Grant Aleksander, best known to soap fans for his 25-year run (on and off) as Phillip on Guiding Light, dropped by The Locher Room for an interview with host and former Procter & Gamble p.r. chief, Alan Locher, to reflect on his life and tenure in soaps. Soap Hub shot Locher a few questions to ask his interview subject and the host graciously agreed to pose the inquiries to Aleksander.
Don’t Get Mad — Get Even in Springfield
First, Aleksander took a look back at a 1988 GL storyline in which Phillip had successfully got his father Alan (Chris Bernau) tossed out of the family company during one of the show’s famous country club galas. Victory was bittersweet, alas, as Phillip lamented that his father’s coldness drove his son to take revenge against his father.
“I remember,” Aleksander said as he, Locher, and interview attendees watched the scene on YouTube. “Phillip had a bunch of people surrounding him that were not there [at the end]. They’re imagined and they’re all clapping.”
The actor recalls veteran GL director Bruce Barry coming up with the idea to have imaginary people surround a despondent Phillip. “I thought it was really creative,” Aleksander says. “I was so lucky. God, I was so lucky. I was so lucky to get that character. [Phillip] was such a wonderful character to play because you could write anything for that character.”
Meddling Pine Valley Mother-in-Law
Phillip was deeply tortured, but Alec McIntyre, Aleksander’s All My Children character, whom he played in the mid-1990s, was just a downright bad guy. Man-hungry Arlene (Olivia Birkelund) turned flirting into an art form despite the fact that Alec was dating (and later married) Arlene’s daughter, Hayley (Kelly Ripa).
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On his wedding night, Alec was alone with Arlene, and he realized that she not going to be denied especially as she had knowledge of his illegal business dealings. He lamented that he had to give her what she wanted. However, the groom didn’t want to keep his bride waiting, so Alec looked at his watch after Arlene threw herself into him. It was as if he was asking himself do I have enough time to have sex with my mother-in-law before returning to my wife?
“Very well,” Aleksander responded when asked if he recalled that particular scene. “Chris Goutman [ex-Sharkey, Edge of Night] was directing that day and I said, ‘Chris, I’d like to look over [Olivia’s] shoulder and look at my watch.’ He loved the idea.”
So did Birkelund — well, eventually. “Olivia caught me doing it [as Alec] in rehearsal and was, ‘Are you looking at your watch!’ Then, she started laughing because she knew that it was a kind of fun beat,” Aleksander recalls with a grin. “It was a great story and Olivia was wonderful, and I just adore Kelly.”
Soap Hub congratulates Locher on The Locher Room‘s recent 4th anniversary.
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