It was a pleasure meeting Robert Palmer Watkins in February! Despite his busy schedule, Robert generously agreed to share his time to answer a few questions for Carolyn Topol Talk, about all he is doing, from acting, to music, to philanthropic activities, to spending many weekends with his fans.
CarolynTopolTalk: You have acquired a huge fan base through your role as Dillon Quartermaine on General Hospital. How long have you been on the show — it hasn’t been that long, has it?
Robert Palmer Watkins: It’s been almost two years. I think I started April 27th, 2015. The time’s flown by. I signed a four year contract and I’m opened to it being longer when the time comes. I remember thinking, “Wow, four years is a long time,” and now I’m here, halfway through, and can’t believe how fast it’s gone by. I only have two years left. Hopefully I’ll stay longer. It’s funny how the time goes by when you’re having fun and I’ve had such a blast doing the show.
CTT: Did you have any inkling when you started that you would have such a huge fanbase?
RPW: It’s been amazing! I know the show, obviously, has a huge platform and it’s been on for 54 years, and that’s for a reason. The fans are very, very loyal. I have to say I’ve been very grateful that I’ve had a good response, coming on as a new actor, especially as a recast, which can be difficult at times. The fans seemed to warm up to me, for the most part. I would say 90% of the fans have been very welcoming to me on the show. They’ve been very supportive. It seems like they follow my music stuff, and I do a web series with my roommates that they’ve been watching. Any project I work on, or event that I do, they [the fans] seem very excited and supportive so I want to say thank you to all you guys. It’s awesome!
CTT: As a recast you had a really good entry scenario as the role wasn’t recast immediately.
RPW: Right, right.
CTT: It has been a long time since the previous actor left Port Charles, so when Dillon came back on scene, we were ready for him and whatever story lines came with him.
RPW: I think I kind of lucked out with that, because a recast can be difficult. I understand. If I was watching a show, and I was hooked on it and into a character that is played by a specific actor, and the next day a different actor was playing that character, I’d have a hard time adjusting. I can really understand that, and understand why fans can have a hard time with a quick recast. Unfortunately, it’s not the actors fault. The poor new actor is so excited to come into this role and then people can be resistant to that, and it’s not because the actor is bad, it’s because they are used to something else. They can’t handle a switch that fast. I think you’re right — I think I really did luck out. There was 10 years between when the previous Dillon, Scott Clifton, left and I came on. I think the fans were a little more open to the idea of a new actor playing Dillon. They realized that even if Scott Clifton was to come back and play that role, he would play it differently now because he’s ten years older.
CTT: Exactly I agree.
RPW: People mature a lot in 10 years — especially an actor whose character lived in LA for 10 years. He definitely would’ve changed and matured. I’m really happy to take on the role. Scott Clifton laid a good groundwork for me. He brought a lot to the character, and I got to keep a little bit of his sarcasm and humor, but added my own style.
CTT: You have definitely made Dillon very easy to like, and he’s certainly a three-dimensional character. He’s got flaws but he’s also really likable.
RPW: Thank you I really appreciate that. It’s nice playing a character that’s likable because I’ve played a lot of assholes. [Laughs] The last three characters before General Hospital were not the nicest guys.
CTT: Where was that? Was that on the soap?
RPW: One was a web series I did. Actually two of them were web series one was a gaming web series and one was a supernatural web series. Both went really well. I was also in an independent movie called Back to Awesome which you can find on Amazon — I played a cheating boyfriend. [Laughs] It’s nice to play Dillon, even though he has his flaws, and I’m hoping he continues to have flaws. Actually, I kind of want to see Dillon mess up a little more because I think it’s fun to come out of that. It is nice to play guy who, at heart, is a good guy who tries to make the right decisions and cares about people.
CTT: Talking a little bit more about Dillon Quartermaine — you have had two storylines that have been major, in terms of their length as well, as well as the depth in which they engaged fans. When did you learn you were going to become the son of the General Hospital serial killer? That was such a huge storyline for so long.
