The first thing I did was run through the list of other actors who will be along on the cruise (Cameron Mathison, and Jacob Young from All My Children, Don Diamont & Christian LeBlanc from Young and Restless, Austin Peck from As The World Turns, Winsor Harmon, Lesli Kay & Brandon Beemer from Bold and The Beautiful, Jay Johnson & Nadia Bjorlin from Days of Our Lives , Kamar de los Reyes from One Life to Live and Murray Bartlett from Guiding Light) and asked how well he knows everyone. He said that thanks to events Super Soap weekend and the The Emmys, everyone pretty much knows everyone at this point. He added, "The soap business is two degrees of separation and I've rubbed elbows with some of these folks." And, of course he is looking forward to spending time with is buddy Bradford Anderson, on the cruise, as well.
Greg told me that he has been on a cruise before, but it was with - get this - forty of his family members! Apparently the Vaughan clan went last year to the British Virgin Islands and there were plenty of little ones, his son was only six months old at the time. Greg's wife, Touryia, and son will attend the Soap Cruise with him in January as well. "Everything on this trip will be new to me," Greg answered when I asked if he'd ever been to Key West or Cozumel, Mexico (the two ports on the Soap Cruise).
I asked him about various cruise activities and Greg admitted to being a "degenerate" gambler and said that he has a reputation for being a hustler! His wife isn't much of a casino player, but fans might just see him playing craps or Texas Hold 'Em. As for partying it up, he says that he prefers "…anything with alcohol in it." His cocktail preference depends on the environment, so in Mexico he'll likely drink Red Stripe (beer), etc. He is a full-blooded Texas boy, but said that "my friend Jack isn't very much fun to be with anymore." I had to agree that once a person becomes a parent, the day after a big night isn't nearly as easy to pull off!
We talked a little about water activities and Greg stated his strong preference for beaches over pools. Being a red-blooded woman, I couldn't resist asking if he wore a speedo. He laughed. "I am married to a European, but I'm a good, old fashioned trunks boy." He joked, "You won't catch me playing Michael Phelps."
Greg also expressed his desire to give back to the fans who appreciate the work that soap actors do. "Just hearing their support, their reactions and what they like about the show and its storylines is nice," he said. It's not about getting accolades from fans, it's about hearing fans point of view for Greg.
While still on the subject of the cruise, I invited Greg to read my blog from last year's Soap Cruise with Tyler Christopher, as if he needed any help getting excited for the trip!
Before we said our goodbyes, we talked about Lucky, of course, and he gave some good insight into his character's past, but you'll have to wait until next week to read about that!
Julie Clark Robinson
General Hospital Writer
Soaps.com
