SODhost: Mark Pinter is here! Welcome Mark!
MARK PINTER: Hello!

Redanytime asks: Mr. Pinter, I want you to know that you are my favorite on the show. Do plan on staying on with the show for a long time?
MARK PINTER: Well I just re-signed. I'm just completing the first year of a new contract. I have 2 more years and as long as the show is on the air, I'll be on it. I plan to honor my contract, so I'll be with it, unless they have other plans :)

Mrs_Pileggi_1 asks: Hello this Tanya from Missouri and I just love Another World never miss it since "Carl" is gone are you the new "Evil" guy??? What's it like playing Grant?
MARK PINTER: I think since Charles left a lot of that responsibility for being the evil type will fall to me, however there are other characters as well who will take on that role... Scott... You know the ones I'm talking about. But I do know there are a lot of young characters who will be taking on the mantle of bad guy, even Ellen Wheeler's character [Marley]. I welcome it. It's quite interesting when you have more than one person playing the evil guy. And what is it like playing Grant: It's the best job I've had in daytime. I'm very happy to be employed and to be able to play such a rich character.

Luv2TchFirst asks: Do you think that the character of Grant has gone too far to redeem himself?
MARK PINTER: No. No I really don't. I used to think that. I used to be quite frightened of going too far with a character and used to run to the producers and say "What have you done now?" I don't anymore. It's not my responsibilty. I don't waste my time worrying about it anymore.

Redanytime asks: Mr. Pinter, can you comment on Mr. Keating's firing? If so, how did you feel?
MARK PINTER: Well, Charles was a good friend and still is. I was sorry to see him go, first and foremost for his presence on the set and in the studio. We're all close in Brooklyn... Charles is always an actor who always works in any medium he's in. I don't worry about Charles. In fact he just opened last night in a Roundabout Theater production [of You Never Can Tell]. He's cut his hair. I frankly think Charles leaving AW was the best thing that could happen to him. It's a good thing for an actor to move on.

Sunset43 asks: Do you think you and Cindy will be getting back together? I love you both together!
MARK PINTER: I think the audience wants Cindy & Grant back together and no doubt they will [reconcile]. I don't think it's a very compelling way to break characters up and bring them back together... I don't think it was a very interesting story. I don't know what you'll do to bring them back together, but again that's the writer's problem to worry about. I really don't know what you can say to bring them back together.

KimRhodesFan asks: Does Grant really love Cindy?
MARK PINTER: I don't know. Does Grant love anybody except himself and his son? I don't think the audience will ever really accept that he really likes Cindy. I don't really know. See, it's not compelling enough of a story to bring them back. I don't know if the audience cares about seeing them together. You have to care about these characters... I think that's the problem with our show and that's the problem with daytime. Compelling stories, please.

Homer_and_me asks: Mark, what did you have for dinner, or are you eating as you speak (type).
MARK PINTER: Actually I'm having a wonderful pate, huntsman's (sp?) cheese, crackers, chutney and a Bud Light. And I had a flat tire on the way home from work today... first time in 7 years... on the Van Wyck [Expressway]! And I had semi's coming at me, so I'm lucky to be home!

PMVfan asks: One of my favorite Grant moments of all time was seeing him beg Cindy to kill him in the storage closet of the psych ward - how did you pull off the role of Grant as psychiatric patient?
MARK PINTER: I don't know how I pulled it off, but it was some of the most rewarding work I've ever had to do on the show. It gave the audience a chance to see a completely different side of Grant, although it was drug induced. I think it was a wonderful way to bring the characters together. As you might know, Kim's time on the show was pretty tenuous at that time and the scenes we did in the psych ward helped her [stay on AW]. I also had the chance to really stretch as an actor in those scenes. They were very fulfilling.

Jaketheman5 asks: How does it feel to play besides Kim Rhodes? It seems that she brings out a different side to grant! Do you like the comedy scenes between u two?
MARK PINTER: Love em... but again, and we do them very well, however, and Kim feels the same way, daytime television is not sitcom. But what we've been doing has been sitcom.. My feeling is that NBC should spin us off into a sitcom. But that's not daytime TV. It's very easy for us to do comedy, but we're not doing a sitcom, and after a while you become tired of it. I think comedy is fine in daytime, but it's a drama. Eventually you become tired of it, I think the audience becomes tired of it.

Redanytime asks: Mr. Pinter, is there any chance of a romance between you and Marley? The scheming Grant with the perfect Marley would be an interesting twist. would you like that pairing?
MARK PINTER: I'd like that, primarily because I'd like to work with Ellen Wheeler. You hope for a lot of things when you do a daytime show; sometimes things come true, sometimes they don't. Writers have a lot of reasons for putting people together. I think writers need to watch the shows more, and see what the audience is seeing, and give them what they want.

