Interview: Sean Kanan, 'The Young and the Restless'

Lock up your daughters, mothers and mama’s boys!

Daytime’s sexiest bastard, Sean Kanan, made Deacon Sharpe fans ecstatic by returning to The Young and The Restless this past summer.

In turn, Y&R made Kanan very happy by taking a chance on an actor many feared would never work in soaps again because of his much publicized battle with alcohol.

Together, Y&R and Kanan have formed a beautiful marriage of sorts despite the controversial nature surrounding Deacon’s return.
 
Clean and sober for two years, the 42-year-old inspirational hunk has finally found peace in his personal and professional life. Born Sean Perelman, the Cleveland native credits his unconditional love of acting for keeping him sober — and encouraging his decision to live life to its fullest.

And it shows both on and off-screen.

TV Guide Canada caught up with one of our all-time favourite bad boys and actors in Los Angeles at one of his diner hangouts to discuss Deacon’s murky childhood, his turbulent time on General Hospital,  and where all the real men are hiding these days.

TVGuide.ca: Welcome back to daytime, you bad boy! Did you think you’d ever return to the wacky world of soaps?
Sean Kanan: As you know, these past two years have been very difficult for me but I always had the world of daytime in my thoughts. I had done other things during my hiatus from soaps, one of which is this really cool web series, Camera Café, which was created by the guy behind MADtv. It’s basically like The Office and it’s a huge hit in 30 countries. The French created it. Shortly after that, Y&R came up. 

TVG: The worst kept secret in daytime …
SK: [Laughs] I know! All my friends and family kept calling me to find out if the rumour was true but I had to keep my mouth shut in order to respect my employer’s wishes. I prefer to be honest with everyone but what was I going to do?

TVG: Of course. Did you check in with B&B’s Brad Bell first? SK: Absolutely. Brad and Barbara Bloom were in the loop with this whole thing. I think Brad had something directly or indirectly to do with my Y&R appointment. The other day, Brad sent me an email saying, “Deacon lives!” It’s no secret that Deacon is a character close to Brad’s heart. I’m so happy he won the Daytime Emmy Award for best drama series. It’s been a long time coming. I was right there in the audience when they announced B&B had finally won. Part of me wanted to get up on stage with the cast because I still feel very much a part of the show. I was happy for everyone on that show because I know what a win means for them. I was a little pissed off that his moment was robbed when they cut to commercial. It’s another sign of the times that The CW had to run credits when the biggest prize of the night was being handed out.

TVG: Stop it! Now I want Deacon back on B&B!
SK: [Laughs] I think the fact that Deacon went after young girls and older women was also a very interesting part of his character. Brad really wrote for this character and I think it was some of his best writing to date.

TVG: I agree. Brad has always maintained he wanted Deacon to return one day. What’s your personal relationship with Brad?
SK: I’m forever indebted to Brad because he created the best character I’ve ever played. Certainly in daytime at least. I’m so touched that Brad never recast the role, because let’s face it, a very competent actor could make this role his own, too. Given the drama in my life off camera, Brad could have easily found another actor to play Deacon. So, in my eyes, Brad can do no wrong. I’m eternally grateful to Brad. Deacon is my Hail Mary. If I joined Y&R as a new character, the fans could have rejected me. Luckily, because Deacon is a fan favourite, 50 per cent of my job was already done coming onto Y&R as Mr. Sharpe.

TVG: And you had Adrienne Frantz [Amber] already living in Genoa City … SK: Adrienne and I have great chemistry. TVG: I’d say. Do you think Deacon truly loves Amber or does she represent something from his past he needs to be reminded of? SK: I think there is part of him that loves her, for sure. As an actor, the stronger choice is to play that he loves her. I mean, he is either motivated by love or hate. Personally, I think it’s much interesting to play that he loves her. Deacon and Amber are kindred spirits. They are cut from the same cloth. Amber’s from Furnace Creek, and Deacon grew up in Las Vegas with his stripper mom. They’ve both rounded out their rough edges and become more sophisticated over time, but they still speak the same language. TVG: You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but … SK: Exactly.

TVG: You’re a film buff, aren’t you?
SK: Guilty.

TVG: Back to Y&R, what do you think of the rape controversy? Do you think Deacon raped Amber?
SK: The virtual rape, as I like to call it. I certainly understand why people feel it was rape. I think what Deacon did was repulsive. I just want to remind people that I’m an actor told to play a scene. The fans are upset and want Deacon off the show, which upsets me greatly, because I’m just an actor. Deacon is how I play my bills, how I provide for my child and feed myself. It’s hard for me to hear the Deacon hate out there right now.

