TREVOR ON "TODD" (Victor) AND BLAIR
[Note: These quotes are taken from interviews conducted from 2003 to 2011, while Trevor St. John was still playing the role of "Todd Manning" on screen. Any references to Todd on this page refer to his portrayal, not Roger Howarth's.]

Trevor on the Overall Relationship

"In my opinion, what he has with Blair is more like an obsession than love. ... There isn't much he wouldn't do to win Blair. Again, it's an unhealthy obsession. It's not the real thing we all hope to have." (SID 4/27/04)

"It's not real love, just obsession. Ownership of something. He thinks that he has love for Blair. I believe that makes it more dangerous and fun [to play] if it's an obsession, it makes him willing to do anything for it. It's pure, aggressive, clinging to something -- no matter what, she will be mine. Todd will betray her to get her." (TVGO 7/13/04)

"I'd analyze it as real obsession rather than real love. Not the -- for lack of a better word -- 'clean' love that we dream about from fairy tales. It's more of an obsession, and that's far more interesting for me, and it's more interesting to watch, probably. She is his obsession. I mean, look at the things he's done to keep her around." (SOD 12/14/04)

(on viewing "T"&B's relationship as an obsession) "Well, from my point of view, that's the whole makeup of the relationship as a whole. I don't think it's very healthy. It's very dysfunctional. They need therapy." (SOD 2/15/05)

"I'm not saying [Todd and Blair] should never get back together, but let's have some variety. Roll the dice, in a sense. It has nothing to do with the actors I work with now. It's just that we need something new. Something that's different and creates some new dynamics. To just put him back with Blair again is so redundant. And then what? That's the big question I have. Because it doesn't work when they're together. It only works when they're not together. I've been saying this for awhile, that they should go their separate ways and then revisit it again in a while." (SOD 11/14/06)

"Anytime Todd and Blair get along - that's just the most boring stuff. Their love-hate tug-of-war is what gives them their passion." (SoapTownUSA.com 6/30/07)

"Evangeline is more right for Todd than Blair. His relationship with Blair is really crazy and obsessive." (SoapTownUSA.com 6/30/07)

(on the Blair/"Todd"/Evangeline triangle) "Blair's a great character and I'm not saying they (Todd and Blair) shouldn't have stories together. But Todd and Evangeline were really special, too." (SoapTownUSA.com 6/30/07)

"I guess what's entertaining about Todd and Blair is that they're not right together, they shouldn't be together but they keep trying. So that creates drama. I just think it would have been interesting to explore that side of Todd with a different person." (SoapTownUSA.com 6/30/07)

(on whether OLTL will pair "Todd" with a new love interest) "Well, it might be time, but I'd be surprised. People are really invested in the Blair-Todd relationship. Still, it would be interesting if the writers and producers took a risk and tried something totally different." (SoapTownUSA.com 6/30/07)

"They're awful parents." (SoapNet Promo 2008)

"It's a never-ending cycle. That's what people expect; they want Todd and Blair together, and the writers give them what they expect. It's not necessarily true that they'll do exactly what the fans want, but they do have an expectation, so the writers meet it." (Tulsa World 1/20/2008)

(on his storyline hopes) "Something we haven't seen before. Just anything we haven't recycled. Like I said, there is an endless recycling of breaking up with Blair and getting back together, breaking up with Blair then getting back together. ... It would be nice to see something different – anything we haven't seen. ... I have no specific ideas of where to go; I just know it would be nice not to repeat ourselves." (Tulsa World 1/20/2008)

"When people ask: 'Would Todd ever kill anyone or hit Starr or Blair,' I always answer, 'sure.' If I say no, then I'm limiting the character." (TV Guide Canada 1/7/09)

"The death of Todd and Blair needs to be the death of the cyclical nature of the story. It was never about Todd and Blair not working together; it's about them working together in a different story. Every year, we do the same thing. She screws some other guy, he gets angry, but then he'd come crawling back, and then it would repeat itself. I love working with Kassie [DePaiva] and if they want to write a Todd and Blair storyline, terrific, fine with me -- just don't keep repeating the same thing." (SOD 6/23/09)




Trevor on Specific Storylines and Scenes

(on Blair accusing "Todd" of raping her in 2004) "The way I played [the rape story] was that he never actually believed that he did it, but he never actually believed that he didn't. It all happened so fast and she looked battered -- but he never knew for sure one way or the other." (SID 4/27/04)

(on "T"&B's 2004 reunion) "Todd is happy to have this chance. What he wants more than anything is to be back with Blair." (SID 6/22/04)

(on the "T"&B's 2004 wedding plans) "They want to just get it done, to make it official. There's been a lot of stuff in their way. It's just about finally getting it over with." (SOD 12/14/04)

(on the Mannings' attempt to takeover Asa's house) "Forgive me -- I was bored out of my mind. I was like, 'Please, I don't want to do this anymore,' and that's always difficult [for an actor]." (SID 12/21/04)

(on the way he plays his scenes with Blair) "I'm a bit of a contrarian, if you haven't noticed, and because it's over-the-top serious so much, I try to go the opposite way to even it out a little bit. There's so little humor in it that I search for it. I don't know if I'm trying to make it funny as much as I'm trying to not make it so dour." (SOD 2/15/05)

(on Blair's last visit to "Todd" in jail before he is to be executed) "Todd tells the guard to get Blair out. The people you love the most are the ones you also hate the most. It certainly outweighs the residual feelings of love. It's abandonment and betrayal. 'Not only am I going to abandon you, I'm going to act aggressively.' Abandon you and then beat you down. That's a double whammy." (SOW 5/30/06)

(on "Todd" kissing Blair while she is still with Spencer) "It's almost an aggressive, grudge kiss. A test to see if the kiss would mean anything and ignite any passion for him. ... He says that it didn't. But you can't have all that history together and not still have love." (SOD 7/4/06)

(on whether "Todd" has feelings for Blair after the execution) "With all the history, I think of course, there are still feelings, but I think the betrayal is trumping all that." (SOD 7/11/06)

(on whether "Todd" and Blair can get back together after her affair with Spencer) "I think that her sleeping with Spencer just to get information out of him is just as unforgivable. I mean, if it were me, I wouldn't forgive that!" (SID 8/1/06)

(on whether "Todd" and Blair are over after her affair with Spencer) "He has been with her for so long. I assume that someday they'll want to have Todd forgive Blair, but it is possible that what Blair did really is unforgivable!" (SID 8/15/06)

(on his least favorite storyline) "When Todd and Blair were teamed up to bring down Asa and they tried to steal his house." (SoapTownUSA.com 6/30/07)

(on the 2007 marriage to gain custody of baby Sam) "I think there are some sexual sparks going off. No romantic ones, but definitely sexual. He obviously has feelings for her, but I don't think he's accepted them, or accepted her, as his permanent life partner." (SID 11/20/07)

(on "Todd"/Tea/Blair living together) "They're doing a takeoff on Three's Company, but the stuff that happens between takes is even funnier." (SOD 8/4/09)

(on "Todd"'s feelings for Blair even though he's with Tea) "He's obviously still attached to Blair, or he wouldn't be performing and doing all these things in front of her. Or it might just be the writers wanting us all in the same room together!" (SID 9/21/09)