9021One on One: Jack Armstrong

It's nine O Gene with Jenny Garth and Tory spelling. You guys, we are excited to be joined by Jack Armstrong, the one and only. He played Mike Ryan, version.

Two exciting incarnation of Michael Ryan.

We're so excited to talk to him today. Hello Jack, Hi, it's so lovely to see. We were just talking about how you got the role of Mike Ryan and you were the second person to play this specific character. What did you know about the recasting of that, Like, how did that come to be?

I don't actually know anything about that. I don't know how that came to be. So was it the character on before or the characters played.

Afterwards before you? Before before me? I don't know. The guy gave up acting and moved to Hawaii to surf for something.

Sounds nice, but that's not the case. Now we're trying to be Jeni like being detectives, and we're trying to figure this out, but we can't. So we thought you could help us because allegedly.

Yeah, allegedly, the actor who played Mike Crime previous to you in like three or four episodes left because he didn't want to play a gay character. That is alleged yes.

Not verified. We have no idea. He We did talk to Brandon Douglas and he has no recollection of that. His only thing he could think of is that perhaps when the character came back, he was busy, he was doing something else. He was on Ferris Bueller's Day off the series. So maybe, but we don't know.

That could maybe was available, so they went for a second story.

But second best here he is. Yeah, I love that.

Yeah, is a long time ago. I was trying to remember when we did that.

It was like ninety four, you guys know, four ninety four.

Yeah, it was only one episode, but that entire episode really revolved around you and your character.

Yeah, yeah, it was. It was interesting, you know that was it was a different time back then. I guess you know, we all remember that.

It was a different time, and I remember when that role came up, my agency had a conversation with me about do you want to do this because there.

Was still a stigma back then. I mean, you guys necessarily, but like for a guy, for a young guy actor at that time to perceived as a gay actor, there were people that were like, oh, we're not going to hire him.

You know, for something else. You know, for a non gay role.

Yeah, exactly, so exactly. So when you know, as a younger actor starting out, it was like, you know what, don't want to limit myself in that way. So they were like, let's have a conversation about this, whether you do this or not. But you know, I read the script and I thought, and I don't know, my memories are not as as good, but it seemed like it was really handled well back then. I saw a snippet of it, and and I got to say that I

So walk onto the set in Meloe's place. It was.

Your character had some very you know, great dialogue and some good monologues there in those pivotal scenes with your character, and they were so important and it was really important that those words all be heard by those that age demographic.

Definitely, yeah, because that wasn't out there. I was thinking about that also.

I came, I came to LA from New York and on Broadway in the theater that subject matter was being addressed and was being handled and talked about it, do you know what I mean? But it wasn't mainstream at all in TV at all because of I suppose, I mean, it was a different time and advertisers still wanting a certain thing and not an other certain thing and stuff like that, and so it felt a little bit like we were breaking some ground with that.

And I know it wasn't new.

Knew that it hadn't been addressed at all, but it was not commonplace, like you know, on.

A teen.

Not for you for taking on that. Yes, we do know that some actors had passed on it when they were presented the role. So the fact that you stepped up and did it it is really important. And look how far we've come.

And now the conversation would never be happening should I should I play a gay actor? They would be like, please let me play a gay actor?

Absolutely?

Absolutely, Yeah.

But I mean it's like, you know, that's a long time ago, and thank god, a lot of things have changed and we're a lot more open and understanding and.

Accepting of people.

You know that that necessarily weren't accepted before, and I think that's good.

Most of your scenes were with Iron Zerring, who played Steve Sanders. You remember him. How how was that working with him?

He was He was a sweetheart to me and he was so nice. I get the feeling he's that kind of a guy.

Yes, and just that way to everybody, But he was really nice to me, and everybody knew. It was a little you know, it was a little dicey, it was a little tense to be that character, but really really made me feel at home. And there were some off off stage jabs. I mean, I'll be honest with you, you know, the like kind of stuff. But all in good humor, right, very friendly.

Do you remember filming at the at the gay coffeehouse when they they went to Brandon and Steve go to the coffee house and it's just specifically for queer people, like it doesn't there's no straight people.

There, no straight people there, right, exactly.

Very realistic, very very.

Yeah, just like it is today. But yeah, I remember, I don't remember all those scenes actually that.

