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By Suzanne

Interview with Ryan Carnes of "Mommy Group Murder" on Lifetime 3/13/19

"Mommy Group Murder" starring Leah Pipes, Helena Mattson and Ryan Carnes premieres Saturday at 8/7c on Lifetime.

Here is the recording of the interview. Below is the transcript! I will finish editing it later today...

Suzanne: Hi, how are you?

Ryan: Good, how are you?

Suzanne: Alright! I imagine you're busy today?

Ryan: Yeah, you know, there's-- I'm talking a lot today. Lot of talking kind of things going on.

Suzanne: Well, that's good, I guess. So, well, let's get right into it. How did this part come about for you in the Lifetime movie?

Ryan: You know, I got the audition and I think everybody was down-- well, everybody except for the director -- was down in Louisville already. So there was no going into the room for the audition; it was just a self tape that, you know, then Mick, the director, and everybody from Stargazer, you know they watched the tapes, and so I did the tape and got a call that they'd like me to do it. So, pretty straightforward.

Suzanne: That's great. I read a brief summary of the movie, and you're playing the husband of the woman that's doing the investigating, right?

Ryan: Oh, excuse me... yes, that's correct. That's correct.

Suzanne: This sounds like an interesting mystery.

Ryan: Yeah. It is. It's a really interesting mystery. You know, this woman who is beautiful and lovely and intelligent and seems to have it all, comes to town, and makes all the other women jealous, but she's like the kind of woman that I think the other women don't know if they ... like, they don't want to hate her because she's so good, but they also kind of hate her.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Ryan: But she's so nice that they can't hate her.

Suzanne: Right.

Ryan: But then Leah Pipes, who plays my wife in the movie, ends up getting a little bit suspicious, so she starts pulling on a thread that very quickly unravels a sweater and leads to some shocking surprises.

Suzanne: Cool. And how was it working with Kate Mansi (Who is in the movie... she's from "Days of our Lives")?

Ryan: Yeah, it was great working with Kate. Kate and I didn't have a lot of stuff together... I think we had a couple scenes, maybe, but we shot the film in such a short period of time, I think 12 or 13 days, so we were all pretty much there at the same time. So I got to meet Kate, and hang out with Kate a little bit, and she's great. She's a very talented actress.

Suzanne: Yes.

Ryan: We had fun with that, so yeah.

Suzanne: That's great.

Ryan: We had a good time.

Suzanne: And you-- I think you know one of my site's workers, Nikki? She's seen you many times in New York and New Jersey, taken pictures with you. Nikki DiPietro...

Ryan: Oh.

Suzanne: Nikkikiki (on social media).

Ryan: Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah yeah. Of course. I know Nikki.

Suzanne: Yeah, I figured... she's, yeah, she's always at, she goes to a lot of events for us and takes photos, so...

Ryan: Oh, I didn't know, I didn't realize that she took photos for you guys.

Suzanne: Well, I mean, she takes them for herself, but then she lets us use them, that kind of thing.

Ryan: Got it.

Suzanne: But she's done a lot of work for our site.  Anyway, she wanted to know how shooting a Lifetime movie is different from shooting General Hospital.

Ryan: Well, you know, in a way it's not all that different.  Well, I mean, shooting this particular movie wasn't all that different than shooting General Hospital because we had such a short amount of time to shoot the movie. You know, it's similar in that regard to General Hospital because we had to move very quickly and there wasn't a lot of time for second, third and fourth takes, kind of thing, which is exactly how it is on General Hospital.

A difference is that we were working with one camera, whereas on General Hospital, we're working with four cameras at all times. You know, another way that they're different is that General Hospital, like any TV, really, unless it's like, a limited-run series or something, or like a mini-series, it's open-ended. From week to week -- or I should say, from episode to episode -- actors typically don't know --unless they've had a conversation with the show creator or the writers -- where things are going with their character.

Suzanne: Mm-hmm.

Ryan: Whereas, on a movie, you do.  There's a very definitive beginning, middle and end. And that's one of the things that I really like about film. I mean, I like both mediums, but it's one of the things that I like about film, is that within that hour and a half or two hours, or two and a half hours, you get to see, you know, you get to start somewhere, and obviously, you're starting in the middle of that character's life, you're not starting from the beginning, but you get to start somewhere, and you get to end somewhere, and I like that.

