Actor David Lautman of “General Hospital” chatted about being a part of the hit ABC daytime drama. He plays the character Grant Smoltz.
On being a part of the show, he said, “It has been amazing! GH has been a blessing and I’ve been having a blast since day one. So to have the opportunity to be invited back to cause more mischief and mayhem has been nothing short of amazing. It’s actually the first audition I had for any soap, and to be honest, I was surprised to
be booked. I didn’t really know the soap world at all and therefore wasn’t sure how I’d fit in.”
“From the very beginning, Smoltz intended to only be a one-episode day player. The reason the character existed at all was to show the transition Alexis Davis was trying to usher in for her magazine ‘The Invader.’ It was not a respected outlet, as it featured sloppy tabloid journalism, celebrity gossip/sex lives, and the likes. So when Smoltz walks into her office wondering why she rejected all his recent story pitches, she explains the Invader is turning over a new leaf, and wants it to be a respected paper,” he elaborated.
He is drawn to his character for several reasons. “Getting to play manipulative and vindicative is quite fun, I highly recommend everyone try it, at least once. But what I respect and love most about Smoltz is his unyielding determination to achieve his goals,” he said.
“When Smoltz decides to do something he goes full-tilt and does not look back. That’s something I can respect and admire wholeheartedly, even if I don’t agree with what he’s doing. I think when most people in the world meet obstacles and challenges in life they give up, these are not words Grant is familiar with,” he said.
He had great words about working with such co-stars as Sofia Mattsson, Johnny Wactor, and Nancy Lee Grahn. “I absolutely loved working with all three of them, and frankly everyone else for that matter. One of the coolest things about this character is he’s one of the few people who can rear his head into anyone and everyone’s business, and by extension, allow me the opportunity to act opposite practically the entire cast,” he said.
Sofia Mattsson
On working with Sofia Mattsson, he said, “I’ve done a few scenes now with Sofia, the first of which was actually cut on set during filming due to time (the episode was running long). It was the scene where I burst into Nina’s apartment in a last-ditch effort to get her side of the story for my article.”
“Just as Nina goes to call security, Sasha comes in to save the day. Now that’s where the scene ended, but what was scripted was an additional scene in which Smoltz berates Sasha for her blind support of Nina, and then continues to verbally assault her for pretending to be Nina’s daughter. I was really looking forward to filming it, but instead got to shoot an even better scene, when Sasha catches me setting her up,” he said.
“That scene demanded so much intensity from Sofia, both emotionally and
physically and she did it flawlessly,” he said. “It was truly an honor to witness firsthand. Smoltz yet again antagonizes her and pushes her over the brink of sanity. She then unleashes havoc onto Smoltz’s car, smashing the windshield with a valet parking sign while losing touch with reality. After we cut, I couldn’t help but think Sofia truly delivered a Daytime Emmy Award-winning performance. And I had the honor of witnessing it firsthand.”
Johnny Wactor
He praised actor Johnny Wactor. “Johnny Wactor and I had another intense scene in which I press Brando for comment about Sasha’s car accident when she allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian. Not only did Brando have no comment but he threatened to kill Smoltz if he so much as breathed the same air as her,” he said.
“There was something truly magical about that day on set and getting to do that scene with Johnny. Before we filmed, I told him to really come at me and that I’d be fine. I just wanted Johnny to know as an actor he doesn’t need to hold back with me.”
“He can really let loose and do his thing,” he said. “When you work with someone for the first time together, you don’t know what the other person’s boundaries or comfort levels are, and sometimes the scene can suffer from that.”
“I wanted Johnny to know that I trusted him and was comfortable with whatever he threw my way, and I think it helped. I think that scene was one of the most intense of my career so far,” he added.
“Johnny came up right in my face, inches away, as his character threatened to kill mine. Soap Twitter raved about the scene online, with many commenting how it was their favorite Johnny Wactor scene of all time. It was scary, intense, dramatic, everything I hoped it would be and more. Johnny is a brilliant actor,” he exclaimed.
Nancy Lee Grahn
“The majority of my scenes though have been with Nancy Lee Grahn. Immediately from day one on set, I felt a strong connection with her, and I think she is a big part of why I came back. Nancy kind of took Smoltz under her wing as a sidekick-type character that she wanted to explore further and flesh out,” he said.
