Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Hello Again: Much to Brennan’s relief, Carly (Laura Wright) survived her polonium poisoning.
It’s been an eventful batch of episodes for Chris McKenna’s Jack Brennan, who went from thinking his budding relationship with Carly was over to them consummating their romance, only for her to wind up at death’s door after falling victim to Valentin’s latest attempt on his life. Soap Opera Digest caught up with the actor for his take on these action-packed developments in his General Hospital life.
Soap Opera Digest: So, last week, Carly called things off with Brennan. That didn’t last very long, as we know — they were hitting the sheets by Friday! But during the short time he did think she was out of his life, how would you say he felt?
Chris McKenna: Brennan is hurt, Brennan’s scarred — but also, because of his training, because of his past, he knows how to harden himself. He knows how to go cold. That’s how he’s able to survive the things that would otherwise haunt him, you know? This guy’s had to torture people for information and kill people who are begging for their lives, and when his heart’s broken, he knows how to put on the armor and to keep soldiering on, as painful as it is.
Digest: Well, luckily for Brennan, Carly’s willpower was not particularly powerful, and before you knew it, they were making love for the first time. This was your first love scene for the show. How did it go?
McKenna: It went great. By the time we did it, Laura and I were very comfortable together and it was a lot of fun. We were laughing the whole time. But it was romantic and sexy and tender, and I think you see a side of Jack you haven’t seen before — besides, you know, him having his clothes off [laughs]. He was even singing in the shower after, which is a different side of Jack, to say the least!
Digest: The afterglow was tragically short-lived because of that pesky poisoned champagne getting in the way. What do you imagine was going through Jack’s mind as he was racing Carly to the hospital and facing the potential loss of his new lover?
McKenna: This was really delicious stuff to do because when I’m playing Jack here, I wanted to make sure to play this realistically — like a spy, like an intelligence officer, and to bring the danger. When this happens, it goes from the afterglow, from the happiest he’s been maybe ever, but certainly in a long time, to immediately, his whole world is rocked. He might lose the most important thing in the world to him right now; she’s dying in his arms. You see an immediate change in Jack as he storms into the hospital and he’s barking orders out and needs to find the cure and to save the love of his life. It was really tense and really fun, and for Jack, the stakes couldn’t be any higher. When he talks to her at her bedside, Jack’s hardened exterior starts to crumble even further, and again, you see parts of Jack you haven’t seen before. It was really great to do.
Digest: Carly does pull through, but presumably, Brennan’s relief will be tempered by his desire to make Valentin pay for nearly killing her.
McKenna: Yeah, Valentin is behind it, and [what comes next] was some of the most fun stuff that I’ve gotten to do. It’s going to be tense, that’s for sure!
Digest: What can you tease about how it affects Brennan to realize that Carly came so close to falling victim to a trap Valentin set for him?
McKenna: The guilt is deep. This is exactly what he was afraid of. This was his worst fear, and it comes to fruition immediately. It’s exactly why [he feels] he can’t get involved with anyone, exactly the risk he feared she’d be taking. So, he’s devastated, he’s enraged, he’s guilty, he’s broken, and somebody has to pay.
Digest: And as contentious as things have already been between Valentin and Brennan, this will surely kick it up a notch. Have you been enjoying working with James Patrick Stuart (Valentin)?
McKenna: Oh, it’s been so great! The only problem is, we couldn’t stop laughing. We’re supposed to be trying to kill each other, but we’re having so much fun! I knew him back when he was on All My Children [as Will Cortlandt, which overlapped with McKenna’s stint on One Life to Live as Joey Buchanan], 30 years ago, so we had a great time working together. He’s a very funny guy. But the characters … [Brennan] is out to kill him, his old friend. Jack’s out for blood.
Digest: It must be fun as an actor to be running the gamut from having Brennan’s affection for Carly bring down his emotional walls, and then his desire for vengeance bringing out his more menacing qualities.
McKenna: When I got the role and I found out who I was going to be playing and what the history was, it was important to me to bring the danger to this guy. He has to have that darkness and real legitimate danger. I was not going to play him like, you know, another charming rogue, a little ne’er do well. No; this person’s dangerous, and that needs to be important and I have to establish that. He has to compartmentalize; that’s the way you have to survive in a job like this. So, you’re going to be able to see him be charming and be relaxed, but when that switch flips, you’re going to remember right quick, “Oh right. He’s a killer. You’re dealing with a killer.” That was very important to me because then, when you see that break down, it means so much more; it matters when you see Jack care, or when you see Jack start to crack, because you know how dark he can be and you know what it takes to get through that hard exterior. It’s so fun to get to play both ends of that spectrum.
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