RPW: I found out when I went up to the writers office one day and one of our writers, Elizabeth, who’s awesome and knows everything about General Hospital since it’s been on. If I ever have a question I know I can go to her and ask what does this mean, who is this person, or how am I related to this person? You really need someone on the show like this — especially a show that’s been on 54 years — let’s face it, I haven’t even been alive 54 years. [Laughs] I’m still figuring out some of the family history. So, I went up to her office once when I had a scene with my dad [Richard Burgi] and Tracy [Jane Elliot] in the Metro Court where we were in an argument. I was confused because I thought we were on the way to rectifying our relationship, and then we get into this fight again, so I went up to Elizabeth to ask is she could give me an idea of where this is heading because I don’t want to play this fight the same way. She said that was a good point, and told me we’re planning on this big storyline coming up where your dad is going to be a serial killer and you’re going to come in and save Tracy. I was like… WHOA, wow — that’s out of the blue -awesome! I was really excited because that’s a really big storyline to be connected to, but I was also bummed because I realized that meant that my dad would probably be taken to prison. That sucks, because I love Richard Burgi. I think he and I worked well together. I loved our father-son dynamic. I’m hoping somewhere, somehow they’ll bring him back. I don’t know how they could bring him back, but maybe Dillon will make a prison visit or something. The storyline was great. It’s just unfortunate that we won’t have Richard Burgi on the show as much as we did.
CTT: Somehow in soaps they always find a way to redeem characters. You never lose hope.
RPW: That’s true.
CTT: Even if they’re dead you don’t have to lose hope on a soap opera.
RPW: Yes, that’s very true. [Laughs]
CTT: You’re other big storyline had fans waiting and waiting to see who your big romance would be and they finally started seeing Dillon and Kiki [Hayley Erin] getting closer.
RPW: Right.
CTT: I love to know how you felt about how long it took for these two characters to finally get together.
RPW: We have finally gotten together and I’m so glad. You’re right. Poor Dillon — since he’s gotten on the show Dillon has been blue balled – for lack of a better term. [Lots of laughter] He was in love with Lulu [Emme Rylan] and never got that and then he had a thing for Valerie [Brytni Sarpy] and never got that because she was actually in love with Dante [Dominic Zamprogna], who was still in love with Lulu. Then it looked like he might have a flirty thing with Maxie [Kirsten Storms] but she’s with Nathan [Ryan Paevey] and that never escalated so Dillon hasn’t really been that lucky in Port Charles.
Hayley and I became really close, right off the bat, on set. She was a new actress playing the character and I was new, so we clicked right away. She’s super down-to-earth and I’m goofy — it was fun — no drama. We get along, so it makes sense we have chemistry on camera. The first day they shot the hospital scene where our characters crossed paths for the first time it worked. It felt natural; it felt right. The fans response to us meeting — I never received a response like that with any other character relationship. It was pretty obvious the writers needed to continue with that.
CTT: Whether that was the intention or not?
RPW: Yes, right. Our producer came down and said that this is what we call a chemistry test — we randomly throw two characters together and see what happens. Hayley and I were thinking, “This is awesome. Let’s make this work — we’re friends and it would be cool to work together.” We were hoping it would work. I guess it worked because here we are.
It definitely has been a while. I think they saw the potential of this relationship so thet wanted to take their time with it, which I appreciate. On one hand I thought, “Well, let’s get to it already,” and on the other hand I thought, “What happens when you get to it. What happens when we’re together and everything’s fine and we’re happy?” That doesn’t last very long on the soap. I’m okay with the slow build because that IS the story. I think we’ll be happy for a little while, but we are on the soap opera so I’m sure something will happen. For now, as far as I know, we’re solid. We finally had sex [recently] – thank God. [Laughs] It’s going great, and Hayley is awesome.
CTT: For all of us watching at home, the sex scene, followed by a pint of ice cream had us laughing — it was priceless. [Lots of laughing] It was especially funny when Franco [Roger Howarth] walked in.
RPW: I’m hoping this will lead to more scenes with Roger because I really haven’t gotten to work with him that often.
CTT: Is there anybody else on the cast you would really like to work with who you haven’t had any scenes with?
RPW: [Pictured above with co-stars, Bryan Craig and Donnell Turner) I’ve been pretty lucky. I guess being a Quartermaine I’ve been tied up with, and linked in with, a lot of different families. Let’s see… who have I really not gotten to work with? You know, I haven’t gone to work with Chad [Duell], who plays Michael. I haven’t gotten to work with him as much as I’d like and I know we’d work well together. We get along really well as friends and I think it would just make sense to have more scenes with him because we’re both kind of related, and we’re both kind of in the same business, but were also rivals in way, since he’s a Corinthos. I think there’s a lot there. I also think Dillon needs a buddy. He needs the guy friend too.
