I’m not sure if you are aware but I have been watching the Young and the Restless since I was born. I PRV it every single day and watch it religiously. About this time last year I got the opportunity to interview the ONE AND ONLY Victor Newman but was flying out to Costa Rica on a surf trip. I was heartbroken, but sent Barbie to conduct the interivew and it went off with flying colours. Her and Kevin even got a message from Victor for me. He said he missed me.
This year at the National Women’s show, Peter Bergman, aka Jack Abbot was in town and I was given the opportunity to interview him. Unfortunately, I was flying to Calagary for a fashion trip and could not do the interview. AGAIN! GAHHHHHH!
Below is an awesome interview done by Barbie when she met the REAL Jack Abbot. Please enjoy & comment. Thank you to Mr. Bergman’s PR for arranging and HUGE thank you to Barbie for doing an great job. This her unedited interview with commentary, enjoy! It’s funny.
Interview with Peter Bergman (aka Jack Abbott, The Young and the Restless)
Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Victor Newman (played by Eric Braeden). This year at the National Women’s Show, I got to interview his arch nemesis, Jack Abbott (played by Peter Bergman). I must admit, I wasn’t as excited as I was when I got to meet “the moustache” but I was pleasantly surprised with Peter’s charisma.
Sabrina: How do you like Toronto?
Peter: I love Toronto; it is a “YandR Mecca” – more devoted YandR fans here than any other city, over Boston, Chicago or New York City. All the cast members love coming to Toronto. When I checked into my hotel last night, 3 guys came up to me to say “Hi Jack!” and before I even said a word the front desk, they asked if my room was under “Jack Abbott” or “Peter Bergman”…
Enough small talk, we were on a time crunch so I dove right in:
Sabrina: Over the years, has Jack Abbott become more Peter Bergman or has Peter become more Jack?
Peter: Jack has picked up more on Peter. My wife did call me out one day when I called someone “sweetheart”…
Apparently sweetheart and darling are Jack Abbott terms of endearment.
Sabrina: Similarities and differences between Jack and Peter?
- Peter: Similarities are that both are fiercely loyal to family, quick to judge, strong opinions and like redheads. Difference is that Jack is quicker on the trigger, more impulsive.
Sabrina: What are the 3 things that you MUST have in your dressing room?
- Peter: Dictionary, TV and Telephone
Sabrina: If you hadn’t become an actor, what would have been your alternative career path?
Peter: (without hesitation) Architect. Toronto has such great architecture and I love the blend of old and new. I can open my hotel room blinds and name which top architects designed the buildings in my view.
Surprised me a little, I always viewed the Toronto cityscape as a bunch of glass boxes. Always nice to hear a non-Torontonian say great things about your city.
Sabrina: Did you fall into soap operas or did you seek them out?
- Peter: Stumbled into it at the age of 26. I was a stage actor to begin with and I almost didn’t go to my audition for All My Children. I had three auditions that day, one for a commercial and one for a theatre production. Both went terribly! Then my agent, who never followed up with me, reminded me not to worry as I had a 3rd audition that day for All My Children.
Sabrina: What is a common misconception about the show (YandR)?
- Peter: What you don’t get to see is that Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) and Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow) are the funniest people you will ever meet. Another misconception is that the bed scenes are sexy. They are far from it! It’s uncomfortable because there’s a whole room of people watching and you’re with someone you’ve worked with for years. So you don’t want them to ever think you’re taking advantage of the situation. Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Newman) once asked me “Did you just look at my breasts?!”
He did say Peter and Jack both like redheads…
Sabrina: Okay, Peter, Rapid Fire Round. Say the first thing that comes to your mind:
- How many wives has Jack had? 6 (As a side note: Eric (Victor) couldn’t answer this one last year…)
- Closest friend on the set? Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Newman)
- Favourite suit designer? Armani. (Hmm… Victor and Jack both not only hold a candle for Nikki but share the same fashion sense.)
- Favourite vacation spot? Peter: New York City
- Drink of choice? Vodka on the rocks with a twist.
- TV/Movie character you secretly wish you could have played? Hubbell Gardner from The Way We Were. (I had to Google that one, before my time… it’s a Robert Redford movie from 1973.)
- Are you on Twitter/Facebook? No. And I don’t plan to be.
And then we wrapped up, got my obligatory fan girl picture with Jack Abbott, the new power mogul on the Young and the Restless. (You know, until Victor rebuilds his company and the ranch and makes his big comeback…)