One Life to Live's Brett Claywell: 'We Told a Story in a World Where Most People Are Afraid to Tell It'
You really should be. What you guys did was really brave and necessary right now.
I know we're in daytime television and not many people have seen what we did, compared to certain other things. But I feel very strongly that if you put our work up against Brothers and Sisters or Mad Men or Milk or Brokeback Mountain or anything else that has gotten critical acclaim for the work being done, I think that we would stand up next to any other work that's told stories like this. I'm really proud of everyone involved. And I know that everyone's upset because it's ending, but I feel that when we look back on this, I feel like we told a story in a world where most people are afraid to tell it, and we told it without fear, without hesitation or reservations. We told a truthful story, and in the end isn't that what daytime television is really all about. I'm really proud of what we did.
You won a GLAAD Award for your efforts.
We did win a GLAAD Award. We didn't get presented with an award, we just somehow got it. I think they slipped it into our gift bag. But we won it, and we're very honored to be recognized.
Obviously you've spoken with Scott since this. What was that conversation like?
We're kind of doing our own things since this all broke out. We didn't talk too much. But the night of the GLAAD Awards we actually arrived together and went together, and when we were in the car, we definitely said to each other that tonight, it's kind of the culmination of the whole journey, and we wanted to make sure that we didn't allow any emotions to get involved about anything we've filmed.
At the end of the day, Scott and I will go on to great work. By no means will this be the last job that Scott Evans and Brett Claywell will have. At this point last year, nobody had any idea that we would make this big an impact in the television world. And in so many people's personal lives, which is the most important things. There's so many human beings out there that we touched on an individual basis, or we affected, or changed, or encouraged, or supported all of the things that so many people needed.
Recently there's been a couple high profile, openly gay professionals working in the industry who have taken some heat for saying gay actors should stay in the closet. What's your response to that?
I understand that it's a personal choice, for themselves. I don't know exactly who's saying these statements. But I think any time that you feel like you need to keep a truth about yourself secret, you're allowing the people oppressing you to win. I in no way feel like anyone should have to oppress who they are. The talent that one human being has to play a role is in no way affected by their sexual orientation. And I think the more actors who come out and say they are gay or lesbian will only continue the progress being made towards wider acceptance that they are gay or lesbian.
Equality only comes when you fight for it, and if you stay quiet, you're not fighting. So I completely disagree. I worked opposite a gay man for a year, and for the first few months we worked together, I didn't know he was gay. I couldn't have had a better experience working with another man. I played a gay man opposite a gay man, and I would have been upset at Scott for keeping it a secret.
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I wonder if any of this has to do with pressure from right wing homophobes and religious bigots.
This isn't new for ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Back in the late Sixties, they were doing amazing, ahead-of-their-time stuff with black characters and even had a major black character who tried to pass herself off as white. Not surprised it was OLTL that did this type of gay storyline first.
I'm an OLTL viewer and participant in the online fandom. Let me tell you, we are NOT pleased by this move, to say the least. Don't Put Kish In The Closet and Save Kish are just two of the websites that have sprung up in protest at their firing. Daytime Confidential and We Love Soaps and other soap news sites have been all over the story, which, BTW, doesn't just involve a boneheaded decision to get rid of a groundbreaking storyline and popular couple that have garnered the show more press attention than its had in years, but also the completely sleazy way ABC Daytime has tried to spin it following the outpouring of outrage, including using "unnamed sources" to tell a soap columnist that one of the actors was partying too hard and had caused scenes to be cancelled and the other to be becoming a diva. ALSO, this was just the latest in a line of firings in recent weeks that seem nothing more than calculated to drain OLTL of its diversity (racially, sexually, etc.).
I can not believe that this story line this Fish and Kyle story line is being dropped. I have been watching OLTL for years. Im over 21 this is life. The story line could have been two straight men but because its two men grow up. Noone complained whenTodd raped and kidnapped a women. That was ok. It is time to accept everyone for who they are not who they care about.