CTT: It would also be amusing since Michael was at one point involved with Kiki as well.
RPW: Oh that’s right, before Morgan. That would be cool; I’d like to work with him more. I’d like to work with Donnell Turner. He’s just a great guy, and Anthony Montgomery. I enjoy working with anybody — they’re all awesome. I’d love some more scenes with Sonny [Maurice Benard]. I haven’t gone to work with him that many times. I would just like to learn from him as an actor — he’s so phenomenal and strong. I know that every young actor who gets to work with him comes away saying, “I learned so much,” and I would love that opportunity. Hopefully that will happen at some point too. There’s got to be something out there because I’m not sure how the storylines would cross.
Playing a Quartermaine does leave the door open because they have their hands in a lot of different areas in Port Charles.
CTT: Earlier you mentioned your music; tell me a bit more about that, and where you are going with it.
RPW: Music has always been a big passion. Now that I’m acting more consistently, I have a little free time to focus on music also. We started doing a Funky Friday thing, where on Fridays we would do a short little clip, on Instagram, of a cover of a song that we’ve wanted to do and it turned into something, so we made it bigger. We did a couple of music videos — they were still covers of hit songs that were out at the time. The response was great and we love doing it. We all loved working on the project together — myself and my roommates, who are my best friends. It’s really cool, but it’s hard to balance everything. Now that I’m hosting the GH events with Laura [Wright], and I’m on the show, and I’ve got my side business, Rodan & Fields, I do, definitely, want to make time for the music stuff as well. We’re definitely going to get back on it pretty soon. It’s also a matter of all the roommates I have to getting our schedules to all line-up. It’s hard because they’re all actors and models and singers too. We do have some stuff coming for you guys — thank you for the support on that as well.
CTT: You and your roommates have developed a web series, No Shame No Fear, too, correct?
RPW: We have a web series/documentary that comes out Sundays. We’ve had several episodes already. Not all of us are in everyone. My roommate, Phil, is the director and it’s from his point of view, so I’m not in every episode. It’s basically ‘a day in the life’ of what we’re doing out here in LA as entertainers. We’re all slowly starting to make it. We’re all starting to get work, which is great. It’s cool to say. I think it’s intriguing just to watch the struggle. You see shows like Entourage where the group is already huge and lives in a big mansion, but that’s not us yet. We’re, kind of, on the come-up, which is interesting and we’re just a bunch of goofballs. If you want to check, it’s on YouTube – No Shame No Fear. The episodes are pretty short. They’re usually under 10 minutes.
CTT: A sort of Entourage before the wealth?
RPW: Exactly.
CTT: Now going back to the soaps, did you ever audition for any other soaps before you started on General Hospital?
RPW: I actually did. I auditioned for The Bold and the Beautiful. It was a really small roll — I think it was a guest star role. Not that there’s any small role, I would’ve been thrilled to get that role. I actually went in for Mark Teschner, the General Hospital casting director, a couple of times before the audition for Dillon. It went well, but I think I was just a little young and still needed to grow a bit as an actor. I don’t think I was right for those rolls. I think I went in for The Young and the Restless but I’m not positive. It’s been a long time. When you’re auditioning every day, it does become a blur. I do have a list of all the things I’ve gone in for because I try to keep track of the casting directors and keep in touch.
CTT: There’s no question that you and Dillon are a match.
RPW: Yes, definitely.
CTT: Do you have any other projects, now, that you’re working on?
RPW: I’m filming Better in British. [Links posted on Robert Palmer Watkins’s Facebook page.] We’re working on some music projects. The landlord of the house we’re renting is also in entertainment, and she’s working on a pilot and asked me and my roommates to do some of the music for that. I just signed on to be a spokesperson for Contractors for Kids which is a charity organization that has been involved with the GH Fantasy Events for a couple of years. They basically raise money to help families with children who are sick and allow the parents to take off work to be with their children. I’m very passionate about kids and wanted to find a charity organization that deals with helping children. I think, as of right now, that’s pretty much all I’ve got going on.
CTT: That’s a lot! Do you get to sleep at all? [Laughs]
RPW: I do find time to sleep somehow. I definitely get my sleep in because I know I need it.
