If you want to listen to this episode or any of our episodes, add free. You can do that now. Head on over to Patreon, click on the ad free level. You get all of our bonus shows that you've been hearing so much about plus every single day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. You can listen to this episode or any of our other episodes at the same time, ad free over on Patreon. Hey everyone, this is David. Welcome back behind the velvet rope. Let's just get right into it today because we're joined by the one and only Jack Wagner. Hey David, how are you? What's going on? I should just say eggplant is in the house, right? Eggplant is in the house. Listen, your clue package talked about, you know, five decades and you played doctors and ship captains and rock stars like. What was this experience like for you? You've done so much in this business. Oh, thanks for asking. It was I love the theatricality of it. Actually, I love being back on stage. I love singing again. It was very challenging to be in the, I would say eggplant costume. It's a bit cumbersome, but still, you know, it was challenging, but also, I mean, pushed me to, you know, focus on the vocal and really try to knock out the best vocal I could, you know, and also figuring out the movement, what worked and, you know, what I was really capable of doing. Yeah, some people get costumes like Galaxy Girl has like a slender costume. I figured the eggplant can't be one of the easier costumes. No, I would probably say it isn't. It would have been nice to maybe have shown my legs or moved my body a little bit. But listen, I think he was a likable character, you know, and it was great to come out of the box with Rocket Man, one of my favorite artists and favorite songs. So I got a chance to sing some really great songs. You did. You know, Ken Jong so close. I mean, he said you played a doctor on TV and he's thinking of Doctor Noah Drake and Rick Springfield so close. Right show, wrong doctor, wrong character. But, you know, speaking of Frisco Jones and the beginning of your career, like, what was that time like when you kind of broke on in General Hospital and tasted fame for the first time and were working long hours? What was that experience like, just the beginning of your career like? Yeah, it was a whirlwind, really, honestly. And I got a break, you know, I did five screen tests before I got that. And the last screen test, you know, David, they said, do you by chance singer play the guitar? So I'm like, yeah. So I literally brought my acoustic guitar and knocked out a Kenny Loggins soon, did the scenes and got the part and literally had to sing a few songs in the recording studio and signed with Quincy Jones a week later. And so I was kind of coming off the cusp of Luke and Laura, Rick Springfield, Jesse Girl, you know, John Stamos's band and then signing with Quincy. So it was a big whirlwind on a huge show at the time, General Hospital. So I really got a break. Another full circle moment. Your guest is Kenny Loggins, you know, right now on the mess singer. And that was one of the songs that you started with. Where do you think I know you've been on the bold and beautiful and Santa Barbara as well? Like, where do you think soap operas are today? Like you hear Susan Lucci is always talking about, oh, all my children, we're going to bring it back. Hopefully one day. Like, I mean, it's a different time. Like, where do you think the status of soap operas today? Well, I did have, I went back to bold and beautiful for three months last year to do a little story arc, right? Want to shooting in Italy, because it's such a massive show in Italy and got married personally and my honeymoon was over there, but they just re-signed with CBS for three years. Okay. And most so signed for one year, right? And they've tried to fill daytime with all of these talk shows. So I wouldn't be surprised if there was a resurgence of the soap opera world, right? Maybe bringing back a show or two, or maybe creating a new show. But the ones that are existing when General Hospital Young and the Restless and Bold and Beautiful, I think are rock solid. I think they have their core audience. It's clearly shrunk over the years because there's so much content. You know, when I started, you know, daughters and sisters and aunts and moms and grandmothers sat together because there were three stations and you watch the soaps. And that's why it general, generationally used to really have such a strong audience. At EDF, we don't just encourage you to use less electricity. We actually reward you for it. That's why when you use less during peak times on weekdays, we give you free electricity on Sundays. How you use it is up to you. EDF change is in our power. 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After 65 years, the Peace Corps is still the toughest job you'll ever love. Explore opportunities in more than 60 countries. Learn about benefits and apply at peacecore.gov slash serve. That's peacecore.gov slash serve. Absolutely. And you know, there are a lot of talk shows which are being canceled these days. And so, I mean, to your point, maybe that will lead to more soaps or just these three being really stable. That's right. All I need was such a catchy tune in everywhere in the 80s. You played huge stages. I mean, does being on this mass singer stage of epic proportion, like are you, does this invigorate you to maybe add some tour dates, some go back out on the road next year, like the rest of this year? Thanks for asking. I appreciate that. That's not what it does, but it does plug me back into live performance, you know, and singing again and having a live audience and that performance. It was very, very challenging, like we spoke earlier, because the eggplant costume, here's how they had to put it over me, right? I had to then put my arms and be harnessed in, put my arms through these sleeves, right? And then have the mic on and earpiece and then really try to sort of strapped in to