Chatterbox
Soap Opera Weekly
May 13, 2003

Passions’ Ben Masters (Julian) answers your questions

Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life?
Kimberlee, via e-mail

It would be a combination of people in the theater. There was an elderly gay drama professor I had as a young man who was a big inspiration for me. He opened up a whole world for me of what one could do with your life. I came from a family where the thought of being an actor was like, “Are you out of your mind?” But he opened up a love for me of the theater and going to plays.

Would you like to see Julian and Ivy reunite in the future?
E.G., via e-mail

I have to watch what I say here because there are a lot of Juvy (Julian and Ivy) fans. I don’t think Juvy fans should ever give up. There’s always a possibility. But then again, she always chasing after Sam Bennett – so what can I do?

If Julian could choose, who would his soul mate be and why?
L.M, via e-mail

At this time in Julian’s life it would have to be Eve because he realizes that he never stopped loving her and he made a big, big mistake.

What is your favorite vacation destination and why?
Kim McDaniel, Madisonville, Tenn.

It’s somewhere I haven’t been in a number of years, and that’s the Caribbean – especially the little island of St. Barts. The Caribbean is so beautiful; the water’s so warm. And also on St. Barts the women walk around without their tops; it’s a French island. That’s certainly a great port of call!

Assuming Julian ever finds out Tabitha is pregnant with his spawn, do you think he would disregard the child, or perhaps want to bond with him/her like he wasn’t able to do with his other children?
Morgan R. Morales, Riverside, Calif.

This is a question you’d have to ask (Passions head writer) Mr. Jim Reilly. I did a scene where I’m mooning down at the wharf over lost love. Rebecca’s there and thinks I’m acting strange, and all of a sudden Tabitha walks by and Rebecca says, “Look at how big her stomach is – is she pregnant?” Julian then snaps out of his daydream of Eve and goes, “Oh, my God, it can’t be!” and I haven’t discussed it since. I don’t know what Julian would do. He regrets having abandoned Eve and their child, and he regrets losing Ethan as his son. I think that he would like to be part of that child’s life with Tabitha. It may be a very strange baby, though!

Out of all the costumes Julian wears with Rebecca, which has been your favorite?
S.R., via e-mail

When I was the stern professor and she was the bad little schoolgirl and I had to paddle her butt with that paddle. She has such a nice rear end, and she had to lay over my lap and I got to paddle her, and she squealed with glee. And of course, it took several takes because I kept forgetting my word.

Other than Julian, what was the best role that you ever played?
Maureen DeFilippo, New York

It was a play that I did in New York called Key Exchange. It’s similar to Julian because I got to create this character since I originated the part when it launched off-off-Broadway. It culminated in them making a little movie from it. I got to do the movie after they read all the movie stars they thought they wanted for the part, and then they came back to me.

I read that Lindsay (Korman, Theresa) calls you “Daddy.” Do you feel like a father figure toward some of the younger actors and actresses at Passions?
Mandi, via e-mail

I do. When one moves through life and gets older like I am, you’re lucky enough to be around young people. You actually forget that you are a couple of generations ahead of them, and then you finally look at them as the young people that they are. I like to think of them as my kids – not that they listen to a damn thing I say. Lindsay is a sweetheart. For her to put up with the strangeness that she’s had to play with me, she’s been such a trouper. We were talking about how much fun all that stuff in Bermuda was. Not only did I get to do bed scenes with this young beauty, but we also got to play drunk and I got to shove her into the armoire when she was passed out.

What do you look for in a woman?
J.S.G., via e-mail

Beauty…humor…passion…and a lot of money.