TVG: It’s also in Deacon’s character to blackmail women into having sex with him.
SK: Absolutely.

TVG: What did you think of Y&R referencing the time when Deacon had sex with Bridget while the Forresters listened in on the phone as he deflowered her?
SK: I thought that was amazing. For me, I’m really interested in finding out what really happened to Deacon in the three years he left L.A. Deacon’s taken a few quantum steps backwards in his behaviour. Emotionally he’s repressed even though in society he’s moved forward. I believe there’s an emotional impetus, which we are unaware of, that drove him to Genoa City.

TVG: Yeah, I think there’s another twist involved in this story.
SK: Me too. Y&R doesn’t tell me anything. I’m about two weeks ahead of the audience. And that’s hard as an actor because I can’t make informed choices. Deacon knows what his endgame is but I don’t know what his endgame is. But that’s also the fun of working on soaps.

TVG: I’m dying to know more about Deacon’s back story and childhood. He has serious mother issues along with very unhealthy sexual patterns.
SK: Exactly. He uses sex as power which means at one point his power was taken away from him. Deacon’s mother was a stripper so I would imagine a little boy watching his mother take her clothes off and be touched by strange men affected his inner world. I think that’s why he’s attracted to older women. It’s a way, I think, for this wounded boy to establish a connection with his mother. Ironically, he himself is a step above from being a gigolo. He’s handsome and charismatic but he’s always on the make. I don’t know if I’d be friends with Deacon but I do find something rather compelling about him. He’s loyal to a fault, too. Deacon has his own code of honour and ethics even if they are highly skewed.

TVG: [Joking] He’s kind of handsome, I guess. [Laughs] Everything is a game to Deacon which is very childlike. The Bells should really cast a fierce actress as Deacon’s mother. What a role that would be …
SK: I’d love that, man! I’m so happy you brought that up, dude.

TVG: Maybe Deacon’s mother worked with Nikki when she was a stripper? SK: Who knew Wisconsin was stripper capital, huh? [Laughs] Why doesn’t anyone in Genoa City have a Wisconsin accent is what I want to know! And where the hell is Little D? TVG: God, I can’t remember. He’s out there somewhere in SORAS Land. The fans are dying for Y&R to pair you with Michelle Stafford [Phyllis]. What do you think of that possible hookup? SK: I know! I would welcome that storyline with open arms. Phyllis is also Daniel’s mother so imagine all the beats you could play with that story. Michelle is a phenomenal actress so to be able to play with her would be a dream. I think Deacon needs a talk-to more than another love interest though. Like Michael Baldwin, for example. Deacon would seek someone out that has what he doesn’t, which is morality and stability.

TVG: He wasn’t messing around, was he?
SK: Luckily, for me he wasn’t! I can’t tell you how much joy I felt driving back to the CBS gates on my first day on Y&R. I live in L.A. so whenever I drove by Television City or hung out next door at The Grove, I would always think of my pals in the building and my days on B&B. It was a very emotional day for me. Every time I drive to work, I am filled with gratitude. Not that I didn’t take my job seriously before, but especially considering our economy, I know I’m a very lucky man and actor. I also want to thank you guys, the press, because you have all been so supportive of me. All in all, my return has been a very positive experience.

TVG: On paper, we shouldn’t like you, but we can’t help it. There’s something very charming about you — and Deacon — that’s genuinely infectious. I was very impressed at how easily and quickly you sewed yourself into the fabric of the show. Let’s face it — that’s not an easy thing to do on this show. SK: Not to sound pompous or arrogant, but I’m not easily intimidated by people. I’m very confident in that regard. You can throw Al Pacino or Bobby DeNiro in my scene and I’d roll with it, so when people ask me if I would be intimidated to work opposite Eric Braeden, I say, “Absolutely not. Bring it on.” I welcome that. Actually, we haven’t worked together yet but we met and he was really nice to me. TVG: Eric’s a rock star. I’d love to see Victor and Deacon mix it up. They’re both self-made men with a penchant for blonds. SK: That would be awesome, dude. To me, acting is like a tennis match or a fistfight. You never know what’s going to happen. The beats are going back and forth and you have no idea who is going to win the scene. All my fear and self-doubt is reserved for home when I’m learning my script. When I’m on stage, I have to be Deacon.

