Luckily, the resilient and artistically armed thespian didn’t sink. Instead, Muhney dove in to the choppy waters and immediately swam himself to an Olympic-esque victory.
That’s because the charming, funny, and passionate 34-year-old Chicago-born Gemini, who is impressively a member of Mensa, did his homework.
The popular Veronica Mars star attended DePaul University’s The Theatre School (formerly The Goodman School of Drama) in Chicago where he received a BFA in Acting, studying the entire Shakespeare catalogue.
TV Guide Canada sat down recently with one of 2009’s best recasts to discuss Muhney’s accidental soap star journey, Adam’s gay-for-pay past, and whether or not his much loathed character can ever be redeemed.
TVGuide.ca: How are you feeling? Have you healed from your recent accident while mancationing in Vail, [Colo.]?
Michael Muhney: I’m good. I’m currently in the undressing phase in my dressing room. Because I split my left collar bone in half during a recent hiking trip, I’ve needed someone to help me dress myself. Thankfully, I’m beginning to regain my independence.
TVG: [Laughs] I’m sure Yani Gellman wouldn’t mind helping you out! I would say, “Break a leg,” but I’m scared you just might do that! Who do you think you are — Christian LeBlanc? [Laughs]
MM: [Joking] Hey, it worked for Christian — he won another lead actor Emmy after his biking accident, so I’m giving this strategy a shot! [Laughs] Actually, it’s funny because that’s how I got into acting. When I was 15, I broke my leg during football practice. During debate class, our drama teacher invited me to enrol in the drama department because I needed extra electives since I couldn’t play sports anymore.
Immediately, the acting bug bit me. Growing up, I was a movie fan, from Alfred Hitchcock to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you name it, but I never thought about acting until that moment. Of course, there was no turning back after I got my first taste of the stage. At that time, believe it or not, I was pursuing a career in law.
TVG: Acting comes in handy when you’re a lawyer. You’re classically trained — how did your Shakesperean background help you tackle the dark role of Adam Newman?
MM: At the risk of people rolling their eyes at the mere suggestion that Shakespeare and soap operas are very similar, I’ll risk it by saying it’s very true. In Shakespeare, every character is larger than life.
The hate, anguish, love, longing, and betrayal creates a huge scope in a character, which, I think, is very familiar to soaps. Nick and Adam fighting over a throne is very Shakespearean. Desperately desiring the love of a father, but hating him in the same breath, and being haunted by your mother, is classic Shakespearean angst. Adam is a very conflicted and torn soul. Thanks to Y&R, I do feel like I’m working back in theatre again.
TVG: As an emergency recast, what was it like being thrown into the middle of a climactic storyline? Chris Engen’s controversial exodus was also one of 2009’s biggest news stories.
MM: Boy, it was quite the experience! If I could paint a picture, I would draw you a guy holding a garbage can lid over his head waiting for people to throw rocks at him from the gallery. But I dove in and just did my best. I interpreted the character the way I was trained to in school and how I was inspired to by the Y&R scripts. I couldn’t focus on the peripheral issues because that would have been too overwhelming. My mission was to be in the moment. I trusted that down the road, my journey as Adam would be more complete. Five months later, I feel much more comfortable. I feel like I have made the character my own. But it was an intense time, that’s for sure.
TVG: What did you know about Adam’s back story and/or Chris Engen’s portrayal?
MM: I knew almost everything about Adam’s back story, and I knew nothing about Chris’s back story, which was a blessing because I was able to just focus on the character. I was thrown into the deep end so I had to figure out how to tread water and start swimming.
It was nice to be thrown into a heavy storyline instead of being introduced slowly because I couldn’t question my choices. All I had were my instincts, which luckily usually never fail me. In the end, it was good to be on the front battle lines taking bullets and firing some myself.
As for watching Chris, the moment I signed my contract, I began TiVo-ing the show so I watched about six weeks of his portrayal. But since I was playing Adam at the same time, I couldn’t be influenced.
