[ed.note. I cannot guarantee that all comments are where they are supposed to be. Feel free to suggest corrections]

Copyright Delphi Internet Services 1997 (http://www.delphi.com)
Janury 23, 1997


Angela (Host) Welcome to Delphi's chat with Michael Tylo!!

MICHAELTYLO> Hi to everyone! I'm anxious to answer your questions.

Angela (Host)> Is Lisa Brown (Nola) as wacky in real life as she is on
screen?

MICHAELTYLO> Lisa Brown is one of the nicest & warmest people I know. Yet she
has a great sense of humor.
MICHAELTYLO> And, she's a straight-shooter & calls 'em like she sees 'em.


Angela (Host)> she seems like she would be an "off-the-wall" type of
person... the kind to make the set laugh.. is she?

MICHAELTYLO> She does, on occasion, but when it comes to work she is very professional. But, she will also enjoy & make a moment if someone screws up. She's usually the first one to comment on it.


CK> Do you ever improvise? And how is that looked upon by the suits?

MICHAELTYLO> We don't improvise as much as people think, because there are
cues within the lines as well as on the lines.
MICHAELTYLO> Any changes that were made on Guiding Light were made in
rehearsal.


Angela (Host)> how many hours/days does one scene take?

MICHAELTYLO> On average we shoot 72-80 pages of dialogue per day which is
normally one show.
MICHAELTYLO> However, we will add scenes sometimes to give ourselves time off
at Christmas.
MICHAELTYLO> IOW, we'll sometimes do 6 shows in 5 days.


Angela (Host)> I understand you teach at a college in Allentown, PA. Is it
an archaeology class? :)

MICHAELTYLO> No, it's the .... I'm the director of the TV & Film Dept. & I
teach writing, directing, acting, producing.


CK> I know you've had a widely varied Soap career. What soaps were you on,
and what parts did you play on them?

MICHAELTYLO> On Another World, I was on briefly, all of 2 weeks, ...
MICHAELTYLO> I was hired by Paul Rausch who is now the producer of GuidingLight, .. And, then fired by him, 2 weeks later, ..
MICHAELTYLO>The show was in transition & what they did was send everyone to a party I was throwing & kill a bunch of people off.
MICHAELTYLO> Next, I was Quint.
MICHAELTYLO> On AMC I was Matt Conley.
MICHAELTYLO> Then, on GH, for 6 months I played TracyQ's brother-in-law.
MICHAELTYLO> I got my title back from my bastard brother & went back to
England.
MICHAELTYLO> Then, after that, I was Blade & Rick on Y&R.
MICHAELTYLO> Next to Quint, on GL, Zorro was an all time favorite of mine.


CK> Matt Connolly, was that the guy who was in love with Nina while she went
off looking for Cliff?

MICHAELTYLO> Matt Connolly married Nina & we both left the show at the same
time.


VALW> I was wondering if the scenes with Lisa Brown last year during Henry's funeral where as emotionally difficult for you to do, as they were for the fans to watch. I know I had to went through a few boxes of tissues back then.

MICHAELTYLO> Yes, for 2 reasons, Bill Roerick was a good friend, so it was my saying good-bye to him as well as the character. And, also, I thought it was kind of a jerky storyline that my character had an affair with a student.


CK> So you were the real Lord Ashton?

MICHAELTYLO> Yeah, I was the real Lord Ashton.


ginny> Michael which show are you on now the young and the restless is one of my favorites!

MICHAELTYLO> Ginny, I'm neither right now. I don't know if there are any shows of mine left to air on Guiding Light.
MICHAELTYLO> I am presently unemployed except as a teacher.

CK> Does a soap actor have any recourse when subjected to a "jerky
storyline?"

MICHAELTYLO> When I was originally on the storyline & it didn't work, I thought it was kind of stupid that they brought the character back that way.
MICHAELTYLO> I mean, Quint would never leave Nola over a student, no matter how brilliant or beautiful.
MICHAELTYLO> The fans could not have disliked watching it any more than I disliked doing it.
MICHAELTYLO> When I negotiated the deal Michael Laibson was producer of GL. He told me there was a story between Nola & Quint, you know, front-burner, romantic, like the old days, with a lot of fantasies, storyline.
MICHAELTYLO> They were even thinking of bringing Mrs. Renfield back.
MICHAELTYLO> Then, Paul Rausch was hired & Michael Laibson took the storyline with him.
MICHAELTYLO> Paul decided to go a different way.
MICHAELTYLO> In December when I did my one show he told me there was no story.
MICHAELTYLO> Even though I had a 3 year contract I wasn't going to be window
dressing.
MICHAELTYLO> The fans deserve better than that.


Angela (Host)> What about the rumors that you didn't show up on the set of
GL? Are they true?