TVG: You’d probably have made more cash as a plastic surgeon so it’s a good thing you fell in love with acting.
SK: I know, right? Listen, I’ll admit, there have been times when I wanted to quit acting because, while I will forever love the art of acting, I hate the business. It’s soul crushing. I hate the politics and BS involved in this business. I had my doubts recently when I thought, “Have I maxed out my talent and reached my peak already?” But something told me to stick with it and then I got Y&R, Camera Café, and an Al Pacino film I just shot in New York City.

TVG: After Karate Kid 3, did you ever imagine you’d become a big soap star? You have a face for the big screen.
SK: I have never seen myself as a soap actor. I’m equally at ease acting in any medium.

TVG: Did you watch soaps as a kid?
SK: No, definitely not. However, I did love Dynasty. I remember I did a project with Michael Nader and my inner fan came out, “Omigod, Dex Dexter is my dad!” Soaps just happen to be the path I’m on right now. I go where the work is. And right now, this is where the work is.

TVG: You were probably born in the wrong era.
SK: I think so, too.

TVG: The modern world doesn’t produce classic leading men anymore.
SK: Let me tell you — the modern world doesn’t produce men, period. Men are being raised by women to be women. Men are living in a state of fear 24/7 these days. Men worry too much about being sensitive. There’s a lot of internal confusion men deal with these days. On one hand, I’m in touch with my feminine side, because you have to be as an actor, but on the other hand, I have a very strong, masculine side to me. That’s why I respect and look up to George Clooney because he’s a guy’s guy without being a macho jerk.

TVG: Speaking of jerks, what was it like playing your breakout role, AJ, on General Hospital? Do you miss GH?
SK: GH was a very difficult show for me to work on. Personally, it was also a difficult time in my life. It was made very clear to me that my job was to be the foil for Jagger Cates. How can I say this? It was my job to ensure that Antonio Sabato Jr.’s performances were strong. It was never about me getting the ball and running to score a touchdown. I was there to serve a purpose and it was very frustrating for me.

TVG: I can’t remember — did GH fire you?
SK: Yeah, they did because I was a raving alcoholic! And they were right to do so. But had that never happened, I would have never gotten B&B … which is a defining time in my life and career.

TVG: Boy, you really love B&B, don’t you? I respect Maria Arena Bell for taking “a chance” on you again.
SK: Me too! I’ve been clean and sober for a long time. Almost two years. It’s not like this was the first time I was hired since I’ve been sober. But yeah, I’m beyond grateful for Y&R taking me on.

TVG: Let’s talk the future — would you consider re-joining B&B?
SK: Omigod, my biggest dream in the world is if I could tape Y&R in the morning and jump over to B&B in the afternoons.

TVG: Are you on a contract?
SK: No, I’m on recurring. I’m open to staying on Y&R but I also have to be aware of other opportunities are out there. It’s the life of an actor.

TVG: You look happier than ever these days and the work is pouring in …
SK: Yeah, but it wasn’t easy. After I got sober, I did everything the “right” way but I couldn’t book a gig so I got very frustrated very fast. I started to get [freakin’] angry but then I remembered just because you’re sober doesn’t mean a pot of gold is waiting for you at the end of the rainbow.

TVG: Congratulations on being sober. I know how hard that is …
SK: Thank you. It is hard. But the benefits that sobriety gives me makes it easier to deal with my addictions. The hardest thing about not being sober was not being able to act. That killed me. It was difficult for me to know that the thing I loved most in this world was taken away from me and I had no one to blame but myself.

TVG: Acting saved your life in many ways …
SK: Yes, it did. It really did.

TVG: Do you use your demons in your performances at all?
SK: I would say so, but my demons don’t control me anymore.

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Nelson Branco is a Toronto freelance entertainment journalist, who regularly contributes to Hello! Canada, The National Post, The Los Angeles Times' theenvelope.com, TV Guide USA, tvguide.com, Inside Entertainment, OUT, and fab magazine, along with spearheading the soap coverage for TVGuide.ca's popular daytime TV hub. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1997, he moved from Toronto to New York in 1998 to take on the roles as senior news editor at Soap Opera Update. Branco first freelanced for Soap Opera Weekly as an intern in 1994, and after leaving Soap Update to help create and launch Bauer Publishing's In Touch Weekly in 2003, Branco continued to freelance occasionally for its sister publication, Soaps In Depth. Most recently, he helped create and launch Canada's first celebrity magazine, Weekly Scoop in 2005 as its news and entertainment director. Branco is also a contributor to a new TV show titled Planet Soap to air in Canada and America.