Why Jack Wagner Almost Didn’t Take ‘Melrose Place’ Role After ‘General Hospital’
When Jack Wagner joined General Hospital as Frisco Jones, his career changed. It was more than his character. He could act, he could sing, and he was very popular. However, after hundreds of episodes on the daytime soap, he recently admitted that he was hesitant to audition for the nighttime soap, Melrose Place.
This is what the When Calls The Heart star had to say about this major decision.
Why Jack Wagner Hesitated To Audition For Melrose Place
When Jack Wagner recently was on the Still The Place podcast talking to hosts Courtney Thorne-Smith, Daphne Zuniga, and Laura Leighton about Melrose Place, he made a shocking confession. Wagner almost didn’t audition for the series. He didn’t because he feared he would be typecast and pigeonholed. Jack almost didn’t play Dr. Peter Burns.
Wagner recalled when he first heard of the role. He was asked to audition. Jack revealed that he was not having it. He remembered saying at the time, “No chance. I’m not doing it. It feels like a soap.”
Obviously, they were interested in having Wagner join the series in Season 3. Therefore, it took some convincing, and he recalled that there were a couple of reasons why he agreed to audition. “Then, they said, well, it’s a hot show, and you’d be working opposite Heather Locklear. And so I’m like, okay, all right.”
At that time, Heather Locklear was one of the biggest stars on television, having starred in Dynasty. Her Melrose Place role as Amanda Woodward helped propel the series to the top. Therefore, playing opposite to her was a good career move for Wagner.
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General Hospital Star Wanted To Be ‘Taken Seriously’
While Jack Wagner was hesitant about auditioning for Melrose Place, this situation was bigger than working on another soap. He wanted to be taken seriously. He wanted to be respected as an actor and as a musician. He explained, “I was really pigeonholed from General Hospital and having a number one record and never really being taken seriously as a musical artist, etc.”
He continued, “I’m a thespian, okay? I’m from drama school and classic theater and Stella Adler.” Wagner went to Stella Adler, considered one of the finest acting schools. But, he contended, it was “huge” for him to go from the two daytime soaps, General Hospital, and Santa Barbara, that he starred in, to an evening soap. He called it “a big jump.”
This also allowed him to talk about his spaghetti days. Before he got his role as Frisco Jones, Jack was living in his car. However, after he moved to Los Angeles, his fifth audition was for General Hospital. He got the role, and not long after, he was offered a recording contract.
Jack Wagner fans, do you enjoy his role as Dr. Peter Burns on Melrose Place, playing opposite Heather Locklear?
