars Peter Bergman, Susan Walters, and Michelle Stafford. “I did my screentest with Michelle [Stafford], Eileen [Davidson] and Bryton [James]. I met them and they were amazing,” he said. “Peter has been doing this for so long and he still loves the craft and he still cares. Peter is very giving, humble, and just amazing. Peter told me that ‘when you are good, we are all good’ and I thought that he was spot on. Also, Michael Mealor, who plays Kyle, is such a nice guy.”
“The talent there is top-notch. You have people that have been doing it for a really long time,” he added.
Prior to “The Young and The Restless,” he portrayed patriarch Sam Bennett on “Passions,” who was the on-screen father of Ethan Winthrop (Eric Martsolf). “Eric is just the greatest showman, and he is also an incredible father too. Eric is a great guy and he now sings with his band, the Day Players Band,” Hyde said, prior to noting that his role of Sam on “Passions” was the “gift that kept on giving.”
‘La Reina del Sur’
Hyde also appeared in the TV series “La Reina del Sur” on Netflix. “I shot a show in Colombia called ‘La Reina del Sur.’ I went to Bogota for three months, it was amazing,” he said. “I played a mafioso who ran his own circuit, and everything deals with a casino, so it’s dark. I had an absolute blast filming those episodes.”
“Now, it went to Netflix on December 30th, so I am happy with that. With Netflix and with subtitles, it will be easier for people to follow along,” he added.
‘Station 19’
Hyde also guest starred in “Station 19” as Matt’s dad. “I did a live Zoom callback for that, so that was very interesting, especially in the world of self-tapes that we live in today,” he said. “We have live Zoom castings, which is hard to get a hold of but we have to do it because that is what is going on. I did my audition on Zoom and they liked it, I stood out that day. I had a blast and it was so fun, the producers on that show were awesome.”
‘Trapped By My Sugar Daddy’
Last year, Hyde starred in the Lifetime movie “Trapped By My Sugar Daddy” opposite Katie Kelly, which was directed by Lindsay Hartley. “The subject of the storyline was out there since it deals with human trafficking, and in this particular one, it deals with an older man and a younger girl. I got to work with Lindsay on that film, so that was wonderful. I was really happy with the way it came out,” he said.
‘Love Under the Lemon Tree’
Equally memorable for Hyde was doing “Love Under the Lemon Tree” for UPtv. “John Murlowski has been a big fan, and I am a fan of his. John is a director and producer that does a lot of movies a year, and now we just did another one,” he revealed.
“Anytime that John Murlowski calls me up, I don’t even read the script, I just tell him that ‘I’m in.’ We have that relationship, he knows what he wants and he does his homework before he gets on set and he knows exactly what he is looking for, and he just lets us be. I enjoy working with him, he is such a nice person,” he said.
“I had a good year last year. 2022 was incredible for me, and it was filled with good vibes,” Hyde acknowledged.
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to love it, do it for the right reasons but also create other businesses for themselves. “Whether you are on a contract or not, try to create another avenue of income for yourself. Do a play or do your own show,” he said.
To learn more about actor James Hyde, follow him on Instagram.