Jaketheman5 asks: Do you surf on the Net to find out fan's opinion on the soap?
MARK PINTER: No I don't. When I first got my computer, several years ago, I used to. I don't anymore. I don't have the time. I think the opinions of the fans, and they're entitled to them, can be very cruel on the net and actors' egos are very fragile. I don't listen for that reason, I just really don't have the time. And the kids have the computers tied up so much, I can't even log on.

Luv2TchFirst asks: How do you feel about the persistent rumors that Another World will be cancelled?
MARK PINTER: Well, these rumors were around when I joined the show 7 years ago. I think they were on long before then. They are that -- rumors. We don't spend a lot of time worrying about it in Brooklyn, I'll tell you that. All shows will end eventually. This show and many shows in daytime are struggling with lack of audience, and we have done our best to drive them away by not honoring them. We don't spend much time worrying about [cancellation] anymore.

TallnLeggy asks: How many children do you have?
MARK PINTER: I have six. Four girls and two boys.

GoneMad_BackLater asks: Enjoyed you on ATWT, besides meeting your wife, what's your favorite memory of that time?
MARK PINTER: Well, meeting my wife was definitely my favorite memory of that time... no question. I think also the opportunity to form a relationship with the great Douglas Marland. Actually, I knew Douglas from before that, but we formed a great friendship through that time. The passing of Douglas is one of the reasons that daytime isn't the way it used to be anymore. Not many people know how to do it anymore and sadly the networks don't let them do it anymore and everything gets diluted.

PURPLEPOPY asks: how do you like working with Jensen B
MARK PINTER: I adore Jensen and every opportunity I get to work with her I welcome. It doesn't happen enough anymore. Fortunately, the fact that the characters share a child keeps us together, but I feel they miss many opportunities for Vicky and Grant to share a story. Even if it's just the day to day sharing of a child in a divorce situation... It's very real. People do it everyday. I do it. We have a stepfamily. It's very real. Why not spend some time on some real things rather than fantasy things?

PeacefulPenguin asks: How was your father's day?
MARK PINTER: It was wonderful. I had breakfast in bed and lots of cards. My children bring me breakfast in bed. Then I had a 2 hour bike ride, then I went grocery shopping, then I went for a swing with my kids, then I sat down and watched the final round of the US Open in its entirety. I got to do what I wanted to do. Amazing!

Jaketheman5 asks: If you had a choice of women to pick on Another World who would it be? Besides Vicky Mckinnon?
MARK PINTER: I don't pick on women.

Evrything_is_alright asks: Is it true you were on an episode of Charlie's Angels?
MARK PINTER: Yes, I was. And I got to kiss Cheryl Ladd. It was a real thrill. Believe me.

Homer_and_me asks: Greetings from Champaign, IL. You seem like a cut-up on some of the outtakes I have seen. Are you as funny as you seem?
MARK PINTER: I'm hilarious! Just ask my wife!

Mrs_Pileggi_1 asks: How do the fans treat you when they meet you???
MARK PINTER: Generally, all fans treat me with respect. Fans are wonderful. It still amazes me that I have the career I have and make a living at it and people respond so to what I do and my characters. It still amazes me.

Jaketheman5 asks: Do you enjoy portraying your character and wrecking havoc on bay city residents?
MARK PINTER: Oh yes I do. What can I say? ;-)

Gete25 asks: How can someone be soooo bad and so loved?
MARK PINTER: Well, I think the key again is humanity. You have to show a human side of every character and when you have the chance to show the human side of a "villain" you make it difficult for the audience to truly hate you. I'm lucky to have a son on the show, to show the fatherly side of Grant. And as an actor I'm playing against type. I'm a leading man type, not a twirling mustache type, all these things help to make a villain likeable.

Skeeter_2_15_98 asks: what is the best thing about your job?
MARK PINTER: They pay me.

KimRhodesFan asks: Mark, what does your wife, Colleen, think of Grant's evil ways? What do you think of your wife's character, Barbara, on ATWT?
MARK PINTER: Well, I think that Colleen is tremendously talented and has given much much enjoyment over the years in her role as Barbara on ATWT. I believe she's extraordinarily underrated as an actress in daytime. I think her character has traveled quite a journey and it's a tribute to her that she's been able to keep Barbara interesting and keep the fans wanting her on the show. Everywhere we go, especially in the south, people clamor for Colleen. They adore her character and what she brings to the character. I'm very proud to be married to her. I think she's a hell of an actress and I think she deserves to be more recognized for her contributions.

