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Actor talks aboutBy JO CRAVEN sun WriterDespite a car accident six year* ago that left him temporarily unconscious and In a cast for months, actor Larkin Malloy has steadily climbed the ladder to soap opera stardomMalloy, who plays Travis Montgomery opposite Susan Luce I as Erica on ABC’s All My Children. began acting professionally while he was a student at Iona College in New Yorlt Although he knew he had a passion for acting in high school, there was still a question of whether he should make a career of it. Malloy appeared Saturday at the grand re opening at Holly Hill Mall in BurlingtonI started working as an actor while I was still in college at Iona on what is known as ofT-ofT-Broadway.’' Malloy says This would be the equivalent to the triple A ball compared to professional theater We would act, paint sets and do the lights because we didn't have anyone on salary to do those things *’Malloy. 33. quit college after one year, but he stayed with his acting troupe for four years performing clat-sics by Shakespeare. Chekhov and IbsenAfter working on his own for a while, he got an agent and told him he would like to do some really good theater. This led to performances at such playhouses as The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Minn.. The Arena Stage In Washington. DC. and The Goodman Theatre in Chicago. IllThen 1 sat down with my agent and said this is a lot of fUn.'but I would like some experience in front of the camera,” Malloy saysThree weeks later, he landed his first television role as Sky Whitney on 'The Edge of Night.” a half-hour soap opera which is no longer in production It was during this lime that Malloy, a Manhattan native who grew up in the Bronx, was run down by a car while crossing New York City’s Park Avenue.Thank God I had the Job and the producer I had,” Malloy says. “He was the first person by my bed and I heard him saying. The job is still yours, don't worry ’ I was unconscious for a while, and while I was unconscious. 1 kept saying. I’ve got to get to work. I’ve got to get to work. I’ve got to keep my job:Malloy says he worked with his leg in a cast for nine months, while the soap's crew devised camera angles to disguise his limp T’m fine now. ’ Malloy says, mocking a dance step, but I still can’t Up dance ”Although the actors had six weeks notice before The Edge of Night went off the air. Malloy says it was still a shock for the show to end. However, a hectic schedule kept him from getting too sentimenul over its demise. While still working on Edge.” he received an offer from another soap opera, Guiding Light.1 read with Kira Zimmer (Reva Shayne). and they said they wanted me for the part of Kyle Sampson.’’ Malloy says They said. We need you the week of Deccareer, showThat also happened to be the last week of Edge but “Guiding Light insisted he begin work that week rather than the following week“I would finish at Edge,'get in a waiting limoand ride to the set of Guiding Light,’ Malloy says ’That week. I did five episodes of Edge' and three of Guiding Light.’ It was hard to keep my head on straight One day I did six episodes worth of scenes in one day.”Malloy had signed a three-year contract with Guiding Light.’’ but after two years, he believed his character had been written into a hopeless corner, and he began looking for more challenging work.’’For the firet one-and-a-half years, the character was very well written, extremely well written at times.' Malloy saysBut a repetitive story line eventually discouraged himMacve t Kyle Sampson s wife on Guiding Light’) has a baby, and we spend six months on a baby line, he says, recalling the soap’s plot- Reva'sold boyfriend arrives, and she ha* a baby Now I’ve got an ex-wife with a baby, and I’ve got an ex-girlfriend with a baby I told them if they could think of something other than another baby or jealousy stoiy line I would be happy to continue, but if not. it was a w aste of effort We decided to quit while we were ahead.’’On the last day of his contract. Malloy met with Susan Lucci. By chance, he had run into Joan D’Incecco. the casting director of All My Children, while having lunch with a friend who was to audition with her later Malloy ended up with an audition also, and won the part of Travis on what he describes as the prestige program for actors to work on in New YorkHe’s been with All My Children ’ for 18 months, and says working with Lucci couldn't be better, despite his early apprehensionAll I knew was her character Malloy says of Lucci. “and Erica is a man-eater.Luckily, Lucci put his worries to rest.She’s definitely a consummate professional,” Malloy says. She is nothing like her character She t» a real lady. She is very, very serious about her work She has more discipline than almost anyone I've worked with. She hasn't let her enormous stardom interfere with her priorities. Her family is her first priority. Work comes second ”Malloy, who Is single, says family is also his number one priority, and he eventually hopes to settle down and start his ownIn the meantime, he says he is content with his work on All My Children.” Although he has no plans for leaving the show, he says if the work should no longer challenge him. his first goal would be to return to the stage”1 don't choose to go to California to do god-awfiil sitcoms. he says There are very' few nighttime projects that I think are worthwhile, but if the time conies on All My Children’ when I think the work is no longer challenging me. I'll leave.”
Newspaper Details
Burlington Daily Times News
Burlington, North Carolina, US
Tue, May 03, 1988
Page 6
Full Page
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