General Hospital’s Det. Dante Falconeri has to not only stay physically fit but mentally alert in order to deal with Port Charles baddies. Off-screen, Dante’s portrayer, Dominic Zamprogna, is a champion of both mental and physical wellness.
Dominic Zamprogna – Wellness Wednesday
Dominic Zamprogna, much to the delight of his loyal fans, returned to GH in 2020 after taking a bit of time off from his role as Dante Falconeri. The husband, father of three, and working actor recently chatted with Soap Hub about how he manages to incorporate wellness into his busy schedule. Read on for some insights from the amicable actor.
Soap Hub: You’ve got a storyline and you have a family; when do you schedule working out?
Dominic Zamprogna: I’m not saying being on camera is the world’s toughest job by any means, but it can be draining. You don’t have the opportunity or inclination to do things after work, so I try to make sure I get things in before work. I started meditating. I was doing that three times a day for a while during the pandemic to keep myself in a good place. I do it now at least once a day in the morning. I also kickbox once a week, and I play soccer about two or three times a week. Then, I hike with my dog on another day. Every day at least has something. There’s meditation and a hike, or meditation and kickboxing so that the physical and the mental get what they need.
Soap Hub: You stay busy! Do you ever just get out for a walk?
Dominic Zamprogna: Yes. Walking is great. I’ve got a dog so I get out there twice a day with him. What’s that saying — ‘Idle hands are the devil’s workshop?’ I’m a believer in that. Having kids, I’m constantly on [the go]. I love it! My kids want to do this thing called ‘Daddy wrestle’ – they just want to wrestle. They’ve got so much energy, man! They’re game anytime, anywhere. The challenge is to get them off the [electronic] devices. The way I get them [moving] is by asking them if they want to play or do a dance video game.
Soap Hub: Your co-star Jeff Kober (Cyrus Renault) is big on mediation. Have you talked to Jeff about that?
Dominic Zamprogna: Yes. I have. Especially when I got back to the show. He’s more like a Zen master than I’d ever consider myself. There are apps that help with meditation. There are different purposes behind them. It’s something I’ve been told to do for a long time…It wasn’t until the pandemic that I started [meditating]. My wife, actually, helped me with all this. For a while, I was up all night during the pandemic. One night, she handed me a piece of paper and a pen and said get it all out so you can sleep. Sometimes that can be the first thing to do – just dump everything out of your mind, clear it all out, and then, you can start meditating, which is an ongoing practice of ‘Rolodex-ing’ through your thoughts so you’re not hanging onto them as much.
Soap Hub: What advice would you give to someone looking to start meditating?
Dominic Zamprogna: I would try apps like Headspace, Calm, or Breathwork. The first time [you use them] it will only take 10 minutes. You can spend 10 to 20 minutes a day or even less if you chose.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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