MICHAELTYLO> Nothing could be further from the truth (that I didn't show up)
MICHAELTYLO> Those of you who have seen me work know that I am too professional just not to show up.
MICHAELTYLO> I said my good-byes to all on the set on that Friday.
MICHAELTYLO> There was no sense in my sticking around till the following
Wednesday to tape something where I would be standing in the background.
MICHAELTYLO> Mr. Rausch approved it that way & that was that.
MICHAELTYLO> I am highly offended by that rumor & if I ever find out who
started it, there will be hell to pay.
MICHAELTYLO> On my last day, as I was leaving, Paul Rausch said, "Good Bye and Good Luck!" I even told him if he ever *did* want to tie up the loose ends of Nola & Quint to call me.
MICHAELTYLO> Everybody knew I was leaving.
MICHAELTYLO> This is just to make it look like TPTB or somebody didn't screw
up.
MICHAELTYLO> 25 years of work I have only failed to show up for work ONE day
& then I have 104 degree temperature.
MICHAELTYLO> When I was on AMC once I was sick, throwing up, fever & all that
& they sent me to the hospital, then back to work & then, back for a 3 days
stay.

MICHAELTYLO> The other thing that mystified me was that it was my sister,
Vanessa, who died & they didn't even have me at her memorial, funeral,
nothing, ...
MICHAELTYLO> Then, they weren't going to have me at the dedication until
someone suggested it.
MICHAELTYLO> Rausch told me that the stories were going for romance & that
TPTB saw no romance in Nola & Quint.


MICHAELTYLO> When Quint left, he was one of the richest men, not only in
Springfield but in the world.
MICHAELTYLO> For the entire time I was there they had my living in a tent.


Janine> MICHAEL???? Might you go back to Y&R?? Hint, hint???

MICHAELTYLO> While no one has asked me to return to Y&R I am always open.
MICHAELTYLO> Since Y&R is right across the hall from my wife, I'd be glad to.
MICHAELTYLO> I've heard the rumors myself but no one has called me to ask
about it.


ERICKSEN> how are they explaining his disappearance (Quint's) on the show?

MICHAELTYLO> I don't know how they are explaining Quint's disappearance.
MICHAELTYLO> They have not contacted me to come back & tie up loose ends.
MICHAELTYLO> I did tell them that I would NOT come back to tie up loose ends
if it meant leaving Nola again.


Angela (Host)> I really liked hearing the story about how you met and convinced Hunter to go out with you. How did she react when you told her the truth - that dinner with her was part of bet?

MICHAELTYLO> Hunter knew that the fix was on with the dinner, that took me 3
months to arrange, when she walked in & saw that Mark was with a date.


ERICKSEN> I'm in effect a new viewer as I didn't start watching until last summer although I did watch 20 years ago, but couldn't Quint be doing more active things in the family business now that Vanessa's gone?

MICHAELTYLO> There was no discussion of having Quint be involved in the family business.
MICHAELTYLO> As an example, I had a story years ago with Billy, Vanessa, etc.& when Billy came back to the show they didn't even have us greet each other.
MICHAELTYLO> They did their best to isolate the character.


Janine> Michael, how's the new baby?

MICHAELTYLO> The baby is doing fine.
MICHAELTYLO> She's getting prettier every day, looking more like her Mother.
MICHAELTYLO> The boys are really enjoying her, feeling very protective, and acting ... like older brothers.


VALW> TPTB have a very short and selective memory.

MICHAELTYLO> The writers are not going by the history.
MICHAELTYLO> They don't seem to know the history.
MICHAELTYLO> There is something to be said for getting out the show bible and
reading up on what happened, you know?


Angela (Host)> Who was your favorite Soap character to portray?

MICHAELTYLO> My all time favorite soap character would have to be Quint, and
after him, Rick, the evil twin brother on Y&R.


VALW> Do you think that decision had something to do with the show's apparent
interest in very young couples?

MICHAELTYLO> Every writer has his own agenda. Every one thinks they can cure
the ratings or whatever.
MICHAELTYLO> But, the writers have to know that Guiding Light was not built on hard, young bodies, but on characters. And, relationships. Family.
MICHAELTYLO> If they brought on a character that was the great-grandson of
the character that it's based on, that character would take right off.
MICHAELTYLO> But, writers seem fixated on making it another Sunset Beach
or...


MICHAELTYLO> You can't make it into just another Sunset Beach, or even a Y&R or B&B, it's Guiding Light, it's been on for 60 years!
MICHAELTYLO> My grandmother watched it.
MICHAELTYLO> My Mother watched it.
MICHAELTYLO> Of all the jobs I've ever had it was GL that my Mother was most
proud of.
MICHAELTYLO> Had my grandmother lived, she would have, too.
MICHAELTYLO> I am not angry with the show, though.


Terri> Michael? have you seen the Quint/Nola page on the Web? It has sound clips..

MICHAELTYLO> Yes, I know about the Quint/Nola webpage. I love it!
MICHAELTYLO> I can't wait to get to be computer savvy & pull it up & watch it.


MICHAELTYLO> I do have to go, my son has a piano lesson, etc.

MICHAELTYLO> But, if there are any remaining questions, I can answer them in
writing after the fact.