GAINFULLY EMPLOYED

How doing a soap has changed actors' lives.

Being cast on GH as Ryan back in 1992 had an immediate impact on Jon Lindstrom — specifically, in his wallet. “I wasn’t just unemployed when I got that job,” he recalls. “I was really unemployed, and had been for a couple of years. And that’s a long time for the phone not to ring. I had credit card debt and, I think, less than $100 in the bank.”

Surviving, not thriving, was the name of the game for the actor at the time — but ultimately, he did both. Ryan’s introductory story was such a hit that he was given a long-term contract, a second role (that of Kevin) and even “a little raise to justify it”. After Ryan “died” in 1995, he remained with the show as Kevin, which begat a six-year run on PORT CHARLES, and he’s been back on GH in a recurring capacity since 2013. So, Lindstrom notes, doing soaps has also led to career longevity as an actor — not just in soaps but in prime-time and film, as well. “I recently wrote a book, and in the book, [a character] relays how he had once looked up the statistics for Hollywood careers, and that ‘most Hollywood careers don’t last more than a decade and more than 70 percent of all movies made include an actor who can claim exactly one film credit.’ So, in other words, if you thought it was bad, it’s even worse! It’s nearly impossible to achieve, let alone maintain, any kind of a career in show business. And thanks to GENERAL HOSPITAL, mine has gone on three times longer than your average career, and my association with it has allowed me to do a lot of other really great things. In this business, being known is at least half the battle, and because of GENERAL HOSPITAL, I’m known.”