General Hospital’s Nicholas Alexander Chavez Gets to the Heart of Spencer’s Appeal — Plus, the Branches of the Cassadine Family Tree, Untangled at Last
The actor kept it real during a recent Q&A.
From the moment that Nicholas Alexander Chavez took over the role of Spencer on General Hospital, viewers have been intrigued. And we’ve only become more so as the actor has dived deeper into what makes Nikolas’ son tick. What is it about the character that so captivates? Chavez has the answer.
“He’s really desperate for connection with other people in spite of where he comes from,” he told Steven Cuoco during a recent Power 98.5 satellite-radio interview (listen in full below). “He’s made to feel ‘other’ because of his background. But in those moments when his real personality shines through, when he becomes what I like to call his best self, [the audience can] see the glimmers of life” in him.
What Really Matters
In a way, Spencer is in the same boat as his portrayer. He has a choice every day: Does he get up and give it his all, attempt to better himself, and does he go through the motions and hope to get by? For his part, Chavez never chooses the latter.
“Ultimately, the only thing you’re ever going to be able to come back to in life is, did you give it your best shot? Did you try to be the best in your field?” he mused. “If you did do that, then I think that you can say that you’re successful.
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“Ultimately, that’s my goal,” he added. “I want to be able to lay my head down on my pillow at the end of the day and say, ‘Well, today I did the best job that I could.”
It doesn’t always happen. “Some days I can’t,” he admitted. “Some days I’m like, ‘You could’ve gotten more juice out of it.'” Nevertheless, he endeavors to pick himself up, dust himself off and do better the following day.
Leaving Port Charles in Port Charles
When the heightened emotions of life in Port Charles — and life, period — threaten to get to Chavez, he takes pains to re-center himself. “Balance looks different for everybody, but for me, it’s really important that I have guideposts that I turn to,” he said. “Meditation is a really great one. Music helps me process my feelings. I write a lot. Going out in nature really helps.”
So Chavez’s advice to us all is, “Get present, however you need to do that. If you can do that, you can usually figure out the next thing to do.”
What’s Next
Though Chavez is busy writing, his priority is General Hospital. “I’m staying pretty focused on the task at hand right now,” he said. Other roles, other gigs are sure to come along, but he wouldn’t want to give Spencer anything less than his all. “The next step in your life,” he suggested, “will always be born from doing what you’re doing right now to the best of your ability.”
More: All the actors exiting General Hospital [PHOTOS]
Amen to that! While you’re here, stop off at the below photo gallery that tries to untangle the branches of the Cassadine family tree.
