Actor Hank Northrop chatted about being a part of the Peacock daytime drama “Days of our Lives,” where he plays Liam Selejko.
He is the son of the late Wayne Northrop (who played the roles of Roman Brady and Alex North on “Days of our Lives”), as well as Emmy-nominated actress Lynn Herring, who plays Lucy Coe on “General Hospital.”
Playing Liam in ‘Days of our Lives’
On playing Liam in “Days of Our Lives,” he said, “I love it! It has been fun! Liam is fun for me especially since he is so different than me in real life. I’m a very happy, outgoing person. I had a great childhood but Liam is the opposite.”
“Liam has had a rough childhood. He can’t even really read. It was fun for me to just dive into somebody who is completely different than myself and try to portray him as truthful as I can,” he elaborated.
“So, it has been a blast,” he added.
Being a part of ‘Days of our Lives’
On being a part of “Days of our Lives,” Hank said, “It is the best! As you know, my father was on it and it has such a rich history there! It is such a blessing. I have so much gratitude.”
Dialogue-heavy
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy, Hank said, “Oh, man! I’ll tell you what… it’s not a lie. Anytime you hear a soap opera actor talking about how much dialogue they have, they are not joking. It’s crazy.”
“It is so fast-paced, but it is the best boot camp you can ever have as an actor,” he said. “It’s the best training ground you can ever have!”
“When you are on a soap opera, you are in guerilla warfare. It just boots on the ground but it’s so much fun though,” he admitted. “It’s a blast. I wish every actor could do a soap because then, they can come out on the other side so much better in their craft, for sure.”
Hank takes cues from his parents
Hank shared that he takes cues from both of his parents, Lynn Herring and Wayne Northrop. “My mom is just the best! She has been doing this for so long now,” he said. “She is the Queen of the Nurses Ball and each year she will come back and she will have new stories to tell about the crazy things that happen during the Nurses Ball.”
“Once, they had a giraffe on set for her to talk to,” he said. “It is just some wild, wild things. She is having such a good time because she has been doing soaps for so long.”
Hank fondly remembered his late but great father Wayne Northrop. “My father was my absolute hero,” he said. “Both on and off the screen, obviously. I respected him so much as an actor. Whenever I go back and watch some of his clips on ‘Days of our Lives,’ he was so real and so grounded as an actor.”
“Not only was he a phenomenal actor, he was the greatest father a kid could ever ask for. He was such a good human being,” Hank acknowledged.
“My father was so truthful in his behavior, and growing up, I tried to emulate him as best as I can from an acting perspective, just because technique-wise, he was phenomenal,” he added.
Hank Northrop remembers Jackie Zeman
Hank also had great words about veteran “General Hospital” actress and family friend Jackie Zeman, who passed away in May of 2023.
“Jackie Zeman was like a second mom to me. I grew up with her two daughters Cassidy and Lacey; they are my good friends,” Hank said. “Jackie did such an amazing job raising them. My heart broke when I found out about Jackie’s passing.”
“Jackie was just so kind, and she just lit up every room with her big smile and her positive energy. My mom was best friends with Jackie, and her daughters are just like her,” she added,
Virtual fan event with Rory Gibson
Hank is looking forward to doing a virtual fan event with fellow actor Rory Gibson (“General Hospital”) on March 22nd, which is produced by Coastal Entertainment.
“I am excited,” he said. “Rory is a good buddy of mine. We did a movie five or six years ago together, and we just bonded right away.”
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Hank said, “It is interesting, for sure! I mean, it’s cool. I wasn’t on ‘Days of our Lives’ when it was on network TV, I popped in when it was on Peacock, which is awesome.”
“It is cool to see the success that ‘Days’ has had with that shift because it has maintained its viewership, and it is still in the Top 5 shows on Peacock year after year. It just does so well,” he explained.
“So, it’s cool to be a part of the streaming atmosphere. It’s really interesting,” he added.
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, Hank said, “Work on your craft. Watch as much content as you can. There are going to be rejections, so you need to be comfortable with that and just take that as part of your journey. Everybody has to find their own way. There is not one set way to do this.”
“So, embrace your own path and brace your own journey, and just be open. Live as much life as you cause you need to study acting all the time. Audiences respond to a fully rounded person.
“Have as many skills as possible… learn an instrument, travel, and have world experiences. Don’t just focus on being an actor. Focus on being the best you can be,” he added.
Career-defining moments: Working with Reese Witherspoon
On her career-defining moments, he shared, “I had the absolute privilege of working opposite Reese Witherspoon in ‘The Morning Show’ in the pilot episode. That was an eyeopening experience because that was the first time that I worked with somebody as big as Reese Witherspoon.”
“We got to set and she was in such control of it. She was also a producer, and she was so professional and kind to me. She made me feel so comfortable, and she was such a giving person,” he elaborated.
“That made me realize that it doesn’t matter if you are working opposite an Academy Award winner or somebody with a small part, it’s a team effort and we are all in this together. Everyone is there to serve the story,” he explained.
“Reese really helped teach me that lessons, she was just so fun and nice,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Hank revealed, “Openness.” “I am just being open to everything,” he admitted. “New experiences, wanting to travel more, and just wanting to take up new skills.”
“I want to learn how to surf better,” he said. “I want to be open to anything and everything, and just really experience life to the fullest.”
Superpower of choice
If Hank were to have any superpower, it would be “to teleport.” “Teleportation would be good,” he said. “This way, I can just travel anywhere I want and see the world as quickly as I can. That would be so much fun.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Hank said, “As an artist, I would like to just impact people as much as I can, and just leave behind a legacy of people thinking that I was a good person and a good human being, who was just kind.”
“Honestly, success is not the material things for me,” he said. “It’s not monetary things either. It’s about making a lasting impact for people you care about, and just being the best human being you possibly can be.”
Message for his fans
For his fans and supporters, Hank expressed, “Thank you! Honestly, I have so much gratitude for the fans.”
“I feel so privileged and honored to be on the show ‘Days of our Lives,’ and carry on that legacy, which is so special to me with my father,” he acknowledged.
“Thank you for watching the show,” he said. “I would also say to them to just be a little patient with Liam.”
“I’m excited for when Liam starts ramping up a little bit, and the fans get to really see what he is about and learn more about him,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Hank Northrop, follow him on Instagram.