TVG: Your take on Adam is remarkably different than Chris’s. You play Adam cockier and more arrogant, while Chris chose to play Adam more tortured. I appreciate your interpretation more because, while Chris won me over towards the end of his run, I felt the transparent way he played Adam jeopardized the integrity of the characters around him.
MM: Adam is a product of Academia. He’s very cerebral — and he’s aware of how smart he is. In order to create a viable antagonist, villain or even an anti-hero, he has to be intelligent. Any well-rounded antagonist has to roll out of bed knowing that he’s justified in his actions. In Adam’s mind, he is the protagonist of his own story, as we all are.
Adam thinks he’s the good guy, so that’s how I chose to interpret Adam. What’s great about Adam is that I have a spectrum of emotions to play. Adam is torn between being his mother’s son and his father’s son. I’ve always been fascinated by characters who mask their insecurities with bravado. Rather than showing too much torture, I like to shade in my performances with vulnerability and remorse so it’s more interesting to watch.
TVG: You also look like you could be Eric Braeden’s son. Both of you are German.
MM: Yeah, and we’re both very tall. Actually, Y&R has a pretty tall cast. I’m usually the tallest actor in a cast, so it’s cool to see eye-to-eye with Eric, no pun intended. I’m German-American, so we have a lot in common. My physicality plays a big part in my performance.
TVG: In the midst of everything else, you had to deal with the fact that Adam is partially blind. Amongst everything else on your plate, how did you deal with that?
MM: Again, I was thrown in the deep end. If I had more time to think about Adam’s blindness, I don’t think it would have come off as believable as it did. Today, I think I have the blindness part down now. As an actor, you want to connect with the person in the scene with you.
I like to think I can have chemistry with a brick wall, but since Adam doesn’t have the liberty of making eye contact with other people, it was more of a challenge to find other ways to connect with my scene partners. And I’m happy Maria has kept the character with the eyesight he has instead of pulling off the cliché soap opera cure.
The fact that she has kept Adam’s fading eyesight is one of the many things which encourages me that Maria is committed to writing my character and what her direction for the show is. She likes to challenge her actors. Which makes it fun to come into work each day.
TVG: Signy Coleman, who played Adam’s mother, Hope, was so good at playing blind, viewers assumed she couldn’t see in real life!
MM: The closest I got to act with Signy was when Adam gave a soliloquy to Hope’s picture. I’ve heard nothing but great things about her.
TVG: Signy even earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal as Hope in 1994 so Adam’s parental pedigree is a lot to live up to. Another “setback” you’ve endured has been Adam temporarily losing his reason to live and hate, Eric Braeden as Victor Newman. Did you walk under a ladder or something? [Laughs]
MM: I know, right? [Laughs] What’s so interesting about how Maria Arena Bell and Paul Rauch have written this character is that Adam is bombarding various other characters, and vice versa. Adam isn’t just orbiting his father’s universe. Yes, Victor is a large driving force in Adam’s life and psyche, so not having his father on the canvas will be odd, but Adam’s machinations and thirst for revenge will still continue.
TVG: What’s it like working with Eric?
MM: As challenging as my arrival in Genoa City was, I totally lucked out in other areas. For instance, I’m beyond blessed that a true TV icon is playing my father. Eric is more than an actor — he truly is a living legend.
I look forward to him returning to the show. He’s been remarkable to work with. [In German] Ich bin begeistert, mein Vater zurückgekehrt sind, wo er hingehört! Genoa City!! In English that translates to, “I’m thrilled to have my father back where he belongs — Genoa City!” No one could ever replace Eric Braeden nor Victor Newman!
TVG: I’d say. Do you think Adam loves Victor? Does Adam even know what love is?
MM: Oh, yes! I think Adam feels very deeply for his father. Regardless of what Hope or anyone has told Adam about why Victor was an absent father, Adam will forever be haunted by the fact his father abandoned him. Why did Victor really reject Adam as a child? Why is Adam not good enough? Why is Adam not as worthy of Victor’s love as Victoria and Nick?
