Double Duty
By Deanna Barnert
As the human rope in Gwen and Theresa's relentless tug-of-war, Passions' Eric Martsolf (Ethan) has seen some vicious schemes and catfights. But when we caught up with the new dad on paternity leave, life was purrfect — minus the sleep deprivation, of course.
Weekly: Congrats on the April 7 birth of your twin boys, Chase and Mason.
Eric Martsolf: Thank you. It's a brilliant time, even though Lisa and I are so tired and frustrated. I don't know a bottle from a nipple, but it doesn't matter. I am in love with my sons.
Weekly: Did you stay in the hospital during birth?
Martsolf: I stayed with Lisa the whole time in that dreary hospital. Four days of pink walls, pink curtains, and hospital food. The only time I left was for a 10-minute El Pollo Loco run.
Weekly: Are you losing your voice?
Martsolf: I am. I got about 20 minutes of sleep last night. I have never been more exhausted in my life.
Weekly: How is Mom doing?
Martsolf: Lisa's been such a trooper. A C-section is a major surgery and she's had issues, but she fought through it. I don't think she's gotten a minute of sleep in the past 72 hours, but she is so in love with these kids. It's amazing to watch your loved one shoot this maternal instinct out like it was nothing.
Weekly: Any other surprises?
Martsolf: Chase has surprised me every single time I've changed his diaper by giving me one in the face. Even when I put a pad over to prevent him from doing that, he'll kick it off and nail me. When he's 15, he's going to get grounded for all the times he got Dad in the face.
Weekly: Does that mean you're going to be strict?
Martsolf: Lisa will throw the hammer down. I'll probably let them get away with murder. I don't see myself disciplining them well, because I love kids. I'm a goofball! I'm a 35-year-old who has trouble taking anything seriously, and the funniest moments are spontaneous, so I want to just let them go. I don't want to stifle them.
Weekly: Fans who only know you as Ethan would be surprised to hear you say you're a goofball. Is it ever hard to step into Ethan's straight-laced shoes?
Martsolf: If I'm not laughing, I don't know what I'm doing. That's my philosophy on life, so it's ironic that I was put into the Ethan mold. In the last few months, I've seen a bit more vertebrae in him, which is welcome. Ethan is a pain. He can't make up his mind.
Weekly: How do you feel about that?
Martsolf: It's a constant struggle. I'm the antithesis of that guy. I make up my mind at the drop of a hat, so it drives me crazy that Ethan tries to do the "right thing" instead of accepting what his heart is telling him.
Weekly: What do you think the ladies see in him?
Martsolf: It's a love/hate relationship for fans. You have to admire that fact that his marriage comes first, regardless of any curveball Theresa has thrown at him. That's a good message. A not-so-good message is that he's treading water with a woman that he respects and loves, when another woman out there makes his heart go 100 beats a minute.
Weekly: How do you feel Theresa's rise to power has affected the triangle?
Martsolf: It brought a welcome dynamic. Let's face it: We're dealing with a storyline that's been the same since the show's inception. It's hard to keep it interesting for eight freakin' years. That's our struggle, but that is also our blessing. We can try to evolve it and make it different.
Weekly: How do Liza Huber (Gwen) and Lindsay Hartley (Theresa) compare as love interests?
Martsolf: Passions usually gets recognized for its atypical storylines and fantasies, not its acting, but I enjoy my dialogue with those women so much. They both have so much fire under their bellies. When they release it, it's great. As far-fetched as it gets sometimes, we look for the moments where we can dive in and bring important issues up front.
Weekly: Yet they both joke about Gwen and Theresa finding new men, or running off together. What's your take?
Martsolf: I have to put my feelings aside when these two friends of mine tell me, "I wish I wasn't with you anymore!" It's Ethan they're talking about and I'm in no position to say, "What? He's a great catch." A man who can make up his mind and take action with his heart — that's a good catch.
Weekly: Have you ever been in a real-life love triangle?
Martsolf: Unlike Ethan, I've usually been able to nip relationships in the bud. They say women know whether they're going to sleep with a guy within a minute of meeting him. I think that, in essence, you also know whether this is a lifelong potential in front of you, so why waste your time if it's not? Isn't that the curse of most relationships? We stay in them, hoping someone — usually the other person — or some circumstance will change.
