Ten
With Ian Buchanan
Ian is a
gentle soul walking the earth. Curious, intelligent, unassuming and generous,
he always seems to have a ready and open smile for everyone, a kind comment,
and time to tell great stories. He’s the
person who injects the mild diffuser to a volatile situation or leavens a
moment with a self-deprecating quip to make people laugh.
Born in
Scotland, Buchanan emigrated to the United States in 1981 to pursue an acting career.
He studied with the respected Strasberg Institute in New York City before
launching a long and distinguished career in television. One of my favorite
appearances was with Peter Falk in “Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf”, in which he played
a smarmy, ne’er-do-well Casanova-in-cahoots with Deirdre Hall. Things didn’t end well for his character in
that episode, but Ian speaks fondly of the time he spent with the legendary
Peter Falk.
As
accomplished a television actor as he is, he also has a great love and long
relationship with live theatre – one he nurtures and pushes with commitment and
joy. Like most artists, he likes to stretch himself beyond a comfort zone of
expression and leap off an edge or two now and again, and begins a run as King
Henry II in The Lion in Winter at the
Colony Theatre in Burbank from April 19 to May 18 – a demanding role that
explores the psyche of a powerful man feeling powerless against the
inevitability of time.
The first
time I saw Ian was at the same time as Anna Devane did: Across a crowded room,
with the strains of the Tango playing on my television. He stretched out his
arm, offered his hand…and invited her to dance. The
love affair with Duke Lavery had begun, and two decades later, Ian is still dancing,
still holding his hand out, and making everyone so glad we said yes.
One
ARD: You recently became a bona-fide
American citizen. What was the final push, as it were, that influenced you to
take that very definitive, very personal step?
IB: I
became a citizen out of love for this country, gratitude for what it has given
me, the right to vote and the next logical step in The American Dream.
Two
ARD: You were a member of The Citizens Band, which can get pretty
controversial and daring both politically and socially. What was the scariest thing you did there as
an artist?
IB: I am still a member of TCB. Scariest? Sing from
the heart and dance from the soul.
Three
ARD: I know you’re an avid reader who
devours books in multiples. What book would you send to an adversary, and what
book would you give a friend?
IB: One Hundred Years of Solitude -- to either.
Four
ARD: I want to ask something about your
Scottish heritage, but can’t think of a really good one. What question do you
wish people would ask you about Scotland or being Scottish?
IB: I wish
they would ask me to define my Scottishness.
Five
ARD:
Okay. Define your Scottishness in ten words. Either in a sentence or
ten separate words.
IB: Melancholic,
brooding, pagan, whirling, irreverent, loyal, cautious, thrifty, humorous and
reserved.
Six
ARD:
The brooch Anna wore at her wedding to Duke belonged to your
grandmother, yes?
How did that come about?
IB: I had three pieces of jewelry that were my
Grandmothers. I may have stolen them! One was a Luckinbooth Brouch, which I
happily handed over to GH, Anna and Finola.
Seven
ARD:
Duke Lavery was gone for 23 years before returning to Port Charles
in 2012—to the giddy delight of GH fans. Did you have a sense that could or
would happen?
IB: It is
something that I wanted but seemed less and less likely as the years and soaps
disappeared. F.V. and R.C. are the only people who could make it happen and
make me very happy in the process.
Eight
ARD:
When you got the call to play Duke again, was there any hesitation
about playing him after so long? What kind of relationship do you have with
him?
IB: I like
Duke. I understand him better now. He's grown up since I last was him but in
many ways he's still the same. I find him to be unique. He's not a people
pleaser which I like!
Nine
ARD: You played Martin Dysart in Equus – a fairly challenging and
terrifying play, albeit not so much for the nudity, I would guess. What did you
take from Dysart and Equus that is
solely yours, and what do you think you share with other actors who have done
the show?
IB: The
young one was nude, not me. It's a tough role and the ambiguity has to be
played fearlessly so that the thing Dysart feels he has lived without, passion,
is something that he has and can't feel. It's a role I would play again in a
heartbeat. It changed me as an actor and that I share with many of the actors
who have played him.
Ten
ARD:
Describe your perfect day.
IB: Peace
and quiet. An hour at the gym. An hour at the bookstore. Cocktails with
friends. early dinner at home and bed with a great book. That happens once a
month! The reality is action packed maneuvering with a mind that never stops.
Either one is good.
Performances of The Lion in Winter are
Thursdays and Fridays 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Ticket
prices are from $20-49.00; group discounts are available.
Previews: Wednesday April 16, Thursday April 17, and Friday April
18 at 8pm. Opening Night Performance with Reception: All Tickets
$55.00.The Colony Theatre is located at 555 North Third Street,
next to the Burbank Town Center Mall; tickets can be purchased by calling
818-558-7000 or online at The Colony Theatre.
Julian finds himself on the receiving end of Luke's piquant wrath.