That kind of desperate need for love and approval from his father is what will forever drive Adam. The irony is, because of that psychology, Adam emulates Victor in his weaknesses and strengths. His thinking is, if Adam can be like his father then perhaps Adam can make up for those lost moments. There is a deep love there, but there are also deep wounds.
TVG: A few critics, including myself, are interested in finding out more about Adam’s childhood. Was he abused? Did he kill small animals like Dexter? Which, I guess, would make Adam daytime’s “Sexter!”
MM: When he first arrived in Genoa City, I think Adam’s only intentions were to reconnect with his father. Today, Adam finds himself in a place where he has to keep lying to cover up all his past lies. It’s exhausting — and the very definition of hell on earth. He’s dug himself into quite a quandary! Knowing that Cliff isn’t his real dad and that his real father was absent greatly affected Adam.
He overthinks and overanalyzes a lot. When you have a lot of time on your hands, and you’re a cerebral guy, you can really convince yourself of anything. For Adam, idle hands and all that spells trouble with a capital T.
TVG: Do you think Adam is irredeemable? Are you worried that Y&R may have written Adam into a corner?
MM: The lead characters in some of my favourite films — from Scarface to Goodfellas and Citizen Kane — are truly corrupt, warped and manipulative minds, but at the same time, as a viewer, you find that you are cheering for them because perhaps even worse people surround them. Sometimes you have to torture an audience so they can feel the character’s torture.
If the audience can understand their plight, then they will go on the ride with you. That doesn’t mean characters like Adam are necessarily redeemable. I don’t think redemption is necessarily necessary for Adam. I have no idea where the writing is headed, but at this juncture, I have to play Adam as such. Adam just needs to find his Rosebud, so to speak.
TVG: Speaking of “buds,” do you think Adam exhibits gay tendencies? Or is Adam just financially bisexual?!
MM: Let me tell you something, as an actor, the Rafe seduction really whet my appetite. First of all, as an actor I have no boundaries whatsoever. A character who will do anything to get what he wants will always draw me in as an actor. Adam blurred the lines of sexuality when he seduced his gay friend for the sake of self-preservation. That told the audience that there isn’t a line he won’t cross. Which makes Adam the ultimate threat because he refuses to fail or lose. That’s very dangerous. At some point, we have to find Adam’s Achilles heel, of course. Perhaps then, Adam will stop wielding his sword.
TVG: Was this Adam’s first sexual encounter with a man?
MM: I’ve been told it was.
TVG: Adam should win an Emmy for “faking” it in bed! It was obviously authentic enough for Rafe to believe Adam was gay as a handbag.
MM: [Laughs] Yes! What I like is that Adam has thrown out the ambiguous nature of that encounter. How far did Rafe and Adam really go in bed? What’s nice is that the audience gets to draw their own conclusions.
TVG: Some viewers wondered if Y&R was making a statement by having Adam immediately take a shower after he had sex with Rafe.
MM: To me, that was metaphorical. He embraced a sexual moment for a grander scheme, so afterwards he felt like he had to wash himself of those actions. I think Adam surprised himself at the lengths he’d go to survive. In that moment, he was tormented at what he was truly capable of. All in all, I like how the story played out. The best part is that particular story thread is still hanging out there to be explored.
I get a kick out of the fact that from time to time several characters will make comments about Rafe and Adam’s sexual encounters. Adam still has to answer for taking advantage of Rafe and his sexuality. I would think that one day Adam’s going to have to address how he betrayed his friend in the worst possible way. Until then, Adam will play defence when their affair is brought up.
TVG: Do you think Nikki was justified in outing Adam’s affair with Rafe to anyone who would listen? I thought that was a fascinating beat, even though Y&R never addressed the moral implications.
MM: I think Nikki felt she was justified in outing Adam to give her loved ones insight into who they were really dealing with, and, of course, protect them in the process. We’ll never know if Nikki intended any direct malice via her actions.