Weekly: Which is exactly where Theresa is, thanks to her belief in fate and destiny. What do you believe in?
Martsolf: Lisa has taught me one phrase: Man plans and God laughs. I am such a victim of that. As a decisive person, I'm also regimented. I like to know A, B and C, but it's those surprises in life that bring the most welcomed changes and events, so I think destiny has a huge role. Lisa and I struggled to get pregnant and thought about it 24/7. We'd almost accepted it wasn't going to happen for us and that's exactly when it did. When you let go, that's when the best things happen. Ethan's funny because his calling card is, "I don't believe in fate, Theresa," but he does and he knows it. It's tugging at his heart, but he won't admit it.
Weekly: He had no problem admitting how he felt about becoming a stay-at-home dad! What did you think of his response?
Martsolf: I welcomed it. Ethan detested it. He's had the hardest time with this, because he comes from a conservative family. This I can relate to. My mother wanted to substitute teach, but my father was the provider. Period. So I understand Ethan's qualms about Gwen going back to work.
Weekly: If Lisa got a rocking job offer, would you be up for staying home with Chase and Mason?
Martsolf: I would do whatever was best for our family, but I would probably resent it for a while. That's the way I'm wired as a human being. I take care of my family. Period. That's not always the case nowadays. Times are changing and dads have to accept that sometimes they're not going to be the one bringing home the money.
Weekly: Did you learn anything from that storyline to prepare you for fatherhood?
Martsolf: To not wear nice clothes when you're feeding your children. I guess that applies to changing them too! I also learned to be accepting of change. Most men fear change. The unknown is a scary place, but I'm ready to embrace it. I'm ready to go from crazy, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants Eric to Dad. At the same time, Lisa and I don't want to lose "us" by having kids. We like to jet to Cancun or go to dinner spontaneously. Everyone's telling us to have at least one date night a week, but we're going to shoot for two...eventually!
Weekly: I bet you've gotten a lot of advice from your co-stars.
Martsolf: Everyone's got advice. It's been a huge baby boom on this set. People on the outside look at us as if we'd be pure Hollywood, going out on the town all night, drinking martinis and living "The Life." The cast of Passions is a bunch of homebodies and domesticated mothers and fathers.
Weekly: What makes you most nervous about joining those ranks?
Martsolf: Most of my professional life has been unstable. I jumped from job to job and that's been scary. I was a performer and a musical artist before I was an actor and I still am, at heart. Is that the most lucrative thing in the world? No. You've got to be the Phantom of the Opera just to pay your rent in New York! I want my kids to have a stable job, so they can have peace of mind and know a big check is coming.
Weekly: But didn't you choose acting over that check?
Martsolf: Yes, I was slated to go to law school and gave up the stable career for this, but I'd always hoped to land a soap gig, because I understood the stability of soaps.
Weekly: Now that you've made it here, how do you feel about the "soap hunk" stereotype?
Martsolf: In this industry, you're pigeonholed. I don't know if I'll get to show my comedy, because how many guys who are known as "hunks" get the chance to be funny? I'd love to be on a sitcom, but at the same time, I love being on a soap. I love to work with good people, have a good time and put out good work.
Weekly: And what does that mean for the stage guy in you?
Martsolf: For the past five years, I've done New Year's shows, in Vegas or wherever. I hit the stage and become a crazy person. It makes my blood boil. I will never stop singing and I welcome Passions integrating more musical numbers in the show, because it's hilarious and fun. Lindsay and I could do West Side Story tomorrow, and Liza can work it out! She's had some dance training and got into those Bollywood rehearsals with no inhibitions. The girl surprised the heck out of us.
Weekly: So where does Big Daddy see himself in five years?
Martsolf: In a love triangle with Gwen and Theresa, probably! In the meantime, if Ethan has bags under his eyes for a couple of weeks, you'll be lenient — right?!
Soap Opera Weekly - May 16, 2006
Typed up by Karrie so please do not copy & paste to your site.