“I say this is because on set after I’d wrap scenes with her, she would comment out loud for production to hear how much she was enjoying our scenes together, and how they have to bring me back to continue bouncing off each other. I certainly don’t think comments like that from one of the show’s veteran contract players hurt,” he said.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “I absolutely love it, I learned a lot by producing and acting in content that was specifically created in the early days of new digital platforms like; YouTube, Vine, and Instagram. I did lots of YouTube videos with my sketch comedy team ‘SpoofTroupe,’ some of which went viral, and
then a ton of Vine videos with my girlfriend at the time, Actor, Julie David. These platforms, along with the smartphone, enabled anyone with an idea and a phone to start creating content.
“No longer did you have to wait to be cast in someone’s project or scrap together thousands of dollars to film a video, the technological revolution really opened the doors for people,” he said.
He opened up about how he handles being dialogue-heavy on the show. “You do the best you can, it certainly can be quite a challenge,” he said. “On average we have about five days or so with the material to prep before stepping on stage.”
Lautman continued, “Here’s a little breakdown of how it generally goes. Typically you show up on set at Prospect Studios in the morning, get ushered into your dressing room, and then called up to stage to block all your scenes for the day with the director. After that, you wait to be called to hair and makeup, and then get changed into the wardrobe.”
He continued, “Once they get to your scene you’re called to stage over the intercom to do one technical rehearsal for the cameras, and then you shoot it. GH, like most soaps, tends to move very quickly, so you do your best to nail it on the first try. Then you move on to the next scene, rinse and repeat. The preparation is very much like a live theater. You’re prepared to go with the flow and embrace whatever happens in the moment because that might be the only take that’s filmed.”
“Soap operas just have so much material to get through. They have to move at a rapid pace. It normally takes a TV Show a week to shoot an episode, Soaps do that five days a week,” he added.
Advice for hopefuls in acting
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “I could talk to young aspiring actors for hours with advice, and in fact, I have many times. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll keep it short and sweet.”
He remarked, “First things first, only do this if you really absolutely love it and can’t see yourself doing anything else. Many people come to it for fame and fortune, which is fine and well, but you generally don’t see them get too far. The passion to succeed in this career has to go far deeper than those superficial desires. It’s a very tough industry that requires even tougher skin, and it can be extremely difficult to make a living from it.”
“For most actors, it can take years before you really hit your stride, if ever,” he said. “But if you are committed to making it work then what’s essential is to have great materials, training, team, inner-game, and to prioritize auditioning. That means making whatever sacrifices are necessary to make sure you go out for every audition that comes your way and take those jobs regardless of how big or small the paycheck, or how notable the creators are or not.”
“I’m close with my team, and the biggest complaint I hear constantly is how they have to chase down actors to confirm their auditions, why do we have to beg actors to do their job? “If you aren’t doing your best to give 100 percent of yourself to every audition that comes your way, just know that someone else is, and they are likely the ones who will book,” he added.
“One of the most beautiful and interesting things about this industry is how impossible it becomes to predict from where and how the next job comes. Too often the relationships you develop on a small job that hardly paid anything will actually help you book that big job down the line. It happens more often than you’d think, so always be kind, genuine and a good person to everyone. That production assistant who took your breakfast and coffee order in the morning could very well end up hiring you one day,” he elaborated.
Success
On his definition of success, he said, “Success starts in the mind. Having the right attitude, mental game, gratitude, and goals are secrets I learned later in life that I wish I had known earlier. Guys like Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield have been instrumental in my journey on that road to success. ‘The Sucess Principles’,
along with a handful of others were game-changing books that should be taught to kids.”
He continued, “If our schools offered ‘success courses’, I think you’d see a lot more children from troubled backgrounds and meager upbringings becoming leaders and titans of industry. What can’t be stressed enough is that success doesn’t happen overnight, it takes hard work, determination, blood, sweat, and tears to achieve, but is meaningless if you’re not enjoying the process.”
“The road to success is just as important as the destination. If you’re not having fun and persevering through life’s ups and downs, you won’t be able to fully appreciate your wins and successes,” he added.
Fans
For his fans, he said, “First off, thank you! I have so much love for you all. It isn’t said enough, but you are truly the most important piece of the puzzle. Without the fans and supporters, there would be no audience, and there would be no show! I’ve had the amazing opportunity to connect with some really cool GH fans on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and with serendipity — in real life.”
“Every time, it’s been such an enjoyable experience. I genuinely love making people’s day, sharing laughs, and chatting with them about the show. It’s really cool that fans can separate the actor from the villainous character and express so much support and love for the work I’ve been blessed to get to do,” he explained.
“With a guy like Grant Smoltz, whose actions and behavior are so irredeemable, you never know when you may be handed your last script. I think that level of discomfort drives me to make every second on that stage count, not just for me, but for the fans,” he said.
To learn more about David Lautman, follow him on Instagram.
