GH Star Jeff Kober Talks About His Daytime Emmy Nomination

Cyrus Renault is off to prison however, viewers haven’t seen the last of General Hospital actor Jeff Kober. The performer is nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as the calculating crimelord.

Jeff Kober — Exclusive Interview

The awards will be handed out this Friday night at The 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS. Soap Hub caught up with Kober at a recent Daytime Emmy press event. Read on for some insights from the Port Charles baddie, who has a soft spot for his family.

Soap Hub: Had you ever done a daytime show before GH?
Jeff Kober: Yes. Early on in my career, I’d play either Bartender No. 1 or a waiter. That’s it. Being on GH has been extraordinary. It’s a whole different way of working. I liken it to doing theater without rehearsal. You have to be willing to throw yourself out there. My acting teacher used to say, “Be willing to splatter and if you’re going to splatter, do it big.”

What’s the story told on your Daytime Emmy reel?
It tells the story about Cyrus trying to get his mother [Florence, played by Annie Abbott] back and to get Laura (Genie Francis) to see herself as Cyrus’s sister.

Those are the elements that truly humanized Cyrus. We got to know why he is the way he is.
Exactly. It’s rare that you get to actually play that beyond having it in your head.

Your story from last year continued into this year. There were a few times Cyrus told Laura that she enjoys taking him down in such a powerful way. It’s true.
Yeah. She said, “I do?” It was an “Oh, my God” moment.

Fans know you from the critically-acclaimed China Beach as Sgt. Evan “Dodger” Winslow. Sadly, that show’s creator, John Sacret Young, recently passed away. What did you learn from him?
I learned so many things from [John] and being on China Beach. That show had integrity and was brilliant because it all filtered through one person’s perspective. That was John Young’s perspective. The show was powerful because everyone who worked on it wanted to do the best possible job because we were representing people [in real life] who had been maligned. John and [co-creator] William Broyles Jr. were all in with that. The two of them and [co-executive producer] John Wells made it an extraordinary place to work.

How did you get started practicing meditation?
Necessity. I was miserable a lot of the time. I learned how to meditate in a way that actually works for me. It changed my life. Now, I’m able to give it away. I remind myself all the time of what really matters. We have questions, “What’s real? What matters?” Meditation helps you get grounded and that never changes. So, all that does change tends to take on less fraught energy. You’re more solid and grounded. [Check out Kober’s Instagram post on meditation below.]

Just like Cyrus was when Carly (Laura Wright) came to visit him and he’s chained to the hospital bed. He’s not acting like he’s done.
No. He’s not.

The 48th Annual Daytime Emmys airs on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will stream on Paramount + . General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.