TVG: What did you think when Y&R chose not to air a single kiss between Rafe and Adam?
MM: To be honest, I didn’t think anything of it. I wasn’t happy nor was I disappointed by that decision. I understood their thinking. Hey, I just come into work and do my job. Having said that, let me tell you, if the kiss was written into the script, I would completely embrace it with open arms. I’m an actor. That’s what I do — act. I would’ve gone the distance. As I always have and always will.
TVG: The worst thing an actor can do is judge their character. Once you do that, you’re not acting. You have developed quite the gay following thanks to playing Adam, Genoa City’s sexual terrorist! You first attracted a gay fan base during your scene-stealing turn as the sarcastic and surly Sheriff Don Lamb on Veronica Mars, right?
MM: I don’t know if my following was predominantly gay, but I did have my share of gay fans. There are more gay folks out there than the average person gives credence to. As my career has grown with larger audiences, I find all different types of people who admire, critique or follow my work. One of the campaigns I’m very proud to work with is the No-H8 Campaign.
It’s funny because I tend to romanticize what it was like to live in the ‘60s or ‘50s. You know — what it was like to live in a world with hardly any cars on the road or when the fox trot ruled the day and that sort of thinking. But then, I remind myself that half our country didn’t have any rights. I definitely would have fought in the civil rights movement and drank from the coloured water fountain with pride.
Make no mistake, if I was born in that era, I would’ve gotten myself into a lot of trouble! And here we are again, in another civil rights movement involving the gay community. I want to stand up with tears and frustrations and just say, “Are you kidding me? You’re going to tell me that there are rules and limitations to love?” As my sister likes to say, “straight people have no right to corner the market on miserable marriages!” It’s heartbreaking, really.
TVG: Speaking of love and heartbreak, Y&R recently swerved in a new creative direction with Adam. It appears that the Heather and Adam story has been dropped and that Adam and Sharon may be a new romantic couple.
MM: Swerving is the key word. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Y&R revisits Adam and Heather down the road. That’s the beauty of Adam, he can infuse himself in the A, B, and C stories. I respect soap writers because of the Herculean work they have to deliver every single day. It’s still incredible to me that anything actually gets on the air. There is definitely a method to the writers’ madness.
So far, I’m digging Adam’s new direction. I’m game for anything. I adore Sharon Case and it is a treat to be working with her in this capacity. I love her insight and her interaction in our scenes. She makes coming to work completely worth it!
TVG: You had no interest in joining a soap until this emergency recast came up. Luckily, you landed a big role on daytime’s No. 1 show acting opposite the genre’s biggest star. What’s it been like being a soap star?
MM: When I first joined Y&R, I knew nothing about soaps. I was definitely a novice. And you’re right — I have been incredibly blessed and lucky to have my first employers in this genre be legendary and talented Maria Arena Bell and Paul Rauch. They are true collaborators and mentors. I had no idea how iconic, revered and groundbreaking Paul was until I read your interview with him.
The man helped give birth to this industry which totally blew my mind. If I can absorb any knowledge, advice or history from Paul or Maria, then I’m extremely grateful. From an acting perspective, if you look at the Peter Bergmans, Eric Braedens and Eileen Davidsons of the world, who have been cranking this out for decades, you have no choice but to bow down to their talent and work ethic. If Hollywood knew how hard soap actors work, no one would say a negative thing about daytime, that’s for sure. I’m proud to be working in the soap world. Yes, I became an accidental soap actor, but sometimes there are happy accidents.
I didn’t come on to Y&R to fill anyone’s shoes, I’m just here to fill in Adam’s shoes. I want it out there that no one man can replace another man’s performance or character. I’m proud to be a part of the Y&R team. It’s a testament to the writers and producers that my entry into Genoa City has been successful. Many consider my role on Veronica Mars my breakout role, but my thinking is that I want every role I play to become a succession of breakout roles in my career.
TVG: I doubt that will be a problem.
