Parallels Of Real Life And Reel Life For Jens Austin Astrup & Kai On General Hospital

Jens Austin Astrup sees the parallels between his real life and his reel life. He had to learn how to relate to his General Hospital character, Kai. Astrup knew that he was venturing into unchartered territory, which was sometimes overwhelming for him. 

Exploring the GH Universe

In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Astrup recalled his first day at the ABC studios. It’s intimidating for someone who’s joining a long-running soap. “This show has been running for so long, and Port Charles has existed for all those years,” Astrup said.

He was thrown into a new experience. The actor was no longer in a theater show. He had to adjust to the pressures of working on a soap. “This is a different kind of gig, where I’m jumping onto a wheel that’s already going,” Astrup explained. 

He called his first day “super-hectic.” He joked that he wished he had gotten an “orientation.” Astrup had to get used to this new filming schedule. He also found ways to explore his character. That’s where Astrup found parallels between his reel life and real life. 

He “looked for ways I could ground myself in this character, that I could resonate with the character of Kai—almost like I was searching to find pieces of myself that kind of parallel the character and really embrace those,” Astrup acknowledged. 

Unsurprisingly, he immediately connected with Tabyana Ali (Trina) during his audition, which allowed him to work on their chemistry. The GH co-stars realized how much fun they were having behind the scenes, inspiring Astrup to “bring that to the characters.” 

READ THIS: GH casts Jens Austin Astrup as Trina’s new man.

Quick Take

Soap operas are different from theater in that there are little rehearsals. Actors are expected to film scenes in as few takes as possible. The fast-paced nature of the soap allowed Astrup to slowly evolve into his character.

He also credits Evan Hofer (Dex) with helping him navigate Port Charles. Both Hofer and Ali advised him that GH is a “different kind of theater” that’s always moving forward. He found a way to keep up with that form of storytelling.

Astrup has learned a lot about Kai along the way. For example, he’s a passionate character who’s confident about himself. The character’s confidence helped boost Astrup’s confidence about filming on the soap. He also wants to bring some realness (reel-ness?) to Kai. 

“I think there’s been some kind of hardship that is the reason he presents himself the way he does and doesn’t really allow himself to fail or mess up. And I think it’s very important for Kai to be true to himself,” Astrup noted.