The contained process, that I think allows for... it allows for the actor to really take full advantage of understanding fully, just what's at stake. And on the highest stakes possible from beginning to end, because there is a container and a context in which you know how to make that happen.

Suzanne: Right.

Ryan: Whereas, when it's open-ended, it's sometimes-- we don't actually know where we're going, so it's harder to know how to raise the stakes, right?

Suzanne: Sure.

Ryan: Or how to take best advantage of what the character is going through.

Suzanne: Right. That makes sense,, they change things sometimes a lot on the soaps, for the characters.

Ryan: Yeah.

Suzanne: So when you hear from fans, when you get feedback from fans about General Hospital, do they-- what's the thing that you hear most?

Ryan: What's the thing I hear most about, about what?

Suzanne: About-

Ryan: About my character?

Suzanne: Yeah, about your character, the show... What do people say to you the most? (long pause)  Sorry, was that a tough one? [Laughs]

Ryan: I think.. Yeah, no, that's okay, I'm trying to think what they do, what the answer to that is... I think, probably what I hear the most is, "We want to see more Brucas."

Suzanne: That makes sense.

Ryan: Yeah. I think that's probably the thing that I hear the most.

Suzanne: Okay, and they probably want you (Lucas) to find out about the baby, or maybe they don't want you to find out...?

Ryan: Well, yeah, I'm not sure about that, I mean, I think a lot of people want Michael to find out.

Suzanne: Right.

Ryan: I don't know how they feel about us finding out, but I just think that, for whatever reason, people, certainly not everyone, because there are opposing opinions so far, but... a lot of people, you know, that talk to me, or that reach out to me on social media, they-- there's something about Brad and Lucas and that relationship that they really respond to and connect with.  And I think, as a result, they just, they want to see-- they want to see more into the lives of those two characters.

Suzanne: Yeah, no, definitely.

Ryan: On that canvas, there's a lot of characters, and there's only so much time in any given episode, so...

Suzanne: Right.

Ryan: Whether... I know the writers, Frank-- they all do their best to serve all the characters.

Suzanne: Right, and I think it always works well when you have one character who is pretty much a good guy, and someone who is maybe not such a good person, and yet they have this incredible chemistry. and it works, and that's what I think works with Brucas.

Ryan: Yeah, well, thank you. I appreciate that.

Suzanne: Yeah, because I mean, and you're good with all the relationships really, but I mean, I think... I love your relationship, Lucas's relationship with his dad, it's really great.

Ryan: Yeah, it's fun.

Suzanne: How is it, working with Will?

Ryan: It's great working with Will. I mean, I think Will is definitely one of the people on the show that I've worked with the most, and my work relationship with him dates back, I think... just about as far as anyone's.  Maybe Jackie, who plays Bobbie, I think... my first scene back on the show was with her and Anthony. But then, pretty shortly thereafter, I started working with Will. So we have logged a lot of hours together. We had some fun.

Suzanne: That's good! Yeah, he seems like he would be funny.

Ryan: Yeah. He is.

Suzanne: Now, what's next for you besides this Lifetime movie? Do you have any other things coming out that you can tell us about?

Ryan: I've got three movies that I shot last year, that all should be coming out some time this year--

Suzanne: Cool.

Ryan: I don't have dates for any of those yet, unfortunately. But I can tell you that one of them is a Dolph Lundgren movie, which is exciting. Because you know, Dolph is, because of Aquaman and because of Creed II, Dolph is very much, uh, he's really hot right now. And I know that that movie, I think, if for no other reason than because of Dolph, we've got a theatrical release for that, so I'm excited to be a part of that, whenever it comes out ("Accelleration"). You know, we shot that one near the end of the year, so it may be a little bit-- But I have a fun character in that. An interesting, kind of plays an important role in an interesting turning point in the movie.

So looking forward to that one, and then I'm also working on a few different projects on the creative end of things, working on developing a couple of screenplays with some partners of mine, working on getting another movie made that I'll star in, and I'm helping out as a producer. A friend of mine wrote that and was going to direct it. Really excited about that.

So lots of, lots of stuff going on behind the scenes, when I'm not busy on set. Trying on some new hats and having fun in some different aspects of the business.

