More on Moreti: Actor Steven Moreti Opens Up About His Life, Career, and Desire to be on General Hospital

A few years ago I became acquainted with Steven Moreti, an up and coming actor who has appeared in a variety of well-known movies and television shows including "In Her Shoes" and "Annapolis", as well as CBS's "The Bold and the Beautiful". I recently had the opportunity and honor of interviewing Steven about his career, most notably his desire to be on "General Hospital". Read the full interview below and be sure to join the facebook page that was set up specifically to generate interest in getting Steven on "General Hospital". 

photo provided by Steven Moreti

You've made a few appearances on the "Bold and the Beautiful," but have been lobbying to be on General Hospital" for a while, so what is it about this particular soap that attracts you?

First, let me mention something quickly about B&B...

When I walked onto the set, the first person I saw was Rick Hearst (GH's Rick Lansing). My first few moments on the stage did not feel real. Then, in walks Jack Wagner (GH's Frisco Jones). So there I am, a kid from Philly standing between Ric and Frisco. It took a few moments to snap out of it before I went into work mode. I cant imagine what my first few moments will be like on GH … and, I can't wait to tell you!

Now, on to General…

Everything attracts me to GH! The writing, the characters, the twists and turns…this soap has had my attention for a long time. I have probably been GH aware all of my life, going as far back as when Luke and Laura met at his Disco, howeverI started to study this soap when I took a soap class.  We were asked to study a soap and I immediately started recording and breaking down episodes (starting with when Jerry Jacks blew up the Metro Court).

What kind of character do you see yourself playing on "General Hospital"?

I would love to play a mixture of Sonny Corinthos and Rick Lansing. Both characters are similar in nature from the way they ruthlessly conduct business (no matter which side of the law they are on) to their tortured pasts, demons and ghosts.  Although it came as a surprise to me to find out that they were half brothers, it makes a world of sense when breaking down their characters.

When did you realize that you had a passion and talent for acting?

I have always had the passion but didn’t discover that I had the talent until I started to take classes in the 1990s.  That was a huge leap for me.  I had never been in a school play, had never been on camera or on a stage. It was a leap of faith and I was quite apprehensive about it when I first started. However, my apprehension quickly turned to confidence and determination and I thought, "I love this!  Why did I wait so long to try this acting thing out?"

You pursued a variety of jobs and career paths before committing to acting full time. Do you find that this type of life experience has helped you connect to the different characters you play?

It certainly has.  Most of the time, when I am preparing for a role, it doesn’t come hard to me to imagine myself as having the skills to operate heavy machinery having been a fork lift operator…or on the other end of the spectrum as a member of corporate America. My wide variety of career experience covers a wide array of careers and so does my life experience. I have not experienced it all but …I think I might be close!

You were in the film "Annapolis," which incidentally stars "General Hospital" alum James Franco. What was that experience like?

Annapolis was the first time I really experienced what it was like to be a cast member in a large movie production. I was also immersed in the experience of how my character would behave as a member of our military. We went through a mini boot camp prior to production, had our heads shaved by a military barber, learned how to wear our uniforms properly ... it was a fantastic experience. I have nothing but the utmost respect for our men and women in uniform!

You had to take on a lot of responsibility at an early age, helping your mother with the care of your younger siblings when most kids were probably playing sports or hanging out at the mall. Do you feel that this has made you a more disciplined person, particularly in terms of your acting career?

Absolutely it has. I knew what it was like to be responsible for a family before having my own. I know that it takes determination and work, lots of work to accomplish great things. I also had to learn to play sports on my own as an adult. I am an avid tennis player. I learned in my early twenties and have continued to improve my game over the years. I am a big proponent of seeking out knowledge and coaching to learn anything that you want. I didn't want to sit around and sulk because no one ever sent me for tennis lessons, I went out and found my own resources. My barber was the first one to take me onto the court, the rest I learn from You Tube videos and practice.

You have said that people cautioned you about show business, so what advice would you give to your child if they told you that they wanted to become an actor?

I would tell him not to believe everything you hear. Most of the advice I got came from people who were not in show business. I think the main motivation in advising me to stay away came from fear that I might get hurt or disappointed. However, if my son is anything like me, and if he really wants to check this whole show business thing out, I will tell him to go for it. You never know until you try. And a little disappointment builds character. You cant get lost if you don’t go anywhere...however if you sit still, you will never get anywhere. 

What is the most inspirational advice a fellow actor has ever given you?

Good question, it was either Len Lesser (Uncle Leo, Seinfeld) who told me not to post our pictures together on any x-rated sites OR Peter Fonda. Fonda and I had a chance to chat one morning  while appearing on a morning radio show in Philly. We got into a conversation about the biz, what he was doing next, what I was doing next, etc.  It turned out that we were both in talks for the same film (of which neither of us ended up doing). I asked him how he handled the ups and downs.  He told me that it’s a hard thing to handle and he doesn’t think you ever get to a point where it becomes easy, no matter how famous you are. He also said that, to this day, there are projects that he wants that he doesn’t end up getting. He told me to hang in there, know who you are as an actor, know what kind of roles that people will book you in and when you get the chance just knock their socks off! The more you do that, the more opportunities will come, and one day I will be standing in his shoes and giving the same advice to someone else. 

I recently watched the first four episodes of your web series "Futch Tube" and I thought it was very clever. How did you become involved in this project and can we expect more episodes anytime soon?

Futch Tube is a passion project of mine.  It started so innocently as a conversation with my writing and producing partner, Jax Murphy. Murph and I were batting ideas back and forth for some scenes we wanted to write for one of my actor friends who needed to build his reel. While coming up with small clips of numerous genres, we crafted a few story lines and small scenes that looked like they were taken from larger film projects. By time they were all written, the performer in me wanted to do them myself!  Long story short, we spent many more hours trying to tie them all together to make sense and to be entertaining as well as fun for us. In the end, Futch Tube was born. (Don't worry about my friend, we wrote new scenes and his reel has been getting great feedback.)

More episodes are coming out, we are looking forward to a suspenseful cliff hanger and a very exciting season two which is currently in pre-production. 

Are there any other projects in the works we should know about?

I am working on a music video of all things right now and planning to start prep for a few film projects taking place in the Memphis area. 

At this time, that is all I am contractually allowed to say. When we meet again, hopefully I will have more info for you.

What would be your ideal role and who would you want as your co-star?

Other than playing a lawyer slash mobster on General Hospital, I am making strives now to play either a country star or MMA fighter in my upcoming projects. These two roles classify as my ideal roles since I am a huge country music and UFC fan.

As for co-stars, there are actually too many to name at this point and they change depending on the project. There are so many talented artists out there! Lets just say I have an overall career wish list that never changes… Morgan Freeman, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr., Gary Oldman, Vin Diesel, Scott Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Charlize Theron, Kate Beckinsale and (someone who, based on his talent, should be a household name) William Fichtner. Fitchtner's portrayal of Alex Mahone on Prison Break was tremendous. It makes me extremely proud to call myself a full time working actor with the level of talent out there.

What skill or talent do you wish you had been born with?

Hands down, this would be the ability to sing.  I sing all the time but don't have a bit of talent for it.  I love music and would really enjoy it if my singing was entertaining (and not ear piercing).




Click here to join the Steven Moreti facebook page to support his efforts to be on "General Hospital".


Click here to watch Steven's web series "Futch Tube".