CTT: You were really welcoming and engaging when I saw you with fans recently. It seemed very natural and comfortable for you. You’re involved in many fan events, working closely with Laura Wright and acting as host for many of these events now. How did that come about?
RPW: As you said it’s just something that happens naturally; I enjoy people. That’s always been my strong point. I enjoy interacting with people and meeting them. I think you hit the nail on the head — it just comes very naturally to me and I’m very grateful for that. I think it helps, especially with the industry I’m in, to be a people person. I do enjoy talking to people and I especially love meeting the fans. You go to these events and realize how the show has affected people, and learn what storylines they enjoy. Just hearing the fans passion, gets me passionate. It recharges me, gets me excited to come back to LA and work really hard to make the show as good as I can.
It’s nice to just check back in with the fans. We have Twitter and Instagram and Facebook and can see what your opinions are — which is good and bad [laughs], but there’s something about being in person and having that human connection. I love it and I think that maybe [those who organize] the GH Fantasy Events picked up on the fact that I enjoy it, and it does come naturally — that’s why they asked. I try to be easy to work with and pretty down-to-earth. I try to go with the flow, so it was a good fit and I get along great with Laura.
CTT: You’re wonderful with the fans, and it’s fun to share anecdotes with you. GH has recently had a lot of “family” Quartermaine scenes. Tell me about that and how it works for you?
RPW: The Quartermaine scenes are always fun; they’re always a good time. There’s always a lot of one-liners, and people one-upping each other, and sarcastic little comments back and forth. I find them very humorous. I like them a lot!
CTT: Is there ad-libbing during those scenes?
RPW: Sometimes there is a little bit. In big groups scenes, like that, I think there’s a little less ad-libbing. When you have that many people who have a line to get in, if somebody starts improvising it’s hard because you can’t all be talking over each other. When there’s two people, you could ad lib a little and just play off each other, because you’re the only two people in the scene and you can see what the other person is doing. In a group, it’s hard to keep everybody on track if someone starts mouthing off with random stuff — but there’s always some. Everybody changes a line or two or changes a couple of words. It makes it more their own.
CTT: Do you remember a specific scene when you ad libbed?
RPW: Let me think about that. I try to stick pretty close to what it is — to what the writing is. I trust the writers. Sometimes they will use of phrase or a word that feels a little dated to me, especially for Dillon since he’s lived in LA. For instance, the word “swell”. I’ll change stuff like that. There have been a couple of days where I just haven’t been as prepared as I thought I was, or I lost track of the lines, so I just had to go with it. You know what the scene is about so you keep talking. I can’t think of the exact scenes. What’s funny is, sometimes those scenes turn out to be the best because you actually are thinking of the words in the moment since you’re making them up. Sometimes, when I re-watch, I’m surprised at how well it came out. It’s also good to check back in on yourself — not obsess about yourself, but just check in. It’s important to find out if what you were feeling matched up with what the cameras got.
CTT: That makes a lot of sense. I’ve never asked this question before, but since I know you follow the storylines on the show, if you were watching as a viewer, which story lines are you enjoying the most at this moment?
RPW: I like what’s going on with the whole Sonny/Nelle/Carly thing. I like seeing how this unfolds. I do like the Dillon and Kiki stuff — I’m a little biased towards that. I want Maxie to stay at Crimson because we have a great relationship and dynamic there, but storyline-wise it’s kind of interesting to see Nina and Maxie as enemies right now. Nina firing Maxie and putting Nathan in an awkward position is interesting. I love Michelle Stafford, and anything she’s in, I enjoy watching. She’s very entertaining. I’m actually enjoying all the stories right now. I also like watching how the whole Olivia Jerome story is coming to a head.
CTT: I have to say, the fans are really enthusiastic about seeing you on screen.
RPW: Thank you so much.
CTT: Your fans are also following you on all the web pieces you are doing. Thank you so much for sharing so much with us!
*****
Thank you to Robert Palmer Watkins for sharing his time with us. Robert’s enthusiasm about all his does, especially his role on General Hospital, is evident and we hope he will be on GH for many years to come!
To find out more about all of the projects Robert is involved with, please visit his website: http://www.robertpalmerwatkins.com
Contractors for Kids: http://www.contractorsforkids.org
You can also find Robert Palmer Watkins on all social media platforms. He enjoys interacting with all his fans!