Michael Easton on Finn’s Future: “The Love of a Good Woman Is What Makes Us All Better.”

He’s often a man of few words, preferring to let his work speak for itself. But Michael Easton was in a chatty mood this past weekend at the inaugural General Hospital Convention.

Right off the bat, the moderator asked the fan favorite actor during a Q&A panel if he felt that it’ll be the love of a good woman (Hayden), his bearded service dragon lizard (Roxy), or medicine that will help him kick his drug dependency.

The actor chuckled at getting right into such deep character analysis. “No ‘boxers or briefs?'” he remarked with a grin, noting the standard fare that’s asked of him at public appearances.

On a more serious note, Easton responded, “The love of a good woman is what makes us all better. Without that there’s no reason to live.”

Plus, the actor joked, noting that co-star Rebecca Budig (Hayden) was seated immediately to his left, “[Rebecca] and I have a long day of working together tomorrow and she has a left hook like nobody’s business!”

Easton added that he’s very happy with the show’s storyline, saying that more robust days are ahead for Finn. “He’s going to get healthy. When he gets well again, he’ll be more fun, and he’ll start a new chapter of his life.”

Beyond this, the actor knows about as much as viewers do when it comes to what’s going to happen next in Port Charles. “I know through lunch time tomorrow,” he says. “You can probably go up and ask [the producers] but I try to take it day by day and not get too far ahead.”

He notes that often story directions can change anyway so there’s no point in knowing what might be coming up. “I don’t think Rebecca Budig and I were supposed to be together [initially]. They can change things if they see something [they want to do].”

General Hospital now has the rights back to Easton’s One Life to Live character, Det. John McBain, who is incredibly popular, but Easton has no desire to immediately revisit the Llanvew lawman. “I’m happy with where we are now,” he says.

Easton enjoys Finn’s quirkiness, something he said he talked to the show a bit when discussing who he’d be playing on this most recent go-around. “I got to work with [famed writer/producer] David E. Kelley [on Ally McBeal] and I like how he writes his characters; they’re flawed with…continue reading on the next page —>

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Easton enjoys Finn’s quirkiness, something he said he talked to the show a bit when discussing who he’d be playing on this most recent go-around. “I got to work with [famed writer/producer] David E. Kelley [on Ally McBeal] and I like how he writes his characters; they’re flawed with no pretense. I thought that would be a good start for [Finn].”

Unlike in films, which have stand-ins or readers when actors are doing their close-ups, performers in daytime most always work directly with each other as scenes are being taped. Easton says, though, one screen partner isn’t present as often as people might think. “[Roxy] isn’t there a lot,” Easton says of Finn’s pet lizard. “If you don’t see her, she’s not there. It’s usually because she’s booked. She gets paid more than any other actor on the show and comes in with four or give handlers. She’s the ‘Cate Blanchett’ of lizards.”

Sadly, Easton indicated that there have been two Roxys due to one going to that great glass terrarium in the sky. “It had nothing to do with working with me [but] she didn’t make it. We have a new Roxy. She’s lovely and talented.”

So while he’s lost one pet lizard, Easton says the new one is sticking around. “Roxy’s going to be here a lot more,” he says, adding dryly, “Roxy’s going to get a love interest.”

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