IF THAT'S LOVE // Press Archive // Trevor St. John

TVGuide Online Q&A (TVGO 7/13/04)

It's the War of the Roses, Llanview style, as One Life to Live's Kevin Buchanan and Todd Manning — played by Dan Gauthier and Trevor St. John, respectively — vie to bring each other down. They're not letting their biological ties stop them from lying, stealing and cheating one another, and that's on a cordial day. With such heated performances, it's hard to believe that St. John and Gauthier could ever find a civil connection. But TV Guide Online sat down with the boys and got proof that they are one of OLTL's most entertaining couples, on and off the screen. -- Delaina Dixon

Todd and Kevin are related, why can't they just get along?
Dan Gauthier: Apparently, the writers don't want us to. [Chuckles] But then it wouldn't be very interesting if we did get along. You've got to have somebody against somebody.

Especially since Kevin's wife, Kelly, lied and told him that Ace is Todd's baby.
Gauthier: Kevin got those anonymous letters and started to suspect that Ace was Todd's baby and that he and Kelly had had an affair. That pretty much ended the relationship and made Kevin pretty ballistic.

Why did Todd even keep Kelly's secret about Ace as long as he did?
Trevor St. John: He was pretending that he had changed and was doing the right thing for everyone, so he was keeping his word. But it was really b.s.; he hasn't changed at all. It was just an empty gesture. He doesn't really care about her.

Did Todd take some pleasure in the few moments Kevin believed that he had slept with his wife?
St. John: It was nice. Payback for Kevin being with [Todd's wife] Blair.

Now Kevin's going to make Kelly pay.
Gauthier: Even though it's not his baby, Kevin's going to try to get custody. He believes the baby has no one. And since Kelly wants the baby so bad, it's the worst thing he can do to her.

What would it take for Kevin and Kelly to reconcile?
Gauthier: Kevin's spent the last four months in a relationship that's absurd and ridiculous. Kelly has lied to him in literally every scene. Everything that she's done is pretty unforgivable. But if they can get Todd and Blair back together...

Speaking of which, does Todd really love Blair?
St. John: 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.

Surprisingly, Viki takes her brother Todd's side in this battle instead of her son's. Why is that?
Gauthier: She's out of her mind. [Chuckles] People can say Kevin's the bad guy, but he has all the justification for this. They've lied to him when he's done nothing wrong. I think it's been hard for Erika Slezak (Viki) to play that, for her to justify not taking her son's side and literally disowning him, but that's what they wrote and that's how she's playing it.
St. John: Todd is playing her completely for a fool.

Both these guys are pretty manipulative. So who would take whom in a back alley?
Gauthier: The answer to that is that each person is going to get a major licking. The only winner is that they will both be exhausted.
St. John: Either that or they end up making love, from all that tension.
Gauthier: We could be daytime's first power gay couple. [Chuckles]

You play enemies on screen, but do you hang out in real life?
Gauthier: We do all kinds of things together: Go to films, hear music play, go to lunch.
St. John: Our wives are friends, so we hang out a lot. We went to an Ingmar Bergman movie the other day, and afterwards had some barbecue and beers.

Is there any way Kevin and Todd could become allies?
Gauthier: Name something else on the show that's as dynamic as their [feud]. These two characters ... drive entire story lines into conflict. If they were friendly to each other, where would the sparks fly? There have got to be archenemies on a show, and we're it. I can't think of a reason to stop that.
St. John: From what I've heard, the audience likes this relationship. Todd's desire to destroy Kevin is more passionate than his desire for Blair. That's why I think if they were going to make it a friendly relationship, it would have to be based on pure sex.