Megan Ward:
Megan Ward has had a new life since 2007 - that of an actress working on a soap opera. Not that Ward is a stranger to back-breaking work - far from it. A professional model from a very young age, Megan Ward's resume of acting credits is prolific and includes film, TV guest appearances and some wonderful series work: Fox Network's Party of Five, Dark Skies, an ahead-of-its-time series which found new life on the SciFi Network, Melrose Place, where she played another Connie, Boomtown, a cutting-edge series with too short of a network life, and a classy cable series, Sleeper Cell.
Megan Ward as Kate Howard:
General Hospital fans have enjoyed getting to know Kate Howard, the woman in Sonny Corinthos' life - she's the fashion maven and editor-in-chief of Crimson Magazine, portrayed with great depth by Ward. Formerly Connie Falconeri from Bensonhurst, New York, Kate had to re-invent herself to fit into the world of fashion and sophistication - though some wondered why she didn't begin her fashion career using just one name: Constanza. When her tough-talking, no nonsense cousin Olivia (Lisa LoCicero) turned up in Port Charles, we understood why "Connie" made the break.
The Soap Opera Pace:
Dealing with the soap world, Ward met some new challenges.
"We go so quickly, you have no idea," the energetic actress states, "and we don't just film six scenes from one show. It's 18 scenes from three shows without a break. You have to know what you want to do, know your lines and be prepared - whether it's physical comedy or sadness, whatever it is, you have to be ready. Now, if I haven't worked for four days, that's one thing.
To put this in perspective, an independent film will try to shoot anywhere from 5 to 8 pages of script daily. That's because they're on a tight budget and have to work fast! Soap actors make it look easy - and yet, they have the most grueling acting jobs in show business. "There is no time, and you have to deliver 100%," Ward says. "It's not just the lines, it's the blocking, emotional connections to the situations, it all has to be there.
Since joining the show, Ward is much more used to the pace, and it certainly sounds as if she thrives on it. "The truth is," she says, "I'm used to learning lines quickly and making stuff work. This has made me a better actor. Anyone in daytime will tell you, it's a muscle - there is a point when you cross over and become accustomed to learning those lines.
Creating the Character
Several aspects make soap opera acting different; one is the history many of the characters have with one another. "I just thought of storytelling and characters having new experiences and moving from here to there," she says. "Not only that, but a different actor or actress taking over a part - eventually, the writers move closer and closer to the dynamics the new individual brings to it, and playing the role becomes more comfortable.
Kate's Main Man, Sonny Corinthos
A lot of Ward's scenes have been with Maurice Benard (Sonny). Word is that Benard loves the entire Kate-Sonny dynamic because it allows him to show his lighter side. One thing some fans have loved in the past is Benard's sense of comedy - but when you're playing a Godfather and giving people those deadly stares, that doesn't get to come out much.
Regarding the Kate/Sonny relationship, she says, "I think what I've discovered about writing for soaps is that there is repetition so that viewers who miss shows can catch up. It took a lot of time to get accustomed to that. I'd say, 'Didn't we do this scene last week?' And the answer was, 'Yes, and you're going to do it next week.' It's five scenes for every one of a nighttime series. It can be so limiting for the actor, and Maurice has much more to offer.
Of Kate's future with Corinthos, she says, "Now we're entering into new territory where Sonny is all about the dark again. As a couple, we've dealt with a lot of these things. I think we're into the next stage of what all that means, the bigger consequences. There are really life choices at this point. It will be a slightly darker journey for Kate and Sonny."
The Journey of Megan Ward
And what kind of a time will this be for Megan Ward? She has enjoyed a busy and exciting life and already has taken quite an intercontinental journey. Married to business executive Michael Shore since 1995, she has a seven-year-old boy, Oliver and a two-year-old girl, Audrey. "I have several full-time jobs, so I have to multitask at all times," she says. "Oliver's in school all day now, and I'm fortunate to have a full-time babysitter. But I'll be at work and get panicked." Make no mistake - this is a hands-on mom, making costumes, fruit plates, paying bills, ordering tiles.
At one point, during a very intense time for Kate, she says, "I had worked every day on the show, dealing with complicated and complex emotional scenes - and I moved our whole family out of our house because we started a remodel. So I was packing and dealing with movers. I didn't sleep for a month. By the time Kate was injured and we got to the scenes where she's lying in bed, I was really looking forward to it, and I was so relieved. I thought, 'I'm just going to lay there and sleep.' Steve Burton told me during his prolonged hospital scenes, he fell asleep and didn't even know it! That's really sleeping on the job. Of course, once we got to the scenes, I wanted to do more and speak up!" Though doing more than one full-time job is tough, she says, "It's mostly keeping myself motivated. My life wouldn't be what I want it to be if I wasn't working and if I didn't have a family. It's up to me to keep my running shoes on."
(End of Part I. Next week, Megan Ward talks about other aspects of Kate's character, her independence at a young age and gives some observations about life in show business)