Scene, and I remember the big speech at the end that he gives to the fraternity brothers, which what was I thought you mentioned before?

Really well written? I thought it was. I thought it was a really good speech.

So you've just continued to work and work and work through the years. You've appeared on so many of the biggest soaps out there. What are yeah, you look good? You look good?

Oh?

What are you most recognized for?

Like?

What would you say?

Gosh, you know, I don't really know. There's some film work that I've did that, you know, people in certain genres like they're into that kind of stuff, some sci fi stuff really like what there's a film called The Guyberg and they made two Guy for films. I wasn't in the second one. I wasn't around for the second one I did the first one with Mark Hamill. And people that.

Are into sci fi stuff like that all know that film and like that film, and I did some I did some other up that I won't even mention too, not because they.

Were like anything wrong with them.

Then the quality was just not great, but in that genre also of sci fi stuff.

Well, you were in one of my favorite movies, Student.

Bodies, Student Bodies, you know that.

Look, I'm a sick horror fan and especially camp Poor. Yeah. Hello nineteen eighty one. Oh my god, I went to my local. Sorry, I get very excited when I talk about it.

You were a child.

I went to my local. It was like not even a Blockbuster. It was like family owned one and Friday nights, I got to order pizza with my friends and we would like pull out the VHS tapes and Student Bodies well good or bad? I have seen it many times. It was one of my favorites.

Well, other people have told me the same thing. I'm always like, really, yeah, yeah, it was fun. Oh yeah, yeah, I was killed.

I think in that movie. I was killed with a paper clip.

Oh, I think it was killed with a paper clip and then paper clip.

That's my paper clip and then the bodies were all I think you put them all in garbage back or something.

It was really it was a good one. He should we make that movie.

I want to be in it. You should be too.

Oh my god, let's do it. Sure, Okay, we'll talk about that later.

Okay, So what are you up to now?

Well, my uh wife and kid and I left LA about two and a half years ago.

We now live in the Great State of Texas.

Nice.

Where we went to Dallas. Nobody else I know who went to Austin. We went right and we still go down there because my wife had family down there. But everybody moved up here. So we're in Dallas.

It's so beautiful outside of Dallas. Between Dallas and Austin, that beautiful hill country. Just yeah, oh gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

Yeah, it is. I like it.

And the people are super friendly. I grew up in a little tiny town. I mean, you're like little eight hundred and fifteen people fifteen in western Pennsylvania.

So that's how I grew up. And when I went to New York. First of all, right, before I went to and I would walk down the street in New York in Manhattan, Good morning. Hi. People would be like, what the good wrong?

True, you have a lot of mistakes in New York because I didn't know any better. But I started working right away in New York because I think because I didn't know any better.

Right, I was such a hic.

You had that fresh off the boat look.

Exactly exactly, and then I got less fresh and well you know, I mean, it's like you.

Got jaded like everyone else. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's time you. Yeah, you have one son, right, I.

Have one time who just turned twelve.

D one.

You're still in the thick of it, So in.

The thick of it. And the dude is like so smart, like street smart, you know what I mean.

And better be growing up in Dallas. Huh, he better be growing up in Dallas.

Yeah.

He's very He's like he looks and acts like he's about fifteen going on thirty seven.

So does he want to be an actor?

No, No, he doesn't know what he wants to do now.

He was going to be a veterinarian. And then he wants to go and have our cars, which I think is cool.

Very yes, we need that, we need him.

We need to have her cars. And I don't know what he's going to do. You know, he's twelve, he's having fun.

And you're just you and your wife are raising You've been together so long, you and your wife two hundred.

Years, it's a world record as well. You know, we're we're tight, we're like this. We've been together a long and still going strong. You know. It is not my first marriage. And I learned finally, finally number three.

I finally learned that it's like really important to like like the person as a friend, so and like you know, hang her out with them and talk to them and have similar interests and stuff like that.

It's not really all about you know, their.

Face and can I take down notes to go ahead?

Yeah, this is very valuable information. So anyway, we're a good friends. So we have a lot of fun together.

And she's in order to sell so so we we are all involved in creative stuff. And there's still some acting work here in Dallas, and I do audio books now and I do voice work and stuff that I can do from Dallas.

