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William deVry of ‘General Hospital’ talks New York shows, acting (Includes interview)

deVry also discussed a few philanthropic causes that are dear to him such as ovarian cancer research with the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation in Pennsylvania, and dog rescue. He also opened up about the digital transformation of the acting and entertainment world.

On September 7, 2018, deVry will be a part of the “Men of General Hospital” Coastal Entertainment event at Rockwells in Pelham, New York, along with Donnell Turner (who plays Curtis Ashford) and Josh Swickard (who portrays Harrison Chase). “It’s a little tour that I am doing with Josh and Donnell, where some people will meet Josh and Donnell for the first time,” he said. “It’s going to be a little tour of upstate New York, and we will have some fun. We are going to be on stage and then, we are going to mix and mingle with the crowd. We spend quite a bit of time in each table.”

On the following day, September 8, deVry, Ashford and Swickard, will be appearing at Governor’s Comedy Club in Levittown on Long Island, for a Coastal Entertainment event. “It has been a while since I have been at Governor’s in Levittown, so that will be fun,” he said. “I love Long Island. There are a lot of good people there.”

This year, deVry was featured in the majority of the Emmy reel that Nancy Lee Grahn submitted for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.” “Yeah, she had a good reel to submit,” he admitted.

He shared that he enjoys working in the daytime soap world. “If you love what you do, it’s fun,” he said. “There are a lot of reasons why I like daytime better than primetime. One of the things I love most about it is doing ‘live theater’ so to speak, since you have so much material and you need to be ready. There is never really rehearsal time. I do enjoy that aspect, and I feel blessed.”

Julian Jerome

deVry acknowledged that Julian Jerome is one of the “better characters” that he has ever played. “There is nothing to dislike about Julian,” he said. “Every soap character has their flaws. I love that he is a recovering mob guy, and I love that he has a complicated past that gets in the way as an adult. He has a lot of think about with relationships, and his way of life. Julian is a hard worker and dedicated to whatever he chooses to do. He is a driven guy, and he is somebody to be admired in a lot of ways”

On his daily motivations, deVry said, “Life is amazing. I have dogs that count on me, and I live in sunny California. Life is beautiful. If you can’t find motivation in small moments every day, you need to rethink things.”

For hopefuls who wish to go into acting, deVry said, “I always tell people not to get sidetracked with other things. If you are going to be an actor, there is no time for relationships, so you have to meet somebody that is not jealous of your career, and completely supports you and understands what you are doing. Also, stay away from negative people, and surround yourself with successful people that believe in you. You want to stay away from the partying and nice cars, because for every car payment that you are making, that is one month in acting class.”

In 2004, deVry was nominated for a daytime Emmy award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” for his acting work on All My Children, where he played the role of Michael Cambias. “That was a long time ago,” he recalled. “I had some good tapes to submit, so the writers essentially did the work for me.”

On staying in top-notch physical shape, deVry noted that it is about “eating right, but at the same time, not depriving yourself.” “I have my rice and pasta, and I choose my food wisely. I eat about 1,800 calories a day, and my workouts are intense,” he said. “I read a lot and studies show that small amounts of calorie deprivation actually extends your life. I also get great sleep, about nine hours a night. Rest is key.”

deVry is also avid in the fight against ovarian cancer and animal rescue. “I use my platform as an actor to raise awareness for such causes as dog shelters, animal rescue and dog fostering. Also, I work with the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation in Philadelphia, that is an organization founded by Robin Cohen and Sandy Rollman, and it raises funds for ovarian cancer research. I have become their ambassador, and have learned so much about women’s health with this foundation. We are just trying to raise awareness, and we are starting to do that,” he said.

Digital transformation of entertainment

On the impact of technology on the acting and entertainment business, deVry stated that it has opened up a lot of “new jobs.” “The money isn’t as great as it used to be, but the good news is that there are more jobs and more opportunities. You are also working harder for your money. It has changed in that regard. At the same time, more people have an opportunity to do what they love. Cable and reality TV have changed their landscape, by cancelling a lot of shows, and in the end, scripted drama TV is still the way to go,” he explained.

For his dedicated daytime fans, deVry concluded, “Thanks to everybody for the support. If it weren’t for you guys watching us on television, we wouldn’t have a job. Fans support is key to everybody, and don’t take things too seriously on General Hospital.”

To learn more about veteran soap actor William deVry follow him on Instagram and on Twitter.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 21,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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