It was 28 years ago when director Ron Maxwell cast James Patrick Stuart as Confederate Colonel Edward Porter Alexander, the chief of Southern Artillery in the film Gettysburg, and the General Hospital actor took to his Instagram to reminisce about the role and admit his “trickery” in being cast.
James Patrick Stuart: ‘Civil War’ Memories
“Actors are notorious for lying about their skills to get a role,” he explained. “When the producers of the 1992 civil war film ‘Gettysburg’ asked if I could ride a horse, I lied to get the part of General Porter Alexander of the Army of Northern Virginia.”
After all, this was a great role in an epic movie and it meant starring alongside Martin Sheen and Tom Berenger. But the real horse wranglers hired for the film weren’t buying his claims.
“Of course the horse wranglers called my bluff on day one, and gave me the horse pictured here, Rollingman,” Stuart wrote alongside a still from the movie. “The moment I got in the saddle, he took off through the peach orchards of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at 40 to 50 mph, intentionally running under low hanging branches trying to knock me from his back.”
His story continued, explaining how the wranglers howled with laughter at the scene, as the horse had shown Stuart who the “boss” was in the relationship.
“Head wrangler, Butch, a heavily-bearded Texan with a thick southern accent spoke up. ‘I should have told you there, James,’” he recalled. “‘That there Rollingman’s a racehorse.'”
The prank didn’t sour Stuart on the experience, and he even donned the outfit again for the 2003 prequel, Gods and Generals, once more directed by Maxwell.
Odds are, we won’t be seeing General Hospital’s Valentin Cassadine on a horse anytime in the near future as he lost his home and stables, but Stuart seems prepared if some horsing around is needed. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
Share this: