Soap
Opera Weekly - June 27th, 2003
Interview
with John James - King James
No, you don't
have a case of double vision. John James can be seen in two
different places these days -- on As the World Turns as mysterious
Dr. Rick Decker and as dashing Jeff Colby on Dynasty and The Colbys
reruns on SOAPnet. He opens up about returning to soaps and why he
left Hollywood.
WEEKLY:
Your first role was as Tom Bergman on Search for Tomorrow
(1976-'79). How is it being back on daytime?
JOHN JAMES: I was expecting it to be fast and difficult. It's
amazing that they can do it in a day. The first five days I was just
trying to find my way around, remember lines and be where I had to
be. It was exhausting. But every day is getting a little easier.
WEEKLY:
What drew you back to daytime?
JAMES: Chris Goutman (ATWT's executive producer and James'
former dressing roommate at Search; Goutman played Marc D'Antoni)
called and said, "I would like to talk to you about this
role." I came in, spent a couple of hours with him and said,
"This would be fun."
WEEKLY:
Have you kept in touch with Goutman over the years?
JAMES: Not really, other than Christmas cards, kids. That is
how things get when you get older (laughs).
WEEKLY:
How do you like working with Marie Masters (Susan)?
JAMES: She's wonderful. Thank goodness I had someone to make
me feel as comfortable as she did; she went out of her way and I
appreciated that. Especially since you don't want to be the new kid
in school. I forgot what it was like. It's a pretty awful feeling.
WEEKLY:
Have you kept up with any of your Dynasty co-stars?
JAMES: Last summer the BBC did a Dynasty documentary and
gathered us all together in L.A. with the exception of John
(Forsythe, Blake) and Linda (Evans, Krystle). They did
[an interview with] Joan (Collins, Alexis) in London so it
was Jack (Coleman, Steven), Gordon (Thomson, Adam), Emma
(Samms, Fallon). That was the first time we have gotten together
in many years. I see Joan often. I saw her a couple of months ago
for a book-signing party in Manhattan. She's been to our house a few
times in the past three or four years. I probably see her the most.
WEEKLY:
Do you watch Dynasty and The Colbys on SOAPnet?
JAMES: I do. Boy, was it well-done! It was far enough away
that I can be objective about it and actually watch myself for the
first time on television. When they aired the first 15 shows of
Dynasty, I quickly became aware of how people could get so hooked on
that show. We couldn't wait to watch the next evening. Just watching
the richness of the production and the colors and how everyone was
dressed was very cool. It was a great period. And my wife always has
The Colbys on on Saturday mornings.
WEEKLY:
Was it a treat for the kids (12-year-old Laura and
10-year-old Philip) to see dad?
JAMES: Yeah. Of course I look like their brother (laughs).
WEEKLY:
Do you still get recognized as Jeff?
JAMES: Yeah, but not like it was back then. It was like bombs
going off. It was hysteria. It was like, "Oh, my God, Jeff
Colby!" Now it is like, "Did you...Are you...Jeff?"
They look and think: No, it couldn't be. Or they'll ask me if I'm
from their hometown (laughs). That is where it is now and that's OK.
Believe me, there is something to losing one's anonymity and Dynasty
was, for all practical purposes, a publicity agent's dream show.
That was the hard part. It wasn't the filming, which were certainly
long days. It was all the stuff that went along with it -- the
parties, talk shows, photo shoots on your days off, things like
that. There was such a demand not only nationally but
internationally. There were only three networks, and a small
audience for us would be 30 million people. We were thrown off the
air with 29. That is part of the reason I moved where I did. I
wanted to play. I needed to indulge in things that I wanted to do,
which was live in the country and start a family. I had to do it. I
made a lot of money, saved it and decided to work on my terms. I
wouldn't do this [role] if it were in L.A. I just couldn't be away
from my family.
WEEKLY:
You have a farm in upstate New York?
JAMES: Yes, 200 and something acres outside of Saratoga
Springs. It's my little paradise. When we want to we jump in the car
and go over to Lake George.
WEEKLY:
What projects have you been doing since Dynasty left the airwaves?
JAMES: I did a movie, Icebreaker, with Sean Astin and
it was filmed in Vermont. I drove my pickup truck to work. I
thought: Well good, Hollywood is coming to me!
By
Tonya Lensch |