Jaketheman5 asks: Sorry Mark I didn't mean u pick on a woman. I wanted to say which woman would you like to be involved in a storyline?
MARK PINTER: Well... á I'm lucky to work with Kim, she's a real talent. I would like to work more with Jensen, Ellen and Sandra [Ferguson, Amanda], and Linda Dano [Felicia]. I don't know why for the life of me why Grant and Felicia have an alliance of some kind. I think Linda's talent on our show is being wasted. Why not have her have a meeting with Grant... throw people together, mix them up, see what happens. It's not a difficult thing to do.

Longtimeviewer asks: If you were going to change Grant, how would you do it?
MARK PINTER: I don't think I want to change him. I'd like to make him even more human, but I'm not sure there's an interest on the part of the producers and writers to do that. I'd like to make it more difficult for the audience to hate him. No one wants the audience to feel more than the actors. We want to move the audience, and maybe making him more a human again, like when he became more "honest" with Vicky a few months ago. That's how you seduce an audience with a character. And we just abandoned that. We need to get back to that, seducing the audience with interesting choices.

Chapman36 asks: Why do you think Grant always gets away with everything?
MARK PINTER: Well, he doesn't always get away with everything. That's not true, Grant has paid dearly for his transgressions over the years. I haven't figured out why people think he hasn't paid. Daytime hasn't changed in that regard, people always pay for their transgressions, especially on a Procter & Gamble show.

KimRhodesFan asks: Mark, what are your thoughts on a Donna/Grant pairing?
MARK PINTER: We tried that, several years ago. I don't think there's any interest in that from the audience standpoint. I think we missed a boat several years ago, I can't recall why it never really happened. I always enjoy working with Anna. She's a very talented lady and you never know what you're in for when you work with her. I've enjoyed this little beat where Grant's been blackmailing her. I think he'll always be involved with her and hopefully that will satisfy the audience.

Nintendothumb asks: when will everyone in bay city find out that you were the one behind the journal and the one wanting to break up Vicky and Jake?
MARK PINTER: I think it happens sooner than you think, and that's why no one's surprised by it. We just tell stories in circles [so] there's nothing surprising the audience. We need to surprise them and it's certainly acceptable for Grant being behind this. But when are we going to tell stories that surprise the audience?

Homer_and_me asks: Mark do you and your family ever get a chance to go to movies as a family unit?
MARK PINTER: All the time. Not enough, but we always take our kids to family films and the bigger guys go to PG-13 and R if we think it's worth seeing. Our oldest is 17 and can now see R rated on her own, I'm not too thrilled about that. I remember going to see films at an early age. I think it's great for kids to go to films. We've been taking our kids since they were babies. It's all visual, it's imagination, it's stimulation.

Andrea74T asks: Is there any similarity between you and Grant?
MARK PINTER: Surely, there are similarities. When you play characters this long, any character for that matter, you're certainly going to draw on your own emotions and character to help you figure out who the person is. Certainly there are things about Grant that are similar to Mark, but I'll never tell you what they are ;-)

Mrsdoczki asks: Now that Cindy is locked up, will you be more involved with Lila?
MARK PINTER: I doubt it. I think Lila's going to be busy having her baby and perhaps getting involved with Cass. At least that's what I presume.

Nang17 asks: What inspired you to become an actor?
MARK PINTER: Boy that's a long one... I wasn't a very good student in high school. I was looking for something without even knowing it to inspire me. And I found something in acting in high school that made me feel good about myself. It was an escape for me to be something I wasn't. I was raised in a very rural community in the Midwest, cities were fantasy for me. It was an escape, it still is. Someone asked earlier about the best part of my job, it is being able to escape into a character for the day and get paid for it. I'm very lucky. Most actors will tell you they're very lucky people.

Chapman36 asks: I read that you are from Iowa, what are some of your favorite memories of home?
MARK PINTER: Summertimes were favorite memories because it was so hot and we would swim everyday... and winters were so very long and very cold. I had a wonderful family. I was thinking the other day, that Iowa, when I was there, had a state slogan: A Place to Grow. I think it was a wonderful place to grow up in, I was very fortunate. I was protected and I was nurtured and more importantly was raised with high moral standards, with the notion that I had to respect people. I think people from the Midwest are generally respectful of people, and I'm just very proud to be from where I'm from.