I think this has more to do with how TV calculates ratings and ad dollars. Many many more people seem to have watched it online (as did I) storyline by storyline, which does not factor into the Nielsen ratings or ad rates. What if Networks uploaded individual storylines (which is easy in soaps as they would be 10 minutes a day, or Youtube length) and put the ads on them? I would watch the ones I wanted on demand, and networks would have not only monetized the largest new soap demographic but also get real feedback numbers about views and storyline popularity.
Anyhoo, great great work from OLTL and two terrific actors.
Make that two terrific actors who also happen to be scorching hot. We'll see more great things from both!
"Unfortunately, it didn’t add up to ratings, which were some of the lowest in One Life to Live history."
Thats not as big of a deal as it sounds. Many soap operas have been hitting new lows almost every year.
I hate that Kyle and Oliver are being written out. It's the most important storyline that soaps have done in quite some time and the story has been so well executed by the actors involved. But OLTL is in an unfortunate situation- a shrinking budget, a bloated cast and sagging ratings. Isn't OLTL the last of the NYC-based soaps? The bottom line is soap operas are a dying breed so I guess they did what they had to do. But still, its a shame they couldn't have been a little braver and kept these characters and got rid of some of the "same old, same old" like Todd & Tea/Todd & Blair, the always suffering Jessica, Mitch Lawrence (who has died about nine times now), etc...)
Such a classy well spoken guy. He cares for his work, and he as well as Scott did tell an incredible story. He will go on to do great things and I will follow his work and support him.
Great interview. I hadn't watched OLTL in about 15 years and got pulled back in because of Kyle and Oliver. Brett and Scott did an amazing job with this storyline and it sucks donkey balls that they're being written off. There is so much potential to explore a storyline about the challenges faced by gay parents, but who needs fresh and compelling material when you can regurgitate the same old tired crap? For ABC to blame one storyline for the low ratings is nonsense. Kyle and Oliver have never been featured as heavily as other characters, not by a longshot. As a straight white woman, I found it really refreshing to see a realistic and well-played gay storyline on mainstream TV. They also shitcanned all the black actors but one and there are rumours that a prominent Latina actress just got the heave-ho, too. We need more diversity on TV, ABC, not less.
Brett is pure class and he and Scott are being used as scapegoats and erronously blamed for ratings that have been on the decline since long before they were on the show..we dont even see them often enough to be responsible for any ratings drop and OLTL needs to admit that it was faux lesbian Dorian,the mass gay wedding, incestous pyscho Mitch and the rampant teenage sex that is to blame and not the very beautiful romantic love story of Kyle and Oliver...they have touched the hearts of people worldwide and brought a new diverse audience to the show and ABC is making a monumental mistake in ending it and losing the two most talented actors they had...the chemistry between Brett and Scott is truly amazing and their dedication to their story is inspiring and when they leave i will join their countless other fans who will be leaving with them....OLTL without Kish will not be worth watching....
Actually, they didn't.
All My Children is the groundbreaking soap! Outstanding African American characters, hot topic issues, interracial relationships...you name it! AMC has featured gay storylines long before OLTL (and I'm not just talking about Bianca. Back in the day there was a storyline involving a male teacher). As the World Turns has the MOST popular gay couple on TV today: Luke and Noah. BTW: they were on the scene before Kyle and Oliver. I know 'cuz I watch both soaps!
No Kish --- I can't believe it. OLTL you just lost a viewer dedicated to the new direction you where charting. I am done.
Hurt to the Heart
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my commet for brett and scott they did great job with the show oltl and being written off the show by april and i be support them all the way i know it feels being wirtten off with oltl and with abc and daytime soap they need to bring them back as role of kyle lewis and oliver fish and their child sierra rose meaton when gigi goes see oliver fish as scott evans to see her nicese sierra rose please abc daytime soaps make decision to bring brett claywell and scott evans and their child sierra rose back on with the show with oltl
kish was good on one life to live really enjoyed them big mistake to cancel them. wish they could come back