Suzanne: Cool. Have you done any directing on TV, or do they let you... do you ever try to direct on GH? Anything like that?

Ryan: No, I've never, no, I haven't done any directing on any shows, yet, including General Hospital. I mean, my gosh, I don't know, I don't think I would ever even try to direct General Hospital. I have so much respect for those directors because, I mean, it's a massive job. To not only have to direct the actors, but to also, I mean, the work that they have to do regarding the cameras, right? And what camera is where, when, and what camera is getting what, it is, it's got to be an incredibly daunting challenge, so...I mean, I just have the upmost respect for directors who work in that medium. And any director in general, it's a tough job.

Suzanne: Yeah. I'm sure.

Ryan: I haven't done any of that yet. I do want to at some point in the future; I do want to direct. That will be a challenge that I definitely want to take on at some point.

Suzanne: Okay. Great. Is there anything else that you'd like to tell your fans?

Ryan: Yeah. For anybody who is in the LA area, I play in a show Monday night March 25th, at the Satellite in LA, and I'm playing a show with my friend Vanessa Silberman. I'm sitting in for her usual drummer on her set, so... if anybody is around, they should come on down to the Satellite, have fun at a good rock 'n roll show.

Suzanne: Oh, that sounds fun, I wish I lived in LA.

Ryan: Yeah, yeah. I mean, Vanessa's an incredible artist, and I've played with her a couple times before, and I love getting the opportunity, so it should be a fun night.

Suzanne: Alright, well thank you, I really appreciate you calling me.

Ryan: Yeah, my pleasure.

MORE INFORMATION:

Ryan Carnes is an American actor who is widely known for his role as Justin on ABC’s award winning hit show “Desperate Housewives,” the most watched television series in twenty countries; and the 2018 romantic comedy film “La Boda de Valentina” (Valentina’s Wedding, which in just the first month of its release launched itself into the Top 10 highest grossing films in Mexican Cinema history), in which he stars alongside Omar Chaparro, Marimar Vega, and Kate Vernon. He can now be seen in the recently released indie sci-fi-thriller “Beyond the Sky,” and leads both Children of Moloch and The Perfect One, both set for 2019 release.

Carnes grew up on a farm outside a small rural town of 4,000 people in Illinois. As an only child, he spent much of his time in nature, exploring the acres of woods that surrounded his family's property. Beyond that, he dedicated his formative years to academics, basketball, baseball and drumming.

Upon high school graduation, Carnes left the Midwest for the Eastern Seaboard and pursued a Public Policy major at Duke University. Behind on fulfilling his "art" credit requirements, he enrolled in an Intro to Performance acting class. A semester later, he found himself on stage in a student-run production. From that point forward, he never looked back. At the completion of his sophomore year, he left Duke and headed west to Los Angeles, pursuing his newfound passion.

Carnes' entree into the Screen Actors Guild, a national print and commercial campaign for Nintendo, led to his first major TV role on ABC's “General Hospital.” After a very short time, Carnes found himself with a burgeoning career, recurring on TV's then number one show, “Desperate Housewives,” which was soon followed by numerous TV appearances, independent film roles, and the chance to work with one of his childhood heroes, Clint Eastwood, in “Letters From Iwo Jima.”

Other notable roles include a two-episode arc on the legendary British science fiction series “Doctor Who,” as the popular character Laszlo, which lead to the creation of an action figure in his likeness. He also played the title role in the SYFY miniseries “The Phantom.” In 2018’s “Beyond the Sky,” Carnes appears as the male lead opposite Jordan Hinson. He also takes a turn as a troubled wanderer in the 2016 short film titled, “The Golden Year,” written and directed by Salvador Paskowitz. Throughout his career, Carnes has been fortunate to be able to step into a wide array of roles which have earned him critical praise and respect for his range and commitment to the craft.

Combining his passions for TV, film, writing and music with his commitment to greater self-awareness, Carnes embraces the vision that his creative endeavors help tell impactful stories. He understands that the entertainment industry both reflects and influences culture, and as such, is given great power to not only entertain, but to also communicate the incredible possibility of humanity.

http://www.imdb.me/ryancarnes1
www.twitter.com/RyanCarnes1
www.facebook.com/ryangcarnes https://www.instagram.com/ryancarnes1/

Transcript by Rev.com

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