KimRhodesFan asks: Mark, what's your thoughts on the new head writer for AW? Why does it seem like we get one every 6 mos. around here
MARK PINTER: I don't know. In my seven years on the show, I think we've had at least 10 or 12 Head writers. It's very disturbing to me. With all respect, I don't know who Leah Laiman is, I don't know who Jean Passanante is. I'm sure they're very qualified to write the show. The problem with daytime and P&G shows is there are too many people making decisions on the shows. It's decision by committee.. There is no strong hand... like Bill Bell or Agnes Nixon... or Douglas Marland... and so it becomes a diluted mess. And the audience gets angry, especially those who have been around for a while, and they have a right to be, they deserve better. I wish we could give them better. It remains to be seen.

Talkative_13_98 asks: Would you ever try Broadway?
MARK PINTER: Oh baby... Would Broadway ever try me is the better question. Every actor's dream is to be on Broadway. My career started on the stage. It's interesting the journey we take as actors. I still have dreams of being on Broadway someday.

Another_world_fan asks: What did you think of the storyline where Grant gave Paulina drugs?
MARK PINTER: I hated it.

Keenai asks: have you ever done comedy?..........Like to?
MARK PINTER: I do comedy everyday. I think that's why Grant is so liked. There is a twinkle in Grant's eye. I just don't take Grant seriously and I think that's why the audience loves him.

Redanytime asks: Mr. Pinter, do you think daytime needs NEW writers instead of writers that go from soap to soap?
MARK PINTER: Well, daytime doesn't need new writers, daytime needs to let the writers out there write. There are talented writers out there, they need to be able to pursue their vision without network exec interference, etc. That's the problem.

Another_world_fan asks: What is your favorite food?
MARK PINTER: I like food. Period. I like all food, I'll eat just about anything. :-)

Justannie32 asks: Mark I really enjoy the show. You're soooo bad!!
MARK PINTER: Thank you.

Baali_666 asks: what kind of music you like?
MARK PINTER: I like jazz, I like classical jazz, I like classical music, I like rock & roll, I like show tunes, Broadway. I'm partial to all music.

Akela_20 asks: Mr. Pinter, do you enjoy working with the children on the set?
MARK PINTER: Yes, I do. It's not an easy task to work with a child. You have to sometimes keep them focused. I admire Jensen because she has to work with 2 little guys a lot. You sometimes become a facilitator and it sometimes makes your job a little more difficult. You never know what's going to happen either, but we're lucky on Another World to have wonderful children.

Cutes36 asks: What is the most interesting gift a fan has ever given you?
MARK PINTER: Oh gosh... We get a lot of things, especially around Christmas. I just recently got a needlepoint from a lady that was quite nice.

Cutes36 asks: What has been your most touching scene since you came onto the show?
MARK PINTER: There have been a lot, a lot of them... One that comes to mind is when Grant was in the psych ward and Vicky came to visit doubting that any of it was real. And when she finally realized that it was, there was a very touching moment where Grant regressed into his previous life with Vicky and was treating her as the first lady, and the character of Vicky was taken along for the ride in his fantasy. It was the chance to show his love for her. The love of Grant's life is Victoria. I was hoping that the writers would be able to reveal that to her. I would love to see Grant open up and tell her that she was the only woman he's ever truly loved. I think the audience would enjoy seeing that moment.

Gr8guy_98 asks: will grant ever find true love??
MARK PINTER: Based on what I just said, I think he did, and failed at it. He had it and didn't know how to hold onto it. That's the tragedy of Grant Harrison when he has something he doesn't know how to hold on to it.

DivineMrsM asks: Mark- It's nice to hear a "star" say nice things about Iowa....most people only laugh when I say that I am from Iowa....they all say yeah the corn state oh boy.
MARK PINTER: Iowa's a great state. What can I say? Anybody's home state is a great state!

Redanytime asks: Mr. Pinter, I read about the earring bet with the family. I would love to see it on the show. I know it is a little out of character, but would be cool.
MARK PINTER: Well it would only work in a fantasy now wouldn't it? I don't wear it very often. I wore it for a couple of weeks this spring. I haven't worn it for six weeks. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I think how ludicrous, then I see Harrison Ford with his and think, maybe I'll put mine back on! LOL

SODhost: Thank you, Mark! And thank you all for joining us!
MARK PINTER: I'm happy to have had the opportunity to talk with you this evening. For those fans of AW, all I can say is hang in there, I can't promise that we'll get better, but you must know that those of us who toil on a daily basis in Brooklyn for you only hope and pray that we'll be better for you. We want to put the best product out there. Unfortunately, we can only work with what we're given. We're actors who have to come to work and learn our lines.