get comfortable to try to create a performance, right? But really the key was the vocal humming and rock this vocal and nail it. So it was great for me, David, to be plugged back into performing on stage, live audience and, you know, trying to, you know, sell a song for judges in America. Absolutely. Well, like I said, Ken Jong thought you were Rick Springfield, Dr. Noah Drake, but to many of us, we knew the only doctor that mattered is Dr. Peter Burns. So talk and Melrose Place is the best show that ever existed on television. Let's just be very clear, scripted because the mass singer, of course, for reality, but you know, you ended, you know, you was you and Amanda on that beach and you faked your own deaths. Like where is Dr. Peter Burns today? Is he still with Amanda? David, I'm really, really going to kowtow to you and pay homage, brother, for knowing the storyline so well. And it was so flattering for me to have the last scene of the series to end, you know, with Peter and Amanda getting married on the beach and, you know, walking off together. You know, what no one knows is the real dialogue Heather and I were really saying, the judges were walking away, right? But yeah, that was for me a big show for me because it took me from day time to nighttime television, right? And that was that kind of sort of a catapulted me into a couple of the things that were real important in my career. But yeah, that to end the show like that, I felt as though I was really a part of and was like a stamp, a time stamp on something that at the time was a groundbreaking show. I mean, it really was. Listen, when you have someone blowing up the building, like the thing about Melrose is like anything could happen. Like Dr. Peter Burns, you know, he was beloved. But, you know, he pushed the envelope on a lot of things like that must have just been such a fun character to play. Oh, it was great. Yeah. Because again, it was pretty theatrical, you know, went from the insane asylum with Marsha Cross, Kimberly Wright, you know, then to different story lines with different one. Well, I just put it this way with that character. He was chief of staff of the hospital that never did surgery, but had sex with most of his patients. Okay. That pretty much about sums it up. Would you ever be interested in a reboot? Like I know there was talk like a few years ago, like Heather was even involved. Like, you know, they tried to get a reboot and shop it around, but, you know, it didn't happen. But, you know, you never know. Like would you be interested in going back to Melrose if it was a reboot? Yeah, I think the real challenge with a reboot with a show that is, you know, time stamped like Melrose places, you know, how do you transition those characters from then to now? Right. What would the story be? That's really the problem with something like that. But yeah, I'd always be available to reignite something if it was done properly that they could kind of plug the audience back into where they are now. Yeah. Good point. Well, in your clue package on the mass singer, you said, you know, back in the day, you might have had too much fun and now you're very relaxed. And you said, you know, you made the mistake of dating a rockers girlfriend and big mistake and he sent his buddies after you and you almost became egg plant Parmesan. So I mean, are you referring to when you dated Heather Locklear and did Tommy Lee or Richie Sanboros and someone after you? No, no, this was back more. This was Nikki Six with Motley crew. This is back in the 80s. And I found this out from his book when he released his book, you know, that, you know, I was seeing the girl, I didn't know he was involved in so blah, blah, blah. And he said, he, you know, passed out and otherwise there were going to be hit men at the door of the gate of general law. Hospital of breakjack Wagner's legs. That's, that's in his book. So that's what I guess, you know, they do research on you on the mass singer, right? They ask you questions. Then they research all this to pull up some very interesting facts that might throw the judges. So, you know, I don't know the truth of any of that, but I just kind of mentioned it because it was in his book. Listen, the mass singer is good with finding out these facts because I never heard that. I also, right, they're great. I also never knew this. I mean, I know that he was a great guy. I also never knew this. I mean, I know all I need that was on Quincy's label, but I had no idea that you crashed. We are the world. I've learned this from the mass singer. Yeah. I think that was a great clue because it threw them and they were thinking Darrell Hall and Kenny Loggins and, you know, Billy Joel. And no, I actually gave Lionel Richie an AMA award that night. I was on Quincy's label. Quincy says, Hey man, you got to come over to this recording session. You know, I came over hung out for a while. Michael Jackson comes up to me and says, I just love your record. I love your voice. You know, keep going. And I'm like, Oh my God, this is unbelievable. Right. And I, I didn't say for the recording, but I hung out for a while and it was, wow, what a memory and what an experience. A lot of, a lot of memories there. Did you know when you were going over there, like you were walking into a room with right, like Michael and Tina Turner and Diana Ross. Did you know what you were walking into when you were heading over there? Yeah, a little bit, but I didn't really, you know, I was in, I was, it was such a whirlwind for me for about two or three years, putting a band together, touring live concerts, you know what I mean? Just, just everything that was attached to, you know, being on General Hospital and having a number one record, right? With no MTV video. This was just all fan base of the show, General Hospital, that got this thing to be a hit record. So to be like a teen idol, you know, and all of that. And then to be in this environment with Bruce Springsteen and Tina Turner and, you know, all