Excellent. Oh that's a way to do it. I mean, because to be an actor now you don't have to live in la or New York. You can live anywhere, and you can travel for your jobs and you can work from home.

That's right. And I'm teaching, which I didn't mention.

I should mention that what us tell us teach us, teach us how to act.

Teach us how to act. I've been teaching. I studied with different teachers for years.

And year in years, and I back in LA before I left, I sat in for a guy who's been teaching for like thirty years, and a guy named Gary iam Hoff. He's been a teacher around for long. Came out of Beverly Hills Playhouse and anyway, he had to go out of town, and I ended up teaching for him.

For three months, never having taught before. And when it turned out, I was.

He was really good teaching.

I was a really good teacher.

Oh.

I love that I've learned so much.

And then from working for you know, thirty five or or more years, you know, you pick up a lot of stuff you learn from other people, directors, other actors, and so to be able to give young actors who are starting out and a lot of I don't know what you guys did when you started out. You were just instantly famous, but a lot of people a lot

I mean, I think that's the way most teaching of anything is, like they don't teach you the things you really need to know out there on the job.

Yeah.

So that's such a good perspective you brought for them. I love that. That's great.

Yeah, I do.

I love it too, And I do, you know, because I was doing it for so many years. I have a lot of stories, and so it's a chance for me to get to, you know, tell my stories again because otherwise my wife.

She's sick of it.

We'll listen to them. Tell us the juicy ones. Tell us one good, juicy, one.

Juicy actor story.

Yeah.

Yeah, not to put you on the spot.

What can I tell you that I won't get it.

Some of them are little like you know, I'm trying to think there's anything that would be like fun to tell you that we're get in trouble with. I don't know, tell you the truth. I now I want to do the road because I'm gonna have saying something.

Because you were on soaps a lot, you had to learn tons and tons and tons of dialogue. Do you give them like advice on how to memorize stuff or how to work on in that kind of like quick pace.

Well, I think that's really the technical part of it. And it's like, you know, drill it, drill it, driller, go over and over it. I remember years ago in LA and a class acting class. Anthony Hopkins came in night for a class, right, and he gave us whole talk with the teacher and blah blah blah blah and all this stuff, and he and he took a few questions and one of the guys in the class said, sir, how how often do you go over your lines? And I was sitting there going like, what a.

Dumb question to ask, right, Anthony Hopkins, And he said, well, I read my script about two hundred times and I tell you every mouth in the room, every acting young actor of the room.

Our mouse just went like, oh what I mean?

Nobody two hundred times and this is Anthony Hopkins.

Yeah. So you know stuff like that where you learn as your go is like and it's not for everything, but I mean, here's a great actor without any question, right, and if somebody like that spends that much time going over lines and he wasn't rehearsing and he was just reading him, reading and reading and reading him, and they became he said, part of him, and then he was ready to go and then he could play and work and create. You know. So that's an interesting view point.

That's great advice.

Yeah, a cool thing to be able to share with your students that you got to experience like that with Anthony Hopkins. That's really rad.

Yeah yeah, Jack Armstrong, mic drop there, geez.

I remember shooting the scene with all of us at the photo shoot? Do you remember at the end, what was your costume? Did you have on a scarf? Only a scarf?

In boxing?

They had me dressed up a little, you know, you had like a like I don't I don't honestly remember what I.

Had on silk robe?

Maybe yeah, something, yeah, something in care.

I just remember watching it and I saw Kelly and your character together and I was like, they look like they're having a genuine good time. So I know that you and I were having a really good time that day.

We were.

That was a fun day. I remember that too.

Yeah, everybody, so the first I think it's the first time I got to work with you guys, were being in the same scenes with you guys.

Yeah, it was all about the guy, all of the fratrinity stuff.

Right, So you liked working with us better than just with.

Absolutely question okay, because we brought the fun.

Still to this day. That's right.

How does everyone reach you? How can they get a hold?

How can they get your acting?

You guys are so smart because I totally spaced out on that. So the school is called Actor Space Studio. Actor space studio.

Like a C t O R s P A C E or an actual a.

C T O R a C t R then space like a space for an actor studio. So the acronym is ass, which I didn't intend at all, but it.

Is right, Okay, okay.

