Soap Hub Travel Tuesday: GH’s Bradford Anderson Fell in Love With Italy

Computer whiz Damian Spinelli has done his share of traveling in and out of Port Charles on General Hospital. His portrayer, Bradford Anderson, has also been known to pack up and go. Soap Hub chatted with the amicable actor about his journeys for this week’s Travel Tuesday.

Bradford Anderson – That’s Amore!

Damian Spinelli’s had his heart broken a few times on GH, and that’s something Bradford Anderson can relate to — as most of us also are able to relate. To help mend his then-young heart, the actor traveled abroad to heal and see another part of the world.

Soap Hub: What has been your favorite place you’ve visited so far and what inspired you to go there?
Bradford Anderson: I was lucky enough to spend an entire fall studying abroad in Italy. I had just finished two years of NYU [New York University], just broken up with a girlfriend who was going to come to New York and move in with me, and I knew I needed to change things up. So, I paused my acting training and set off to Italy for a little human training. It was the best thing I ever could have done. Based in Florence, at NYU’s Villa La Pietra, I was able to travel extensively around Europe while still having time to enjoy my time in Florence.

Soap Hub: If someone else were to go there, what places/sites would you tell them they must be sure to see while there?
Bradford Anderson: If you’re going to Italy… skip Milan unless you have a desire for high-end shopping or are going for fashion week. If anyone tells you to skip Rome, tell them they did it wrong. Rome is magical. A couple days in Rome, a couple days in Florence. Skip the Leaning Tower of Pisa…Venice is stunning and unique, even though it’s a tourist trap. Eat, drink coffee, drink wine…Try to speak Italian! No matter how badly you do it, they’ll love you for trying…Italy is the only country in the world where they speak Italian, so they really appreciate when you try. See the countryside. See the coast. Eat. Drink. Repeat.

Soap Hub: Do you have any recommendations on where to stay or where to go for food?
Bradford Anderson: In Florence, if you are up late enough, you can find what some call ‘secret bakeries,’ basically bakeries that are private wholesale bakeries preparing the morning pastries for coffee shops around the city. No signs, you follow the aroma. If you end up going, google ‘secret bakeries in Florence’ (the locations often change), and fetch yourself a fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate croissant in the wee hours of the morning.

Soap Hub: How did traveling there make you feel?
Bradford Anderson: Americans often find themselves in a ‘work first/live later’ routine. The old rat race. We become obsessed with career and achievement. A trip to Italy will help anyone get some perspective. Life is beautiful indeed, and if you need a reminder, go there.

Soap Hub: How did traveling to Italy and spending time there change you?
Bradford Anderson: As a college student training to be an actor, I had spent two years trying to shed whatever made me uniquely me. Attempting to become a skilled vessel in which to portray any character possible. By traveling that fall, I realized the best actors were the best humans…humans with curiosity about other humans and experiences galore. Those three months changed how I approached my training.

Soap Hub: When you travel now, do you stick to tourist areas, or do you immerse yourself in the local traditions/cultures?
Bradford Anderson: OK, enough about Italy. Now, my travel is mostly with Steve Burton [ex-Jason Morgan GH; Harris Michaels, Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem]! ‘Che bello no?’ We travel all around the country, bringing our comedy show to as many cities as possible! Our favorite thing to do, after the show or while we’re driving from city to city, is to go to as many local coffee shops — and watering holes — as we can. We especially love to find locals doing karaoke. One of the biggest joys for us is to learn about the city we’re visiting and try to learn about what life is like there.

Soap Hub: How many suitcases do you bring? Are you a light packer or pack way more than necessary?
Bradford Anderson: Nowadays, I bring a backpack with my computer and microphone — for mobile podcasting — and my carry-on roller bag with one side filled with costume and prop pieces for our comedy show. My advice is don’t overpack! I find when I travel, I always need less than I thought I would. The joy of not having to check baggage and also wait for it after you arrive is real. Be first in the Uber line, or getting your rental car and get moving!

Soap Hub: Do you have a funny travel story?
Bradford Anderson: Yes. Airport shuttles are a great equalizer. They’re sometimes a necessity, and no one is happy to be on it. Once, at LAX [Los Angeles International airport], I was en route to the terminal from a parking facility, and I noticed a pretty well-dressed businessman eyeing me over his reading material. After a few minutes, he finally whispered — but still audible to everyone in the small shuttle — ‘Are you the Jackal?’ At which point, the rest of the shuttle appeared discomfited, worried that they were on the shuttle with an international criminal. I could have explained to everyone that the Jackal is no more than a goofy character from a soap opera. Instead, I simply sat back in my seat, smiled wryly, and said, ‘Yes. Yes I am.’

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.