the artists you've said, Lionel Richie and, you know, Bob Dylan. I mean, come on. And Michael Jackson, I didn't really know what it was going to be. But when I was there, I was just sort of taking it in, trying to be cool, staying shut up, saying hi to whoever'd say hi to me. And then I took off, you know, so it was one of those things that I had, I had the gift of experiencing that, you know, not many people will ever, ever have that moment. Completely. Another clue in your clue package that threw me off is you said you had ties to Sharon Osborn. What is that about? When I was on Bold and the Beautiful, I was on that show for like nine years. I was going to do the talk. Right, David. So they said, Hey, we got an idea. What if Jack did a scene with Sharon and Julie? And so they came up with this, I'm in bed with Sharon making out. Julie walks in, she's my wife, and she busts me with Sharon. Right. So I got to get out of bed, explain myself in there. So that was my connection, making out with Sharon in this scene with Julie coming in as my wife. So, you know, that that that was sort of the tongue in cheek scene we came up with for Sharon Osborn. See, this is why the Masked Singer is great, because just when you think you understand the clues, then there's something like that. And you're like, now I have no idea who this person is. Right, totally. There was also a wedding dress in your clue, which obviously I assume referred to the wedding march, which I think is now in its fifth installment on Hallmark. Like, what is it like, you know, being a part of the Hallmark family? Also, you know, General Hospital, so beloved, Melors Place, so beloved, but these Hallmark movies are so beloved. Yeah. You know, thanks for asking. To be literally on the Hallmark channel, we just got picked up for season 14 of When Calls the Heart. And season 13 is now airing on Sunday nights, right? So hang on one second. Yeah, sure. You know, so listen, this has been an amazing journey for me being a member of the Hallmark family now for 14 years. You know, leading into, I would say, you know, my 60s, you know, what a blessing. And then the franchise of movies, Wedding March, which I executive producer and co-starred with Josie Bassett from Melors Place. You know, I would do music and do a lot of recordings. And, you know, it's just been a really great run for me in terms of theatricality, like massing and to still be theatrically engaged in the things that I've done for, you know, five decades to sing, dance, act, play the guitar, whatever, and still golfing, nonetheless. You know, listen, I'm a blessed man and I'm really, really very happy and really content to try to raise the bar and, you know, everything I try to do. Speaking of dance, you were on Dancing with the Stars. What's harder, the mass singer in the eggplant costume or Dancing with the Stars? Dancing with the Stars because it's live. Yeah, I've had so many people on this show from Dancing with the Stars, and most of them say it's one of the hardest things they've ever done in their career. Seriously, you've got, you rehearse, you rehearse, and then all of a sudden you come off and it says, they're doing the song dog, Jack Whet, and your mind goes blank. You're like, I have no idea what the moves are. It's just like this shock. All the contestants, we share the same thing, but you wind up doing it, but it's really just such a thrill. Anything live is always that real challenge to you as an artist. Like, you know, you really have to sack up and get it done. Is there a part of this business because you've done so many parts of this business? Is there a part of this business that you haven't done that you still want to try? You've been on Broadway, Jacqueline Hyde. Yeah, you know, Jacqueline Hyde was without a doubt the best, the greatest character I'll probably ever play, although Frisco is the most beloved and, you know, one that always seems to be shouted out to me. But to play, you know, 1880s Gothic tragedy and transform on stage with this massive tenor, you know, musical, that for me was theatrically the greatest experience that I've ever had. As far as doing something, you know, I never have had a feature film career, you know. But I did do that, you know, Netflix movie with Lindsay Lohan, kind of her return a few years back, the Christmas movie. So it was kind of touching with a film star, right, doing a movie for Netflix. So I've I've I've done just some really terrific projects and continue to be I don't want to sound horny, blessed to be blessed to continue to be on when calls the heart, you know, so listen, dude, I'm. I'm content. I'm happy. I'm present. It's it's really great to have done Mass Singer, which was sort of a bucket list for me to be honest, to to be on the show and, you know, eggplant, right? Long live eggplant. As we wrap up, you did mention Lindsay Lohan. Like, what was it like working with her on that movie? Because that was Bill's, you know, her comeback. And there were a lot of eyes and there was a lot of people just kind of watching that movie closely. What was it like working with her? It was great. You know, we got along really well. She was really into like I am running lines, you know, trying to work the material. You know, how do we make it a little better? Connecting what our relationship? I was her billionaire father, you know, kind of tracking, you know, what our history was in a short period of time. So we connected as actors and performers. I liked her process, the way she worked and connected with how I like to work. I like to run lines, not overrun them, but run them is the blocking right. So we collaborated. It was nice and she was she was great. I love it. Well, like I said, Melrose Place is the best show that's been on TV ever scripted mass singer, best reality competition. So long live the eggplant. Hey, thanks, man. Eggplants on the island with Amanda still walking around. I love it. See you later. Thank you. Thank you for talking. Bye, Jack.
