Lynn's Lounge - Soap Opera Digest Interview 2005

Lynn's Lounge by Lynn Leahey
Soap Opera Weekly
November 22, 2005

Lynn: After electrifying Guiding Light for 25 years, Michael succumbed to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) in 1998, a battle movingly recounted in your new book, Not That Man Anymore, which you wrote together before he died. When did he first notice something was wrong?

Susan: The first time was September 1996 in a scene with Maureen [Garrett, Holly], where Roger was "pretending" to go crazy. Michael/Roger had a line, "I'm not that man anymore." His tongue, to his ear only, would not negotiate the "man anymore." A fairly metaphoric twist, wouldn't you say?

Lynn: How long before his castmates noticed something was off?

Susan: I don't think anyone on the show heard anything until after the first of the year. I began to hear something, but it was so slight I thought Michael was just being hypercritical. Maureen didn't hear anything; in fact her chapter quote [in the book] says that she (and many co-workers) thought Michael was imagining something, that he was stressed to the breaking point.

Lynn: But eventually, as his condition deteriorated and he was still undiagnosed, he was let go from GL in 1997. How did he take that?

Susan: He had intuited that "something was up," because he was scheduled to work only one show after having had a 10-day vacation. Most often Roger would be worked within an inch of his life after a vacation. After that show, they simply called him in and told him they were replacing him. They asked him not to talk to the press. Judging from his appearance when he came home and told me, he was in shock. His reaction was totally uncharacteristic. He wasn't angry. Stunned ... shocked.

Lynn: What were the reactions of his GL castmates?

Susan: His castmates had pretty much the same reaction. They couldn't believe it.

Lynn: In the book, Michael talks about fan support reviving his spirits? True?

Susan: Support from fans was the most important boost to his morale. But remember, fans didn't even know what was happening for about five months. Once they knew, their reactions of concern, anger, resourcefulness, fueled Michael. Their anger gave him permission to feel his own. Their belief in him, his talent and his contribution to the show enabled him to have the strength to buck the rising tide. They were his lifeline ... actually, I think as much as or more than we, his family, were. We were involved in the daily challenges and squabbles. What the fans offered was pure love and support.

Lynn: How about support from the cast? Did Michael keep in touch with them or was it too painful?

Susan: Michael was always happy to hear from his colleagues. He had such deep respect for actors. He totally understood why some people dropped out of his life and did not call. He was hurt in certain instances, but he understood that people can be fearful for their jobs. He was a union man, his heart was always with the worker. And he was a very forgiving person ... far more than I !!!

Lynn: "One Life to Live" then stepped in and offered Michael the chance to reprise David Renaldi, with his by-now-diagnosed illness written in. Was Michael surprised by that?

Susan: I guess he was surprised about ABC. Although, beneath his hurt and fear there was a healthy part of him -- when he got angry at the unfairness -- that knew he was still an actor. He was very confident, which I think is one of the reasons he was so popular. His confidence did not spring from ego but from trust in himself and hard work.

Lynn: If Michael were here, what message do you think he'd want to give fans?

Susan: Gratitude. Michael always said he had the greatest fans. They got him as an actor and got the character. I also think he would want his fans to be confident about the unique role they play in this particular medium we call "Daytime".