Yeah, so that's it in Dallas, and yeah, they can find me and come to class I'm getting all kinds of interesting people in class Dallas.

They call you ass.

No, they don't, mister.

Are you on Instagram?

Jack mister asked, of course, I am tour.

What is okay? So it's just at Jack Armstrong, it's at ass dot.

Me and Instagram, look me and social media. This is terrible, but yeah.

He looks uncomfortable right now.

What is it for social media? You're not? I am, but I'm learning.

Then? Are you on how new people find your business and find out about you?

You have to, Yeah, you have to have a good, strong presence on there for your new students.

I can't find it.

What is it?

What is it? Space?

His Instagram?

His Instagram, build his We need to help him.

There's a website.

There's a web on Instagram.

Not yet it will be.

What are you on Instagram?

To hurt my feelings.

I'm trying to help you, Jackie, because I'm quite fond of you. You are you were in student bodies. I would literally do anything for you. So let me just tell you I'm trying to help you.

If you okay?

So how do I get so? I don't have an addressed to give you right now? For Instagram?

So Okay, so we're going to set this up right now. I'm just kidding, because then once you have you on Instagram, then you can have a link to your website to your school.

See that's what I need.

You need to talk to your son. Your son can do this for you exactly.

I have a virtual assistant in Saudi Huh.

They suck. If you don't know what the what your website is.

How'd you find your virtual assistant?

Oh? Girl?

You go online to how to get in there through? There are two different sites that have international virtual assistants who can do I'm telling you this is an amazing area. They can do anything you want them to do. And they're like so cheap. Now don't go on direction with that.

I say a second then, like, why do you need an international It.

Doesn't have to be international. You can select American workers people in America. The pricing internationally a lot of times is a lot lower.

Oh so you're saying you went for the discounted rate.

I went for a discounted rate.

And people can she set you up on Instagram so we can help your social media for home. What's her name?

How do you know it's her?

It's not her it's a him. How do you know?

It's probably that chad Ai guy.

It's I don't remember his name right now, but he finished the website like this is only being the class has been like for two months, so the website's up. He's doing the social media and everything will be tied together. But I'm not on social media yet. I need to just I need to come into present time a little bit.

You know, I can't find it. I'm putting virtual assistants out of Arabia. I can't find it.

No virtual assistance, it's what.

She really wants to hire. One.

I'm going to send you guys a message back and tell you because I don't remember what it is.

You can't because you're not on Instagram, so you can't even slide into our d ms. This is terrible, Jack Armstrong.

I'm gonna set up and.

Is it truelancer dot com?

No, it's not true lancer. It is five. You can use five five five You ever heard of fiber?

Yeah?

Okay, so five or the other one is.

Front work for four dollars to eight dollars virtual assistance an hour? What that work?

Yeah?

Hello, look you understand something and they have specifics like you known't it's not just a virtual assistant. You try to end the description of what you're trying to do or what you want to do, and you'll get like twenty five people who are like professional professional at it, and they'll say, I'll do that job for you for three hundred bucks.

And for them it's good money. Yeah. Well, I'm serious. It beends on what part of the world it is. They're looking for work, they need work, and they're really skilled in the area, but.

They can't go get your groceries for you or.

Like, no, no, not the groceries.

Help you organize your closet.

No, but do we really need that? I don't know. I like you open the door the door.

This is good information for people if anybody needs assistance the assistancetional assistant.

Yeah, I've learned about five today and also to read my script two hundred times. Thanks via Jack Armstrong.

This has been good listening. You're a good.

Stand and and be friends with your with your spouse.

Here you go.

I learned so much from you.

Well I told you Tory, I'm a teacher. This is a giver.

He is a giver. Yeah, we love talking to you. You are radiant and so fun.

Thank you, thank you. I wish I could tear my dog, but she's here right now.

You know, you have your dog on I have a pit bull, little girl pit bull, who is so pretty.

She's my girlfriend. But she's like she's allowed, my wife allowed.

Okay, that's your one cheat, she's offul pretty well. You enjoy your beautiful life in Dallas with your son and your wife and your girlfriend.

Thank you, and follow us once your assistant sets you up on Instagram and we'll follow.

Back and take good.

You got it all right, good talking to you guys.

Fine,