INTERVIEW WITH KALE BROWNE (MICHAEL) PART #3

Part #1

Part #2

AWT: What is your favorite storyline from your time in Bay City?

KB: Courting Donna. That was great. We had so much fun. Mike never really had a job to speak of that you could point a finger at; he did this, that and the other thing, but his main job was Donna. It was just an awful lot of fun. There weren’t specific storylines, but I remember actors, especially all the Vicky/Marleys (Ellen Wheeler, Anne Heche, and Jensen Buchanan). Jensen was great. I can’t remember anyone ever just walking in and taking over a role like she did, she was fabulous. I also remember doing a scene with Ellen Wheeler one time where she was Marley pretending to be Vicky, I think, and if I ever got confused about which daughter I was talking to, all I had to do was look at her feet because Marley was pigeon-toed. Ellen stands differently depending on which character she was playing, and as long as you knew that, you could tell who you were working with in a scene. That’s the kind of actor she is. And of course working with John (Considine), David (Forsyth), Linda Dano (Felicia), and Anna Holbrook (Sharlene) – talk about an actor who shows up 100% in a scene. The people who I worked with closely were people you could develop a real bond with. You got to depend on that other person to be there for you, and they always were. Some actors, if you go up (ed note. Forget your lines) will just let you die, and some will jump in and give you a little bit to get you back. The latter is what I found while working on AW.

AWT: Was there a storyline that you wished had gone a different way or one you didn’t like?

KB: I don’t remember a specific storyline. Every so often they would experiment; they don’t have anything for you or you fall out of favor with the fans, but they have you on contract and so they’ll try to shake things up. I remember a couple of times they’d try to put me with different women and I was so spoiled from working with Anna that I wasn’t always generous and probably tanked a storyline by bad acting or non-acting. But you know, the only thing I ever put my foot down with anybody on that show was somebody kept writing Michael saying ‘I could just kill her’ (referring to his daughter) and I wouldn’t say it. There’s a lot of things I can say, but I won’t even say that jokingly on the air, just because I get letters from abused kids and all kinds of people, and I just don’t want to put that out there. That was the only thing I ever said absolutely no to.

AWT: Was there a storyline you would have liked for Michael?

KB: How about bringing Another World back and bringing back Michael older, in the Mac Cory part? They actually did talk to me about that at one point, about Michael being the patriarch of the town, and I thought: I’m not sure I’m ready to be put out to pasture. But then a new EP was brought on to the show, and the idea was dropped.

AWT: What have you been up to since leaving AW? Where can your fans see you?

KB: Lately, episodes of Without a Trace, Law & Order, and Cold Case, although last year I played Dr. Miles Berman briefly on Days of Our Lives, and did a number of small films. I was in a production of Michael Weller’s Moonchildren, directed by my ex-wife, Karen (Allen), last summer. I do a lot of voice-over work, but the majority of my time is spent writing. At times, I’m a paid screenwriter. My work has been optioned, but so far not produced. But there’s nothing better than being paid to do what you’d do for free. Otherwise, I’m a full-time dad. My son lives with me now, and he’s training as a chef. I live where it’s peaceful and quiet, and the beavers are my neighbors. I like it.

AWT: Would you like to say anything to the AW fans who are still following you and your career?

KB: God bless you all, then and now. The AW audience continues to be the most incredibly loyal and enthusiastic fans I’ve ever come across. Thanks… you made the job so much fun.