Kurt McKinney One-on-One

Fan favorite Kurt McKinney will join me for a one-on-one interview live in The Locher Room on Friday, October 6th at 3 p.m. EDT / 12 p.m. PDT to look back at his career working in television and film.

Kurt made his film debut playing Jason Stillwell in the1985 martial arts film No Retreat, No Surrender. He also appeared in the film Sworn to Justice. He began his martial arts training at the age of 12.

In addition to his film roles, Kurt had a number of guest starring roles on some hit prime-time series early in his career including; such Gimme a Break!, Highway to Heaven, and ALF. Recently, he’s appeared on Blue Bloods, Power and the limited series The Thing About Pam.

He is well-known to daytime audiences for his three-year stint as Ned Ashton on General Hospital and his role of Matt Reardon on Guiding Light which he played on and off from July 1994 through the end of the series in 2009.

Kurt recently appeared in the Gabriel Inferno series and is working on a new martial arts film, The Last Kumite.

Catch up with Kurt on October 6th live in The Locher Room.

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[DNBursky]

Kurt was one of the first actors I saw on daytime television as I began watching the soaps in the late summer of 1989. I loved his portrayal of Ned. I remember his love interest Dawn was recast four times over three years. Sharon Case was the second of the four. He also did so well with Jane Elliot as Tracey, the character's mother. He was great as Ned as well as Matt on GL.

[denisebrewer]

Thank you so much for this interview. Matt and Vanessa are one of my favorite couples that stand the test of time!

[matthewhildebrandt]

This hour flew by! So great to catch up with Kurt! His portrayal of Matt was fantastic and his chemistry with Maeve, impeccable. And yes, Matt & Vanessa should have ridden off into the sunset. Thank you, Alan.

[TheKelJacob]

I'm glad Kurt is still out there getting work!

I watched GH when he started as Ned, but switched to GL sometime during his GH run. I was happily surprised when he started on GL. I was a huge Matt & Vanessa fan but must have stopped watching GL when Vanessa was pregnant with Maureen (probably because GL had devolved into the Reva show). I'm catching up with what I missed because someone has been posting their clips here on YT from '94 to 2000.

I know the exact scenes Kurt was talking about with Lisa Brown on the stairs in the boarding house. They WERE fabulous.

Thank you both for this interview!

[lesmis]

Another wonderful interview. I loved Kurt as Matt Reardon. He also had great chemistry with Wendy as Dinah.
He wore a kilt because that's what Nola picked out for him to wear. Vanessa's original dress was ruined & run over by Little Bill during the rainstorm on the wedding day. Nola came to the rescue with purple outfit for Vanessa that apparently was from a prince of some sorts.

[baconbap]

Loved him as Matt. So much chemistry with Maeve Kinkead.

[eddiej]

I really enjoyed this talk. I love Kurt. Such a great guy. Thanks again, Alan!

[Dee-wrsi]

Great interview! Kurt is a good guy, always liked him as Matt. Matt and Vanessa were perfect together, he loved Vanessa no matter what. When she tried to push him away because of the age difference or her family trying to break them up, mostly her children Bill and Dinah, or the death of her beloved father Henry, Matt stood by Vanessa. That whole Beth thing I wasn't fond of at all, neither Billy and Vanessa getting back together at the end. I understand what they were trying to do, have a full circle moment with them at the end of the show, but I just feel Matt and Vanessa should have been together at the end. Great interview Alan and I will be tuning in for the Stars and Strike event tomorrow.

[cindywellons]

This is a great interview. I loved the characters of Matt and Vanessa. Great on set chemistry.

[der]

I love the one on one’s, Alan, but it would also be nice if from time to time you could get couples together for interviews. I know Maeve has been on your show from time to time, it would’ve nice if she could’ve joined Kurt for this. 😊😊

[tom-kshz]

Love Kurt. Just a good dude and great actor. Loved him on GL as Matt. Vanessa and Matt were so much better than she and Billy.

[vickilanger]

WONDERFUL TO SEE KURT AGAIN! BOTH MY parents in heaven AND MYSELF loved the MATT and VANESSA LOVE STORY EVEN THOUGH WE WANTED SOMEDAY TO SEE BILLY REMARRY VANESSA😉 LOL
FYI ALAN I'M THE 1st person waiting for the show next Friday with DEACON AND HOPE SO EXCITED FOR IT PERFECT FOR FRIDAY THE 13TH BE BOLD BE💗💗💗💗BEAUTIFUL BE BACK NEXT FRIDAY FOR THE🤗SHOW BLESSED WEEKEND TO💗 EVERYONE HERE💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗FYI ALAN I'M ALSO THE 1ST LIKE🤗🤗🤗 BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER🤗 FAILED ME YET ON ALL YOUR💗💗💗💗 INTERVIEWS SIR 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

[benjaminautieri]

Sensational interview with such a skillful actor👏👏 your stories were so amazing you just stuck to your convictions, and we are the benefactors of all your amazing Wonderful roles in all media💯👍👏👏!

[B]

Contessa!!!! I never forget how Matt called his Vanessa, it's just like yesterday....great memories ❤

[baconbap]

Loved the final episodes of Guiding Light when teen Maureen set him up with her teacher.

[guykite]

I enjoyed watching Kurt on your sight..💖

[MikeS-vs]

I heard that Kurt was doing a new martial arts movie on Viking Samurai page.

[gabrielstern]

Great interview Alan.

Love hearing Kurt talk about playing Ned I remember when he started which was during the 1988 writers strike where Ned was introduced as sleeping with Monica somewhere where I forget.

But Monica did not know he was Tracy's son.

And Alan Kurt got to work with Sharon case briefly. Because she was the second dawn who was Monica's daughter.

So Kurt got some cougerish back story before gl.

And wally kurth who took over Ned at days slept with Jane eliots charecter anjelica then had Jane Eliot play his mother.

Anyway Kurt was great as Ned too a different Ned VS wally as Ned was written more as a weaker whinier charecter.

But he was still darn good.

As for gl bieng Nola's son.

Another treat. And as I watch and hear who Kurt tested with I think a matt Lucy pairing would have been awesome or a Matt Jenna pairing.

No offense but vannessa belonged with Billy.

And Jill Phelps should have never fired Jordan clarke which took years to fix.

And Alan I hate when soaos just throw charecters in jail.

Anyway what a wonderful interview and Alan when Kurt was talking about Germany and hamburg.

Was great as in Germany also gave birth in hamburg with Kai hanson to what's now called power metal and Germany also has Wacken open air festival every year where people come from all over the world and camp out to see all kind of rock and heavy metal bands from all over the world. For 3 to 5 days.

Also Alan in Europe a lot of the
US daytime shows air at night in primetime like I remember in France days was airing episodes from 1988 that was over dubbed which I hate back in 1991.

Or Canada where aw was huge along with atwt and guiding light. Shows how more appreciative and open minded other countries are to daytime and all kinds of music.

Another example Andre Matos who sadly passed away and was Brazilian and was a talented pianist and singer and was the original singer of a band called angra wrote The theme music for a long running Brazilian soap opera.

I am just mentioning it.

Ohh and no I am glad Billy and vannasa got back together.

[gabrielstern]

My apologies I thought Matt was Nola's son I know he was bridgettes brother I know Nola and Maureen were sisters but was their another I am missing.

I have not gone that far back yet with gl. To the early 1980s.

I have seen some but not enough yet.

[gabrielstern]

Thanks Alan it gets fuzzy and sorry if you heard Me responding when discussing Jordan Clarke I just think it needed to be said that their are a ton of people in daytime and acting and in the music buisness that have had struggles with addictions and mental health issues and even if Jordan Clarke had been arrested I still think just firing him was wrong instead of just putting him on leave or letting him go with a condition that once he cleaned up he got rehired.
I also think Jill was working actors to hard and sometimes when that happens addictions like cociane addictions start the best thing is like atwt did with Micheal David Morrison is to pay attention and try and get the person into rehab and keep it hush hush before an arrest happens even if you have to bring another actor in temporarily or back burner a, storyline for 3 months or whatever and not see the actor for 6 months. And of course in Micheal David Morrison still oded a few days before I think he was supposed to go back to rehab. I also think those codiene pulls found in his system was supposed to help him come down from the cociene but he was not supposed to drink and I think it was the alcohol that actually killed him. but kudos for atwt and Doug Marland and Laurence caso for at least trying and brilliantly handling at the time as well as how they handled things with Ben Hendrickson.

And even with things that happened at gl and all her mistakes I still like her and think she now could be a really great producer and bring the medium back and I am sure she would today do things differently and pay more attention

Anyway thank you as always for your wonderfull interviews and your willingness to be able to have those conversations

While putting a spotlight on things like mental health.

And issues like transgender issues and continuing to allow eps who are guest to have those conversations because we need it.

I mean when I just got done looking again at aw from the 1991 period again I litererly ended up going on a rant during the Donna swajeski period because that was a time when aids was a real serious issue and taking things like abortion lightly while having a charecter yell my body my choice. In a bad way while a year earlier doing the Jake the rapist storyline was disgusting.

And only adds fual to the far right extremist views and extreme evangelical views.

And I think Jill with some of her stuff at both gl and later at aw was doing the same thing.

Without realizing the impact she was having and that she was hurting the medium and opening up a can of worms in daytime.

And sure I understand her wanting to just have some life and action on the shows but to do that you really need to first trust your writers and learn the history of each show and at the same time study greats like Paul Rauch or Douglas or harding Lemay and the history of the show and each charecter and do it slowly.

But I am glad you had Kurt Mckinney back I just wished they had him work with actresses his own age like at general hospital and not that whole vanessa Matt storyline because it made it difficult to clean up and fix and that's why I think during Paul Rauches time as ep he had to send Matt and vanessa out of town.

But did at least get Jordan Clarke back as reacuring and got Krista back as Mindy on a reacuring basis and still had Kurt and meave come for visits but it litererly took as guiding light was going off the air to break up Matt and vanessa and get Billy and Vanessa back together and we all remember how much we wanted to kill Nadine for breaking up Billy and vannesa and Alan one more I think a dinah Matt pairing would have been a good pairing too.

With both wendy moniz and gina tognoni but you could never do it because of that Matt vanessa pairing.

Anyway it is just my thoughts.